octavia_cade 's review for:

The Shivering Sands by Victoria Holt

3.0

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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!).