The Secrets of Life and Death, by Rebecca Alexander

The Secrets of Life and Death, by Rebecca Alexander has two story lines. In the present day, Professor Felix Guichard is called in to consult on mysterious symbols found on the body of a dead girl. In his research, he meets Jack, who we learn is dead. Or was. She was supposed to die, but magic keeps her alive. However, people with her condition need to have certain sigils on their body and remain inside magic circles for a certain amount of time (hence the girl dying when she left them). It soon becomes clear though, that there is a bigger danger. With Maggie, a witch, Jack saves other people from dying so that they can live full lives and so their blood (which has magical properties) can be used to help others. Someone is hunting for revenants and they've focused on finding the one Jack just saved: a teenage girl. They don't know who this woman is. However, they know one thing: her intentions aren't pure.
In the past, Edward Kelley and John Dee (occultists/spiritualists) have been called to the court of Istvan Bathory. It seems his niece, Erzsebet, is ill with a debilitating condition that both weakens her and has left her barren. The mission seems simple. Using their knowledge and skills, Kelley and Dee will save this woman's life. However, as they learn more about the Bathory family, it becomes clear that saving Erzsebet may lead to an even greater danger.
The overall story line is interesting. It makes the reader want to keep reading to find out what happens next and how the magic works. However, there were two things that made it impossible for me to fully enjoy this book. The first is that Erzsebet is portrayed as a victim of a curse that has been in her family for generations. She is possessed by a demon, which leads to her becoming quite possibly the most prolific serial killer of all time. Erzsebet Bathory was a messed up woman. We might never know if she had some disease or psychological illness that made her behave the way she did. But, despite any circumstances that might have contributed to her torturing and murdering hundreds of girls, she was not a victim. There might be more things in Heaven and Earth than we understand but, unless we rule out every single scientific solution for a condition/problem/event, we should not assume that the person is besieged by supernatural assailants. Erzsebeth was a monster but, to the best of our knowledge, she was responsible for her actions, not a demon or a curse. To pretend otherwise is insulting to her victims. They may have lived a long time ago but they were just as human as we are and they don't deserve to have their murderer pitied.
The second feature is that the romance that develops between Felix and Jack seems a bit rushed. They go through a lot together and maybe it's only natural that their relationship progresses beyond the category of just friends, but it seems to happen too fast. One day they meet and, over a course of a few days, Felix is declaring his love for her. It just seems like it should have been slowed down a bit.
In conclusion, the basic plot line is entertaining, but the aforementioned points detracted from the story. I'd give this book a three out of five.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review.

The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill

The Woman In Black, by Susan Hill, tells the story of Arthur Kipp. The book begins with Arthur and his family gathered in their country house for Christmas. One soon finds out that Kipp is a retired solicitor, whose family consists of his wife, Esme`, his step-children, and his step-grandchildren. The family is gathered around the fireplace, telling ghost stories, when the step-children ask Arthur to tell one of his own. Arthur tries to back out, saying he has nothing to tell, but the step-children insist. Finally, Arthur tells them that he will not tell a story and abruptly leaves the room. After walking outside to regain his composure, Arthur reveals to the reader that he does have a ghost story, a true one, one that he has not told anyone and which has haunted him for ages. He then returns to the house and decides to commit his thoughts to paper, in an attempt to escape the turmoil that the past events have caused.
When Arthur was a young man, engaged to a woman named Stella, he was sent to the town of Crythin Gifford to attend the funeral of a Mrs. Alice Drablow and settle her affairs. Almost as soon as he arrives, Arthur is plunged into a world of intrigue. While the townspeople are friendly, they avoid the topic of Alice Drablow and her house, Eel Marsh House, as if it were the plague. Even more mysterious, is a woman in black, who Arthur sees at Mrs. Drablow's funeral, and who appears on the grounds of Eel Marsh house, even though they are supposed to be vacant. There are strange sounds on the marsh and noises in what should be a silent house. While Arthur tries to explain these away but, soon his answers only lead to more questions and he is forced to come to the conclusion that not all things can be explained.
This book has a great beginning. Before the first chapter is over, the reader is hooked. As the story progresses, tidbit by tidbit of information is added to form a mystery. It builds up to Arthur finding out the back-story of Eel Marsh House and the Woman in Black. However, then it ends a bit too soon. While Arthur does find out why the Woman in Black is haunting the house, he never does anything about it, even after it impacts him rather drastically. Of course, many people, if they were in his shoes, would be too terrified or distraught to try to end the haunting. However, the book feels like there should be one more scene to it. Maybe a scene where Arthur returns to the house to try to put a stop to the Woman in Black, or maybe one last encounter, face-to-face. Instead, we find out what the Woman in Black did to Arthur, and then the story is over.
All in all, this book is worth the read. The prose is lovely and most of the story is entertaining. It will keep readers focus and keep them guessing. The only problem is that it ends a bit too soon. I'd give this book a four out of five.