Black Rainbow

Greyhaven #2

by Barbara Michaels

New York Times–Bestselling “Sprightly gothic-romance-suspense . . . an especially dandy final twist.” —Kirkus ReviewsMegan O’Neill sees it hanging in the sky above the towers of Grayhaven Manor—a beautiful yet sinister black rainbow, a warning to the estate’s new governess to stay away. She is tempted to pick up her sodden, clinging skirts and flee into the rainy night. Yet the warmth and kindness of the Mandeville family, owners of the local cotton mill, banish her fears—and her hypnotic obsession for her handsome, mysterious new employer, Edmund, blinds her to the darkness within. But desire always has its price. And the shocking secrets enclosed in Grayhaven’s walls threaten to pull Megan into the terrifying shadows, never to emerge again . . . Praise for Barbara Michaels“A favorite of suspense fans.” —Publishers Weekly“A consummate storyteller.” —Mary Higgins Clark

Genres: Mystery, Gothic, Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Romantic Suspense

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Barbara Michaels was a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Elizabeth Peters, as well as under her own name.

She was born in Canton, Illinois and has written over fifty books including some in Egyptology. Dr. Mertz also holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Egyptology.

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 1 out of 5]

Barbara Michaels usually writes wonderful Gothic romances with great plot twists, wonderful characters and witty dialogue. You won't find any of that here. I had to force myself to finish this dreadful book.

The "heroine" is actually the plain-looking and plain-spoken sister Jane. The governess who you think will be the heroine is a pretty idiot who can't see the obvious flaws in the man she works so hard to entrap. Except for Jane and a few workmen, every character in this book is so boorish, selfish or sociopathic that you don't care what happens to them.

Forget this book. Read instead Michaels' clever Stitches in Time or her even better Wait for What Will Come. They're both so excellent you'll mourn when you come to the last page.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 2 out of 5]

2018 Reading Challenge: author has my initials

[Lynn Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for me I'll admit it. I loved this book as a teenager and all those nostalgia-laced happy feelings color my reading of the book as an adult. So, even though the plotting and characterizations run somewhat to the WTF side, I lapped this book right up.

Set in England in the waning days of the Crimean War, orphan Megan O'Neill comes out to Grayhaven Manor as a governess. Once there, she discovers an unusual household indeed. Her employer, Edmund Mandeville, is not there and instead she is greeted by his bright, capable and rather eccentric sister Jane, and her ward, Caroline. At only three years of age, Carolina (Lina) needs a nursemaid more than a governess but once at Grayhaven, Megan stays on and jumps right into her job.

Lina is easily the most verbal and unbelievable three year old I've ever encountered in literature, but she's not onstage for most of the action, so this can be overlooked to a degree. Much of the early part of the book centers on Megan settling into the household and then - predictably - falling in love with Edmund when he returns from the Crimea. Megan is not the most well-realized character, so she often drove me bonkers, but I did love Edmund's sister Jane.

What happens after Edmund returns home is definitely not 100% predictable, though it's also pretty crazy. If you don't like your gothics a little cray-cray, this might not be your book. Though the pace moves slowly in Black Rainbow, there are definitely some dark secrets and evil doings waiting to be uncovered. While not Michaels' very best, I did find myself sinking deeply into this book even as I snickered a little at some of the more ridiculous elements.

[Christy J-Furem · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the author did a great job developing the mood and atmosphere, there wasn't much of a plot. Elements were introduced and never brought up again, leaving the story a bit threadbare and random. It was a struggle to finish.

[Katie O’Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of her all-time wins! Creepy, unsettling, wild & feminist. One thing she does super effectively is convey how many abusive men feel very sorry for themselves.

[Laura Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leisurely-paced historical fiction with a bit of Gothic suspense but lacking the anticipated supernatural elements. Too many plot threads never connected and too many important scenes happened off-page. However, that ending was satisfactory.

[Kerri · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a complete mess, and I took an almost perverse delight in hating it. Maybe this is a sign of some type of stress or frustration in my life that needs to be resolved. Who knows.

The writing is juvenile and clumsy. Michaels tries to throw in dramatic foreshadowing but it is done in such an awkward fashion that I was either confused and have to read over the section or sentence a few times, or I would mentally roll my eyes at the ridiculousness. The characters are neither sympathetic nor relatable. Megan is a hypocrite, simpering, and naive. Jane is obtuse and frustrating. Edmund is a manipulative, selfish, arrogant moron. There is no real sense of time since the characters are "progressive" and don't follow any societal norms for any time period I can think of. Some Victorian, some regency, a lot of modern ideas, it's all a jumble.

Events and relationships don't grow, they just come into being or just Are because that's what the author wants. Lina completely disappears once she is no longer needed as a plot device. Same with the cat. Michaels throws in what is supposed to be "edgy political statements" that are trite and stifling.

And where in the world did this love triangle with Megan and Sam come from? She talks to him once at the mill and thinks he is rude. He comes to the house and she thinks nothing of him. He invites her to dinner out of the blue and then accosts her and she hates him. Then all of a sudden, the next time she see him they are madly in love. What.

I am proud of Jane for killing off Edmund. He was a boor. Good for her taking matters into her own hands.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 2 out of 5]

A black rainbow is a moon rainbow. It is the also the opening scene for Black Rainbow by Barbara Michaels. In this gothic romance Megan O'Neill, governess falls in love with the handsome but dangerous Edmund Mandeville while sister Jane looks on helpless.

Black Rainbow is the prequel to Someone in the House (1981). As it's basically the back story for a much better sounding (and more typical) Barbara Michaels horror novel, the story reads like a forced march. I haven't read Someone in the House (but want to).

The novel has moments of dark and atmospheric tension reminiscent of better novels. Edmund's past hints at Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and Megan's role as an outsider and governess, at Jane Eyre.

Unfortunately these scenes are weakened by bland characterization and gender stereotyping. Megan's attraction to Edmund or his interest in her are never fully explained to any satisfaction. If the novel were more clearly a retelling of Jane Eyre or more clearly a bodice ripper, I would let their flimsy relationship slide.

Typically the heroines in Michaels's books are strong, smart and stubborn. Megan is certainly stubborn but she is neither strong nor smart. If Jane is the heroine (and she narrates the second half of the novel), then more time should be spent on her background and her rivalry with her brother. Yes, they have their fights and yes, Edmund does try to get her out of the picture but all this comes so late in the novel that it felt like it was added at the last minute.

[Elentarien · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really can't say I liked this one much. It just. . .seemed to lack. It started out strong, kept me interested until it changed point of view, but then it sort of lost momentum. The story started to drag.

It also lacked the 'suspense' I was hoping for in this style of novel. The romance was. . .pretty absent. Hinted at, but you don't get to follow it.

I also found the main character (Megan) a bit empty-headed. She wasn't *bad*, just. . .seemed kind of shallow. Particularly after the change in POV. Jane was better but her parts dragged far more.

I found the plot was also stretched over too much time. There was too much 'summary' of things developing over several years, which did not help with the suspense.

The end. . .well, what can I say? It worked. The innocent characters are left to go on. But there was no 'satisfaction' really for the reader. It was not a 'happily ever after', it was not a 'it all works out'. It was more. . .twisted, really.

All in all. . .I did NOT care for this one

[Robert Fontenot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbara Michaels was something of a formative reader for me and I was obsessive about her in my teens. I've recently been going back through and it's been a bit rougher at times than I anticipated. This is in no way her worst but it also does nothing to recommend itself. It is mostly about one man's slow slide into villainy as seen through the eyes of two women. One of them is ridiculously self centered, quite unusual for the genre, and this makes the whole affair feel like parody. The other is stereotypically plucky but refreshingly free from a love interest. At times it works but over all the book is bloated and meandering and it's status as a prequal to the far superior Someone in the House only lessens both efforts.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

At first, I found this book a bit off putting. The protagonist is grasping and scheming. Not at all the typical gothic romance heroine. Think Lucy Steele instead of Jane Eyre. She has a hell of a character arc though, don't give up on her yet! The book takes place at a gothic pile of a manor dating back hundreds of years, and yet most of the actual gothic horror elements are part of the contemporary (1850s) setting of the novel. Barbara Michaels (aka Elizabeth Peters) wrote a gothic novel about the Enclosure Acts, child labour laws, labour rights, women's rights, and manufacturing. And it works. And the ending! My god, what an ending!

[Magali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh that was good.

It felt like a revenge movie for heroines of gothic tales. The crazy woman in the attic taking her revenge on the men that abuse her.

To be honest the first part was interesting but I didn't love it as much as the next ones. It was all about watching a naive woman fall in love with a clearly abusive man and it was very painful to watch. But the next parts made up for it, gave catharsis and really dig into how you can take back your power.

[J.L. Rallios · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst Barbara Michaels I've read so far. Boring with a lack of story and character development. I didn't care for the romance or of any of the characters, particularly Megan. As always, strong feminism and anti-Christian sentiment abounds, which has been putting me off of BM more and more. I had to force myself to finish an insipid uninvolving story. Very disappointing.

[Lisa Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it because I didn't see where it was going until 2/3s of the way in. It reminded me of Greygallows.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a lot of reviewers have mentioned, with the exception of Jane (a distinctly pragmatic (read: unromantic) figure), the characters are by turns annoying or mystifying and some pretty important stuff happens off the page. Megan is dumb as rocks and morally ambiguous. Edmund is a total bro who would be right at home in any number of modern mysoginistic and poor-me social media platforms for the white, male, and privileged. There’s a weak and unrealized thread of the “gothic” along with several weak and under-realized threads of “romance”. All in all, not the finest effort. The ending made up for some of the shortcomings to get to a 3 star rating, but only *just*.

[Matthew Galloway · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first Barbara Michaels novel I haven't enjoyed. It wasn't at all like her others -- the characters had no spark and for the most part felt very weak. The most prevalent protagonist was quite insipid and I had a hard time liking her at all.

[Arismeire Fiedoruk · Rating 1 out of 5]

O livro começa com a personagem Megan chegando a pé e sob a chuva a seu novo emprego em uma casa de campo chamada Grayhaven. Durante sua caminhada ela ve um "Black rainbow", que é um Arco-íris formados pela luz da Lua. Para que se veja um destes é necessário ter chuviscos com um céu muito claro entre as nuvens para deixar que a luz passe por elas. A moça encara este arco-íris noturno como um presságio. Está feita a referência ao título.
A história é um romance gótico protagonizado por Megan O`Neill, jovem governanta que se apaixona pelo belo (porém perigoso) Edmund Mandeville. A outra protagonista é a irmã de Edmund, Jane Mandeville. O livro divide seus capítulos entre as duas mulheres.
Este livro também é um prequel de Someone in the House, só que com cenário alguns séculos antes, na mesma casa. Eu sinceramente gosto mais do segundo livro, também gótico, mas com uma trama que me pegou pelo pé e algo sobrenatural bem pronunciado, enquanto que em Black Rainbow é muito sutil.
Talvez eu tivesse gostado mais da trama do livro se as personagens não fossem tão estereotipadas e se os sentimentos delas não fossem apresentados de forma tão superficial. A paixão de Megan por Edmund até é compreensível (belo e rico), mas o interesse dele por ela é um mistério, já que os dois pouco interagem até certa parte do livro.
Geralmente as heroínas de Barbara Michaels são fortes, espertas e teimosas, mas Megan, apesar de teimosa, não é nem forte e muito menos esperta. Jane é forte, esperta e teimosa, mas só vemos a história através dos seus olhos lá pela metade do livro, o que nos impede de saber o porquê de ela, apesar de amar o irmão, ter uma rivalidade tão grande com ele. Uma pena, já que sabemos coisas do passado apenas de relance e estes fatos explicariam muito do que acontece.
É até engraçado que após ler meio livro, descobrimos que a heroína não é a governanta e que ela na verdade é uma tremenda idiota, que não consegue ver as falhas obvias (e enormes) do homem que estava tão ocupada em fisgar. A heroína é a irmã extremamente baixinha, de aparência comum e inteligente, que assumiu os negócios da família enquanto o irmão ia para a guerra e depois ficava na capital se divertindo. Com exceção de Jane e de seu braço direito nos negócios da família, os demais personagens são chatos, egoístas ou sociopatas ou tudo junto e sem nenhum charme.
A parte sobrenatural apenas sugere alguma espécie de presença...um espírito maligno? Não dá para saber e não parece ter ligação com as sensações de "estar condenada" que Megan sente em várias partes do livro.
Eu comecei gostando da leitura, mas aos poucos fui ficando chateada, já que a história carecia de suspense e romance e simplesmente não consegui ficar sem me zangar com o comportamento cabeça de vento de Megan. Depois o estrago já estava feito mesmo e, apesar de haver uma espécie de final feliz, ele ficou em falta comigo.
Não é um dos meus livros favoritos de Barbara Michaels. Felizmente há muitos outros ;-)

[Sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. On the one hand, I found some of the historic/mystery elements of the book really intriguing and really wanted to see where things would go, but ultimately I was let down by the story. It was kind of all over the place. There were some things that would have been great starting points for some creepy elements, and then they were never explored. The POV switches halfway through from the naive Megan to the dull Jane (who was by no means dull when you were reading as Megan), and the love story that was evolving between Megan and Edmund was halted and suddenly all the characters drastically changed.

I didn't really know where this story was going and the end was predictable. But I have seen that it is supposed to be a prequel to Someone In The House and that it was more of a backstory, so I will be reading that next to see how this aids the story.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Rainbow is a prequel to Someone in the House. If you read it in publication order, then you will watch the foreordained dance and have additional layers of enjoyment. If not, you still have a rather nice piece of historical fiction. Note that the novel is not romantic suspense or gothic romance as usually Barbara Michaels writes, but is still well written and thought provoking. One character lets us see the time through a more modern glass, but it doesn't feel too out of place. Still the bit of "preachiness" about the upper class and women during the time moved it down a notch. I wish I could give it 4.5 stars.

If you are looking for romantic suspense or a gothic, don't pick this book as you will not enjoy it. If you are willing to let it stand on its own merits as historical fiction, then give it a whirl.

[SuperWendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is getting three stars because of nostalgia mostly (I know I read this as a teen - but couldn't recall specific details) - but this book is a hot mess. The heroine is this odd mix of Complete Idiot and Cunning Manipulator. She's hired as a governess by the Brooding Mysterious Hero but about halfway through the book it was like Michaels got bored with the kid (and really can we blame her?) and the precocious tot literally vanishes from the page! The romance(s) in the story are the very definition of Insta-Love. And the "hero?" Gah, the women are brain-dead in this book. Seriously.

Honestly? The highlight of the whole thing (and the only reason to read it IMHO) is the hero's sister, Jane. She saved this one from being a total mess. Not one of Michaels' better efforts.

[Maxine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Barbara Michaels--even more so when she writes as Elizabeth Peters, but I found Black Rainbow very disappointing. I hate to say the story was mediocre, so I'll just say it wasn't very exciting. A bigger disappointment was in the writing itself. When I read a line to the effect that "Megan's heart popped out of her chest and landed with a plop at his feet" I literally closed the book, vowing not to open it again. I did finish it, however, because it's my policy to finish any book I start. I found myself checking the cover frequently though, as I simply couldn't believe that the book was actually written by Barbara Michaels. A major disappointment from a much loved author.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

This kinda has me regretting trying to read all of Barbara Michaels' back catalog. The characters were tiresome & predictable, and while there were a few hints towards evil (spirits? a presence? the house? I couldn't even tell), it wasn't enough to explain away the villain's behavior, or the sense of "doom" that hung over Megan.

I would say at best, this could have been the secondary ghost story, like in Ammie, Come Home. Maybe that's what Someone In The House is about?

[Jodi Bricker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book by Barbara Michaels that I read, simply because I was intrigued by the title on the library shelf. It was the book lovers equivalent of stumbling upon buried treasure. That intrigue and feeling of uncovering long hidden, even ancient, secrets carries on in the story as the heroine explores the aged manor of her employer. I enjoy the Victorian feel of this book, as it echoes classic gothic style, but Michaels has shown herself well able to weave her brand of suspense and paranormal events into whatever setting she chooses. I highly recommend this book and this author!

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book only took me a day to read but it was kind of scattered and randomly written. The little girl, Lina, that Megan went to govern just kind of disappeared, her new baby wasn’t much ---- and I guess living in an old castle maybe made them all go a bit mad……not really sure --- kind of set in Gothic times, had romance and mystery with murder --- but the mystery and murder were really only in the last maybe 60 pages or so…..plus you never really knew what happened to most of the characters in the story…..too random for me.

[Tasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out okay... ish. Megan the orphaned governess falls in love with her handsome employer. That's the first half of the book. Then they get married and the narration switches to Jane, Handsome Employer's younger sister. Jane is a great character, but why switch the narration to her? All the action and plot of the novel is happening with Megan! But we only see it second- or third-hand. This makes for a damn boring story.

[Melissa’s Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a mess! All the good stuff happens off page and then later the reader is let in on it. Half the time things just came out of the blue and I was left feeling dumbfounded as to why the author would do this. I only gave it two stars instead of one because I enjoyed the narrator. However, even she couldn't save this farce of a gothic mystery.

[Eilonwy · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite Barbara Michaels novel -- I've read it twice and been disappointed both times by how there are so many fascinating elements, yet nothing really seems to come together in this story. It's doubly disappointing in light of how her other books are so good.

[Marilyn Fontane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Rainbow by Barbara Michaels (Elizabeth Peters) was an excellent Christmas gift from by Ruby Rose. A black rainbow (rare but real natural phenomenon, which has unusual myths associating it with Diana as Hecate) appears when Megan O'Neill comes into view of the Grayhaven Manor where she has been hired as a governess for Lina, the ward of the owner of the manor, Edmund Mandeville. Edmund's sister, Jane, also observing the black rainbow, sees her coming, and after learning who she is, guides her to her new home. Jane takes care of the manor and the mills, and everyone adores her. Eventually Edmund arrives; he has been away since the war. As a man, he insists on taking over everything, much to Jane's and the entire village's dismay. Whereas she was a kind manager, Edmund wishes to be thought of as nobility, not trade, and make money, not provide for those who work for him. As the man of the manor, he can do that.
Megan, of course, falls for him, but he wants to marry into the nobility, but due to an accidental situation, he overhears his intended tell her brother (who Edmund thought was his best friend) that she is sacrificing herself to Edmund to get them out of debt. Edmund gets rid of the Astleys, but unfortunately not his desire to be nobility. As the story progresses, the reader, Megan, who he does marry, and even Jane learns that rather than a kindly squire, he is a spoiled snob. At various points Megan and Jane rethink parts of their relationship with him and see his former actions in new light. He is hurtful not just to his wife and sister but to the entire community.
As the action proceeds, he becomes worse and worse. Eventually, a woman, undercover, must assume the role of Diana-Hecate in order to put the Mother of God back in her rightful place in the universe--and their community.
It is an intriguing story with clever plot twists. The characters are well-described. One can easily identify with the intelligent Jane or the beautiful Megan. Although written in 1982, it could easily fit in with early women's rights stories--or the Me Too woman's stories of today. But it is realistically told (except for a little Gothic chill to add to the reader's entertainment), and while some male actions are horrific, some of the male characters are fine, kindly, human beings.
I found it immensely entertaining--and so appropriate for shy Ruby Rose.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although set in the 1850's, this book has a Gothic overtone that filled me with dread throughout most of the book. That is not the way I like to read a book. There was no relaxation at all with this one. I kept on going, and I am glad I did, because the end was fantastic! Two young ladies, nineteen and twenty, meet at the house belonging to Jane's brother Edmund. She has been managing the mill while he was off fighting in the Crimea. Megan was hired to be a governess to his young "protégée" Lina, who is three and not quite ready for a governess. The two ladies meet on a rise in the road leading to the house, and they watch a black rainbow stretch over the house together. The book is divided into three parts, starting with Megan, then Jane, then Megan again, and ending with Jane. It is a remarkable depiction of how ladies were treated in the 1850's, their lack of rights and power, their constant underestimation by the man in their lives, and their powerlessness to guide their own lives. It was interesting to see the very different ways in which the two women approach their problems with Edmund. I probably should give this book five stars for that alone, but I want to be sure I am not tempted to re-read this one. I cannot take the overlying dread again.

[Enid Cavallaro · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the first book by this author that I have read and to say that I was disappointed would be an understatement.
The only character worth reading about was Jane. I am not sure what the author was thinking in her supposed heroine Megan, a spoiled selfish totally unlikeable character if ever there was one.
The story was so full of holes and wasted chapters that honestly I was hard pressed to get to the end. All of this could have been saved somewhat if the book had not read as if it had been written by a 12year old.
I am still not sure what it was supposed to be, it was not suspense, or mystery. It was not romance or thriller. Pretty much it was a waste of pages.