A Ghost in Monte Carlo

by Barbara Cartland

Den ældre, hemmelighedsfulde Emilie og hendes niece, den unge skønhed Mistral, skaber sensation ved deres ankomst til Monte Carlo. Mistral vinder alles hjertet, da hun efter ordre fra sin tante optræder som den mystiske Mademoiselle Fantômet. Specielt den unge prins Nikolai af Rusland viser stor interesse. Men også rajahen af Jehanger kaster lange lystne blikke efter Mistral, og da han ikke får sin vilje, bortfører han hende. Hvad ingen ved, er, at Mistral har stiftet bekendtskab med den tiltrækkende lord Robert Stanford, som har vakt ukendte følelser i den unge uskyldige pige. Han forsøger at komme Mistral til undsætning, men da han finder ud af, at prins Nikolai allerede har reddet hende, forsvinder han i vrede. Mistral, der opdager, at hun har været offer for et mørkt komplot, bærer dog bestandig mindet om Robert i sit hjerte...

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Victorian, Clean Romance, Regency Romance, Classics

Audio Cassette

Published April 1, 1996

About the author

Born in 1901, Barbara Cartland started her writing career in journalism and completed her first book, Jigsaw, when she was just 24. An immediate success, it was the start of her journey to becoming the world’s most famous and most read romantic novelist of all time. Inspiring a whole generation of readers around the globe with her exciting tales of adventure, love and intrigue, she became synonymous with the Romance genre. And she still is to this day, having written over 644 romantic fiction books.
As well as romantic novels, she wrote historical biographies, 6 autobiographies, plays, music, poetry and several advice books on life, love, health and cookery – totalling an incredible 723 books in all, with over 1 billion in sales.
Awarded the DBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 in honour of her literary, political and social contributions, she was President of the Hertfordshire branch of the Royal College of Midwives as well as a Dame of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and Deputy President of the St John Ambulance Brigade.
Always a passionate advocate of woman’s health and beauty, she was dubbed ‘the true Queen of Romance’ by Vogue magazine in her lifetime. Her legend continues today through her wonderfully vivid romantic tales, stories that help you escape from the day to day into the dramatic adventures of strong, beautiful women who battle, often against the odds, eventually to find that love conquers all.
Find out more about the incredible life and works of Dame Barbara Cartland at www.barbaracartland.com

Reviews

[Nick Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

For an author who despises vulgarity and knows her way around a euphemism, Ms. Cartland sure uses the word " ejaculate" an awful lot.

[LIBERTY · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'era un tempo in cui i romanzi d'amore, soprattutto quelli storici, erano ammantati di un romanticismo assoluto e respiravano l'aria restrittiva e allo stesso tempo intrigante di un'epoca piena di limiti e di proibizioni, nella quale i sentimenti cercavano di essere imbrigliati dalle convenzioni sociali e che si presentavano a volte come l'atto più rivoluzionario che il cuore umano potesse concepire. Le signorine per bene non si intrattenevano da sole con gli uomini o se lo facevano erano piene di rossori e tremori. Gli uomini, pur libertini, avevano una percezione chiara di chi fosse quella da sposare e chi no e l'avventura e gli intrighi diventavano gli elementi che riempivano le pagine e separavano gli innamorati, prima del dovuto trionfo del lieto fine.
Regina assoluta di questi tipo di racconti era Barbara Cartland, con i suoi 730 romanzi che in qualche modo rispecchiavano anche alcuni aspetti di una società aristocratica che lei conosceva di persona.
Il primo romanzo che me l'ha fatta scoprire, quando ero una ragazza, fu UN FANTASMA A MONTECARLO, di cui esiste anche una versione cinematografica.
La storia racconta della giovane e bellissima Mistral, cresciuta in un convento fino alla tenera età di diciotto anni quando sua zia Emelie l'accoglie presso di sé. La donna conduce la nipote a Montecarlo, dove è radunata la buona società europea, dedica ai divertimenti e alla vita mondana e qui la presenta a tutti come Mademoiselle Fantome, facendola vestire sempre di grigio, attirando così l'attenzione di tutti. Mistral appare delicata e innocente nella sofisticata società della Costa Azzurra dove principi e milionari trascorrono il loro tempo tra i casinò e i lussuosi alberghi. La zia Emilie la controlla in maniera decisa, cercando in tutti i modi di attirare l'attenzione su di lei. Unica consolazione ed appoggio è la domestica Jeanne. Ben presto tutti gli uomini cadono ai piedi della misteriosa Madamoiselle Fântóme – gentiluomini come Sir Robert Stanford, verso il quale il cuore di Mistral si inclina. Ma sua zia non appoggia minimamente la relazione in quanto desidera che la nipote faccia innamorare di se il principe russo Nikolai, che la corteggia galante. Ma a desiderarla è anche il pericoloso Rajah indiano che è a conoscenza di un pericoloso segreto su zia Emilie.
Ben presto la ragazza si rende conto che la donna è guidata non dal desiderio di aiutare la nipote, ma da un vero e proprio odio. Senza che lei lo sappia, infatti, Mistral è solo una pedina in un gioco molto più grande di lei. Ma l'amore, quello puro e sincero, è pronto a tutto pur di trionfare.
La storia è accattivante, come le ambientazioni mediterranee, con personaggi ben tratteggiati ed una storia romantica d'altri tempi. Adatto a tutti quelli che vogliono sognare un'altra epoca ammantata di sentimenti ideali che riescono a trionfare sugli istinti più bassi della natura umana.

[Judith Brennan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, predictable read with a very silly plot. I would put a spoiler alert, but if you don't work out the big plan of revenge is to make the prince fall in love with his sister to ruin his life, you would be even more stupid then the heroine. The book centers round Mistral,an orphan brought up in a convent, who goes to live with her Aunt Emile who wants revenge for the death of her sister. Mistral lacks intelligence to such an extent, that she is not entirely sure that something is wrong even when her Aunt angrily sends her to her room, not allowing her to ask questions, and her trusty servant wanders around reciting the penitence rite. She finally works out something is amiss, when she is kidnapped, rescued by the prince and has an argument with her lover. Everything turns out happily in the end, except for Aunt Emile who has a stroke when she works out no one is even slightly upset by her dastardly plan, and then conveniently dies. Oh well, there's nothing like a good plan ....

[MissKitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 on the Dame Cartland scale because this one is much longer than her usual fare.

Also has a lot more characters involved and different back stories.

Sir Robert; a rich young English peer who is infatuated with an older adulterous woman, follows her to Monte Carlo

The Rajah, very wealthy and entitled he is there to have fun with his mistress Sarah. Sarah is a mistress with a heart of gold but is being pimped out and manipulated by her older evil hunchbacked sister.

Prince Nikolai; a Russian Prince bent on enjoying all Monte Carlo has to offer. He is the only person the evil aunt of the heroine allows her to talk to. But its all part of her bigger revenge plot.

Evil Aunt Emilie, is a common disreputable person. Later her actual relationship w the heroine is revealed. She raised the heroine and put her in a very expensive convent school, all to complete a sinister revenge plan. She is shady, secretive and evil.

The heroine is very beautiful young and innocent, she has been in the convent since she was 6 yrs old. She has no idea why her aunt is manipulating her in this manner. She is told never to reveal things about themselves.

The aunt and the heroine are 2 mysterious guests in Monte Carlo and everyone is intrigued by the mystery of them. The heroine is always dressed in grey, like a ghost. Thus she is the ghost in Monte Carlo.

[Amy Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the few i would actually comment on.
i was more drawn to the family plot than the romance in this one.

[Le]

i like to read this book while i just watched its movie. Anyone who have this ebook? please show me the link that i can download it.

Many thanks

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readers don't give Babs enough credit. Sure, her heroines are all Mary Sues, but at least stuff is happening and I have yet to be bored.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this book from cover to cover. Want to find more books like this.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Juneth]

love it.

[Ericka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant little read, but the Kindle version is full of inappropriate typos, especially for a Barbara Cartland novel.

[Sharknado Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? One of the best Barbara Cartland's book I have ever read!

[L B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was the first romance novel I ever read -- about 50 years ago. It wasn't half bad.

[Mereda Hart Farynyk]

“There were dozens of others which at first she liked because they were English, but which later became, as books should, real friends and often closer than the real people in her life.”

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pawn of Vengeance
It was the gayest season Monte Carlo had ever known, and of all the beautiful bejewelled women, Mademoiselle Fantôme was causing a sensation. Who was the exquisite “ghost,” with her shining golden hair and dreaming dark eyes? Why did her formidable aunt guard her so carefully?
Even Mademoiselle herself did not understand the seductive role she was playing. But her troubled young heart knew that evil was drawing close to her, that she was a pawn in a mysterious plot to avenge an old wrong.
Too late, she discovered that jealousy and bitterness were threatening to destroy her new-found love.

Eighteen-year-old Mistral is an innocent abroad in the sophisticated Côte D’Azur, where princes and millionaires mingle in the casinos and sumptuous hotels while others plot to relieve them of their riches. Accompanied only by her embittered and domineering Aunt Emilie and kindly servant Jeanne, Mistral appears dressed all in grey like a ghost in the salons and ballrooms of Monte Carlo and sets Society’s tongues wagging. It’s not long before her waif-like beauty has men falling at the feet of Madamoiselle Fântóme – gentlemen such as Sir Robert Stanford. But on her sister’s bewildering but strict instructions, she must not converse with any but the Russian Prince Nikolai, who’s also keen to woo her, as is an opulent Indian Rajah… Something about Mistral touches Sir Robert’s heart – and he cannot understand why Mistral appears afraid to be with him. Yet both of them crave love. Only if Mistral’s innocent eyes are finally opened to the truth – that Aunt Emilie’s motives are borne not of concern for her niece but of pure evil and greed – will she find her heart’s desire…

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen books by Barbara Cartland for years, without taking the time to read them - more's the pity. I think I looked at one of her later ones once, which made me think she wasn't much of a writer. I was terribly wrong, and I wonder now if her later books reflected a writer who had been so prolific as to have gotten perhaps a bit worn out.

Whatever the case, this book was entirely engaging and well-written, with numerous storylines intricately woven together, all focusing on a poor girl named Mistral (I love the name!) There are evil villains, lots of intrigue, and the fabulous setting of Monte Carlo, where the goal is revenge that has been almost twenty years in the making.

While I realize that this might not be a book for everyone - Mistral is overly passive and childish - I want to remind the reader that this is what I consider a vintage book - and in this era, this is how women were portrayed. So do take that into consideration.

I definitely would like to find more Barbara Cartland's to read.

[Ally Holland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd give it one star if I hadn't seen the movie, but the movie was the reason I wanted to read the book in the first place.

Anyway. Not a fan. Of the book. And while I knew, given Barbara Cartland's audience and record and the plot of the movie and of "A Hazard of Hearts" film version, that her novels would cater to any inner MarySues out there (myself included) I really did not expect...this.

Cartland's novels are easy, quick reads with similar plots in different settings. Not bad if you need a break and a fast read, but definitely not something I find myself wishing to repeat anytime soon.

Perhaps I'm too harsh. I enjoy a mushy romance every now and then. But to be honest, the film was so much better.

[Mojca · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 ½ stars

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, god, why?! *How did I ever think Barbara Cartland was a good writer and why did I buy a collection I feel obliged to finish?*

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some nice plot twists in a story of evil villains vs. the typical saintly and innocent Cartland heroine. The portrayal of the wicked Indian Rajah is a gorgeous piece of political incorrectness, so don't read it if the prejudices of yesteryear infuriate you.