The House at the End of the Moor
by Michelle Griep
Published by Shiloh Run Press
Publication Date March 13, 2020
Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Clean Romance, Suspense
Setting: England Victorian Era – UK – 1837 – 1901
Written for: Adults
Pages: 320
Synopsis:
What Can a London Opera Star and an Escaped Dartmoor Prisoner Have in Common? Opera star Maggie Lee escapes her opulent lifestyle when threatened by a powerful politician who aims to ruin her life. She runs off to the wilds of the moors to live in anonymity. All that changes the day she discovers a half-dead man near her house. Escaped convict Oliver Ward is on the run to prove his innocence, until he gets hurt and is taken in by Maggie. He discovers some jewels in her possession—the very same jewels that got him convicted. Together they hatch a plan to return the jewels, clearing Oliver’s name and hopefully maintaining Maggie’s anonymity.
I would like to thank Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
Purchase Links
Moors are mysterious and dangerous and, apparently, the perfect place for a prison.
Maggie had let the house at the end of the moor so she could hide from society and the unwelcome attentions of the “gentlemen” who assumed that her profession as an opera singer was an indication her morals were loose. Desiring nothing more than being able to keep to herself, she lived her days in quiet and solitude.
Until.
Oliver was determined to escape from the hellhole known as Dartmoor Prison so he could prove his innocence and that of the man in the cell next to him. When he showed up, more dead than alive, Maggie couldn’t help but attempt to rescue him.
The House at the End of the Moor is a delightful story, filled with twists and turns and pursuit and intrigue. And filled with Michelle Griep’s wonderful caricatures that make her stories so rich and unique.
Oliver struggled with his need to seek justice for the poor and downtrodden and his relationship with his estranged father. Sebastian struggled with a need for penance, which he may just have attempted to get in completely the wrong way – assuming we need to find atonement on our own – which of course we don’t.
I loved the spiritual lessons learned throughout, woven into its very fabric instead of being forced into it.
One thing that bothered me was the way Maggie’s portion of the story was told in first person present tense while Oliver’s and Sebastian’s were told in third person past tense. The switching between present and past tense was distracting and felt wrong.
If you enjoy historical stories with the right balance of suspense and romance, you won’t want to miss The House at the End of the Moor.
As a warning if you click through to this Pinterest board, one of the images has a caption that uses a swear word in it. Don’t think this reflects anything in the story – the story is completely clean!
Michelle's The House at the End of the Moor Pinterest Board
(click here to go directly to the board on Pinterest)
More (not Moor!) from Michelle
What comes to mind when you hear the word moor? For some, images of Jane Eyre spring to life. For others, The Hound of the Baskervilles starts barking. But for most, it’s a big fat goose egg. The fact is that most Americans don’t have a clue what a moor is, but never fear, my friend…after you read the next few paragraphs, you’ll never again go blank-minded when you hear the word moor.
Last summer I skipped across the pond and tromped around Dartmoor with my daughter and husband. What an awesome experience. I learned first-hand just how windy this vast stretch of land can be, for that’s really what a moor is at heart: a vast stretch of land. Webster’s defines it as an expanse of open rolling infertile land. Sounds rather desolate, eh? Yeah. Kind of. But it’s oh so much more.
In spring and summer, green does abound. Gorse bushes. Scrubby grasses. Lambs and sheep and goats. All these animals roam free so there are trails worn into the dirt that you can hike along. But I hear you…where could you possibly go if there’s nothing besides some farm animals roaming around the place?
You could hike to a tor, which is a “high, craggy hill.” Some of them can be a little treacherous to climb, but sweet mercy, what a view! The earth stretches out like a green and brown quilt. As I hiked that day last spring, whispers in the wind inspired me to wonder a lot of what-ifs, and those what-ifs came together in a story of intrigue and betrayal.
What would you do if you found a half-dead man bleeding in the middle of nowhere? Find out what heroine Maggie Lee does in The House at the End of the Moor.
Blog Stops
Batya’s Bits, April 18
The Avid Reader, April 18
Life of Literature, April 18
The Power of Words, April 18
For Him and My Family, April 19
Texas Book-aholic, April 19
The Meanderings of a Bookworm, April 19
Among the Reads, April 20
My Devotional Thoughts, April 20
As He Leads is Joy, April 20
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 20
Just the Write Escape, April 21
Reflections From My Bookshelves, April 21
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, April 21
Where Faith and Books Meet, April 22
deb’s Book Review, April 22
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 22
Inklings and notions, April 22
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Christian Bookaholic, April 23
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 23
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 24
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Betti Mace, April 25
Stories By Gina, April 25
Adventures of a Traveling Wife, April 25
Blossoms and Blessings, April 25
Splashes of Joy, April 26
Simple Harvest Reads, April 26 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Vicky Sluiter, April 26
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 26
Blessed & Bookish, April 27
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 27
Pause for Tales, April 27
Through the Fire Blogs, April 28
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To Everything There Is A Season, April 28
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 29
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Older & Smarter?, April 29
Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 29
Genesis 5020, April 30
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By The Book, April 30
For the Love of Literature, April 30
All-of-a-kind Mom, May 1
Bookishly Beverly, May 1
Daysong Reflections, May 1
Artistic Nobody, May 1 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Michelle is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a free copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/f8e2/the-house-at-the-end-of-the-moor-celebration-tour-giveaway
More Shareables
About Michelle Griep
Michelle Griep has been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She seeks to glorify God in all that she writes—except for that graffiti phase she went through as a teenager. She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, where she teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op. An Anglophile at heart, she runs away to England every chance she gets, under the guise of research. Really, though, she’s eating excessive amounts of scones while rambling around a castle. Michelle is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and MCWG (Minnesota Christian Writers Guild). Keep up with her adventures at her blog “Writer off the Leash” or visit www.michellegriep.com.
This book sounds like a very intriguing read.
sounds like a fun one
I like all the quotes you share!