Moorhaven

Oh my! This is type of Gothic mystery/romance I love! Many of you know I am a collector of vintage paperbacks, and I am especially fond of these Gothic novels that were so popular in the sixties and seventies before the big ‘bodice ripper’ phase took hold.

The covers of these books are simply wonderful, making them fun to display on my bookshelves, but I also like to read them. I’m a huge Gothic fan, from Jane Eyre to Dorothy Eden and Victoria Holt, to anything in between, old or new.

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a long time and I’ve been dying to read it. Finally, I got caught up enough to squeeze in a few chapters every night, and looked forward to reading this book more than any other I was reading at the time.

For show more the record, this is a historical drama, with no real paranormal elements, unless you count the house, which was suspected of being evil in way, and there are no damsels in distress, a common misnomer when it comes to these older books.

This novel has pure Gothic, elements, and is a sweeping family saga spanning three generations, all centered around Moorhaven, an imposing old mansion built by the sea.

When Cordelia’s guardian marries, he obtains a position for her at Moorhaven as the governess for two children whose mother is quite unwell. Cordelia soon finds herself in danger when a clear message is sent that she is not welcome at Moorhaven. The story goes on to focus on family jealousies, murder plots, revenge, and a tiny bit of romance.

Once one mystery was solved the story moved onto the next generation who would often face similar obstacles, until finally, with the last generation, the family will have a little hard earned peace.

Despite the age of this novel, it really did not show much datedness, and only once did I find a phrase that would be politically incorrect today.

Overall, the story was so absorbing, I was struck by how far removed we are from these classics and once again I feel a little sad that these family sagas and romantic suspense stories have all but vanished.

One thing to note is that while the book is placed in the historical romance genre, it really isn’t. Yes, it is set in historical times, but it is really a mystery suspense novel with some romantic pairings, but there are no declarations of love, passionate embraces or kisses, and nothing even close to sexual content.

So, if you know what to expect you won’t be disappointed when you discover romance is not the primary focus on this novel.

Daoma Winston passed away in 2013, so I have no idea who now owns the copyright for her books, but if there is a way to ask Amazon, it would be cool if her work were formatted into digital format, so a new audience could discover it easily. As it stands now, you can find copies in the Amazon marketplace, eBay, and perhaps a used bookstore or paperback swap store. If you happen across a copy somewhere, I highly recommend it, especially if like historical mysteries, family sagas, Gothic novels, or romantic suspense. show less

3 generations in one house

The breathtaking romance of Cordelia and Jonathan - the governess and the Master of Moorhaven - begins the stormy saga that spans three generations at Moorhaven, the great stone house built on land stolen from the sea. The strange mystery haunting the house, the passionate family feuds, the secret love affairs, and the life-long hatreds wind their way through the generations as the family prepares itself to meet the final challenge of Moorhaven!

A rather typical gothic romance, spanning 3 generations.