Sinister Abbey

by Elsie Lee

The first mistake Danica Hughes made was talking to the attractive stranger who sat beside her on the airplane jetting her to Europe. The second mistake was picking up his attache case by accident, and carrying it off with her to her hotel in Paris. The third mistake was opening it and discovering its suspicious contents....

And now Danica knew she could not afford another mistake. Caught in a whirlpool of violence and deception, torn between a magnetic American wheeler-dealer and a devastatingly charming French aristocrat, she fled through a labyrinth of terror in an ancient French abbey, and one false step would be fatal....

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery

220 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Elsie Lee (Elsie Lee Sheridan) (1912 - 1987)

Pseudonym/s: Elsie Cromwell, Jane Gordon, Lee Sheridan

Wiki: "I write fairy tales for grownups, principally women... I am better at characterizations than plots, and best with cats who are unanimously adored by my readers... I will not compromise on the quality of vocabulary and grammar in my books... it is a writer's responsibility to TEACH subtly through entertainment..."

Reviews

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the late 1960s, when romantic suspense was at its height as a genre alongside gothic romances, Elsie Lee was a snappy counterpart to stars of the form like Mary Stewart. "Sinister Abbey" reveals just why she was-- and remains--so readable: a smart heroine who is incapable of having the wool pulled over her eyes for long. Danica Hughes is a likeable, dynamic and frequently hotheaded textile designer who gets caught up in untangling a stolen art ring while traveling in France. The zippy dialogue and fun bohemian cast of supporting characters add color and drive to the story, while Lee's knowledge of art history makes for a very fun mystery.

[Дени ★ Проданова · Rating 1 out of 5]

Това е една от най-глупавите книги, на които съм попадала. До последната страница не можах да разбера каква беше идеята. Противоречията можеха да се намерят не само в отделните абзаци, но в едно и също изречение със същата лекота. Да не говорим, че корицата (на моето издание) и съдържанието нямат нищо общо. То съдържанието само със себе си нямаше общо! Нищо зловещо няма в това абатство, само безкрайна досада и изчезващи куфарчета.
Книгата я намерих в бюрото си на работа, забравена от предишната служителка реших да я привтизирам. Разбирам защо не си я е потърсила. Не бих отворила това нещо втори път и пари да ми дават.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was entertaining enough, and the author had technique enough to keep me interested. But overall, I thought the plot was a hot mess. We seemed to hopscotch from one nefarious crime to another with not much explanation of how they—or the people involved in them—fit together. And the scenario relied on a lot (a lot!) of coincidences to progress. Ms. Lee got us there in the end, but the plot doesn't exactly bear scrutiny.

[Cath · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like a 3 and a half. Enjoyed this book. Kind of a throw back to a different time in pop literature but I found the heroine engaging and the plot interesting. Rather like a Mary Stewart novel but without the lyrical prose. I would definitely recommend this book to those who like Mary Stewart or MM Kaye.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my fall-back books when I want to do a quick read of something.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpectedly charming adventure of a young artist in France