Mistress of Mellyn
by Victoria Holt
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Book Summary Information
Author: Victoria HoltEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-12-23
ISBN: 0312384157
Number of pages: 330
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Book Reviews of Mistress of Mellyn
Book Review: "Alice, where art thou?" (4 1/2 stars)...
Summary: 4 Stars
Victorian England. Martha Leigh has no idea what to expect from Mount Mellyn. All she knows is that she is to work as governess and care for a spoiled and controlling child. Four governesses had come and gone during the past year, and Martha had no hopes of becoming an exception. But as she works with young Alvean, the more she realizes that all the girl wants is her father's affection. Mr. Connan TreMellyn is aloof and cynical, but Martha couldn't help noticing that he was also charismatic. However, dark secrets surround the beautiful Cornish estate. Alice, Connan's wife, died a year before Martha's arrival. Apparently, she had run off with her lover and killed on a train wreck. But what if her demise is much more sinister than that? More to the point, is she even dead? After all, the body was beyond recognition. Also, Martha feels Alice's presence at times. She knows that Gilly, a taciturn little girl, feels the same way. As Miss Leigh develops a friendship with the eccentric servants and flirts with a notorious ladies' man, she uncovers secrets and revelations. And as her life becomes paralleled with that of Alice's, one could only wonder if she'd meet the same dark fate as the late mistress...
It says, "The Classic Novel of Romantic Suspense" on the cover of Mistress of Mellyn. Funny, I had never heard of the book or its author until now. People on this site boast about Victoria Holt (pen name) and her brilliant gothic/romantic suspense fiction. So I decided to give her a whirl. Well... At first, the story enthralled me. Then I was bewildered. It was obvious to me where Holt had gotten her inspiration. I thought, "Is there a mad wife living in the attic?" And, "Does Alice, though dead, still have a strange hold on the servants and the way of things as though she were still the mistress of Mellyn?" Yup, Jane Eyre and Rebecca sprang to mind. But the more I read, the more Mistress of Mellyn developed its own unique and haunting voice. Holt doesn't do anything melodramatic for most of the novel. She lets the narrative -- along with intrigue and atmosphere -- guide you to its wonderful conclusion. There is symbolism and foreshadowing -- the sort of thing you come to expect from this genre. I loved it. Victoria Holt is a new addition on my "must read" list. I look forward to reading more of her work.
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