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Gayle Curtis
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Shell House: An immersive, psychological portrait with a shocking twist. Kindle Edition

by Gayle Curtis (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 578 ratings
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Harry Rochester made a mistake. Forty years ago he abandoned his daughter who was convicted of a grisly crime. Wanting to right a wrong Harry makes contact with his daughter only to realize events of the past are glue that bind a family full of dark untold secrets. Rebecca Banford, had another life and identity stolen from her as a child for a crime that labelled her a child killer. As a grown woman trying to move on with her life she discovers a father’s call to bridge a relationship is like shaking the hand of death. Is Rebecca willing to walk down a road full of mistrust and lies and embrace the girl she had been or will the secrets she’s kept locked away finally be broken. Shell House is a rare shocking, brutally honest novel of a family’s struggle to cope with an ugly truth.
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  1. Print length
    399 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    January 24, 2018
  5. File size
    512 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0799LXS29
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ NorthEnd Publishing; 1st edition (January 24, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 24, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 512 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 399 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 578 ratings

About the author

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Gayle Curtis

Gayle Curtis

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Gayle has been writing since she was advised not to scribble on her bedroom wall. SAFE NO LONGER is her fifth domestic thriller. Her previous novel, I CHOOSE YOU is also published by Thomas and Mercer. She lives in North Norfolk with her husband Chris and four cats.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
578 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Joanna Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Very moving book
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2014
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Highly recommended read. This book takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of Rebecca as she writes her "life story". She was convicted of murdering her neighbors' two young children at only 10 years old. After many years of being away from her father and brother, Johnathon she reunites with them and they look out for her and keep in touch frequently. She was born with the name of Gabrielle but in the Witness Protection program is now Rebecca. Her father Harry keeps a diary that Rebecca finds later in the book. She is met by her sponsor Rosa years later and finds the most shocking news of her entire life?? Read the very personal story of one woman's quest to live life as best you can under the most unnatural of circumstances. A+++
5 people found this helpful
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Noel Venter
4.0 out of 5 stars Different, but good
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2014
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I began by being disappointed by the diary format, but once into the story was gripped in the tensions of it. It turned out to be an excellent read, I am so glad I stuck it out long enough! The twists were so surprising and the writing so clear and well done they were most unexpected. I did a double take in the final pages. The book left me hankering for a different run up to the end, but at the same time, satisfied with the ending. I would recommend the Shell House to people looking for an intense, out of the ordinary book. There is mystery, a great deal of heartbreak and sadness, but enough good, and happiness to expel the darkness I feel. Well written, true to life family conflict and undercurrents.
One person found this helpful
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GinnyReader
3.0 out of 5 stars Held my interest
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2016
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This book had good and bad qualities. I liked the plot twist of a girl who lost her family at such a young age. But, I wished at every turn for a better outcome for Rebecca Banford. I also would have preferred less confusion with the diary and flashbacks.
One person found this helpful
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Nancy
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully written book!
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2014
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This book was hard for me to put down. It was tragic, touching and showed how something so horrible could make a person strong. Strong enough to forgive others and be happy in a way that is hard to believe. I sat back and wondered...what would I do under the same circumstances. I can see how this could still happen today and it is very disturbing. I highly recommend this book. Have some tissues ready!
One person found this helpful
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NaPo76
4.0 out of 5 stars 4 Stars! Gabrielle Rochester AKA Rebecca Bandford is a ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2017
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4 Stars! Gabrielle Rochester AKA Rebecca Bandford is a child killer. Harry Rochester, her father, abandoned her after the accusation of the murders. "Shell House" is a book the describes the contacts, hurt, and healing of contact between father and daughter including actions and circumstances leading to the abandonment. I was not expecting such a story from the title and cover of this book. Emotional turmoil was felt between both characters on multiple levels. A twist at the end was not even expected.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2014
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This book started out a bit slow but I kept reading while it developed the characters and I am so glad I did.
The plot is so different from all of the other books I've read it was good to read something so original.
One person found this helpful
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twodoggys
2.0 out of 5 stars shell house
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2012
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It was okay. Once I was at the end of the book I had to go back to previous chapters to see what I had thought I had read. Not a book that I would necessarily recommend.
5 people found this helpful
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Viv
4.0 out of 5 stars an emotional read
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2014
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This is a book that is very gripping and pulls you into a fascinating, sad and yet somewhat positive story about a woman whose life was marred by a terrible tragedy and how she and her family coped, or didn't cope with the event and it's consequences. This is a book I just had to keep reading even though it felt a little unrealistic at the end. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a story that makes you think about life and how different events affect your whole life!
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

A L H
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 1, 2013
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Shell House is a gripping, very clever story.

Written from two points of view, first we have Harry Rochester, in his 80s and near the end of his life, looking back on mistakes he has made. In particular, his regrets over how he handled his young daughter being convicted of murdering two small children.

Next we have Rebecca Banford. A long time ago she used to be someone else, but due to being convicted of a horrible crime (I'm sure you can guess which one) she has had to change her identity and has lost touch with her family.

Can Harry and Rebecca reconnect or is it too late?

The story is brilliantly written. The descriptions of the characters make them seem like more than just words on a page, these are people you will actually care about and feel like you know them. They will stay with you long after the book is finished. The setting is also stunning, the Shell House in the title is Harry's home, he collects and displays shells in a room in his cottage.

The clever thing about this book is you are not reading what you think you are reading. I can't say any more than that without spoiling it, but it is a very good twist!

Shell House is both sad and uplifting, a very clever, emotional at times and an enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
2 people found this helpful
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IntensiveCareNurse
4.0 out of 5 stars Poignant & at times very moving...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2012
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Again, I find myself breaking my resolve as concerns writing Kindle reviews (as so few people seem to look at them)...
I found the author here to excel at her construction of characters. Far from just making them believable, the text explores their deepest & innermost feelings to the extent that belief in them overwhelms.
The inevitable sadness underlying events & the deeply explored family dynamics were wholly insightful, insightful to the extent I found myself reflecting on the similarly parallel dynamics within my own family system... I have rarely found an author so eloquent as concerns this & the reader is quickly drawn into the book due to their quickly formulated familiarity with the characters.
The tale was believable at first, but perhaps threw me a little mid-point, as the main character invents a fictional outcome of events (this is difficult to explain fully without creating a spoiler).
This, perhaps, was a necessary foil in which the author sought to divide the difference between the imagined & actual story outcomes.
I found myself relieved when I finally realised that this segment of the book had been an intentional fiction created by the main character, as it had begun (slightly) to challenge my belief in the tale. The sense of realism that returned near the end of the book put the tale firmly back on track for me, however.
This, for me, was a free Kindle download, although I would encourage its purchase unreservedly should it develop a modest price-tag.
Gayle Curtis is (I believe) an exceptional writer, and I would be interested to find out what processes in her own life have led to her own ability to create such insightful character studies.
I will be looking out for more work by her.
46 people found this helpful
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bumblesquat
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2013
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I read this book in less than 2 days. As soon as I had a spare moment I picked it up as it had me gripped from the start and I was completely immersed in it. I don't want to give anything away so I won't comment on the actual story except to say that it is moving and very sad at times. It's well written with plenty of twists and turns and I loved the way you get glimpses of the different sides of the story until eventually all becomes clear.
One person found this helpful
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hlc
3.0 out of 5 stars Good story and twists, needed more research about mental health
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2021
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I found this book aftercreading othersbyvtgr save author...I enjoyed the story ...but...Every time I read the word senile it grates across my enjoyment, as did the dated and inaccurate language associated with some of the mental health aspects of the book. .....I'd also like to count how many times the word formulate was used as it seemed very frequent....
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Aurora
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 13, 2013
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What an emotive book this is, laced with bitterweet poignancy. I think it is a very brave effort to handle an incredibly difficult subject but one which the author handled with skill and dexterity. How does an author imbue a character whom the media describe (and definitely would in real life) as a monster and thoroughly evil, with enough attributes to invoke sympathy or even empathy in the reader? This author managed it very well. The real events of the day concerned became clear to me early on. Of course the story has to take the turn it does and justify our sympathy. The twist towards the end is rather sad and I didn't see it coming.
Although this story will play games with your emotions it is worth it and will leave you with a feeling of sadness for what might have been, but also with a sense of contentment for what will be.
2 people found this helpful
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