The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox has been interesting with its inclusion of some iconic Edgar Allen Poe stories and references, but it falls short in delivering an atmospheric and thrilling gothic read. I wish it wasn’t so, but things didn’t pan out quite how I expected them to, and the story feels a little lacking as a result.

The concept is great – a widower arrives in the remote town of Pale Harbor to follow his dead wife’s wishes of leading a church, only to be wrapped up in the town gossip and strange occurrences that have the people pointing their fingers at one woman, the reclusive widow living in her estate on the hill. Upon meeting, the two find common ground, but before long they discover that the dark eerie happenings around town are linked to the works of Poe, and someone is intent on framing Sophronia Carver.

Pale Harbor is a quaint place, one I can easily envision suffering from local gossip and superstitions. Not only are we looking at a time period where women have less power than men, but her deceased husband was much favoured by the town, so the animosity is soaring high whenever she walks. Sophronia is an interesting character, and her circumstances remind me of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which could very well be why I liked her as much as I did. There’s a lot you can do with a town vs individual framework, and The Widow of Pale Harbor certainly gives us an enjoyable rendition of such options.

The inclusion of Edgar Allen Poe’s works and ideas within the text gives a great potential for that gothic eeriness of dark historical fiction supernatural thriller. The use of motifs and key plot points within Poe’s works carried so much potential, but I feel the romantic threads overpowered the details, or the imagery wasn’t employed into the atmosphere and tone of the book as much as it could have been. I would be reading these passages where these things would be happening and begging for a deeper emotional reaction, a change in tone shown in the word choice or pacing, or even a break in the romantic plot for the sake of hammering home the danger and harrowing actions this mysterious figure is committed so close to home.

I feel The Widow of Pale Harbor is akin to The Witch of Willow Hall in its intentions, in part because they are companion novels, but also in how the narrative structure and components frame the novel. Unfortunately, where The Witch of Willow Hall succeeds, The Widow of Pale Harbor fails. That’s not to say its a bad book as this is my subjective take and personal preference playing into my perception of the prose. Perhaps I wasn’t as immersed in the novel as a result of the interruptions occurring in my environment at the time of reading, and as a result, I lacked the tethers that would hook me into the story.

I would still recommend The Widow of Pale Harbor to the historical romance readers out there. Historical fantasy readers looking for a light read with some supernatural details may enjoy it, as would YA historical fiction fans. It’s an easy read, sitting at 330 pages, and a lovely way to spend your afternoon with a drink, a blanket, and possibly a furry friend keeping your feet warm.