Greygallows

I buy these books to read on my lunch hour when I'm working, in order to pass the time. I usually don't read at home, because my time is so limited. Greygallows is the first book I've read by Barbara Michaels, and after the first 150 pages, I brought the book home and finished Greygallows that night. I couldn't put it down! Full of suspense!

This is a novel in the gothic tradition and one that fans of Victoria Holt will enjoy. The events in the book take place in the first half of the nineteenth century. Young Lucy Cartwright finds herself orphaned at the age of seven, after a terrible carriage accident kills both her parents and leaves her with a permanent limp. Sent to a school for girls in Canterbury, England, Lucy is spoiled by the headmistress, who caters to Lucy's whims. After all, the pretty Lucy is heiress to a vast fortune. When she turned sixteen, Lucy's term at school ends, when her deceased mother's sister, Lady Russell, decides to interject herself into Lucy's life, and find her niece a husband. There is no love lost between Lucy and her aunt, as Lady Russell's intention is to rid herself of her niece as soon as is decently possible. When the handsome Baron Clare, owner of Greygallows, a magnificent estate located in the moors of Yorkshire, enters her life, Lady Russell sees to it that a match is made, despite the scandalous rumours that swirl about the Baron. When Baron Clare and Lucy inevitably marry, she leaves behind London, a failed romance with her piano teacher, and Jonathan, her solicitor's clerk, whose friendship she treasures. After all, he is the one person with whom she can be herself. When she arrives at Greygallows, suddenly her life changes yet again, as the man she married undergoes a change in personality. Moreover, it turns out that Greygallows has a ghostly apparition that makes itself manifest. These, and other events, makes Lucy realize that something portentous is about to happen. I have always been partial to gothic novels of suspense, so I very much enjoyed this one. While much of it was predictable, there were a few twists and turns in the tale. It is a novel to be read leisurely in one sitting with a good cup of tea.

This was not one of Mrs. Michael's best works, but it still wasn't half bad. I enjoyed it, even though it was a slow read. I found it interesting, but didn't have any trouble putting it down. The ending was very climactic, but after the slow pace set in the previous pages the ending felt way too rushed.

This novel has all the suspense and drama characteristic of a Barbara Micheals novel mingled with the etiquette and charm of a historical love story. It delivers the reader into an era reminiscent of "Sense and Sensibility". I consider it one of her best!

Another great read by Barbara Michaels. Her heroine is strong and way ahead of her time, adding outstanding depth and tension to the story. Loaded with suspense from cover to cover, each chapter brings with it a surprise that will keep you up reading until dawn. This book will transport you back in time to 19th century England and Scotland, and is a must-read for all lovers of historical romances.