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: House of shadows
Summary: 4 Stars
Gothic romance and suspense were a hot, hot thing in the 18th and 19th centuries, but not a huge number of people were still writing it in the twentieth century. But Victoria Holt proved that it could still sell with her first gothic romance/suspense novel, "Mistress of Mellyn" -- it's a misty, dark-hued story with plenty of eerie clues and sensual touches, but it's a bit too redolent of "Rebecca" and "Jane Eyre."
Having failed to attract a husband, Martha "Marty" Leigh arrives at the Cornish estate of Mount Mellyn to be a governess to Alvean TreMellyn. Cue a sinister fortune-telling, predicting trouble with "Alice" and a house of shadows.
In true governess fashion, Marty's common sense and kindess soon wins over the servants and the neighboring family, flirty Peter and plain but kindly Celestine. But she has a little more trouble with her new charge, Alvean, who is neglected by her distant, chilly father Connan and spoiled by everyone else; there's also a strange, fey child named Gilly who wins Marty's compassion.
As she tries to help Alvean get some paternal affection, Marty starts to hear strange rumors about the demise of Connan's wife Alice, a beautiful and kind woman who apparently died while eloping with a lover. But an old diary points at possible murder. And though Connan seems to be smitten with a local sexpot, Marty has begun to fall in love with him -- and he with her. But now she's beginning to have questions about just how Alice died.... and she might be next.
"Mistress of Mellyn" is a book that absolutely drips with Daphne DuMaurier and Charlotte Bronte -- the plain young woman, the brooding Byronic hero, sexy rivals, dark family secrets and half-hidden scandals, sinister suspicions, dark corridors, and a house overshadowed by the presence of a dead woman. In fact, the biggest weakness of this book is that Victoria Holt seems to have plucked whole ideas from the most famed works of gothic romance/suspense.
That said, Holt still manages to take the cribbed material and sculpt it into a unique, genuinely suspenseful thriller, where you're not quite sure who is really sinister, and what happened to Alice. She peels away secrets and clues one at a time right up to the end, when the darkly suspenseful story blossoms into pure horror for a brief time. And her romance -- while not explicitly sexual -- is pretty powerful stuff, with the Eyresque Marty suspended between a local flirt and the brooding Connan.
Her prose is mostly solid and formal in the style of the late 19th century, but it's speckled with lush descriptions of Cornwall ("The sea mist would come drifting in, wrapping itself about the grey stone of the house") and the occasional moments of pure beauty (the ball dancing in the moonlight).
Holt also shows a sure hand with characterization, although the true love between Connan and Marty seems too fraught with distrust in the last quarter. Marty is a likably strong heroine who has slight flaws that keep her human (mostly her ironclad pride and her envy of more privileged people), while Connan is a sexy sarcastic rake who hides some painful secrets. The supporting characters are nicely fleshed out as well, especially a little girl who desperately chases Connan's affection (even to the point of facing her fear of horses).
"Mistress of Mellyn" is hung over with other authors' leftover trappings, but Victoria Holt's first gothic romance is a strong piece of work taken on its own. A nice if flawed debut.
Summary of Mistress of Mellyn
Mount Mellyn stood as proud and magnificent as she had envisioned...But what bout its master--Connan TreMellyn? Was Martha Leigh's new employer as romantic as his name sounded? As she approached the sprawling mansion towering above the cliffs of Cornwall, an odd chill of apprehension overcame her.
TreMellyn's young daugher, Alvean, proved as spoiled and difficult as the three governesses before Martha had discovered. But it was the girl's father whose cool, arrogant demeanor unleashed unfimiliar sensations and turmoil--even as whispers of past tragedy and present danger begin to insinuate themselves into Martha's life.
Powerless against her growing desire for the enigmatic Connan, she is drawn deeper into family secrets--as passion overpowers reason, sending her head and heart spinning. But though evil lurks in the shadows, so does love--and the freedom to find a golden promise forever...
Originally published nearly 40 years ago, this gothic classic has been frightening, romancing, and winning fans ever since. Part Jane Eyre, part Rebecca and all good, clean, campy fun, Mistress of Mellyn will keep you tearing through the pages, and looking for copies to lend out to friends.
Our heroine Martha Leigh is a prim and freshly minted governess who has been hired by the remote and demanding Connan TreMellyn to care for his daughter Alvean. As the departure of the three prior governesses suggests, Alvean is a difficult charge, though understandably so since the recent death of her mother, Alice. As Martha tries to connect with Alvean, she researches the history of Mellyn, and discovers hidden family secrets that still haunt the present. Now familiar with Alvean, she feels herself falling for Connan. Though the desire between Martha and Connan grows, Alice's tragic death continues to haunt them both and endanger any future they may have.
A delightful combination of highbrow writing and lowbrow sentiments, Mistress of Mellyn is a guilt-free treat you can indulge in. The romance, suspense, and mystery tromp across the pages with predictable frequency, and there are enough dark looks and dark corridors for any gothic fan. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien
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