Leona Francombe, author of the highly acclaimed novel The Heron Legacy (2024), has prepared a haunting follow-up for us, namely, Vaulted Night: A Novella of the Uncanny. If you're not yet acquainted with Francombe, she's a noted pianist and composer who has built a reputation for creating stories with musical or historical inspiration at their core. Vaulted Night, whose title is drawn from a poem by Charles Pierre Baudelaire, continues this thematic pattern.

Without revealing too much, I can say Vaulted Night is a mesmerizing tale of forbidden love and reconciliation with the past, all borne along on an undercurrent that veers into the supernatural. Yann has given Alice the opportunity of a lifetime, wisely recognizing that "great artists should never be given the label of their menial jobs", and while the story could have centered on Alice and her ascent from obscurity, I appreciated how it focused instead on the way she is called upon to repay her benefactor.

Francombe's graceful prose style never falters, and it made me happy to keep turning the pages. She provides enough evidence in Vaulted Night for the reader to figure out the "big reveal", but even if you do work it out, that doesn't lessen its impact. The author is also kind enough to provide us with the first six notes of the theme Alice composes. You may want to play them on your instrument of choice, and perhaps even try to imagine where Alice may have gone with them next. That's what I did, at least, and it added an enjoyable extra dimension to an enjoyable read.

Vaulted Night left me breathless, after having read it in one sitting. The tangible language the author uses gave me goosebumps while reading about the raw and windy weather of Brittany. The roaring of the waves of the sea, the unfriendly, rocky landscape, the magic presence of historical secrets is most powerfully painted with words. Suspense until the last sentence.

I have read and loved several of Ms. Francombe's books, and this latest read didn't disappoint either. Her writing style is fluid and easy to read. Her choice of descriptive words is lovely.

The plot is highly engaging. She managed to create a lot of sexual tension from the very beginning. The descriptions of the Brittany environment are very compelling, making the reader feel as if they are right there. As a musician, I always appreciate Ms. Francombe's inclusion of music in the plot.

As a novella, it is relatively easy to get through in one sitting. She kept me engaged from the beginning up to the very last page. I highly recommend this to other readers!