My Cousin Rachel Review

PUB DATE: Orginally in 1951 but re-released in June 2009

A thank you goes out to Danielle at Sourcebooks for sending me this book to read and review. Thank you so much.

The was Daphne du Maurier’s tenth novel and it was published in 1951.

Historical fiction is a genre that I never really got into. I read historical fiction in high school but honestly never got into it. Although I am always willing to try in hopes that that book will be the one that lures in me and then I am hooked for life.

I enjoyed reading My Cousin Rachel. It was intriguing and suspenseful.

My Cousin Rachel begins in the 1840’s in Cornwall. The main character, Phillip Ashley is a young man about to inherit his cousin Ambrose’s estate. Ambrose is actually Phillip’s cousin but is like a father figure to him because he raised Phillip.

Ambrose has married a younger woman named Rachel. The got married in Italy. Just before Ambrose’s death he sends Phillip a letter informing him that he isn’t happy in his marriage and fears that Rachel isn’t the girl she portrays herself to be. Phillip cares a lot about his cousin so he decides to go and visit them and check out the situation. Perhaps help his uncle out. From the time the letter is sent and Phillips gets there his cousin is already dead. The death is rather suspicious.

Phillip then returns back to the estate in Cornwall grieving his cousin’s death. Suddenly Rachel appears on the doorstep. Phillip doesn’t trust her even though she is a beautiful woman. She is basically too good to be true. (We were warned about these kind of people.)

Before long Phillip begins to fall for her even though he thinks that she will eventually kill him like Ambrose.

What is Rachel up too? Is she really too goo to be true or does it just look that way? Did Rachel really love Ambrose?