Just finished this:
Riddled with stereotypes and cliches, the jokes and thrills are cheap, the sentiments are facile, and the writing is amateurish. I was after some lighthearted entertainment and thought it might deliver; I was expecting something along the lines of Jane Green. Alas, not as witty or stylish. I physically cringed over the first couple of pages, and I felt like I was actually betraying my brain by reading this drivel. Her first book was 'Chapatti or Chips' and her latest one is 'Brides and Bindis'. Just says it all.
In an attempt to regain my self-resepct, I'm now reading
I'm not normally a fan of sequels written by other authors (I hated 'Scarlett' - the sequel to 'Gone With The Wind', as the author reformed the heroine's entire character)
While the writing has faint echoes of Du Maurier's style in it, it is still very distinctly Hill-ean, but I'm glad it isn't a conscious imitation. Only read a few chapters, but the narrative seems a lot more 'interior' than that of 'Rebecca', if that makes sense, the dialogue isn't as lively, and the heroine seems more - neurotic. I like the way Susan Hill harks back to set-pieces in 'Rebecca' but it will be interesting to see how this story pans out.