Lord of the Far Island

These are my favorite books. I read them more than once. Philippa Carr is also the same author and those books are amazing too. Just love this style of writing.

This book was great. Many twists and turns, the ending is a real surprise. Well told, you really get a feeling for the characters. Great author.

Victoria Holt had something of a monopoly on gothic romances in the vein of "Jane Eyre" -- lots of secrets, sexy yet sinister men, and big rambling mansions and castles. And she's in good form in "Lord of the Far Island," which wraps the usual gothic-romance conventions around a murder mystery. The lack of trust between the allegedly so-in-love heroine and her sexy cousin is rather offputting (especially since this isn't treated as a big deal afterwards), but Holt knew how to spin a darkly atmospheric, alluring story in remote Cornwall. Poor relation Ellen Kellaway has been treated nastily by sanctimonious Cousin Agatha for years... until the day when uberwealthy Philip Carrington proposed to her, enraging Agatha (who wanted her own daughter to marry Philip). But then he's found dead just before their wedding. Fortunately Ellen is saved from being a poor governess by a letter from Jago Kellaway, a cousin who lives in an ancient castle on the Cornish coast. It turns out that her relatives are essentially the local rulers of a region known as the Far Island and its nearby village, and Ellen finds that she not only has a bunch of relatives and some half-forgotten memories there. She also encounters a mysterious man she met at the Carrington mansion -- he's none other than Jago himself. Unfortunately, this isn't exactly an ideal homecoming -- the small cluster of cousins starts to get riddled with jealousy, hostility, and a bit of sexual tension, even as Ellen finds out some unsettling details about her tragic half-mad sister Silva. When someone tries to drown her in a sabotaged boat, Ellen begins to wonder if Jago or one of her other relatives is trying to get her out of the way. And how is this connected to Philip's death? "Lord of the Far Island" is pretty much half murder mystery, half gothic thriller. While the Carrington subplot just seems like a Tragic Backstory for the heroine at first, it soon becomes deeply entwined in Ellen's troubles on Far Island. And it's got plenty of eerie atmosphere draped over it -- dark superstitions and legends, soothsayers, wild seas, the haunted Cornish coast and an ancient family castle on a distant island. Gotta love that. While it takes awhile for the main plot to get going, Holt does a pretty good job twining together the two main plots of the story, and spicing up a seemingly straightforward storyline with lots of clues and sinister stuff from the past. Her obvious love for Cornwall shines through her loving descriptions ("The winter sun shone on the thin layer of ice") and she has a knack for writing period dialogue that isn't stuffy or verbose. The biggest problem with the book is the relationship between Ellen and Jago -- he's hot, alluring, weird and claims to be a minor relative of the devil (an old family legend). Theirs is supposed to be passionate Troo Luv... yet Ellen obviously doesn't trust him much, and even thinks he's trying to kill her at one point. Fortunately other than that, Ellen

Ellen never expected to marry anyone of importance. She was shocked and pleased to find herself engaged to the son of one of England's wealthiest families. Her hopes are dashed when he is found murdered. About this time, she comes into contact with her father's family and travels to their island estate off the coast of Cornwall. There, she learns of her family she's never known, and a mysterious sister that died, or did she?This novel has all the makings of a gothic novel: a mysterious castle, unknown pasts, secret passageways, and of course, romance!

"Lord of the Far Island" by Victoria Holt is an intriguing tale of romance and danger that is well worth the read. With a fascinating and mysterious hero and a feisty, lovable heroine, Holt has succeeded in creating a tale that will keep readers interested.Ellen Kellaway has lived with her abrasive and uncaring aunt Agatha since her mother died when she was only 5 years old. Completely used to being the "Poor Relation", Ellen has always had a tough time, but nothing her cruel aunt (actually a distant cousin) does can crush her fiery spirit and her positive outlook on life. However, as time passes and Ellen grows from a girl into a woman, her future becomes less and less appealing. At the age of 18, Agatha informs Ellen that she will soon have to make her own way in the world and that she has found her a post as a governess for the honourable Mrs. Oman Lemming, a horrid woman who makes Agatha look like a saint.It seems to Ellen that there is no way to escape her unpleasant future, until the son of a wealthy and influential family proposes to her. Thrilled with the idea of escaping her terrible fate of working for Mrs. Oman Lemming, Ellen accepts the proposal. But due to an awful tragedy, the wedding never takes place, and Ellen's future looks bleaker than ever. Then, out of the blue, a letter arrives from a distant relative on her father's side of the family, asking Ellen to come and stay with him. Ellen can't believe her luck and accepts the invitation from the mysterious Jago Kellaway. Once Ellen arrives on the Far Island the story really gets going. Ellen is drawn to Jago, but she constantly feels as if he is hiding some side of himself. As time passes Ellen falls in love with the island and Jago. Everything seems to be coming up roses; until a trip to a friend of her deceased father reveals a shocking secret that Jago has been keeping from her.Now Ellen must try to figure out if Jago is truly in love with her as he claims, or if his motives for getting close to her are far more sinister."Lord of the Far Island" is a well-written and exciting book with an ending that will shock readers - I never saw it coming! The relationship between Jago and Ellen is expertly rendered, and Holt does a fantastic job of showing the true to life emotions that Ellen feels when she finally finds her place in the world. This book will leave readers sated and satisfied and I most definitely recommend it.

This book is much deeper than a romance. Victoria Holt examines the psychological side of finding ones family. She cleverly keeps you reading and falling more and more enchanted with dear Ellen, a girl who is so innocent with such a dark past. How will she escape the Island she was in love with? I loved this book and found myself here looking for more Victoria Holt books when I had finished reading it, a little less than 1 hour ago.