THE STORY KEEPER Book Review

The Story Keeper¹ by Kelly Rimmer, audiobook, 12h 14m

Synopsis from Audible: In the aftermath of a tumultuous year, Fiona Winslow finds solace in the decaying grandeur of Wurimbirra, the rambling family estate she once called home. Intent on restoring it, she discovers the keys to more than just the dilapidated mansion—beneath the crumbling plaster and dust are secrets that have been buried for a generation.

When a curious book, The Midnight Estate, catches her attention in her late uncle’s library, Fiona is plunged into a tale that mirrors her own—a story of love, loss and betrayal. But as the lines between fiction and reality blur, Fiona must ask herself: Is the true mystery the one hidden within the walls of her ancestral home, or is it within the pages of a book that chose her as much as she chose it?

Told in a dual narrative and set against the Gothic backdrop of Wurimbirra, Kelly Rimmer, bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say, weaves an intricate and compelling tale, inviting readers into the heart of a family’s deepest secrets with an absorbing book-within-a-book mystery.

BOOK REVIEW: This was the first time I've read this author's work (or listened to it) and I loved it. Maybe it's because the narrator for Fiona is Australian and that's one of my favorite accents to listen to but the story is wonderful. The other narrator is the author of the book Fiona finds. I was a little confused at first because when we're getting the bits from the book we're bouncing back and forth between Silas and Maria and they're completely unrelated and I thought I was missing something but it all comes together (as any great story does). One of the narrators did make their voice a little too deep for a male character (both narrators are female) that made me cringe a little but not enough to down grade my overall rating.

One of the things that I loved was when Fiona was taken to the local bookstore for the reading club or group (I can't remember what it was called). I have seen events pop up every so often in real life where there is something like this that happens but not on a regular basis. If you're a reader like me then you've probably guess that it's like a silent reading club. Chit chat before, time to read, then chit chat after. I think it would be cool to do something like that in my community and I might try to start that after the school year starts.

Overall, this is a 5 star read. The author does an amazing job at describing scenes and senses while the narrators bring those feelings to life. I could tell the house felt haunted with the sound descriptions and the visual descriptions. I could feel Maria's fright and stress. I could feel Silas's sorrow and need to help. Together it all made the book great! I'll definitely be adding this author's other works to my never-ending TBR. This book released last week in all formats! I highly recommend getting it. Small note is that I did have to bump up the speed because the narrators were a little too slow for me. It didn't feel like it was a conversational pace for me but 1.5x did. It hit me when we get our first part with Maria and some of the long pauses before and after she spoke on a phone call.

5/5 Stars

2026 Reading Challenge: 36/55 complete

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