This was a fun read during my summer vacation. It tells the story of Eliza Caine, who is a teacher at a school for small girls. When her father dies, she needs a change of scenery and, on impulse, applies to be a governess at a remote estate. Things seem very mysterious when she arrives. Why don't the two children have an adult watching over them? And is there a malevolent force trying to eject Eliza from the house?

This does have a lot of the familiar tropes of this kind of gothic horror tale, but Boyne breathes fresh air into them. The reader is pulled along by their sympathy for Eliza as she tries to do her best by the children while protecting herself from harm. I saw a couple of the twists coming, but I still enjoyed this very much and would read more by Boyne. Recommended!