Spanish House Secrets by Susan Gray

June 24, 2024

Captivating, Gripping, Heart-Breaking

Genres:  Historic/Contemporary Fiction, Family Drama, Romance

Spanish House Secrets by Susan Gray Author  

Grace’s family moved to Loftham in 1955, moving into a property that was known locally as ‘The Spanish House’. It had been built by a Gentleman whose family had owned a series of shops on the High Street and he had resided at the Spanish house for many years. However, after a considerable amount of his time living this idyllic lifestyle, which, in part had been spent abroad, tragedy had struck and eventually he had left England to lead his ‘other life,’ permanently. Grace still possesses the sweet smelling music box that she had found under the floorboards as a child, and often wondered what significance it held and how it came to be there. She also recalled the man standing across the road from her when, at around nine years of age, she had run outside the front of the house to call for her dog. Could he have been the original owner? He looked melancholy and doffed his top hat when he saw her. What secrets did those walls hold from the past, and what had caused him to finally make Spain his home?

Having read another of Susan Gray’s novels previously, I was unaware that in fact ‘Spanish House Secrets’ was her debut novel. The synopsis gave me the impression that this novel may be complicated to follow, particularly when you are intending to do a detailed review, so I had my pen and paper ready to make notes. It is staged across two different time periods and two different locations with four main characters, plus many more. 

Simon, being the lead character, has an interesting story with many surprising and frustrating turns of events as he struggles to decide who has won his heart, Elise or Olivia along with discoveries about himself and his life. The change in Simon after he is bestowed with his birth right is quite remarkable, and I think alters how he treats the ladies in question. Whereas before he seemed to be quite a quiet, unassuming chap with morals, he transforms into an easily impressionable, laddish, cock of the walk, mainly I think due to Carlos’ influence, and I was never sure how I felt about Simon from there. I was both puzzled and impressed at how Simon decided and managed not to divulge details of his life to certain people within his family, and also surprised at how he was never pushed for information by those he kept it from. I think the reaction to anyone doing this now would be very different. I liked the respect his family showed towards his business being his alone. 

Elise rightly and due to past experience, builds a wall around her, only letting it down initially when she is secure enough to know that she has Simon to herself, but then once again intensifies her defences once she realises that out of sight may be out of mind for the man she loves and their bond could be threatened. As the reader, this was frustrating as I had also guessed what was to follow, and when Simon discovers her secret many years later, I did feel a certain degree of sympathy with him, as there had, in the intervening years been many chances for Elise to be honest with Simon. However, he had also put her in a very difficult situation by confessing and showing his love, but also confessing where the other half of his heart lay. 

I really liked the character of Olivia. I felt that she played Simon at his own game extremely well, reading him the riot act together with a physical retort which was well deserved, whilst he is attempting to deliver what she thought he had been on the verge of sixteen months previously.
William, Simon’s brother, is a wicked character. He reacts with such vitriol, when he learns the truth as to why his little brother’s entrance into the world was surrounded with such a clandestine air, but then given his lifelong hold of bitterness and resentment towards his sibling, it was hardly surprising. What was shocking though was how he planned his revenge. I saw it coming and what followed made me so sad for both Simon and Olivia. I was a little disappointed that William showed himself to be the coward he was in the end.   

Grace, kept me guessing as to which part she played in this story, I had a couple of theories that after much deliberation of dates and ages I’d decided that one had to be correct. However, I was wrong. She is an excellent addition, in being a kind of narrator where needed, opening up the narrative and closing it and giving the reader a different perspective, based on what she has been told of the mysterious Mr Guilder and his Spanish house, built so long ago and now sadly standing empty. 

'Spanish House Secrets' is such a solid tale, with such believable characters, I actually feel as if I want to google Simon Guilder as though he was a real person. I much enjoyed this fairly complex but comprehensive novel. I really like Susan Gray’s writing, and look forward to reading her next book.