Review: The Blackstone Chronicles, Part 4: In The Shadow Of Evil: The Handkerchief

In the Shadow of Evil: The Handkerchief - John Saul

Re-read.

 

After the tragedy that had befallen her aunt Martha and cousin Andrea, Rebecca is taken in by Germaine Wagner, who is just an asshat!  The way the people in this town treat Rebecca is just infuriating.  But I digress, she basically wants to use Rebecca as slave labor and to have someone else to do the bidding of her overbearing mother so that she can get a break from it.

 

Oliver Metcalf, who is at the heart of all of the weirdness going on in the town of Blackstone--though he doesn't know it-- is sweet on Rebecca.  After "finding" a beautiful hand embroidered handkerchief in a box in his attic, he thinks it would be the perfect gift for Rebecca--because it's embroidered with the initial "R".

 

Evil and heartless as they come, Germaine confiscates the handkerchief from Rebecca stating that she would only ruin it, and that she would gift it to her mother, Clara.  Clara freaks out when she sees this thing, so Germaine takes it back and decides to keep it for herself.  Little did she know she was doing Rebecca a favor because, the owner of said handkerchief is prone to vivid hallucinations.  The town's latest tragedy strikes the Wagners, and I have to say it couldn't have happened to a nicer pair of women.

 

Meanwhile Oliver is trying hard to uncover repressed memories from his childhood, which, if remember, could shed some light on what is happening in his town.