Caring Becomes Controlling and Then Deadly in Gilly MacMillan’s The Manor House
Anna and Nicole are far apart in age and wealth, but have two things in common: they are widows and are being manipulated by people with evil intentions.
After Anna’s husband, Nick, dies from cancer, she finds herself alone and depressed. Nick was the outgoing one, the life of the party. Now Anna is rarely invited out by their friends. Her housekeeper, Kitty, encourages Anna to take a yoga class with a young woman named Sasha. It takes all of Anna’s courage to book one, afraid that Sasha and the other women will dismiss her. Instead, Sasha makes a point of singling Anna out, even invites her to have coffee after class. Anna becomes so attached to Sasha, and her boyfriend, Olly, that she invites the couple to move into her home, The Manor House.
Nicole and her husband, Tom, bought the land and mansion adjacent to The Manor House after winning $10 million in the lottery. As a little girl, Nicole had visited the area with her father and dreamed of living there. The windfall makes it possible. While the building’s historic stone base is preserved, glass windows dominate the upper floors. Nicole loves the house, now dubbed The Glass Barn, the way it lets in the sunlight and allows them to enjoy sweeping views of the countryside. But her fantasy is short lived. She returns home from a county fair to find Tom dead, floating in their pool. Distraught, Nicole rushes to The Manor House, while Sasha and Olly run to see if Tom is indeed dead. Only later will Nicole wonder if the couple had something to do with Tom’s death. Worried about her safety, she’s relieved when one of Tom’s old friends, Patrick, comes to stay with her until she realizes he, too, has an ulterior motive.
Gilly MacMillan’s The Manor House presents textbook examples how con men and women prey on vulnerable people. Sasha and Olly aren’t out for a quick score. They play the long game, gradually ensnaring the victim into their trap. Anna is the perfect target. Lonely and isolated after losing her husband, she quickly responds to Sasha’s attentions. As a yoga instructor, Sasha’s concerns about Anna’s state of mind seem heartfelt and genuine. However, Sasha’s suggestions become darker, eventually turning Anna into a housekeeper in her own home. Anna consents to whatever demands are made on her because she’s afraid of being left alone.
Since winning the lottery, Nicole’s life has become a lot more complicated. Tom was never comfortable in the Glass Barn and missed working as a mechanic and meeting his friends at the pub. They never went public with their win, but a few close friends knew. Patrick, who can’t seem to hold onto a job and was charged with beating up another man after a fight, takes advantage of Tom’s good nature and loyalty. When he asks for money, Tom gives in. Sasha is furious and puts pressure on Tom to cut ties with Patrick. Nicole has no living relatives and few friends. When Patrick contacts Nicole after Tom’s death, she agrees he can come. He puts in a good appearance, dressed in designer jeans, wearing an expensive watch, and driving a brand new Jaguar. Nicole believes Patrick may have turned his life around and she’s grateful to have someone close by who knew Tom and shares her loss. Tigers don’t change their stripes, however, and Patrick now has Nicole and her money in his sights. But he will also have to deal with Sasha and Olly who wouldn’t mind moving into the Glass Barn.
Two local detectives, Hal and Jen, are assigned the case. While Tom might have drowned by accident, they still need to question Nicole, Sasha, Olly, and Kitty. (Anna, the owner of The Manor House, Sasha tells Hal, is living aboard, leaving the couple to take care of her property.) Nicole just wants closure, but there are too many unanswered questions not to consider murder. The medical examiner says a cut on Tom’s head was made by something metal. Since there’s no metal around the pool, the injury could have been made by a weapon. Tom had a card in his pocket bearing the name of a masseuse Nicole never heard of. And there’s a glass in the kitchen that bears a lipstick stain. Was Tom having an affair? Did Nicole find out?
MacMillan’s narrative hops around from one participant to the other, sprinkling out details about each person’s life and revealing secrets that may or may not have something to do with Tom’s death. It’s easy to feel sorry for Anna and Nicole, but in the end, both women find the courage needed to change their lives.
The Manor House
Gilly MacMillan
Top photo: Bigstock
