Book: Roots of Evil
Author: Sarah Rayne
Pages: 552
How Long it Took Me to read: 1 day.
Plot Summary: Lucy Trent is used to having the legend of her
glamorous grandmother unearthed from time to time—the infamous silent-screen
actress, Lucretia von Wolff, whose life ended abruptly in a bizarre double
murder and suicide at the Ashwood film studios in 1952.
But when a body is found in the now-derelict studios,
brutalized in a macabre echo of the 50-year-old case, disturbing facts about
the past begin to emerge—facts that point back to the eerie tale of the child
known as Alraune. The child named after Lucretia’s most famous film. The child
who may never have existed at all. In the ensuing murder investigation, Lucy is
to discover the truth about her family’s dark history—a history that spans the
glittering concert halls of 1920s Vienna to the bleak environs of wartime
Auschwitz.
General Thoughts and Review: It was 2010, I used to live in
Bangalore then and was a member of a local library. One evening, while looking
through the shelves I spotted this sinister looking book and decided to bring
it home. How bad could it be? It sounded nice enough! I didn't know then, that I
would absolutely love the story, the writing and the setting of Sarah Rayne’s
books. What began as one pick from the library shelf has turned into a serious
author love situation. Since then, I’ve bought 5-6 more books by the author and
love all of them, expect one. I’ve rated most of them 5/5 and I recommend them
to everyone who likes dark, mysterious books. Her books typically shift between
two or more time periods and are simply excellent! (I am a fan!)
This book, Roots of Evil, is a great first book to try by
the author. Now, I read it 3 years ago and thought the specific details aren’t
exactly fresh in my mind, I still remember the important details and I remember how much I enjoyed this book.
The book moves effortlessly between the 1920s, 1940s, 1950s
and to present day. I loved all the
portions of the book, but the 1920s and the War portions were especially great.
The descriptions of the concentration camps were terrifying. The life behind
the barb-wires and the brutality that was meted out to the residents was just
horrible. The mystery is gripping and I kept turning pages, late into the night
to find out what happened all those years ago.
I also liked the whole idea of a family myth and legend and a grand-daughter delving into the life and secrets of her famous grand-mother. The era of silent films and the glamour and glitz of those stars was also very interesting. The life of Lucretia Von Wolff, the years leading to her stardom, her life as a plain maid and her rise to stardom and then her eventual doom in a Nazi Concentration Camp was riveting. The dark, creepy bits were simply excellent and gave me the chills.
I also liked the whole idea of a family myth and legend and a grand-daughter delving into the life and secrets of her famous grand-mother. The era of silent films and the glamour and glitz of those stars was also very interesting. The life of Lucretia Von Wolff, the years leading to her stardom, her life as a plain maid and her rise to stardom and then her eventual doom in a Nazi Concentration Camp was riveting. The dark, creepy bits were simply excellent and gave me the chills.
I recommend this book if you want a creepy, scary read for
Halloween, also with a good dose of history.
Rating: 5/5
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