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Masque by Gaslight
When Kitty Temple arrived from America to visit her godmother, the Comtesse Adele de Sens, she found the City of Light in the grip of a killer.
But the murder of questionable young women—how-ever shocking—was far removed from the beautiful, vivacious young heiress . . . until she too knew fear, and neither the handsome Inspector Giles Debray nor Colin Venner, the brooding actor who courted her, offered much protection....
When the Comtesse's companion borrowed Kitty's hat and was subsequently murdered, the terrified young girl knew she was next...
But the murder of questionable young women—how-ever shocking—was far removed from the beautiful, vivacious young heiress . . . until she too knew fear, and neither the handsome Inspector Giles Debray nor Colin Venner, the brooding actor who courted her, offered much protection....
When the Comtesse's companion borrowed Kitty's hat and was subsequently murdered, the terrified young girl knew she was next...
- GenresGothic
Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
36 people want to read
About the author
Virginia Coffman
104 books41 followersVirginia Edith Coffman aka Jeanne Duval, Diana Saunders, Victor Cross, Ann Stanfield, Virginia C. Du Vaul, Kay Cameron.
A native of San Francisco, Coffman contributed movie reviews to the Oakland Tribune from 1933-40. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1938 and was a movie and television script writer for Columbia, RKO, and other Hollywood studios in her early writing career (1944-56). She had her first success with writing novels in 1959, when Crown Publishing decided to take a chance on Moura, and the novel was showcased by Library Journal. By the 1980s, Coffman was recognized as "the author largely responsible for setting off the Gothics craze of the 1960s, "earning her the reputation of "Queen of the Gothics."1
She quit her day job in Reno and became a full-time writer in 1965. While historical romance novels seldom find their way into the literary canon, Coffman, who was both prolific and dedicated, took her writing seriously. Her research for historical fiction was meticulous. She also drew upon personal experience as a world traveler when setting some of her novels in Hawaii, Paris, and other romantic locales. Several of her historical romances and gothic mystery novels were translated into other languages, and many have been published in large print and audio editions.
She was recognized by Who's Who of American Women and Who's Who in the West. She was a member of the Authors League of America and the Mystery Writers Guild of America. The Reno Gazette-Journal featured Virginia Coffman and her sister in a biographical story on April 4, 2002. In 2003, she donated a collection of her gothic mystery and historical romance novels to the University of Nevada, Reno Libraries.
A native of San Francisco, Coffman contributed movie reviews to the Oakland Tribune from 1933-40. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1938 and was a movie and television script writer for Columbia, RKO, and other Hollywood studios in her early writing career (1944-56). She had her first success with writing novels in 1959, when Crown Publishing decided to take a chance on Moura, and the novel was showcased by Library Journal. By the 1980s, Coffman was recognized as "the author largely responsible for setting off the Gothics craze of the 1960s, "earning her the reputation of "Queen of the Gothics."1
She quit her day job in Reno and became a full-time writer in 1965. While historical romance novels seldom find their way into the literary canon, Coffman, who was both prolific and dedicated, took her writing seriously. Her research for historical fiction was meticulous. She also drew upon personal experience as a world traveler when setting some of her novels in Hawaii, Paris, and other romantic locales. Several of her historical romances and gothic mystery novels were translated into other languages, and many have been published in large print and audio editions.
She was recognized by Who's Who of American Women and Who's Who in the West. She was a member of the Authors League of America and the Mystery Writers Guild of America. The Reno Gazette-Journal featured Virginia Coffman and her sister in a biographical story on April 4, 2002. In 2003, she donated a collection of her gothic mystery and historical romance novels to the University of Nevada, Reno Libraries.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 24, 2019
Weak 3 stars. The mystery itself was fun; I liked both love interests & the refs to Polidori's THE VAMPYRE (read the original novella if you're an Old Skool vamp fan). Also, there was a girl named Pepine Flan(tm). :D
But...the pacing was so bad** & Kitty annoyed the hell out of me. She couldn't have a single conversation or monologue without grinding my gears in one way or another. Girl, please. Just STFU. You're such an oblivious nitwit. I also hated the aunt & there was a lot of needless to'ing & fro'ing.
It was good enough to finish, but I did skim through the boring bits.
**This flaw appears to be a permanent fixture in VC's books, as I've read 3 others & pacing is always on my list of gripes. I will modify expectations accordingly for any remaining Coffmans on my shelf. 😶
But...the pacing was so bad** & Kitty annoyed the hell out of me. She couldn't have a single conversation or monologue without grinding my gears in one way or another. Girl, please. Just STFU. You're such an oblivious nitwit. I also hated the aunt & there was a lot of needless to'ing & fro'ing.
It was good enough to finish, but I did skim through the boring bits.
**This flaw appears to be a permanent fixture in VC's books, as I've read 3 others & pacing is always on my list of gripes. I will modify expectations accordingly for any remaining Coffmans on my shelf. 😶
January 30, 2015
This is the second book I've read by Virginia Coffman. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I did The Ice Forest but it was still fun.
Kitty Temple, an American heiress, and her aunt Philomena arrive in Paris in 1858, during the reign of Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie. They stay with Kitty's godmother, the Comtesse Adele de Sens, and her maid/companion, Pepine Flan. Kitty has never met her godmother, who turns out to be cold and arrogant. To make matters worse, on the way to the comtesse's home, Kitty and her aunt are stopped by the authorities, who are investigating a murder a young girl. A young girl who bears a remarkable resemblance to Kitty. Someone is preying on young women who are similar to Kitty in age and appearance, though they are lower class than she is.
Kitty encounters Pepine's huge crush, the English actor, Colin Venner, who flirts with Kitty, but does not seem very interested in Pepine. Venner is playing Lord Ruthvyn in a play of the same name. Based on a story written by Byron's friend, Dr John Polidori, the play concerns a vampire (Lord Ruthvyn) who preys on innocent young women. Venner appears to be very interested in Kitty, which makes her uncomfortable. Though he appears to be a handsome and charming gentleman, he is taking his role a little too seriously?
The story is well-written and atmospheric. I liked the introduction of Napoleon III and Eugenie, as well as the Lord Ruthvyn story. Kitty is a brave, likable, intelligent young woman who handles herself quite well.
This is a short read (only 190 pages), but it's fine at that length. It doesn't need any padding.
Kitty Temple, an American heiress, and her aunt Philomena arrive in Paris in 1858, during the reign of Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie. They stay with Kitty's godmother, the Comtesse Adele de Sens, and her maid/companion, Pepine Flan. Kitty has never met her godmother, who turns out to be cold and arrogant. To make matters worse, on the way to the comtesse's home, Kitty and her aunt are stopped by the authorities, who are investigating a murder a young girl. A young girl who bears a remarkable resemblance to Kitty. Someone is preying on young women who are similar to Kitty in age and appearance, though they are lower class than she is.
Kitty encounters Pepine's huge crush, the English actor, Colin Venner, who flirts with Kitty, but does not seem very interested in Pepine. Venner is playing Lord Ruthvyn in a play of the same name. Based on a story written by Byron's friend, Dr John Polidori, the play concerns a vampire (Lord Ruthvyn) who preys on innocent young women. Venner appears to be very interested in Kitty, which makes her uncomfortable. Though he appears to be a handsome and charming gentleman, he is taking his role a little too seriously?
The story is well-written and atmospheric. I liked the introduction of Napoleon III and Eugenie, as well as the Lord Ruthvyn story. Kitty is a brave, likable, intelligent young woman who handles herself quite well.
This is a short read (only 190 pages), but it's fine at that length. It doesn't need any padding.
February 13, 2018
I guess I'm just not a fan of Virginia Coffman, which is really too bad since I have at least fifty more of her books to read. Masque by Gaslight held my interest for the first 45 pages, but then as usual things went down the hill.
February 23, 2025
A lesser Hoffman but still enjoyable. The problem is that it reads like a rough draft, with need of development. The historical bits with Napoleon III and Eugenie are the best, and Kitty's musings about the stagey artificiality of the Third Empire are great. But it's not her best work.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews