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Darkwater
Fanny Davenport has lived at Darkwater ever since she was brought there as a young orphan. She both loves and detests the forbidding English estate on the moors, haunted by the death of its long-ago mistress. When the scream of a bird caught in the chimney pierces the gloom one night, she knows it to be a harbinger of violent things to come.
It all begins when Fanny boards a ship to pick up two Chinese children who have been entrusted to her uncle’s care. But Adam Marsh, the handsome stranger who hands over the sister and brother, may be an imposter. Then the children’s elderly amah disappears. The reappearance of Adam Marsh only raises more questions. Can Fanny trust him? Is he her only ally against a cunning killer waiting to claim one more life?
It all begins when Fanny boards a ship to pick up two Chinese children who have been entrusted to her uncle’s care. But Adam Marsh, the handsome stranger who hands over the sister and brother, may be an imposter. Then the children’s elderly amah disappears. The reappearance of Adam Marsh only raises more questions. Can Fanny trust him? Is he her only ally against a cunning killer waiting to claim one more life?
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 1963
79 people are currently reading
614 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Eden
94 books167 followersAka 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
February 29, 2016
DNF. In the words of Pearls Before Swine, "I am spared cuz I don't care."
Yet again we have an Eden heroine who yammers on about correct behavior & proper social interaction, because apparently this is supposed to provide Historical Backdrop. Of course, dear reader -- let's not forget that 19th-c peeps NEVER EVER EVER said or did anything without examining the social propriety of their actions & then acted entirely by those rules -- only villains & scurvy on-the-fringe creepsters dared to ignore the judgment of society, right?!
Spare me.
The heroine's flip-flopping inconsistencies irked me like crazy. Example: she's dead set on fleeing her poor relation status & taking up with Florence Nightingale's crew -- NOTHING will deter her from her purpose, dammit! -- until she catches sight of two sprogs on the railway playform & her heart melts & she goes BACK to the house she so carefully planned to escape, because clearly her new purpose is to love & guard these two soppy, mopey brats.
Spare me. Again.
I gave it 2 stars because this one had a better gothic atmosphere than other Edens, but it wasn't enough to entice completion.
Yet again we have an Eden heroine who yammers on about correct behavior & proper social interaction, because apparently this is supposed to provide Historical Backdrop. Of course, dear reader -- let's not forget that 19th-c peeps NEVER EVER EVER said or did anything without examining the social propriety of their actions & then acted entirely by those rules -- only villains & scurvy on-the-fringe creepsters dared to ignore the judgment of society, right?!
Spare me.
The heroine's flip-flopping inconsistencies irked me like crazy. Example: she's dead set on fleeing her poor relation status & taking up with Florence Nightingale's crew -- NOTHING will deter her from her purpose, dammit! -- until she catches sight of two sprogs on the railway playform & her heart melts & she goes BACK to the house she so carefully planned to escape, because clearly her new purpose is to love & guard these two soppy, mopey brats.
Spare me. Again.
I gave it 2 stars because this one had a better gothic atmosphere than other Edens, but it wasn't enough to entice completion.
May 15, 2023
07/2020
From 1963
Originally or also titled The Bird in The Chimney
I enjoyed this. Despite my feelings about historical novels. Despite the racially questionable descriptions of the Chinese woman.
It is well written, well plotted.
From 1963
Originally or also titled The Bird in The Chimney
I enjoyed this. Despite my feelings about historical novels. Despite the racially questionable descriptions of the Chinese woman.
It is well written, well plotted.
April 5, 2015
I love Eden's Gothic novels. Even though there's a sameness about some of them, they satisfy what a reader of the genre comes to expect in a Gothic romance. A great mansion. A handsome mysterious stranger who is obviously not what he seems, an intelligent feisty heroine, a murder mystery, a dangerous foe, and in this one, two vulnerable children who need protecting. A great read.
August 17, 2025
I'm on a bit of a vintage Gothic suspense/romance kick and was surprised to find that my library has a decent number of long-out-of-print Dorothy Eden books as ebooks. Having read and loved Winterwood as an impressionable teen, I was curious what 40-something Jennifer would think of a different Eden book.
And it's...okay. Easy enough to read, and entertaining in a trope-y kind of way. And I, for one, appreciate how far we've come in portraying ethnic diversity since the 60s (if I hear the lone Chinese person's appearance as alien one more time, I might lose it). I think Eden made considerable strides in the three years separating Darkwater from Winterwood, which has more likable characters and slightly less melodrama.
Darkwater is, of course, the name of a gloomy old estate where young Francesca (Fanny) Davenport is a an orphaned ward of her aunt and uncle (somewhat like a rather more famous Fanny of literature). Tired of playing second fiddle to her less pretty but far wealthier cousin Amelia, Fanny offers to pick up yet two more orphaned cousins (seriously, how unlucky can one extended family get) in London so she can actually fly the coop and leave the servant to escort the kids back. But upon meeting them and the unexpectedly hot shipping clerk (?) accompanying them, Fanny has a change of heart and realizes that it's up to her to take care of these two orphans in a way that no one took care of her.
And from there on, things get pretty strange. There are all sorts of Gothic happenings at Darkwater, escaped prisoners, unexpected deaths, deception, unwanted male attention, and lots of tedious jealousy between cousins vying for said hot shipping clerk, who certainly seems to be more than he admits to.
I liked how in Winterwood the romantic conflict is situational. Here, it's about deception for some fairly torturous reasons, and that spoke to me much less. I also predicted the villain early and was disappointed with the inevitable monologuing.
I've only read two Dorothy Eden books - surely not enough to establish what a middling book of hers might be - but even so, I suspect Darkwater is right there. 2.5 stars.
And it's...okay. Easy enough to read, and entertaining in a trope-y kind of way. And I, for one, appreciate how far we've come in portraying ethnic diversity since the 60s (if I hear the lone Chinese person's appearance as alien one more time, I might lose it). I think Eden made considerable strides in the three years separating Darkwater from Winterwood, which has more likable characters and slightly less melodrama.
Darkwater is, of course, the name of a gloomy old estate where young Francesca (Fanny) Davenport is a an orphaned ward of her aunt and uncle (somewhat like a rather more famous Fanny of literature). Tired of playing second fiddle to her less pretty but far wealthier cousin Amelia, Fanny offers to pick up yet two more orphaned cousins (seriously, how unlucky can one extended family get) in London so she can actually fly the coop and leave the servant to escort the kids back. But upon meeting them and the unexpectedly hot shipping clerk (?) accompanying them, Fanny has a change of heart and realizes that it's up to her to take care of these two orphans in a way that no one took care of her.
And from there on, things get pretty strange. There are all sorts of Gothic happenings at Darkwater, escaped prisoners, unexpected deaths, deception, unwanted male attention, and lots of tedious jealousy between cousins vying for said hot shipping clerk, who certainly seems to be more than he admits to.
I liked how in Winterwood the romantic conflict is situational. Here, it's about deception for some fairly torturous reasons, and that spoke to me much less. I also predicted the villain early and was disappointed with the inevitable monologuing.
I've only read two Dorothy Eden books - surely not enough to establish what a middling book of hers might be - but even so, I suspect Darkwater is right there. 2.5 stars.
April 15, 2022
Truthfully, this isn’t a great book. The plot is lacking and the characters are underdeveloped but I love it because of how it made me feel when I first read it. I remember being in the library and finding Dorothy Eden’s books and sitting down in the aisle and beginning to read. I was probably 17 and I was entranced by this gothic novel. Is it predictable? Yes. Is it her best written book? No, not even close but it is an easy read with a likable main character and my nostalgia for it and those days when I would spend hours at the library makes me happy.
February 20, 2016
This story is worth anyone's time,if you like historical romances.
I remember reading these novels by Mary Stewart when I was young. My mother-in-law belonged to the book of the month Club and she bought everyone of her stories. I borrowed them all. That was over 60 years ago.
I remember reading these novels by Mary Stewart when I was young. My mother-in-law belonged to the book of the month Club and she bought everyone of her stories. I borrowed them all. That was over 60 years ago.
December 20, 2012
I read this book years ago and now am currently reading it again. This is one of eden's best work. Her description of Dark Water is vivid and i can almost see that place and even more interesting are the characters in the book especially the uncle and aunt.The heroine is very good and i really loved the story.
April 29, 2010
Decent gothic fare from the 1960's, but the ending was a bit weak.
March 20, 2021
This was just what I needed at this time, an enjoyable gothic read set on the Dartmoor moors which I have actually visited. I did figure out who the "bad guy" was fairly early but enjoyed it nevertheless.
July 7, 2019
This was exactly as described very gothic and creepy with a young heroine with textbook instant love at first sight but circumstances keep them apart yada yada, nonetheless enjoyable. Kept wondering what would happen next. Very nicely done with the atmosphere and foreboding, and as I was reading this after midnight, I got pretty into it. It's fairly obvious who the bad guy is after a while. Overall a good read though i wish there was a little more depth to overall characters.
May 23, 2015
A Good Read
Ms Eden's books are a wonderful combination of romance, the supernatural and mystery. A rousing good read with a cup of tea on a rainy day or in the dark of the night.
Ms Eden's books are a wonderful combination of romance, the supernatural and mystery. A rousing good read with a cup of tea on a rainy day or in the dark of the night.
August 9, 2021
Reading this made me remember how dramatic I was as a teen--entirely due to reading these Gothic romances. So when I was raising my eyebrows at the flightiness of Amelia or the decision-making of Fanny, I was also like, yup. I see my younger self here. I loved how it ended romance-wise (I don't want to give anything away!) and the eerie mystery was fabulous.
I read this for Gothic book club and so glad I did. We had some great discussions on Amelia's decision at the end and of course, the symbolism of birds. Lady Arabella was my favorite character for the most part because I also have goals to be the person who likes to tell spooky stories to kiddos and add some pizazz to the everyday when I age up, though she did lose that exalted tier when she tried to push George and Fanny together. I get that cousins married back when this story takes place, but George was the scariest thing to me in this novel.
Because of my enjoyment of this novel, I plan on reading more Dorothy Eden novels.
I read this for Gothic book club and so glad I did. We had some great discussions on Amelia's decision at the end and of course, the symbolism of birds. Lady Arabella was my favorite character for the most part because I also have goals to be the person who likes to tell spooky stories to kiddos and add some pizazz to the everyday when I age up, though she did lose that exalted tier when she tried to push George and Fanny together. I get that cousins married back when this story takes place, but George was the scariest thing to me in this novel.
Because of my enjoyment of this novel, I plan on reading more Dorothy Eden novels.
February 12, 2025
A solid 4 star read! Published in 1963, Darkwater is a gothic romance novel with a plot that reminded me a little bit of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, but make it creepy, claustrophobic, and above all, gothic.
It’s got a great foreboding atmosphere, lots of characters, and so much drama throughout. Dorothy Eden is amazing at writing terrible relatives you want to punch in the face, and she includes a whole menagerie of them in Darkwater. The main character, Fanny, is easy to root for, and the two children in the book are especially well written. I tend to guess the endings of books easily, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what was actually going on in this one until the very end!
There is some dated racism present within the story, unfortunately, but the most racist statements are expressed by Fanny’s awful family members, so it’s clearly not how Dorothy Eden herself felt.
It’s got a great foreboding atmosphere, lots of characters, and so much drama throughout. Dorothy Eden is amazing at writing terrible relatives you want to punch in the face, and she includes a whole menagerie of them in Darkwater. The main character, Fanny, is easy to root for, and the two children in the book are especially well written. I tend to guess the endings of books easily, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what was actually going on in this one until the very end!
There is some dated racism present within the story, unfortunately, but the most racist statements are expressed by Fanny’s awful family members, so it’s clearly not how Dorothy Eden herself felt.
July 27, 2021
Atmospheric setting at the great estate, Darkwater on the moors.
Review to follow.
Review to follow.
July 14, 2021
Second read through. This time it's for a Gothic book club discussion. Lively characters, good pacing, and lots of omens.
October 28, 2017
Maybe five stars is too many for this but it's probably my favorite of Eden's Gothics. For whatever reason, this one gave me the desired feeling of dread and impending doom that a lot of Gothics don't manage to supply.
Everyone except the heroine Fanny (orphaned young and raised by her aunt and uncle at Darkwater) seems appropriately suspicious. There's superficially genial Uncle Edgar, whose rather unpleasant personality is too close to the surface not to show itself frequently when he's crossed. His too ambitious wife, Aunt Louisa, who wants only the best for herself and her daughter Amelia. Amelia, spoiled and jealous of Fanny's beauty and wanting to be the girl everyone notices and admires. Lady Arabella, Louisa's mother, who loves to tell children scary stories and wants only the best for grandson George (Amelia's brother). George, a veteran of the Crimean War, who comes back broken emotionally, fixated on Fanny and with a very short fuse.
We also have two young orphans, recently integrated into the household after the death of their father (brother to Uncle Edgar) and mother in China. And then there's Adam Marsh, man of mystery, who meets Fanny when she goes to pick up the orphans in London upon their arrival from China, and then, unexpectedly, moves to an estate near Darkwater on the moors. Will he be the love interest for Fanny? Or is he not to be trusted either? And why is he paying so much attention to Amelia?
There's the death of one character, the disappearance of another, the escape of a convict, lots of questionable behavior by several of the characters, the mystery of the "white bird" enhanced to a scary level by Lady Arabella in her retelling of the tale to the new orphans, intrigue about jewels, money and inheritances. And some low-key romance. What more could a Gothic romance have?
This is relatively old, having been written in 1963, so you'll have to put up with some outdated prejudices and ideas, but it's a Victorian Gothic and all that fits the times of the setting.
Everyone except the heroine Fanny (orphaned young and raised by her aunt and uncle at Darkwater) seems appropriately suspicious. There's superficially genial Uncle Edgar, whose rather unpleasant personality is too close to the surface not to show itself frequently when he's crossed. His too ambitious wife, Aunt Louisa, who wants only the best for herself and her daughter Amelia. Amelia, spoiled and jealous of Fanny's beauty and wanting to be the girl everyone notices and admires. Lady Arabella, Louisa's mother, who loves to tell children scary stories and wants only the best for grandson George (Amelia's brother). George, a veteran of the Crimean War, who comes back broken emotionally, fixated on Fanny and with a very short fuse.
We also have two young orphans, recently integrated into the household after the death of their father (brother to Uncle Edgar) and mother in China. And then there's Adam Marsh, man of mystery, who meets Fanny when she goes to pick up the orphans in London upon their arrival from China, and then, unexpectedly, moves to an estate near Darkwater on the moors. Will he be the love interest for Fanny? Or is he not to be trusted either? And why is he paying so much attention to Amelia?
There's the death of one character, the disappearance of another, the escape of a convict, lots of questionable behavior by several of the characters, the mystery of the "white bird" enhanced to a scary level by Lady Arabella in her retelling of the tale to the new orphans, intrigue about jewels, money and inheritances. And some low-key romance. What more could a Gothic romance have?
This is relatively old, having been written in 1963, so you'll have to put up with some outdated prejudices and ideas, but it's a Victorian Gothic and all that fits the times of the setting.
June 7, 2020
I’m trying very hard to finish this book but the language is really putting me off, it’s full of Asian stereotypes. I understand it was written a long time ago but I just can’t read anymore about “slitty eyes” and “velly much missee”. Will probably not finish.
August 8, 2021
Good story, well written gothic romance!
The protagonist was written as a surprisingly independent young woman for the times (19th century) and for when the book was written (early 1960's).
It has a nice twist at the end where things are wrapped up satisfactorily.
The protagonist was written as a surprisingly independent young woman for the times (19th century) and for when the book was written (early 1960's).
It has a nice twist at the end where things are wrapped up satisfactorily.
March 18, 2013
This book was a well-written, complex web of intriguing characters. Unfortunately, the most interesting characters were the peripheral ones: Lady Arabella, the alternatingly vindictive and helpful great-aunt; and Amelia, the 17-year-old cousin who has an obsession with escaped prisoners (one in particular as the novel progresses). Fanny, the heroine, was somewhat bland. Adam Marsh as a hero was okay, but not sexy or sinister enough to suit me. It is a gothic novel, after all, so I give myself carte blanche to expect a Romantic, threatening hero.
One different thing about the novel was the issue of race raised through the narrative's connection to China. There is some cynical display on behalf of the author of the racism of the flightier people in the novel -- the refusal to accept a Chinese "nurse," worry about whether or not two orphaned children would turn out to be "yellow," etc. The perfection of racism in the Victorian period is something that is more taken for granted than critiqued in most romance novels, so it was refreshing to see it called to attention.
Overall, Darkwater was better than I expected. I only made a concentrated effort to read it because I wanted to finish just one more novel before New Year's Day and I had to finish my "Books Read, 2007" list, so I wasn't expecting much. However, it did turn out to be tolerable, even enjoyable, though I would have been much more interested in a book about Amelia and her passion for criminals. I should force myself to finish books more often.
One different thing about the novel was the issue of race raised through the narrative's connection to China. There is some cynical display on behalf of the author of the racism of the flightier people in the novel -- the refusal to accept a Chinese "nurse," worry about whether or not two orphaned children would turn out to be "yellow," etc. The perfection of racism in the Victorian period is something that is more taken for granted than critiqued in most romance novels, so it was refreshing to see it called to attention.
Overall, Darkwater was better than I expected. I only made a concentrated effort to read it because I wanted to finish just one more novel before New Year's Day and I had to finish my "Books Read, 2007" list, so I wasn't expecting much. However, it did turn out to be tolerable, even enjoyable, though I would have been much more interested in a book about Amelia and her passion for criminals. I should force myself to finish books more often.
June 5, 2023
I didn't expect to enjoy this book, as gothic romance isn't really my genre, but I was quite mistaken!
August 18, 2009
I can't give this five stars because I didn't think it was really that original, but I still absolutely loved it. Here's what I loved:
The gothic setting. It had a very Wuthering Heights (my favorite book) feel to it with the moors of England and the dark setting. It was intense, and I was a little jumpy when I finished it and looked out my window at the dark landscape.
The writing. It was superb. Dorothy Eden manages to write in a time era that she did not live in, and she does it without copying Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters, but she does it so you feel the setting and believe it. It was remarkable, and I was drawn in.
The Chinese twist. :) I liked the bringing in of the Chinese amah and the children from China.
However, as happens in most books, the main character bugged me a bit. She was too pretty... too perfect. Her only weakness was her vainness and her love for attention. I felt bad for poor Cousin Amelia through most of the book and related better to her than Fanny.
Overall, I would suggest this book to any mystery lover. I really enjoyed it. :)
The gothic setting. It had a very Wuthering Heights (my favorite book) feel to it with the moors of England and the dark setting. It was intense, and I was a little jumpy when I finished it and looked out my window at the dark landscape.
The writing. It was superb. Dorothy Eden manages to write in a time era that she did not live in, and she does it without copying Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters, but she does it so you feel the setting and believe it. It was remarkable, and I was drawn in.
The Chinese twist. :) I liked the bringing in of the Chinese amah and the children from China.
However, as happens in most books, the main character bugged me a bit. She was too pretty... too perfect. Her only weakness was her vainness and her love for attention. I felt bad for poor Cousin Amelia through most of the book and related better to her than Fanny.
Overall, I would suggest this book to any mystery lover. I really enjoyed it. :)
September 27, 2025
WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
A tale of love and peril in a haunted old English mansion. Fanny knew then that Adam felt as she did about the strange events at Darkwater. Even before the sudden death of the old Chinese amah, she had sensed a chill of menace in the atmosphere. Now there was real peril in the mists and fogs that beshrouded the ancient English estate. There was danger...especially for Fanny -- ravishing, lovely young Fanny -- who was too curious and headstrong for her own good.
MY TAKE
This is personally one of my favorite Dorothy Eden books. I read it the first time when I was a young teen. I loved it! The description, the tension, the creepy elements, the mystery, and Adam. He was one of my first literary crushes. Since it's out of print now, I had to search far to find a copy.
A tale of love and peril in a haunted old English mansion. Fanny knew then that Adam felt as she did about the strange events at Darkwater. Even before the sudden death of the old Chinese amah, she had sensed a chill of menace in the atmosphere. Now there was real peril in the mists and fogs that beshrouded the ancient English estate. There was danger...especially for Fanny -- ravishing, lovely young Fanny -- who was too curious and headstrong for her own good.
MY TAKE
This is personally one of my favorite Dorothy Eden books. I read it the first time when I was a young teen. I loved it! The description, the tension, the creepy elements, the mystery, and Adam. He was one of my first literary crushes. Since it's out of print now, I had to search far to find a copy.
August 20, 2011
I liked this one, as I liked the last Dorothy Eden book I read. I think I'd have been happier, though, if the lead character of the heroine had been developed a bit more. Ms Eden had done so well with characterizing the personalities of the other members of the family, I knew them all very well, much better than I knew the lead character Fanny herself...I did feel very sorry for her in her predicament...but that was about it...I didn't particularly like her as I didn't really know her well enough to feel one way or the other about her...pity for her situation was all she had going for her...but over all, another fun summer gothic read!
November 30, 2012
Some interesting characters, including a shell-shocked, over-amorous "brother" who promises to kill anyone who gets between our girl & himself, and an affable uncle who may be the actual villain. No big action/suspense scene at the end, which is fine, just a sign that there was a lot to wrap up, lots of secrets to reveal, in the last few pages. I like the way Dorothy Eden deals with issues of race and class in her books - the attitudes of the time she's writing about are taken in stride, but the main character is always the most progressive one.
December 8, 2016
Dorothy Eden was a fantastic writer of gothic romance novels. I enjoyed most of her books very much as a young person, and they hold up pretty well even now 40 years later (unlike Victoria Holt's books, in my opinion). The plots hold together and her female characters feel more three-dimensional than those in similar novels. I'd give this a 3+ stars, within the context of its genre.
January 30, 2013
Another book that I am adding from long ago. I remember this author but not this
specific book. I probably was in a phase of "romantic suspense", reading Phyllis Whitney,
Dorothy Eden, Mary Stewart, etc.
specific book. I probably was in a phase of "romantic suspense", reading Phyllis Whitney,
Dorothy Eden, Mary Stewart, etc.
June 15, 2014
A historical mystery with a Gothic vibe, complete with a gloomy English manor, virtuous orphans, unwanted suitors, and a handsome, mysterious young man. I enjoyed this one more than I expected, and am looking forward to tracking down more titles by this author.
August 3, 2016
This was probably my favorite of the four Dorothy Eden novels I read over the last two days because a) the villain wasn't the crazy wife of the hero; and b) the hero was neither married nor intentionally cruel to the heroine. Voila!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2010
Nice, light clean romance novel. Nothing to complicated.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews