The Dying of the Light: A Novel by Robert Goolrick. Harper, 2018. Adult fiction. Advanced Reading Copy, publication July, 2018.Author of The Reliable Wife, Robert Goolrick has written another fascinating novel with a mysterious woman as its main character. Diana Cooke has lived among luxury her whole life. Her education and upbringing have been spared nothing. The goal is for her to marry an incredibly wealthy husband who can save the largest and most beautiful estate in Virginia, Saratoga. The truth is that the money has run out and Diana is her parents' best and last hope.
Diana marries Captain Copperton, a shady character who has money, but no manners, no education, and is cruel and mean spirited. Years go by and the novel really heats up when their son, Ashton, comes home from college with his roommate, Gibby. (Gibson Fitzgerald Cavenaugh, got to love all these Southern names!) Secondary characters like librarian Lucius Walter and decorator Rose de Lisle add spice to the story as they move in to complete restoration projects. Nothing is as it seems as Ashton spends his father's fortune trying to make Saratoga the showplace it has been the past. An only child herself, Diana is the focus of past, present, and future. While details like coddled eggs, Zuber wallpaper, and Murano chandeliers paint a gorgeous picture, the novel is character driven and well worth the time readers will invest in it. Goolrick mastefully foreshadows the conclusion, but readers will enjoy getting there. Pack this one in your bag for summer vacation!
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