Sarah Reviews: The Prophecy of Bees by R. S. Pateman
Do you believe in superstition? I’m talking omens and witchcraft, prophecies and curses; that kind of thing.
Surly 17 year-old Izzy is pretty sure she doesn’t. Then her mother Lindy buys Stagcote Manor, a run-down estate hidden in the English countryside. Lindy hopes moving away from London will help she and Izzy start a new chapter in their lives following the death of Izzy’s dad and a period of wayward behaviour from troubled Izzy.
But the manor comes with its own baggage: tales of a centuries old curse swirl both inside and out the estate’s moss-covered walls. And the local villagers seem heavily occupied with an array of strange practices designed to ward off the manor’s so-called evil.
Though sceptical at first, Izzy soon finds herself being drawn into the eerie mystery that engulfs Stagcote. Strange noises wake her in the middle of the night, and then there’s the fatal prophecy Cedric says is stirring up the hive of bees down at the Gatehouse.
The Prophecy Of Bees is a tightly wound tale of suspense. I found myself gripped by this novel very early on. It was tense and surprisingly kinda scary. I was desperate to keep reading and find out how the story would unravel.
Angsty Izzy, with her initial derision of the dreary manor and the lost-in-time villagers is the perfect character to take us on this thriller-style journey. As Izzy’s scepticism is replaced by a strong desire to investigate Stagcote’s curse and its true origins, we are right there with her.
In fact, the book’s entire cast of characters is memorable. I loved the loyal maid Olga and the all-knowing bee whisperer Cedric. Oh, and I couldn’t help warming to the Fletcher sisters Brenda and Glenda as they ingratiated themselves back at Stagcote once more. Other key characters got to me too, but I don’t want to spoil the story for you. There’s a twist at the end that I never saw coming.
Although I’m not a huge fan of book trailers, I did find one for this book that I think is pretty good. You can check it out here.
