Book Review - Bride of Pendorric by Victoria Holt

Synopsis:  Favel Farington knew very little about her new husband. When they met in Capri, the dashing young heir to Pendorric had swept the lovely English girl into marriage with the sudden fierceness of a summer storm.

It was all wonderfully exciting, until Favel discovered that someone was planning a very special place for her in the family -- in the crypt with the other legendary "brides of Pendorric" who had all died so mysteriously, so tragically, and so young.

Suddenly the words "till death do us part" took on a new and ominous meaning...

First Line:  "I often marveled after I went to Pendorric that one's existence could change so swiftly, so devastatingly."

Random Quote:  "A window above was thrown open and a handsome woman appeared there.  Her black hair fell loosely about her shoulders and her scarlet blouse seemed too tight for her.  She had the look of a gypsy."

Review:   Victoria Holt was an incredibly prolific writer, writing under several pseudonyms - most prominently Victoria Holt, Jean Plaidy, and Philippa Carr. Victoria Holt was her pseudonym for writing Gothic romance and these books are wonderful and old-fashioned and fun to read. I remember staying up all night at my Mississippi grandmother's house when I was in high school reading The Legend of the Seventh Virgin and loving every minute of it. I've also read The Mistress of Mellyn although I thought it was just okay. I grabbed this one because I'm reading books published in my birth year and I'm glad I did.

Priest's Cove - Cape Cornwall - Image by midlander1231 via Flickr
 This was great fun! The plot obviously owes a lot to Rebecca, although to Holt's credit her heroine is much less whiney and annoying than Du Maurier's - I never once had the desire to smack her around. The Cornish setting combined with mysterious and dangerous happenings, family surprises, sexy nurses and governesses with husband-stealing on their minds, and (I kid you not) evil twins - this makes for lots of Gothic fun and some chills and thrills. Great escapist reading.

For those of you bloggers out there preparing your lists for Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings' next R.I.P. challenge, I urge you to add this one!  You won't regret it!

FTC Disclosure:  San Leandro Public Library

Rating:  Purple

Reading Challenges:  Birth Year Reading Challenge