The House at the End of the Moor

By: Michelle Griep
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
Publication Date: April 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64352-575-4
Reviewed by Diane Lunsford
Review Date: April 6, 2020

Michelle Griep does another exceptional job of entertainment for her audience in her latest book, The House at the End of the Moor.

Maggie Lee rose from rags to riches. She was born into poverty, but such a dire obstacle wouldn’t keep her from eventually becoming one of England’s most talented opera singers. It’s the late 1800s and on the edge of Dartmoor, near Lydford England, Maggie is tucked away in the safety of the quaint manor far from the town limits. She’s read Jane Eyre countless times at this point, but what else has she to do? It’s not that she’s on the run from the law so-to-speak. However, she thinks it’s best to lay low on the moor for the time being until she can get certain unfortunate circumstances she’d left behind at the Opera House cleared up.

One morning, when she wakes up, Maggie decides it's time to do something - she's tired of sitting idle and reading. It was time to take her faithful dog Malcolm for a walk out on the moor. Avoiding a near-catastrophe, as she heads home, imagine her surprise when she happens upon a creature in the most inopportune place and realizes it’s not a creature at all.

Oliver Ward is staring down his ultimate destiny: death by hanging. He is incarcerated in the formidable Dartmoor Prison. To compound his misery of trying to survive in the despicable conditions leading up to his death, he must endure the likes of Officer Barrow. Barrow is a prison guard without conscience and relishes the power he has over his prisoners. His size alone is enough to make the prisoners quiver in his presence. The only thing that encourages Oliver Ward to rise from one day to the next is the knowledge that he is innocent and by God, he was going to prove it. Of course, he’s well beyond the conventions of a trial and the wheels of justice weighing in his favor. Rather, it’s time Ward puts his plan into action and consummates the escape he’s been strategically planning ever since he arrived at the Godforsaken Dartmoor Prison. What Ward couldn’t possibly know once he thought he was free from the chains that bound him was the fact that his past was in hot pursuit of him to regain control.

I’ve had the pleasure of reading other titles by Ms. Griep. As with previous books, she digs right into the story within the first few lines and manages to anchor her solid and familiar voice. Ms. Griep’s style and character development shines through in The House at the End of the Moor. She is accomplished at giving each one a defined and unique persona. She also has a signature style of subliminally weaving faith and hope throughout the read. It’s abundantly clear she’s been ‘...writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas...’ She consistently demonstrates her ability to pen an engaging read.

Quill says: The House at the End of the Moor is a great read to add to your Spring/Summer reading list.