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Columbella
"Phyllis Whitney is, and always will be, the Grand Master of her craft."
-Barbara Michaels
Jessica's life was a closed book until she found herself entangled with the dangerous drama of a strange and passionate family. Searching for a new life on sultry St. Thomas Island, she is drawn into the wealthy family's dark betrayals....
That was a night of gold and red, with torches flaming on the hilltop and the lights of Charlotte Amalie fanning out around the harbor below. A night of water lily and sweet-smelling cereus. The night of the shell...
Jessica Abbott, fleeing her own past, finds herself the center of a whirlpool of conflict at Hampden House, high on its cliff in the Virgin Islands. She is confronted by Catherine Drew, a woman whose sole purpose is to torment and destroy. Catherine is the wife of a vital, driven man, Kingdon Drew-toward whom Jessica is irresistible drawn. Jessica must defy the beautiful, self-indulgent Catherine, who likes to affect the name of a shell - Columbella. She must fight for the very future of another woman's child. Above all, she must find the strength to help the man she loves escape the trap Catherine has set for him. Yet each day Catherine seems to mock her in a new way - and win. Until the night of the shell...
Always, the brilliant island sun shines over Hampden House in St. Thomas and over Caprice, the plantation in St. Croix that is crumbling to eerie ruin, guarded by its unicorns. Always the threat of a hurricane looms over this exotic setting, where the past still affects the present.
-Barbara Michaels
Jessica's life was a closed book until she found herself entangled with the dangerous drama of a strange and passionate family. Searching for a new life on sultry St. Thomas Island, she is drawn into the wealthy family's dark betrayals....
That was a night of gold and red, with torches flaming on the hilltop and the lights of Charlotte Amalie fanning out around the harbor below. A night of water lily and sweet-smelling cereus. The night of the shell...
Jessica Abbott, fleeing her own past, finds herself the center of a whirlpool of conflict at Hampden House, high on its cliff in the Virgin Islands. She is confronted by Catherine Drew, a woman whose sole purpose is to torment and destroy. Catherine is the wife of a vital, driven man, Kingdon Drew-toward whom Jessica is irresistible drawn. Jessica must defy the beautiful, self-indulgent Catherine, who likes to affect the name of a shell - Columbella. She must fight for the very future of another woman's child. Above all, she must find the strength to help the man she loves escape the trap Catherine has set for him. Yet each day Catherine seems to mock her in a new way - and win. Until the night of the shell...
Always, the brilliant island sun shines over Hampden House in St. Thomas and over Caprice, the plantation in St. Croix that is crumbling to eerie ruin, guarded by its unicorns. Always the threat of a hurricane looms over this exotic setting, where the past still affects the present.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
126 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis A. Whitney
190 books569 followersPhyllis Ayame Whitney (1903 – 2008) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. A review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics".
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 11, 2017
A nice surprise -- this was my first Whitney book, but I'll definitely be investing in more.
As you might guess from the lovely vintage cover, Columbella is a gentle melodrama/gothic romance hybrid that takes place on St Thomas. There are rich people with rich people problems. Cougars. Screwy mother/daughter dynamics. Jewel thieves. Seashells. Hurricanes. Scandalous bikinis. And someone gets crushed to death by a mango tree. This is contemporary rom suspense at its finest, y'all. It's squeaky clean & yet completely NOT BORING. See? IT IS POSSIBLE!
Anyway.
Out of the 'Big Four' 60s/70s romantic suspense authors (Holt, Stewart, Eden, & Whitney), Whitney has the reputation for being the most hacky. Granted, this is my first & only yardstick by which to measure her style...but at first blush, I'm calling bullshit. First -- all those authors have a style & preferred characters that they recycle. And second -- Whitney's writing is WAY, WAY better than the overrated boredom of anything ever penned by Dorothy Eden. Yeah, I said it. You win the rom suspense smackdown, Phyllis. It isn't even a fair fight. Comes to that, Holt & Whitney would crush Eden & Stewart in a TLC smackdown. THROW THOSE CHAIRS, LADIES! :D
...WTF just happened to this review? I should probably cut back on the caffeine.
As you might guess from the lovely vintage cover, Columbella is a gentle melodrama/gothic romance hybrid that takes place on St Thomas. There are rich people with rich people problems. Cougars. Screwy mother/daughter dynamics. Jewel thieves. Seashells. Hurricanes. Scandalous bikinis. And someone gets crushed to death by a mango tree. This is contemporary rom suspense at its finest, y'all. It's squeaky clean & yet completely NOT BORING. See? IT IS POSSIBLE!
Anyway.
Out of the 'Big Four' 60s/70s romantic suspense authors (Holt, Stewart, Eden, & Whitney), Whitney has the reputation for being the most hacky. Granted, this is my first & only yardstick by which to measure her style...but at first blush, I'm calling bullshit. First -- all those authors have a style & preferred characters that they recycle. And second -- Whitney's writing is WAY, WAY better than the overrated boredom of anything ever penned by Dorothy Eden. Yeah, I said it. You win the rom suspense smackdown, Phyllis. It isn't even a fair fight. Comes to that, Holt & Whitney would crush Eden & Stewart in a TLC smackdown. THROW THOSE CHAIRS, LADIES! :D
...WTF just happened to this review? I should probably cut back on the caffeine.
May 17, 2020
Columbella is set in the U.S. Virgin Islands, specifically in Charlotte Amalie. Author Phyllis A. Whitney does a splendid job of making the reader feel as if present there, walking breezy grounds in the lazy sunshine and feeling the heat in the peak of the afternoon. She also does a fine turn in creating a malevolent character whose main purpose is to hurt those closest to her.
That person is Catherine Drew, who likes to call herself Columbella. Into her path walks young Jessica Abbott, who is hired by Catherine's mother to work on the schooling of Catherine's daughter Leila. Jessica anticipates a difficult situation but instead receives the challenge of her life.
This book is part family drama, part romance and part mystery. I will say I was never bored by it and found nearly all of its twists and turns quite plausible. I have always found that the best books have characters that are motivated by something, be it a desire, a dream or even an emotion that consumes them. More than one character in this novel meets that description, and the end result is a memorable adventure. It is a great example of why Phyllis A. Whitney had such incredible and long-lasting success an author.
That person is Catherine Drew, who likes to call herself Columbella. Into her path walks young Jessica Abbott, who is hired by Catherine's mother to work on the schooling of Catherine's daughter Leila. Jessica anticipates a difficult situation but instead receives the challenge of her life.
This book is part family drama, part romance and part mystery. I will say I was never bored by it and found nearly all of its twists and turns quite plausible. I have always found that the best books have characters that are motivated by something, be it a desire, a dream or even an emotion that consumes them. More than one character in this novel meets that description, and the end result is a memorable adventure. It is a great example of why Phyllis A. Whitney had such incredible and long-lasting success an author.
April 17, 2013
Is was so exciting! It kept me guessing until the very last 2 chapters. I thought I had it figured out, but of course, I didn't. The twist at the end was a total surprise. Great mystery!
August 12, 2024
This is one of Whitney's better books, IMO, written in 1966 when her novels were better than her later efforts. It takes place in the US Virgin Islands and the setting is beautifully rendered by the author. Of course, the usual Whitney tropes are there: youngish single woman is drawn to a family with an enigmatic slightly older man with a daughter who variously hates and loves the heroine. Hidden secrets, some madness, etc.
So, nothing new or original but the setting and supporting cast, as well as the identity of the perpetrator of the solitary murder, made this a good read for me.
So, nothing new or original but the setting and supporting cast, as well as the identity of the perpetrator of the solitary murder, made this a good read for me.
March 25, 2022
Really good gothic novel. Some questionable morality here in this neat and tidy conclusion, though.
June 27, 2023
Jessica Abbott's life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes entangled with a wealthy and volatile family while seeking a fresh start on St. Thomas Island. Hampden House, perched on a cliff in the Virgin Islands, becomes the center of a storm of conflict, with Jessica at its core. Catherine Drew, the beautiful and vindictive wife of Kingdon Drew, is determined to torment and destroy Jessica, who finds herself irresistibly drawn to Kingdon. Jessica must stand against Catherine's manipulations, fight for the future of another woman's child, and help the man she loves escape Catherine's trap. Against the backdrop of the vibrant island, haunted by the crumbling Caprice plantation in St. Croix and the ever-looming threat of a hurricane, Jessica faces the challenges of the past that continue to shape the present. The fate of the characters becomes intertwined with the enigmatic "night of the shell."
Still a good story but not one of my favorites. I absolutely love gothic romances with all of the mystery and the strong female characters. Phyllis A. Whitney is an amazing author who incorporates an unforgettable story with amazing characters.
Still a good story but not one of my favorites. I absolutely love gothic romances with all of the mystery and the strong female characters. Phyllis A. Whitney is an amazing author who incorporates an unforgettable story with amazing characters.
July 1, 2016
Esta é a história de Jéssica Abbott, uma ex-professora de 28 anos que passara cuidando de sua mãe doente e possessiva por vários anos. Após a morte da mãe, sem saber que rumo tomar, Jéssica vai para a ilha de St. Thomas, nas Ilhas Virgens, ficar com sua tia.
Inicialmente a moça quer apenas descansar, mas logo é procurada pela matriarca da família mais importante da ilha, que deseja sua ajuda para supervisionar uma adolescente de 14 anos (neta desta senhora).
A menina que deve ficar aos seus cuidados se chama Leila e é uma adolescente rebelde, ora ignorada pela mãe, ora torturada pela mesma ou mimada. A mãe da menina se chama Catherine (Cathy para os íntimos e Columbella para ela mesma).
Sinceramente, Columbella é uma grande vagabunda-egoísta-traidora-etc,etc,etc. Ela não tem respeito por ninguém, seja a filha, o marido, a mãe... ninguém. Em certos momentos ela é tão cruel e maldosa com a garota que dá pena.
Acontece que Jéssica aceita o cargo e acaba por permanecer por pena de Leila e em seguida por amor ao pai da menina. Eu costumo detestar livros com mocinhas que se apaixonam por homens casados, mas Columbella é tão detestável que até me esqueci deste detalhe.
A tensão na casa vai se tornando cada vez mais intensa, até culminar em uma morte, massss... terá sido um acidente ou um assassinato??? Eu fiquei me mordendo, ora de raiva, ora de curiosidade, ora de pena e assim por diante, mas tudo está tão bem distribuído que o livro se torna uma delicia.
O cenário é exótico e transmite todas as sensações do ambiente... pelo menos eu me senti assim :-)
O amor é profundo, intenso, mas casto, uma vez que o mocinho é casado e eles jamais cometeriam um ato tão repugnante quanto o da traição, mesmo com Columbella traindo o marido abertamente.
Muito interessante o paralelo que Jéssica faz entre ela e Leila, afinal, ambas possuíam mães dominadoras e egoístas. tendo passado por tudo isto a maior parte da vida até aquele momento a mocinha desejava libertar a menina deste tormento, dando-lhe força e segurança.
Inicialmente a moça quer apenas descansar, mas logo é procurada pela matriarca da família mais importante da ilha, que deseja sua ajuda para supervisionar uma adolescente de 14 anos (neta desta senhora).
A menina que deve ficar aos seus cuidados se chama Leila e é uma adolescente rebelde, ora ignorada pela mãe, ora torturada pela mesma ou mimada. A mãe da menina se chama Catherine (Cathy para os íntimos e Columbella para ela mesma).
Sinceramente, Columbella é uma grande vagabunda-egoísta-traidora-etc,etc,etc. Ela não tem respeito por ninguém, seja a filha, o marido, a mãe... ninguém. Em certos momentos ela é tão cruel e maldosa com a garota que dá pena.
Acontece que Jéssica aceita o cargo e acaba por permanecer por pena de Leila e em seguida por amor ao pai da menina. Eu costumo detestar livros com mocinhas que se apaixonam por homens casados, mas Columbella é tão detestável que até me esqueci deste detalhe.
A tensão na casa vai se tornando cada vez mais intensa, até culminar em uma morte, massss... terá sido um acidente ou um assassinato??? Eu fiquei me mordendo, ora de raiva, ora de curiosidade, ora de pena e assim por diante, mas tudo está tão bem distribuído que o livro se torna uma delicia.
O cenário é exótico e transmite todas as sensações do ambiente... pelo menos eu me senti assim :-)
O amor é profundo, intenso, mas casto, uma vez que o mocinho é casado e eles jamais cometeriam um ato tão repugnante quanto o da traição, mesmo com Columbella traindo o marido abertamente.
Muito interessante o paralelo que Jéssica faz entre ela e Leila, afinal, ambas possuíam mães dominadoras e egoístas. tendo passado por tudo isto a maior parte da vida até aquele momento a mocinha desejava libertar a menina deste tormento, dando-lhe força e segurança.
March 10, 2022
After the gothic "Sea Jade," Phyllis A. Whitney returned to the modern age with "Columbella," a novel set in the mid-1960s Virgin Islands. Chicago-area schoolteacher Jessica Abbott is adrift after the death of her mother, who although an invalid, was an alluring flirt who damaged Jessica's self-esteem (and romantic hopes--there are shades of the earlier "Skye Cameron"). She literally and figuratively drifts up on the shores of St. Thomas, where her aunt runs an inn. From there, she becomes a tutor to Leila, the granddaughter of a friend of her aunt's, who is the matriarch of the distinguished Hampden family. Leila is a troubled teenager at the center of a war of influence between her parents, architect King and his wife Catherine. It soon becomes clear that Catherine is the malevolent fulcrum around which the entire Hampden family turns. Whitney has fun creating a truly immoral, cruel villainess, who seems to delight in destruction. Can Jessica's essential, albeit insecure, goodness stand up against Catherine's wickedness? A party and a hurricane help move the action along; meanwhile, as had become her tradition by this time, Whitney gives the reader a sense of the distinctive St. Thomas setting, allowing travel from the armchair. What sets "Columbella" apart from standard romantic suspense is Whitney's interest in the psychological depth of her characters, as well as their growth and change across the span of the book. It was something she developed strongly in her earlier historical novels such as "The Trembling Hills," "The Quicksilver Pool," and "Skye Cameron," but which had been less a feature of her earlier 1960s suspense novels. "Columbella" brings it back, particularly in her exploration of the ambivalence about the various maternal relationships in the book (again, reminiscent of "Skye Cameron").
July 25, 2018
Excellent read
Well developed characters, interesting plot, a page Turner. Descriptions of the setting were well done. A very interesting story line.
Well developed characters, interesting plot, a page Turner. Descriptions of the setting were well done. A very interesting story line.
May 8, 2011
Jessica flees her past and escapes to beautiful St. Thomas Island in the Carribean to stay with an aunt for awhile. While there, she is asked to become a private teacher to a 14 year old girl--Leila. Leila's mother is a wild, cat-like, evil woman--Catherine (Cathy to her daughter and Columbella to herself). This woman puts her daughter down at every turn and has no respect for herself, her husband, or others. Jessica intended to stay just a few days, but became caught up in this crazy story that ended in death....or is it murder?
Phyllis Whitney's stories bring me back quite a few years to when I was younger--I read them all as a teen. they all have a similar pattern--exotic settings, a woman who is looking for a change, and a mystery on hand. There is always a love interest to some seemingly out if reach man, and that romance is always abrupt--nothing there one minute and then an undying love the next. But to me, they are comforting and clean and there's always a twist.
Phyllis Whitney's stories bring me back quite a few years to when I was younger--I read them all as a teen. they all have a similar pattern--exotic settings, a woman who is looking for a change, and a mystery on hand. There is always a love interest to some seemingly out if reach man, and that romance is always abrupt--nothing there one minute and then an undying love the next. But to me, they are comforting and clean and there's always a twist.
March 21, 2013
Boring. I know it's old, but I don't understand how this could have ever been marketed as a romantic suspense. Nothing happens. As is typical of these older romances, there is absolutely nothing going on between the heroine and the hero until suddenly they are madly in love and say they always have been. The twist in this one is that the hero is already married to another woman. Oh, and again as is typical of these older romances, the heroine had all these problems (in this case they were mental problems) that she couldn't solve on her own, and only the hero could have solved them for her. Seemed more like fantastical realism in that nothing seemed like it could possibly happen even for that time period. Even the tropical island setting made it seem unrealistic.
April 11, 2011
I always enjoy books by Phyllis A. Whitney, and this was no exception. This was actually not the first time I've read this book. My only critique, and this is the same with many books, is the relationship between two of the characters just seems to pop up out of nowhere! One minute they are arguing, and the next you find them in each other's arms professing their undying love to each other. But other than that, it was a good read!
September 8, 2016
Probably my favorite of all Whitney's massive volume of work, this is the story of Jessica Abbott, a former school teacher, who is talked into supervising a troubled teen by the family matriarch. The story is set on the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is a wonderful example of the romantic mystery novel of which Phyllis Whitney is the undisputed master. Some adult concepts: murder and adultery, but nothing graphic.
August 17, 2015
To be honest,this was not my favorite. I loved the setting and the characters were interesting. I just felt that the romance between Jessica and King formed too quick. We knew her feelings but usually Ms.Whitney draws it out with glances and such. With this he just suddenly had feelings for her. Although the ending did have a twist in it,in Ms. Whitney's true fashion
August 23, 2020
This was a favorite of mine when I was 16 years old. I decided to re-read it because I was craving an “island mystery”. While I still enjoyed it 40+ years later, my requirements in books have come a long way! So a trip down memory lane was fun, but I can’t give a resounding thumbs up!
Anyone looking for an island murder mystery and good old fashioned romance may enjoy Columbella!
Anyone looking for an island murder mystery and good old fashioned romance may enjoy Columbella!
October 29, 2012
One of my favorite Whitney books. Very suspenseful. I have read it several times jsut because I own it.
April 17, 2013
One of my favorites!
January 3, 2025
Jessica, a single plain Jane and ex school teacher grieving the loss of her emotionally abusive mother, accepts a position as a live in tutor to the granddaughter of a wealthy woman in the Virgin Islands. Suddenly, Jessica is transformed from a mousy, dutiful caretaker daughter to a woman fighting to save a vulnerable young girl and her defeated, noble father from a manipulative, evil siren. Catherine, an aging and delusional beauty who calls herself Columbella, is an abusive woman determined to live life her way, even if she has to corrupt her own daughter, blackmail her sister, flirt with her brother-in-law, shame her mother and ignore her marriage vows. When Jessica steps in to defeat evil with good, she discovers that the stakes are high...
December 3, 2021
I read this book many decades ago when I was a tween and loved it then. I decided to reread it for an easy nostalgic read. I was sorry I did. So much has changed especially for women thankfully. My least favorite line in the book was when Jessica's Aunt sat in a fan chair and that was alluded to as unflattering for her to put her bulk into a chair that only made her look larger. So were those days for sure. Glad they are gone in that respect.
Anyway, it was a chore to get through it this time but I'm still giving it 5 stars because in her time Phyllis Whitney was a great writer and gave us all who read her books hours of entertainment.
Anyway, it was a chore to get through it this time but I'm still giving it 5 stars because in her time Phyllis Whitney was a great writer and gave us all who read her books hours of entertainment.
November 10, 2024
Jessica goes to spend time with her aunt in the Islands, while she tries to figure out what she wants to do next in her life. Soon after arriving she gets a job offer as a live in tutor. It doesn't take long to figure out that this house of horrors is filled with some dark energy and a lot of people that seem pretty shady. She is torn between staying and trying to help the young girl that is at the center of a tug of war.
January 31, 2018
I didn't enjoy this one as much as other Whitney novel I read. Very ominous overtone, depressing more than mysterious. I definitely DID NOT feel the chemistry between the two characters, like there was something missing or part of the story was left out.
Won't stop me from reading other novels by author, she really is a 'master of her craft', everybody gets to have a bad day now and then!
Won't stop me from reading other novels by author, she really is a 'master of her craft', everybody gets to have a bad day now and then!
December 25, 2018
I enjoyed it much more than her other books that were written in the later years. Written in 1966, I was much more interested in the story. A real page turner for me. Not a five star because there was too many over the top coincidental things and also corny things. Other than that, I felt it was well written. It kept me wanting to read it.
October 17, 2020
A re-read. Love Phyllis Whitney as an author - her books are always good and her descriptions of places are so good - you feel as if you are there with the characters. You know she’s been there but it’s not like reading a guide book as she skilfully weaves it into the story. She creates good characters and tension too and the story flows well.
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May 28, 2023I read my first Phyllis Whitney book when I was around 8 years old, and she's been my favorite author ever since. Her gift for descriptions of the places involved bring the mental image to life. This story revolves around a family filled with strife, as many of her books do. A romantic thriller that will keep you glued until the end
May 29, 2019
This was more like the type of book I remembered from Whitney. I thought the relationship between Jessica and King felt forced and rather than rooting for Leila to be saved, I was ready to ship her off. A good read and I'll keep on working my way through Whitney's works.
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April 21, 2021Just a fun escape from the reality of the world today....ie. mass shootings and Covid. A "nice" mystery that was somewhat dated, but fairly well written. Occasionally I enjoy a romance mystery where the man is brooding, but good looking, and the woman is fair and vulnerable.
January 17, 2022
Probably my favorite writer ever, so I pretty much always love her books! Columbella is suspenseful, descriptive without being too wordy, and has a great storyline, leaving you guessing until the very end.
August 27, 2023
Read my review of "Spindrift" by Phyllis A. Whitney. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ditto.
But I'm going to give her one more chance to get the love story right because everything else is so close to perfection I almost can't stand it.
Ditto.
But I'm going to give her one more chance to get the love story right because everything else is so close to perfection I almost can't stand it.
October 16, 2024
Though somewhat formulaic with the troubled young woman finding solace with a man who she should avoid but can’t resist, Columbella is still a worthwhile read with its setting in St. Thomas and its cast of colorful characters.
September 12, 2017
5/10
Predictable gothic romance/mystery. A quick late summer read.
Predictable gothic romance/mystery. A quick late summer read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews