There Is No Lovely End

I'm so glad I found this gem! I was looking for a novel based on a true story for my 2019 reading challenge, and I wanted something that dovetails with my tastes. A few Google searches later, and I discovered a strange and darkly humorous take on the origins of the Winchester Mystery House. It's full of weird and eerie characters from the fringes of society, a peek at the underbelly of a wealthy household, plentiful ghosts, curses (accidental and deliberate), sentient buildings, mediums, theater folk, and a determined patent medicine showman.

Templeton really goes for it, using unconventional characters, unexpected plot turns, distinctive language, and gallows humor to tell a fantastical story that may be more true to Sarah Winchester than the common accounts of her. She's also not afraid to engage some real pathos, violence, and disturbing ideas. The haunting of Sarah isn't scary in the traditional ghost story sense, but horrifying in a very sad and affecting way.

But the real driver of the story is the unforgettable Hester Garlan. She's beautiful, clever, resourceful, and an absolute psychopath. I would hate to meet her, but I adored reading about her. (In my headcanon she's portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter with the perfect mix of beauty and dangerous insanity.)

We know all along that the main characters will come together somehow, but there are twists and turns along the way. Sometimes people sit out much of the action, only to pop in for the climax, and people who seem to be done for may actually have plenty of life left in them, while some who die of course stick around and participate anyway. It was fun seeing all the threads develop and come together.