One morning, Greer Dobbins gets the kind of phone call that every parent dreads. Her five-year-old daughter, Ellie, didn’t show up in class after riding the bus to school. In a panic, Greer pieces together the evidence she finds in her house that her ex-husband Neill, has kidnapped the child and fled back to their homeland of Scotland.

Her passport is missing, but between the police and Federal authorities, she manages to catch a flight to Edinburgh, with the hopes of recovering her child. On the plane, Greer meets a man named James, who shares her love for art history. She tells him everything, and they exchange numbers with the hope they will meet again in a professional capacity.

Greer is from Scotland, so she has plenty of support from her mother, sister, Sylvie, and her sister’s boyfriend. Scotland Yard is involved in the search for Ellie and little by little, Greer reveals a terrible past while married to her ex-husband. Neill’s gambling addiction is what ended their marriage, and once back in Scotland, Greer discovers that this is the reason he has kidnapped their daughter. The story builds on the tension until the end, spinning a satisfactory gothic tale.

I loved the rich descriptions of Edinburgh. You definitely feel like you are walking the streets next to Greer, searching for Ellie. You can feel the rain and the cold, and a couple times, I swear I could smell the scents of the local cuisine.

Greer’s character is flawed, although I suspect this was caused by the abuse she suffered at the hand of her ex-husband. At times she seems almost clinical, lacking in emotions. Much of her pain is internalized, and she portrays the damsel in distress perfectly. It is through the love of James that Greer finally tries to reconcile her past.

As in most gothic novels, the actual house on Candlewick Lane is creepy and filled with dark passages and rooms. You feel the evil emanate from the structure and from the people who live there. Numerous times I cringed at the abuse Greer was forced to endure. The ending was a total surprise and one I didn’t see coming.

MY RATING:

Character Believability: 4
Flow and Pace: 4
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 5
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 4.5 out of 5 Stars ( )

Starts out well, author builds suspense well, but promise not realized. 5 year old Ellie's father abducts her in the US from her custodial mother, and flees with her to Scotland to avoid thugs who are trying to collect his gambling debts. From then on the setting is Edinburgh, and the violent thugs turn out to be the husband's family. This doesn't make much sense. But, of course, all ends well with the bad guys in prison and new love interest found for Mom. ( )

The House on Candlewick Lane is the latest novel by Amy Reade. Dr. Greer Dobbins, an art history professor, is preparing to leave for work when she receives a call from her daughter’s school. They want to confirm Ellie’s absence, but Ellie was sent off to school on the bus. When the video surveillance is checked, it shows Greer’s ex-husband, Neill driving off with Ellie. Upon checking the safe in her house, Neill has taken their passports (Greer’s and Ellie’s). Neill has taken their daughter and fled the country. He manages to stay one step ahead of the police. When Greer finds out that Neill is heading home to Scotland with Ellie, she hops a flight. Unfortunately, Neill managed to evade the police at the airport. Now Neill has Ellie and can be anywhere in Scotland. Greer is not leaving without her daughter. She rents a house and starts searching Edinburgh. Greer has the help of her sister, Sylvie (I believe a stranger on the street would be more helpful). Late one night, Greer gets a text message from Neill. He begs her to leave Scotland. Neill has run up gambling debts that he cannot repay. They have threatened Ellie’s life (which is why he took off with her). Neill is afraid that Greer will lead the lenders right to him. Greer does not heed his advice. Greer is visiting St. Giles Cathedral when she is attacked. A few days later, someone breaks into their home and harms Sylvie. The culprits are upping their game. But Greer will not let them deter her from finding her daughter. Will Greer be able to find Ellie before the criminals?

I have read all of Amy Reade’s novels. The House on Candlewick Lane is not up to Ms. Reade’s normal standards. I thought the novel got off to a slow start (I think water freezes at a faster pace). The pace does not pick up until after Greer is attacked at St. Giles Cathedral. We slowly get to find out more about Neill and his family (I do not know why anyone would marry into this family) in the second half of the novel. The mystery gets more intriguing in the last half of the book (everything starts to make sense). I wish the author had gone back and redone the first half of the book. For a smart woman, Greer makes many missteps (bad choices). The safe where she keeps her passports was not locked (in case she forgot the combination), she fails to tell the police that Neill is from Scotland (which delays them in staking out the airport), and she never checked on Neill’s gambling problem after the divorce (it is the reason they divorced). Greer is threatened with bodily harm, but she keeps going off alone. I especially thought it was odd that Greer searched for her daughter in the various parks around Edinburgh. If you had taken a child and were on the run, would you take a child to the park? Greer is a hard character to like. She has many nervous habits (like chewing on her fingernails), she is high-strung (gets faint and dizzy when she gets upsetting news), and has a temper! She holds back important information from the police, but then runs to them with nonsense (and of course, likes to demand answers). I give The House on Candlewick Lane 2.5 out of 5 stars. The book has potential (it has some good bones), but it needs reworking (rewriting and editing). I felt that the romance in the novel was a little rushed and not suitable to the situation. Greer meets a man on the plane and they keep gravitating towards each other. If your child was missing and in danger, would you go out on a date? I also did not like the addition of Sylvie, Greer’s sister. Sylvie is flighty and self-centered. She was more concerned about spending time with her boyfriend, Seamus and having him stay with her on Greer’s dime (he was recently released from prison on an assault charge). The ending felt rushed. The author, though, does manage to tie up all the loose ends and provide readers with answers to their questions. Sylvie and Seamus’ story continues in Highland Peril which will be out in September. While I did not enjoy The House on Candlewick Lane, I do recommend reading Amy Reade’s The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor and Secrets of Hallstead House. ( )