Ravenscroft & Darkwater

by Dorothy Eden

Isabella McBride, the appealing heroine of Ravenscroft, is orphaned and homeless when she accepts an offer of marriage from Guy Raven, the dynamic young reform politician of victorian England. Guy, who has made it clear that theirs will be a marriage "in name only," takes his bride to Ravenscroft, where every room is haunted by the memory of his adored first wife, who died there in childbirth. Determined to win her husband's love, 'Bella entices him one night to yield to her sensuous beauty. But Guy's desire takes a brutal form that leaves her humiliated, bewildered, and more in love with him than ever-especially when she learns that she has become pregnant with his child... Darkwater is one of England's vast and ancient estates. Spirited, beautiful Fanny Davenport has been raised there as a poor relation in the family of her Uncle Edgar, the master of Darkwater. Fanny's plans to escape to London are thwarted by the arrival at Darkwater of two young children, the orphaned son and daughter of Edgar Davenport's brother, accompanied by their Chinese nurse and a handsome stranger, Adam Marsh. Almost at once the nurse is brutally murdered, and the shadow of an anonymous killer hovers over every life at Darkwater. All are under suspicion-even Adam Marsh, the reckless and gallant stranger with whom Fanny fears she is falling love!

Genres: Gothic Romance, Mystery

474 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Aka Mary Paradise.

Dorothy Eden was born in 1912 in New Zealand and died in 1982. She moved to England in 1954 after taking a trip around the world and falling in love with the country. She was best known for her many mystery and romance books as well as short stories that were published in periodicals. As a novelist, Dorothy Eden was renowned for her ability to create fear and suspense. This earned her many devoted readers throughout her lifetime.

Reviews

[Zoé · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was drawn in by the prospect of reading two gothic stories, but that label was perhaps misleading. Or perhaps it is that it is misleading to a modern audience with different sensibilities.

Both stories highlight the powerlessness of the female protagonists in a society in which their respectability and autonomy is defined by men, and the threat of sexual assault is present in different forms in both stories. Their concerns, almost always valid, are easily waved off by the male characters surrounding them, sometimes for "their own good", sometimes to better manipulate them. However, the heroines of both stories have a strength of character that help them navigate their struggles (although they still need some rescuing by their male love interest), which make them still interesting to read about.

There's some willingness on the part of the author to explore societal issues, which I appreciated, even if she does not do so in a deep (or realistic) way, such as forced prostitution and class divides. The characters' racism and ableism is also challenged to some extent by the narrative.

Ravenscroft stretched my suspense of disbelief a bit with cartoonish antagonists, and a rushed conclusion, and I found myself enjoying the novel Darkwater a lot more. Darkwater managed to maintain some level of suspense and mystery throughout the story, and while the conclusion was also slightly rushed, it has a good plot twist. I also found the love interest much more enjoyable than the one in Ravenscroft, and we see moments where a relationship is built (although both novels suffer very much from insta-love).

I recommend to people who enjoy historical romances with some darker themes, particular the novel Darkwater, which is the stronger of the novels showcased in this book.

CW: period-typical racism, ableism, and sexism; sexual harassment

[Dorcas · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Bella and Lally find themselves orphaned and in a strange city they fall prey to a "helpful" stranger who doesn't have their best interests at heart. One dark and stormy evening, when all hope is almost lost, a wealthy philanthropist rescues them from a fate worse than death and takes them to Ravencroft, a place of safety. Or is it?

I really enjoyed this. It was fast moving and spooky enough to hold my attention.i thought it ended rather abruptly and I would have liked another chapter or two but for what it was I give it 4 stars


Darkwater

I thought this was a good one too. A penniless orphan grows up in the charge of her uncle and his family. While never a complete part of the family, she grows up somewhat settled. However, when she's at the point of striking out on her own and becoming a nurse in the Crimea there's a change in the household. Two more family orphans are arriving from China and when she sees them she decides she can't leave them to grow up unloved.
Strange things begin happening, missing people, noises in the night, a shell shocked cousin and a handsome but mysterious stranger...