SynopsisA husband, a family, a comfortable life: Theodora Lestrange lives in terror of it all.
With a modest inheritance and the three gowns that comprise her entire wardrobe, Theodora leaves Edinburgh—and a disappointed suitor—far behind. She is bound for Rumania, where tales of vampires are still whispered, to visit an old friend and write the book that will bring her true independence.
She arrives at a magnificent, decaying castle in the Carpathians, replete with eccentric inhabitants: the ailing dowager; the troubled steward; her own fearful friend, Cosmina. But all are outstripped in dark glamour by the castle's master, Count Andrei Dragulescu.
Bewildering and bewitching in equal measure, the brooding nobleman ignites Theodora's imagination and awakens passions in her that she can neither deny nor conceal. His allure is superlative, his dominion over the superstitious town, absolute—Theodora may simply be one more person under his sway.
Before her sojourn is ended—or her novel completed—Theodora will have encountered things as strange and terrible as they are seductive. For obsession can prove fatal…and she is in danger of falling prey to more than desire.
(Terra's Thoughts) I must say that this book was quite a surprise and I absolutely loved it from page one to the very end. I am not a mystery reader and that is where the story took me by surprise but it was a good surprise. It's supposed to be a paranormal romance but I would say it's more of a paranormal mystery with a dash of romance to wet the appetite.
Our heroine Theodora has just lost her grandfather a few months past and is working with her sister and brother-in-law to settle up his estate when Theodora gets a post from an old friend from when she was in school requesting that she come to Transylvania for the friends upcoming wedding. Theodora decides to go and this is where the journey will take her from a comfortable secure life to a life of beauty, hardship, horror, murder, love and a who-dun-it mystery rich in folklore and superstition.
The story kept me guessing right up until the end and the murderer was not who I would have ever expected it to be. The narration was wonderful and the story was richly descriptive to make you feel all the emotions that our heroine is experiencing. Sight, scenery, taste and smell are all there in their glory. I will most certainly be checking out more of what this author has to offer after such a delightful experience.
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Mira (March 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778327655
ISBN-13: 978-0778327653
1 comments:
Deanna Raybourn has another series of Victorian mysteries featuring Lady Julia Grey and Nicholas Brisbane. She is a wonderful author. I put her first three books in our library and once I introduced her to a few patrons the word got out, her books have not stayed on the shelf.
This is a slight departure for her, but still sounds excellent.
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