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Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
Not every castle is what it seems. Fiona’s trip takes an unexpected turn in Secrets of Castle Negru by K. Lyn Smith. A violent storm leaves her and her traveling companion stranded deep in the Carpathian Mountains. They reach a castle that has been converted into an orphanage run by a doctor and a strict schoolteacher. Soon after arriving, Fiona feels like something isn’t quite right with the place. Some of her belongings mysteriously disappear, and Nicholas, a worker, appears to know more than he lets on. The longer she stays, the more she notices the strange routines and hidden mysteries that surround this place. Caught between danger, romance, and unanswered questions, Fiona wonders who she can trust. What is Castle Negru hiding? And what does Fiona’s future hold?
The mysterious cover of Secrets of Castle Negru by K. Lyn Smith immediately caught my eye, and I knew I had to read it. Fiona was likable because she was intelligent, well-educated, and never hesitated to speak her mind. I also appreciated the small but meaningful moment when she protected the mechanical bird one of the children had. She felt the need to do so, even before she understood what was happening there. The children's almost brainwashed behavior was both eerie and fascinating. The growing connection between Fiona and Nicholas was one of my favorite parts, too. Both were wary of each other, but they still couldn’t stay away from each other. The writing mixed Gothic suspense, historical fiction, and romance. Each twist made me rethink all my assumptions. Agatha Christie said, "The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances." And that is the atmosphere of the whole novel. Anyone looking for historical fiction, clean Gothic romance, or a mystery that takes place long ago should pick this one up.
