The Widow's House

"The reason you can't live in Riven House is because it's haunted. Why do you think I moved out? It was sucking the life force out of me. It's an unhappy place. There's a spirit there that begrudges the living their happiness. It will tear you and Jess apart. It will tear you apart."

The Hudson River Valley is where Clare Martin grew up, where she went to college, and where she met her husband, Jess. After years away, she and Jess have returned hoping that Jess will finally be able to finish his second novel here. And maybe that Clare will be inspired to start writing again, too. They move into the caretaker's cottage at Riven House, the crumbling estate of their old writing professor. But the history and haunting atmosphere of Riven House soon has Clare questioning the past, her marriage to Jess, and even her own sanity.

I loved all the Gothic elements of this Carol Goodman novel. It's part ghost story, part psychological suspense, and a very entertaining read. From the strange figure Clare keeps glimpsing in the fog, to the unexplained cries of a baby she hears late at night, Goodman really knows how to build tension. And then there's those unexpected twists at the end! I couldn't read this book fast enough. So, if you love an intense Gothic mystery, give this one a try.

Happy Reading!

The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson

Five reasons to read this book:

     1.  It's set in Paris. Think Montmartre. Pere Lachaise. The Jardin du Luxembourge. All during the Belle Epoque. What could be better than that?

     2.  Maud Heighton, a young English lady, is studying to be an artist at the Academie Lafond with several other young women. But Paris is expensive, and she is poor.

"Paris ate money. Paint and canvas ate money. Maud's training ate money. Paris yanked each copper from her hand and gave her back nothing but aching bones and loneliness ... She had thought herself rather wise in the ways of the world until she came to Paris. Every day that passed, she was in danger of thinking a little less of herself"

      3.  The air of Gothic mystery surrounding Christian Morel and his opium-addicted sister, Sylvie, for whom Maud is hired to be a companion. At first everything seems perfect, but then, in an unexpected twist, Maud finds herself caught up in their dark secrets...and in a life she never imagined.

     4.  The art. It's 1909 and Paris is alive with the art of Pisarro, Cezanne, Degas, Matisse and Picasso. Then there's Maud's own paintings and those of the other young artists she meets. I just wish this novel came with full-color illustrations!

     5. Robertson's writing. It's richly detailed, stylish and smart, and her characters have depth and spunk. I found this book a hard one to put down.

Happy Reading!

The Asylum by John Harwood

"... I have been robbed of everything, even my name..."

The year is 1882. The place England. Georgina Ferrars wakes at Tregannon House, a private asylum for the insane, with no memory of how she got there. And her doctor keeps insisting that she is someone else. When she tries to prove her identity to him, she finds out that there's already a Georgina Ferrars living in London. So, who's the imposter, and who's telling the truth? It's enough to make her start doubting her own sanity. I can't imagine a worse nightmare. Or a better mystery.

Somehow, Georgina must discover how she ended up at the asylum, and why she's being kept there...before it's too late. The past tangles with the present in this Gothic thriller, and while it starts out a little slowly, it picks up speed at the end. I enjoyed this book. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White. I think Harwood's first book, The Seance, is still my favorite, but this is definitely a good runner-up.

The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb

I like a bit of Gothic in my fiction now and then, maybe that's why I like The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb.  Not only does this novel have a haunted house with hidden passageways and lurking ghosts, but there's also some strange deaths, a tragic love story, a hushed-up family curse, and a lost manuscript that may or may not exist.  What more could you ask for?

In the wake of her mother's death, Grace Alban discovers some old love letters that lead her to question her family's past.  As she searches for the truth, the web of secrets and lies surrounding Alban House begins to unravel.  Strange things start to happen in the house.  Even more threatening, Grace feels she is being watched...not by the ghosts from her past, but by something much more malevolent.

If you're looking for a fun Gothic thriller, check out The Fate of Mercy Alban.  The ending, especially, will keep you reading late into the night.  Wendy Webb's first novel, The Tale of Halcyon Crane, is also worth checking out.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

     "I leaned over the rail and studied the black horizon.  Moonlight reflected on the waves like scales of some dark dragon.  I couldn't tell where the night ended and the sea began.  Between them, somewhere, was my father."

Megan Shepherd's The Madman's Daughter is a haunting retelling of H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau told through the eyes of Moreau's 16-year-old daughter, Juliet.  Abandoned by her father years earlier, Juliet journeys halfway around the world to find him.  But her father's island is full of nightmares.  And their reunion leaves Juliet wondering if her father is a misunderstood genius, or a monstrous madman.

Shepherd has created a sympathetic and memorable character in Juliet Moreau; I liked her from page one.  And Shepherd's beautiful writing makes this fast-paced story even more compelling.  This book makes me want to go back and reread H.G. Wells' classic novel all over again.  Both are great reads!