This book is raw, gritty, creepy, mysterious, thrilling, and at times uncomfortable to read (which I liked). Secrets and lies of murder, rape, sex, racism and family togetherness is what Lady Of The Manor is filled with. I am so happy I requested this and was approved on NetGalley to read and review(for free)this book!. Please add this book to your "to-read" list and then read it! You won't be disappointed. I really hope Heflin has considered writing a prequel. I would love to know about younger Rosemary.

Jaws were clenched half of the book…it is cringe worthy! Rosemary is a nightmare of the worst kind as she pulls the strings of every person around her as though they are merely puppets in her theatrical, sadistic, and menacing tragedy. With a plot that rival even the greatest classics you will be suspended between disturbing revelations and an internal push to delve further into this raw and often mysterious read.

Heflin is a master of creating a reason to loathe a character, I call this exceptional character development. Like the main character he is able to pull at my emotional like pulling water from a well. With ease and practiced skill! One is offered a little clue that Rosemary wasn’t always this way, but who she is today certainly overshadows the world in which her family must live.

And poor Richard, can you imagine finally getting away from what must have felt like a loony bin only to have to return to it? And to bring your children and wife into that world as well? Lady of the Manor is an emotionally charged and highly suspenseful read. Put on some boxing gloves, you will want to punch that lady in the face! Or will you come to understand her in a way that brings forth your pity? I have to give this one 5 Stars!

I received a complimentary copy of Lady Of The Manor for read and review but this does not affect my honest review.

I am a huge fan of Southern Gothic tales relaying familial dramas in large houses with long-held secrets. Lady Of The Manor, fits the description perfectly! Oh my goodness, I never thought I could hate a character as much as I did Rosemary (Rosey) Isabella Creek! Lol, the Author did an incredible job with forming a complex, seemingly beyond comprehension, evilness in a character! Wow! The novel had an interplay of raw, gritty beauty. The haunting, lyrical prose and incredible character development, made for a read I simply could not put down once I started reading!

In the book, bits and pieces are presented to present the idea, that Rosemary had not always been a vindictive, cruel, sadistic woman. I believe what made the things Rosemary afflicted particularly upon her son Richard, then his family (a wife and five kids) who come to live with Rosemary, appear so horrific is due to the conflict of the ideal Mother. Lady Of The Manor simply contradicts what we expect a mother would be, loving, selfless, protective and kind to her family, instead of the vile, loathsome Matriarch Rosemary. Now, Rosemary afflicted shame, pain and torture on everyone, especially her long-suffering butler Rayford Caruthers. Rosemary had one “friend” Pop Barnes, who in his own way, was able to handle Rosemary.

I do see it as ingenious of the Author that under all of this unpleasantness in a character, Mr. Heflin gives peeks and glimpses of a different Rosemary. This shows signs of a gifted writer, who can bring a character to almost the point of No Return, with a reader, then snatch the character back from the edge, bringing redemption of that character in the Reader’s eyes!

The Author brings in the secrets of Rape, Murder, Lies that loom around the residents of the Manor. Power, Money and control are the tools the Lady Of The Manor lashes on all she believes beneath her. but soon events come to a boil, threatening to destroy all in its wake!
Love this read! Love, Love it! I do hope there will be more shared on Rosemary and what caused her to change from a loving, beautiful young woman to one of hate and anger!

Well written, gripping and excellent suspense, a must read for all those who enjoy Family Dramas, Mystery/Suspense!

Within the walls of this home lives a woman so evil, so cruel and vile that most wish her dead. Fear, power, money, control, revenge, retribution, hate and murder fill the pages of this novel as one woman inflicts so much misery on those that she is supposed to love. Rosemary Creek has the heart of stone or iron. A metal so hard that if pounded on it would never bend, dent or scratch. Within her life before becoming as she requires everyone to call her: The Lady of the Manor, she was once kind, loving, beautiful and loving. But, something happened to her that caused her to snap and change and her greatest joy is watching others cower in her presence, falter in all they do, criticize their every being and just be plain mean.

A mother is supposed to love and nurture her children but Rosemary Creek lived a life so far removed from those within the town she ruled and lorded over that she never ever gave her actions a second thought. Thinking that her past would evoke her present she set out to destroy not only her son, his moral and self-esteem but anyone that crossed her path: family, friend or whom she considered foe. Richard Creek lived with the knowledge of what his mother did to him and the abuse she inflicted on him for over 30 years. But, one day as a teen, he finally stood up to her threatening to run away if she did not leave him alone. Rosemary might have agreed but that did not stop what followed for the next 30 years living under her roof, threats coming his way and destroying his moral and will to live many times. The woman reigned like a heartless monarch not over the family Richard wanted to shield but from the Lady of the Manor whose wrath had no bounds. Savannah, Georgia was sweltering during the summer of 1958 and tensions rose as the now 71-year old Rosemary Creek carried over to her grandchildren, innocent people and her underhanded, threatening and evil ways and power led her to murder, maim, inflict pain and degrade anyone that came within her grasp. Taking pleasure in torturing her butler, Rayford Caruthers, belittling Richard’s children and wife, claiming Caruthers, who was loyal to her beyond belief was incompetent and more, no one stood up to her or if they tried the end result would be tragic.

Lady of the Manor is an edge of your seat southern mystery/suspense.

Great story. Highly Recommended!!

"Lady of the Manor" by Adrian Heflin. I just have to talk about this book. I received a free copy from NetGalley to read, honestly review, and recommend. Those not familiar with NetGalley, it is a website for readers where booksellers, publishers, librarians, educators, reviewers, and bloggers can request books to read and review, often times before the books are published. While browsing through books I came across this one and it sounded really good! I love stories about the south. Especially ones with deep, dark family secrets. This is that kind of book. I was approved to read it and started yesterday. From the moment I downloaded and started reading I was hooked. Laundry, dishes, feeding children, vacuuming the house, etc was on the back burner (FYI- I am not a horrible mother and did clean house and feed my children yesterday). This book sucked me in from the very first chapter. It has characters you hate, characters you like, and plot twists that will leave you with your jaw open. When I say "dark family secrets" I mean it. Heflin (the author) doesn't mess around! After less than a day I am about 36% through it. And I can't wait to read more today! I highly suggest picking up a copy! Amazon has the paperback and Kindle edition for less than $10 here. I know I'm not finished with the book. I'm not even halfway through it yet. I do have a really good feeling that I will love this book all the way until the end though!
Happy Reading!

*** 24 hours later and I'm done. Not done with the blog silly. Done reading "Lady of the Manor" by Adrian Heflin. I am so glad I submitted at request for this book on NetGalley. I am even happier that I got approved and was able to read this book! This was such a good read. I love a good mystery/thriller. I love books that take place in the south. I also like when the author takes me to an uncomfortable mental place but the plot is so good that I cant help but keep reading and turning the pages. Adrian Heflin's "Lady of the Manor" has it all. This book is not for those who prefer happy romance novels with good times had for all. This book is raw, gritty, creepy, mysterious, thrilling, and at times uncomfortable to read. What a cast of characters- I liked and hated some of them, often liking a character on one page and by the next page utterly hating them. Twists and turns, secrets and lies, past and present family secrets. Murder, rape, sex, racism and family togetherness (yes, I just used all those words in the same sentence). All in one amazing book. My kind of story! I don't want to give too much away, but do me a favor and add it to your Goodreads "to-read" list (also add me as a Goodreads friend if you'd like). Then head over here to Amazon and pick up a paperback or Ebook for less than $10. You'll thank me later. After your read the book I would love for you to comment on this post or email me (contact info over to the right side of the page) on your thoughts and feelings. Over an hour has passed since I finished this book. And it's still swirling around in my head. I really hope there is a prequel to this book. I would love to know more about Rosemary... I'll let you readers get to it.

Happy Reading!

http://booklovinalicia.blogspot.com/2015/03/lady-of-manor-by-adrian-heflin.html

Adrian Heflin has created a compelling and memorable, although loathsome, antagonist in his principle and titular character, Rosemary Creek. She is shockingly cruel to everyone. She is vicious and stone-hearted virtually through and through. She cares for no one, and is ruthless and insulting to everyone. Because love is weakness. Kindness is weakness. Knowledge is power. Control is through fear. There is no treachery or debauchery of which this woman is not capable. Really. You’ll be surprised. Her character is easily the strongest and most dominant in the book, and, although not multi-dimensional, very well drawn. (In this, I was reminded of Cathy in East of Eden. If evil had a face, and it was female, then this is it.)

To a greater or lesser degree the other characters are well drawn. The most likable and best developed are the three daughters. They are typical sisters, arguing and picking at one another, but they are all sweet in their own way. The author takes care to sculpt each girl carefully. Their scenes are some of the most enjoyable in the book, and this is partly because they are so distinctively portrayed. Their love interests and the accompanying dialogue feel real and natural. Their conflicts with grandmother are tense, caustic, and uncomfortable. The two sons are well developed as well, but to a lesser degree; their characters become slightly less interesting as the story progresses. The mother, Helen, is not a standout character.

I was disappointed with the portrayal of the father, Richard. It is not until the last few chapters that he comes into his own and we get a chance to know him. Until then, he remains shrouded by his cigar smoke, so to speak, and we are left wondering who he really is. It’s not that he’s weak and dominated by his iron-fisted mother. He just “isn’t.” A chance is lost to create an intriguing and conflicted character – one who has been subjected to horrors at the hand of his own mother, bears the concomitant emotional and psychological scars, but at the same time must be strong enough to protect his own family from a similar fate. Richard remains an emerging silhouette, a mid-stage character through much of this book. He could have been so much more.

Other characters – relatives, friends, boyfriends, neighbors, townsfolk – are adequately handled; some are painted with more careful brushstrokes than others. Extended family relationships are described in some detail, and it becomes a bit confusing trying to keep track of uncles, aunts, cousins, in-laws, etc. But since this is a story built around a family and their many skeletons in the closet, I felt compelled to try to figure out and remember which closet each respective relative and skeleton belongs in. This was a bit distracting.

The plot is mostly well handled, with needed information added by degrees. Admittedly, some plot elements were, for me, a little hard to swallow. The pacing picks up in the last quarter of the book, as it should, and as the story moves to the climax, it becomes harder to put down and walk away from. The ending is satisfying if not a bit unrealistic, as all the loose ends are tied up, but perhaps just a bit too tidily.

Mechanically, there are a few errors. There are more than a few misplaced and unnecessary commas and a misspelled word or two. Overall, though, it is relatively problem free. Mr. Heflin’s writing is not overly impressive or creative, but it is also not distractingly bad. It gets the job done. I saw flashes of very good descriptive writing, but these are few and far between. It’s a very dialogue-rich story and, thankfully, he writes dialogue well; it flows easily and naturally. In at least one instance the narrative switches to second person perspective, which feels amateurish.

This is not a pleasant story, but it is not wholly unsatisfying. We don’t see the better side of most of the characters until relatively late in the narrative. Overall, the story is well written and well told. This book would appeal to anyone who likes stories spanning several generations, with all the accompanying buried and dirty family secrets. There are elements of strained race relations with the expected vocabulary (it is Georgia in the 1950s, after all) and a definite southern atmosphere is evoked. It’s not suitable for children; there is frequent sexual activity including rape and, as mentioned, some pedophilia, although the descriptions are not too graphic. I think there were missed opportunities to more deeply explore some of the characters, and the writing, while an adequate vehicle to transport the story, is not impressively good.

This novel is a creepy, mysterious romp through southern life. Heflin creates the most hate-able character since Shakespeare's Iago in the mother Rosemary, and leaves us crying, literally, for the sake of her son, Richard.

Have you read a book and wondered how you would make it through to the end, not out of boredom mind you, but out of the agony you feel for a protagonist? No? Well, read this, and you'll be able to answer with a resounding "Hell, yeah!" As Heflin takes a look at the tyranny of parents and the enmeshment only certain really screwed up relationships can bring to life, but he does so in such a way that we find ourselves riveted to the story rather than predicting its ideal outcome.

After all, when a story begins with rape and secrecy, how can we predict anything at all?

It is rare that an author can create a character that is so evil and diabolical that you pray that someone destroys her at every turn. You actually root for someone to kill her and put everyone else out of his or her misery. A granddaughter that loved to read and she hated. Another that she dared to take her own life or else she would destroy others in her wake. A woman so evil you can feel it just by opening the pages of the book and the venom comes through. A family reunion where her brother shows up for the first time and a revelation is made that destroys more lives. Money, power, control and fear: is all the money and riches in the world worth your soul? As the story continues each of the grandchildren hope for better life as Kimberly and Hilary meet both Art and Isaak. But, Rosemary hates Isaak as much as his mother hates Kimberly and the scenes the author creates are so highly volatile and vividly depicted the reader will feel the anger rise and applaud Kimberly for her words and actions as she stands up to Margaret and does not back down. When Brock and Reginald talk about money and Rosemary you will be amazed at how they feel about the power that it gives them and knowing at times she will clean up their messes. Murder, incest, molestation, rape, kidnapping and bribery are not even close to all of the things she is guilty of. Killing to get what they want and eliminating those that get in their way seems to be the norm not only for The Lady of the Manor but others too. A story filled with tragic characters each different yet the same in many ways. A son afraid to stand up to his mother yet when he does he cowers in her wake and a wife kept in the dark until a startling reveal is made and the truths that have been hidden beneath the walls of this mansion come out. Helen who stands by Richard and would do anything to avenge what her family has gone through and grandchildren subject to abuse that might destroy their lives. Loyalty to Rosemary means nothing if you create any simple infraction or if her mood swings in the wrong direction. Lies, deceits and betrayals and a woman who will do anything to lord it over others as we learn more about her past, listen to her pleas and cries and some might even understand her ways.
When the family finally unites and two are about to marry, Rosemary inflicts more pain, explains her plans for each of them and the consequences if they go against her. A young girl forced to leave her home and another tries to take her own life. A story filled with despair, anger, distrust and fear yet within it all the love that binds them together just might pull them through. As the disappearance of Ernest if known and he cannot be found, another goes missing and all eyes point to Rosemary. Denying it all, saying that she has not idea of what happened to him and a photograph that was planted to stage more doubt within the mind of her son, Rosemary Creek deserves whatever someone might finally dish out. Church once a year even though she does not believe in God. Appearances matter and you had better adhere to her mores and ways. Will the family survive what she has planned for each one of them? What about her final betrayal to the one person that did her dirty deeds, helped cover up her murders and buried her victims? An ending that is quite explosive and final revelation that will explain it all. The Lady of the Manor: whose body will be buried next? Whose skeletons will come out of the closet and whose life will be ruined? One grandchild who could predict the future using cards and the starling truths revealed on the final pages of this powerful novel. Child abuse, verbal abuse, physical and sexual abuse are unacceptable and The Lady of the Manor’s abuse goes far beyond even the definition of all of those put together. The Lady of the Manor: Would you take her on? Would you live in Creek Manor? How much power, money and control matters?

I am a huge fan of Southern Gothic tales relaying familial dramas in large houses with long-held secrets. Lady Of The Manor, fits the description perfectly! Oh my goodness, I never thought I could hate a character as much as I did Rosemary (Rosey) Isabella Creek! LOL, the Author did an incredible job with forming a complex, seemingly beyond comprehension, evilness in a character! Wow! The novel had an interplay of raw, gritty beauty. The haunting, lyrical prose and incredible character development, made for a read I simply could not put down once I started reading!

In the book, bits and pieces are presented to present the idea, that Rosemary had not always been a vindictive, cruel, sadistic woman. I believe what made the things Rosemary afflicted particularly upon her son Richard, then his family (a wife and five kids) who come to live with Rosemary, appear so horrific is due to the conflict of the ideal Mother. Lady Of The Manor simply contradicts what we expect a mother would be, loving, selfless, protective and kind to her family, instead of the vile, loathsome Matriarch Rosemary. Now, Rosemary afflicted shame, pain and torture on everyone, especially her long-suffering butler Rayford Caruthers. Rosemary had one “friend” Pop Barnes, who in his own way, was able to handle Rosemary.

I do see it as ingenious of the Author that under all of this unpleasantness in a character, Mr. Heflin gives peeks and glimpses of a different Rosemary. This shows signs of a gifted writer, who can bring a character to almost the point of No Return, with a reader, then snatch the character back from the edge, bringing redemption of that character in the Reader’s eyes!

The Author brings in the secrets of Rape, Murder, Lies that loom around the residents of the Manor. Power, Money and control are the tools the Lady Of The Manor lashes on all she believes beneath her. but soon events come to a boil, threatening to destroy all in its wake!


Love this read! Love, Love it! I do hope there will be more shared on Rosemary and what caused her to change from a loving, beautiful young woman to one of hate and anger!


Well written, gripping and excellent suspense, a must read for all those who enjoy Family Dramas, Mystery/Suspense!

https://indiewritersreview.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/indiewritersreview-welcomes-lady-of-the-manor-by-adrian-heflin-ravbt-virtual-tours-review-feature/

I would call this book a cross between God’s Little Acre and Peyton Place -- a delicious mix of Southern mores set in Georgia.

It is a book about Rosemary Creek – the Lady of the Monor highlighting three years of her merciless tyranny and those who try to oppose her.

Finally tensions overflow in their shared home in Savannah, Georgia during the blazing summer of 1958. 71-year old Rosemary (Rosey) Isabella Creek carries out her final malevolent deeds with the help of her loyal butler, Rayford Caruthers. What does she do to her son, Richard, his wife, Helen and their five children can only be imagined. Patience is tested with each of Rosemary's taunts as the family tries to understand the nature and reason of her cruelty. As more details of her past are revealed, it only further complicates their comprehension. Will she ever transform into a woman that they can love?

At times I found the book a little hard to read but that did not stop me. If you like blazing Southern fiction, you will love this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars
Lady of the Manor
September 4, 2015


Lady of the Manor was a good book. I thought of the South back in the past. I loved how the author added so many details and characters in the book were very good. I usually don't hate characters in books but this author knew just how to get me there. Rosemary is a good character that you will hate in this book. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*