The Broken Gate by Anita Burgh

 

Just like my previous review this is an author I have been reading for many years since 1994 in this case, when I read ‘Overtures’

‘The Broken Gate’ is the first in a trilogy and was published in 2004 but I have only recently managed to get hold of a copy via Bookmooch another great aid for obtaining books as an ex-pat. I will read the next two when they come my way but I will not be actively hunting them down, only because I already have a huge number of books waiting TBR (to be read). An enjoyable enough read but nothing spectacular, certainly not my favourite from this author. I would recommend this to fans of Anita Burgh who like me want to keep up to date with her work or fans of historical romance.

The Broken Gate the first volume in the trilogy covers just the year of 1901 in the life of the aristocratic Creswell family who have owned and loved on a country estate in Devon for over four hundred years. They are entering a time of economic and social changes with the start of a new century and there is bitter rivalry among family members. The year starts with the senior member of the family Mortimer Cresswell on his deathbed already fighting over their inheritance. His daughter Hannah seems to be the only member of the family aware of the damage this jealousy is causing amongst them. The situation worsens when a member of the new generation of self made men, Stanilas von Ehrlich buys an adjoining estate causing an inevitable feud which is exaggerated when his daughter Esmeralda falls in love with a member of the Cresswell household. The second son Oliver,certainly not suitable for his precious daughter.

The families hurtle along a collision course for impending disaster.

 

Anita Burgh Courtesy of Fantastic Fiction

 

Anita Burgh writes a Blog where she has recently written some posts on Looking Back and Readership with reference to her writing that make interesting reading. Her Official Website is also worth taking a look at for more information on the author and to find out more about the long list of novels she has written. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post I first started reading Anita Burgh’s novels in 1994 and it is just her earlier work published prior to then that I have not read.

Anita has led a very interesting life which I would like to reproduce here, but as this post is already long enough I will save the rest for tomorrow and publish as an author profile.