SPIDER IN THE ATTIC (2019)

It's 1926, and Irene Arden is happily married and living with her Swedish-Finn husband Karl Mattsson on his family farm in the beautiful, pastoral Independence Valley of western Washington. Irene adapts well to farm life and makes friends in the community. Sounds like paradise, but there is just one catch: Irene must live in the same house as Karl's mother, Agda, a weaver, and self-proclaimed "spider in the attic, weaving my woolly webs." Agda desperately tries to drive away her daughter-in-law, putting Karl in the middle between the two women. Eventually, Irene begins to investigate and question the circumstances of Karl's first wife's death, and whether her own fate might now be hanging in the balance.

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REVIEWS

"Spider in the Attic" is a very enjoyable tale of a Swede-Finn family living in the 1920's in rural Washington. When Karl brings new wife Irene home conflict immediately develops with Karl's mother that will not end well. There are several big plot twists that I never saw coming which made the ending all the better. Besides the main story the author along the way presents a very intimate look at what life was like for these people during those times. A great read. (5 Stars on Amazon) - C. Martelli

Irene is a smart and friendly town girl who is trying to adapt to her new life as a farmer's wife in a very rural community. She loves her husband, but she has to share the house with his very hostile mother-in-law who is determined to drive her away. Irene becomes afraid of the threats made by the woman and soon becomes curious about her husband's late wife who died under questionable circumstances. How did she die? Did the mother-in-law do it? Did the woman take her own life? Or was it the husband? I enjoyed "Spider in the Attic" for the same reasons that I liked the author's previous novel, "Reflections." Her work is so well researched and filled with great insights into what life was like in another time. As I did with "Reflections," I highly recommend this book. - J.P.

I like short novels, and I liked this author's previous offerings. This one did not disappoint. It isn't a supernatural story, but it's set in a different time and place that most people can't imagine, even though it was less than 100 years ago. All the little details about everyday life on a farm in a small town are there, and they each reminded me so much of things my mother and grandmother used to talk about. It all feels so authentic. And the author notes that her own mother and grandmother are among the background characters of the story, which takes place in the little town where they lived. - E. Graham

This is a psychological story set in an isolated rural area in the 1920s. At first I was expecting another ghost story from the author, but I wasn't disappointed. I enjoyed taking a delightful trip back in time. And I won't spoil it, but I really liked the ending. - bookminer12am