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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really delicious to read, but the cop-out ending ("Major character is secretly a psychopath" is the lamest trope in the book, especially when said major character is a kid. Oh how shocking. Never saw that coming. Narrator: She saw it coming and hoped she was wrong. ) and mild racism knocked it down from what would've been four stars.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
I was a little disappointed in this book. I usually love a Victoria Holt book but this one did not meet my expectations. There are usually some repetitions in these novels or similar plot elements but I actually figured out the mystery almost right away because it was similar to a novel I had read previously and the character had the same name. I did however love the setting. I will continue to read Victoria Holt novels but I just wish this one was a little better.
This is the second Gothic romance I've read by Holt, and while two books isn't much of a sample to draw from she comes across as very consistent. Her prose is smooth and very easy to read, and her plots seem much of a muchness. In this one, which reminded me in many ways of her Mistress of Mellyn, a musician moves into an isolated mansion with a disturbed family, ostensibly to teach their children the piano, but in reality to search for her sister, who disappeared suddenly from the area and hasn't been seen since. As with Mellyn, the end is somewhat overwrought and very abrupt - that's where my suspension of disbelief took a hit in both books. This one is also, I think, a little flabby about the middle, but there are a couple of genuinely creepy characters in here and the imagery surrounding the quicksands is pure horror. Pity the hero is such a dick... but she does seem to be drawn to arseholes (her late husband being no prize either).
Entertaining popcorn read, though, very suitable for lockdown (bloody pandemic!).
Entertaining popcorn read, though, very suitable for lockdown (bloody pandemic!).
It scores big points for gothic atmosphere, the heroine, and handling of the mystery, although the love story was a little too standard for my taste. But a certain part surprised me and was especially important, as it's something I believe in strongly and a choice I've also had to make, and am so glad I did. It alone made me love the book. :-)
(EDITED SO AS NOT TO CONTAIN TOO MUCH SPOILING)
My head told me, "Go right away from here and forget your nightmares. Live graciously, comfortable and easy."
"But," said my heart, "this is where you belong. Nightmares, perhaps. Memories. Devils to fight, his and your own. The past to mock you for having once more followed the call of the heart."
And when he came to me, he said, "You're going to be a fool. Everyone will tell you you're a fool."
"Not everyone," I said.
And I was confident. My heart would always win.
(EDITED SO AS NOT TO CONTAIN TOO MUCH SPOILING)
My head told me, "Go right away from here and forget your nightmares. Live graciously, comfortable and easy."
"But," said my heart, "this is where you belong. Nightmares, perhaps. Memories. Devils to fight, his and your own. The past to mock you for having once more followed the call of the heart."
And when he came to me, he said, "You're going to be a fool. Everyone will tell you you're a fool."
"Not everyone," I said.
And I was confident. My heart would always win.
Another great book by Victoria Holt with interesting characters and nice plot
I LOVED this book when I was younger. I was in love with the cover, I loved Caroline, and the ending (the secret of "the shivering sands") really creeped me out. Years later (present-day) I just wasn't as enthralled by this book for some reason. Maybe because I already knew the identity of the murderer? The story seemed unnecessarily long, and now that I'm an adult I'm thinking that maybe Caroline didn't seem to make some of the best choices?? Nevertheless, this book is classic Victoria Holt, with plenty of her trademark components, and it's a book I'll keep. Recommended if you don't know the "twist."
Fairly entertaining and enjoyable gothic mystery romance. It did suffer more from "oh dear, the past" moments, though, than the other Victoria Holt I read. Here we have really stereotypical "gypsies" and unfortunate portrayals of mental illness, sadly. And there were some minor mistakes an editor should've caught, like the heroine being unfamiliar with horses in one scene and having had some riding experience thereafter. But the sense of place was so good and the mystery was gripping enough that I'm being somewhat forgiving of its defects.