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Gothic Myths #1
Secrets in the Mist
In this spellbinding novel of romantic suspense, written in the tradition of Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt, the bestselling author of As Death Draws Near plunges readers into a world of secrets and deception hidden amongst the mist.
England 1812. Since the death of her mother and brother, Ella Winterton's life has been consumed by keeping her drunkard father out of trouble and the roof of their crumbling cottage over their heads. But even isolated deep in the Norfolk broads, Ella has never been afraid of the marshes surrounding her home, despite their being riddled with treacherous bogs and local smugglers. Until one night a man masquerading as a Lantern Man—a frightening figure of local legend—waylays her in the marshes near her home, and her world suddenly begins to spiral out of control.
Ella can tell her friends and the local villagers are all hiding something terrible, something they refuse to share, and she can’t help but wonder if it has to do with the Lantern Man and his secret activities in the shadows of the seemingly quiet broads. But when Ella’s father is caught with smuggled brandy by the authorities and levied a crippling fine, she is forced to turn to the stranger for help, despite her distrust and his alarming ability to kiss her senseless.
Now she must unravel a twisted trail of deception and secrets, and uncover once and for all whether the Lantern Man is friend or foe. Or else risk being dragged down into the marshes, like the victims from the myth, and buried in a watery grave.
England 1812. Since the death of her mother and brother, Ella Winterton's life has been consumed by keeping her drunkard father out of trouble and the roof of their crumbling cottage over their heads. But even isolated deep in the Norfolk broads, Ella has never been afraid of the marshes surrounding her home, despite their being riddled with treacherous bogs and local smugglers. Until one night a man masquerading as a Lantern Man—a frightening figure of local legend—waylays her in the marshes near her home, and her world suddenly begins to spiral out of control.
Ella can tell her friends and the local villagers are all hiding something terrible, something they refuse to share, and she can’t help but wonder if it has to do with the Lantern Man and his secret activities in the shadows of the seemingly quiet broads. But when Ella’s father is caught with smuggled brandy by the authorities and levied a crippling fine, she is forced to turn to the stranger for help, despite her distrust and his alarming ability to kiss her senseless.
Now she must unravel a twisted trail of deception and secrets, and uncover once and for all whether the Lantern Man is friend or foe. Or else risk being dragged down into the marshes, like the victims from the myth, and buried in a watery grave.
388 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2016
131 people are currently reading
1882 people want to read
About the author
Anna Lee Huber
29 books3,667 followersAnna Lee Huber is the USA Today bestselling and Daphne award-winning author of the Lady Darby Mysteries, the Verity Kent Mysteries, the Gothic Myths series, as well as Sisters of Fortune: A Novel of the Titanic and the anthology The Deadly Hours. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. She currently resides in Indiana with her family and is hard at work on her next novel. Visit her online at www.annaleehuber.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
February 8, 2017
I've given this a B+ at AAR, so 4.5 stars.
Taking a break from her Lady Darby historical mysteries, Anna Lee Huber has embarked upon a new series entitled Gothic Myths , a set of linked but standalone gothic romances. The first of these, Secrets in the Mist, is an enjoyable and well-developed story of mystery and suspense in which the author makes the most of her chosen location – the East Anglian Fens – to create a splendidly eerie atmosphere of danger and unease.
Ella Winterton lives an isolated life in a run-down cottage on the edge of the Norfolk Broads. Since the death of her mother and brother, she has faced an increasingly difficult struggle to keep her alcoholic father out of trouble and to keep them fed and housed. Her one real friend is Kate Rockland, the sister of the young man Ella had, at one time, hoped to marry, and it is concern for Kate that prompts Ella to venture out late at night, in spite of the treacherous marshland that riddles the local terrain, and the stories of the mysterious Lantern Men who haunt the Fens. Kate is seriously ill and Ella, who is nursing her, needs to return home to gather some medicines and remedies, desperately afraid that without them, her friend might not last the night.
When Ella spies the balls of light glowing through the fog, she tries to convince herself that they are nothing but a mirage, summoned up by her housekeeper’s warnings and the swirling mist. But even so, she hurries on her way, suddenly intensely aware that she is being followed. She tries to evade capture only to crash into a solid, dark shape that grabs and holds on to her – a shape clad in darkness from head to foot with a pair of piercing dark eyes and an air of menace that shakes her profoundly.
Ella manages to escape and carries on towards her destination, trying to tell herself there is a rational explanation for the presence of the lights and of the – man? – she encountered on the marshes. His presence, and Ella’s increasing awareness that all is not well in the locality only add to her unease as she tries to cope with her father’s mood swings, the presence of an unwelcome visitor, and the fact that she finds it more and more difficult to stop herself seeking out the Lantern Man, whose enigmatic presence makes her feel alive in ways she’s never before experienced.
When her father’s fondness for French brandy draws the attentions of the Customs Men and a massive fine is imposed upon him which they can’t pay, it’s to the Lantern Man that Ella turns for help. In spite of her attraction to him she isn’t completely sure she can trust him; but desperate times call for desperate measures – and things turn very dangerous indeed when Ella finds herself embroiled with a treacherous smuggling ring that threatens to do more than simply provide illegally imported luxury goods to those who can afford to pay for them.
Right from the start, Anna Lee Huber skilfully creates an atmosphere of foreboding with her superb descriptions of the bleak landscape and her evocation of the supernatural by means of the legend of the Lantern Men. As an accomplished writer of historical mysteries, it’s a given that her plotting would be sound and that she would also incorporate an interesting and well-described historical background – but she also does a great job with the more character-driven side of the story too, thoroughly exploring Ella’s circumstances and her thoughts and feelings.
I cut my gothic-reading teeth on the novels of Victoria Holt back in the 1970s, and one of the things I continue to enjoy about those books is the way the author takes the time to set the scene for her stories and gradually familiarise her readers with her characters and their backgrounds. Ms. Huber has taken a leaf out of that book, so to speak, and almost the entire first half of Secrets in the Mist is set-up. I will admit that I found it a little slow to start, but it wasn’t long before I was completely immersed in world the author has created, and in particular her descriptions of Ella’s daily life and complicated relationship with her father, which is brilliantly depicted. The emotions Ella experiences – anger, shame, fear, disgust, love – are all palpable, and I really felt for her as she tried to come to terms with all her conflicting feelings about the parent who has become such a disappointment to her. Ella is an extremely well-developed character; a young woman who has been repeatedly let down by those around her, yet who continues to soldier on in spite of it and whose realistic responses to her father and to others around her make her a heroine who is very easy to relate to.
Equally well-done is the growing relationship between Ella and the mysterious Lantern Man. Gothic romances tend to be heroine-centric with the hero being almost a secondary character, but this is one of the better-developed romances of its type I have read. While the story is told from Ella’s point of view, the attraction between the couple is there right from their first meeting, and although we are never in the Lantern Man’s PoV, it’s completely clear that he is smitten from the start and he is a strong presence throughout the novel.
Secrets of the Mist is one of those books that creeps up on the reader in that it starts fairly slowly but quickly transforms into a book that is difficult to put down. Ms. Huber’s writing is intelligent and assured, and her descriptions of the landscape and atmosphere are highly evocative, putting the reader right in the middle of those mist-filled marshlands, watching the mysterious lights bobbing around through the fog. Fans of historical mysteries and gothic romances should definitely consider checking this one out, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the next in the series.
Taking a break from her Lady Darby historical mysteries, Anna Lee Huber has embarked upon a new series entitled Gothic Myths , a set of linked but standalone gothic romances. The first of these, Secrets in the Mist, is an enjoyable and well-developed story of mystery and suspense in which the author makes the most of her chosen location – the East Anglian Fens – to create a splendidly eerie atmosphere of danger and unease.
Ella Winterton lives an isolated life in a run-down cottage on the edge of the Norfolk Broads. Since the death of her mother and brother, she has faced an increasingly difficult struggle to keep her alcoholic father out of trouble and to keep them fed and housed. Her one real friend is Kate Rockland, the sister of the young man Ella had, at one time, hoped to marry, and it is concern for Kate that prompts Ella to venture out late at night, in spite of the treacherous marshland that riddles the local terrain, and the stories of the mysterious Lantern Men who haunt the Fens. Kate is seriously ill and Ella, who is nursing her, needs to return home to gather some medicines and remedies, desperately afraid that without them, her friend might not last the night.
I was old enough and educated enough to recognise the legend of the Lantern Men for the fiction it likely was – a story meant to convince curious and unruly children to behave, an anecdote to explain the unexplainable. But I had also seen the lights – the will-o’-the-wisps, as they were called – mysterious glowing balls that sometimes hovered over the marshes, seeming to defy all logic or explanation.
When Ella spies the balls of light glowing through the fog, she tries to convince herself that they are nothing but a mirage, summoned up by her housekeeper’s warnings and the swirling mist. But even so, she hurries on her way, suddenly intensely aware that she is being followed. She tries to evade capture only to crash into a solid, dark shape that grabs and holds on to her – a shape clad in darkness from head to foot with a pair of piercing dark eyes and an air of menace that shakes her profoundly.
Ella manages to escape and carries on towards her destination, trying to tell herself there is a rational explanation for the presence of the lights and of the – man? – she encountered on the marshes. His presence, and Ella’s increasing awareness that all is not well in the locality only add to her unease as she tries to cope with her father’s mood swings, the presence of an unwelcome visitor, and the fact that she finds it more and more difficult to stop herself seeking out the Lantern Man, whose enigmatic presence makes her feel alive in ways she’s never before experienced.
When her father’s fondness for French brandy draws the attentions of the Customs Men and a massive fine is imposed upon him which they can’t pay, it’s to the Lantern Man that Ella turns for help. In spite of her attraction to him she isn’t completely sure she can trust him; but desperate times call for desperate measures – and things turn very dangerous indeed when Ella finds herself embroiled with a treacherous smuggling ring that threatens to do more than simply provide illegally imported luxury goods to those who can afford to pay for them.
Right from the start, Anna Lee Huber skilfully creates an atmosphere of foreboding with her superb descriptions of the bleak landscape and her evocation of the supernatural by means of the legend of the Lantern Men. As an accomplished writer of historical mysteries, it’s a given that her plotting would be sound and that she would also incorporate an interesting and well-described historical background – but she also does a great job with the more character-driven side of the story too, thoroughly exploring Ella’s circumstances and her thoughts and feelings.
I cut my gothic-reading teeth on the novels of Victoria Holt back in the 1970s, and one of the things I continue to enjoy about those books is the way the author takes the time to set the scene for her stories and gradually familiarise her readers with her characters and their backgrounds. Ms. Huber has taken a leaf out of that book, so to speak, and almost the entire first half of Secrets in the Mist is set-up. I will admit that I found it a little slow to start, but it wasn’t long before I was completely immersed in world the author has created, and in particular her descriptions of Ella’s daily life and complicated relationship with her father, which is brilliantly depicted. The emotions Ella experiences – anger, shame, fear, disgust, love – are all palpable, and I really felt for her as she tried to come to terms with all her conflicting feelings about the parent who has become such a disappointment to her. Ella is an extremely well-developed character; a young woman who has been repeatedly let down by those around her, yet who continues to soldier on in spite of it and whose realistic responses to her father and to others around her make her a heroine who is very easy to relate to.
Equally well-done is the growing relationship between Ella and the mysterious Lantern Man. Gothic romances tend to be heroine-centric with the hero being almost a secondary character, but this is one of the better-developed romances of its type I have read. While the story is told from Ella’s point of view, the attraction between the couple is there right from their first meeting, and although we are never in the Lantern Man’s PoV, it’s completely clear that he is smitten from the start and he is a strong presence throughout the novel.
Secrets of the Mist is one of those books that creeps up on the reader in that it starts fairly slowly but quickly transforms into a book that is difficult to put down. Ms. Huber’s writing is intelligent and assured, and her descriptions of the landscape and atmosphere are highly evocative, putting the reader right in the middle of those mist-filled marshlands, watching the mysterious lights bobbing around through the fog. Fans of historical mysteries and gothic romances should definitely consider checking this one out, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the next in the series.
November 8, 2017
May be I just choose to read about a hearbrained heroine so soon after the Duke of Desire, but that's how it was...
Here the writing is poetic, with a lot of descriptions of the moors (maybe to live up to the title! LOL) and the action was slow and almost languid. But, if you're ready for this and it doesn't bother you, the story is actually interesting!
It involves the life in a small town where everybody knows what the neighbours are doing and there's a rigid distinction between the classes. I suppose that was normal for the period; at lelast, while reading the book I got that feeling - and appreciated it! :)
The love story is very mild. There're no sex scenes, but it was somewhat tender and nice.
I don't know what the author will write about in the second book of the series, but I'm curious enough to want to read it! :)
Here the writing is poetic, with a lot of descriptions of the moors (maybe to live up to the title! LOL) and the action was slow and almost languid. But, if you're ready for this and it doesn't bother you, the story is actually interesting!
It involves the life in a small town where everybody knows what the neighbours are doing and there's a rigid distinction between the classes. I suppose that was normal for the period; at lelast, while reading the book I got that feeling - and appreciated it! :)
The love story is very mild. There're no sex scenes, but it was somewhat tender and nice.
I don't know what the author will write about in the second book of the series, but I'm curious enough to want to read it! :)
March 29, 2017
4.5 stars.
I have been craving a Gothic romantic suspense novel for a while, I just haven’t been able to find something more contemporary than Victoria Holt. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Victoria Holt but I just wanted something a little more up-to-date.
I downloaded a sample of this one months ago but just never got around to starting it. So on a whim I decided to just read the sample and see how it was. I was completely hooked from the first couple of chapters!
Foggy marshes, a chance encounter on a misty night, a handsome stranger masquerading as someone else, spies, and a damsel in distress? This book had it all! I found myself wondering why in the world I didn’t start this one sooner!
I haven’t read anything by Anna Lee Huber, but I’ve had her book series, Lady Darby Mysteries, on my radar for years, but for some reason I just never have gotten around to reading it.
The description of this book caught my eye, especially since it’s marketed to fans of Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart….I can never resist a Gothic romantic/suspense novel!
While I am perfectly happy to rave about this book, it wasn’t without some flaws. I think the biggest thing for me was I was wanting more romance. Yes there are a few stolen kisses and it’s strongly implied that Lantern Man and Ella care for each other but in the end, I was slightly less convinced of Lantern Man’s feelings. There wasn’t the dramatic profession of love and affection that I was expecting in this book. I kind of expected more romantic gestures or declarations since this book was from a more contemporary author but for some reason this book fell short in that aspect.
That’s not to say that there wasn’t any romance, I was just looking for more of a profession of love from Lantern Man and perhaps from Ella in return. That said, I didn’t feel entirely jilted or robbed from the romance, I loved the clandestine meetings and whole secret identity parts. Not to mention the misty fens and smuggling totally hooked me and made me want to keep reading and reading and reading.
At times I was a little annoyed by how blind Ella was to her situation but on the whole she was a likable heroine that readers could sympathize with. I didn’t care for Kate, for someone who Ella professed to be her best friend and she was closer to than a sister, I never felt like their relationship was to that degree. Kate had few appearances and when she did appear she never came off as likable or like she had Ella’s best interests at heart. I simply never liked her.
While this book had some flaws, I still gave it 4.5 stars. It grabbed my attention and I simply LOVE Gothic romantic suspense novels and I was thrilled to have something a little more modern than some of the classic Victoria Holt or Mary Stewart books I’ve read in the past. Huber’s story telling was charming and yet haunty which works so well with Gothic novels. I actually woke up in the middle of the night and simply couldn’t get the characters or the plot out of my mind so I had to start reading it again! I loved this one and I am thrilled to see that she has more books in this series coming out…..sadly not until 2018 which really makes me mad because I want the next book like NOW!
I am also going to be moving up her Lady Darby series in my TBR list!
See my full review here
I have been craving a Gothic romantic suspense novel for a while, I just haven’t been able to find something more contemporary than Victoria Holt. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Victoria Holt but I just wanted something a little more up-to-date.
I downloaded a sample of this one months ago but just never got around to starting it. So on a whim I decided to just read the sample and see how it was. I was completely hooked from the first couple of chapters!
Foggy marshes, a chance encounter on a misty night, a handsome stranger masquerading as someone else, spies, and a damsel in distress? This book had it all! I found myself wondering why in the world I didn’t start this one sooner!
I haven’t read anything by Anna Lee Huber, but I’ve had her book series, Lady Darby Mysteries, on my radar for years, but for some reason I just never have gotten around to reading it.
The description of this book caught my eye, especially since it’s marketed to fans of Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart….I can never resist a Gothic romantic/suspense novel!
While I am perfectly happy to rave about this book, it wasn’t without some flaws. I think the biggest thing for me was I was wanting more romance. Yes there are a few stolen kisses and it’s strongly implied that Lantern Man and Ella care for each other but in the end, I was slightly less convinced of Lantern Man’s feelings. There wasn’t the dramatic profession of love and affection that I was expecting in this book. I kind of expected more romantic gestures or declarations since this book was from a more contemporary author but for some reason this book fell short in that aspect.
That’s not to say that there wasn’t any romance, I was just looking for more of a profession of love from Lantern Man and perhaps from Ella in return. That said, I didn’t feel entirely jilted or robbed from the romance, I loved the clandestine meetings and whole secret identity parts. Not to mention the misty fens and smuggling totally hooked me and made me want to keep reading and reading and reading.
At times I was a little annoyed by how blind Ella was to her situation but on the whole she was a likable heroine that readers could sympathize with. I didn’t care for Kate, for someone who Ella professed to be her best friend and she was closer to than a sister, I never felt like their relationship was to that degree. Kate had few appearances and when she did appear she never came off as likable or like she had Ella’s best interests at heart. I simply never liked her.
While this book had some flaws, I still gave it 4.5 stars. It grabbed my attention and I simply LOVE Gothic romantic suspense novels and I was thrilled to have something a little more modern than some of the classic Victoria Holt or Mary Stewart books I’ve read in the past. Huber’s story telling was charming and yet haunty which works so well with Gothic novels. I actually woke up in the middle of the night and simply couldn’t get the characters or the plot out of my mind so I had to start reading it again! I loved this one and I am thrilled to see that she has more books in this series coming out…..sadly not until 2018 which really makes me mad because I want the next book like NOW!
I am also going to be moving up her Lady Darby series in my TBR list!
See my full review here
February 7, 2017
This was a wee bit disappointing - it lacked that spine tingling sense of dread that the best Gothic romances engender. I really like Huber's Lady Darby series, though, so I'll give her next gothic a chance. Perhaps she will up the drama next time around.
March 17, 2018
I'm really glad that Huber was willing to change her writing style from the Lady Darby series here. I appreciate the lack of abrupt clothing descriptions. I actually think that this story is probably her strongest of all the books she's written, maybe because it's a stand alone? Beautiful landscape prose and amazing exploration of father-daughter relationships (even though at times it seemed more telling than showing). I just wish the love story was more intense. A nice love confession or proposal would've been lovely to include, if nothing else.
March 22, 2018
(3.5 stars) I'm a lover of historical mysteries and historical Gothics. Anna Lee Huber supplies the former in her popular Lady Darby mystery series and now she has begun a Gothic Myths series of which this book is the first. It's a good smugglers and spies Gothic tale told in first person POV, with an intrepid but not TSTL heroine and an enigmatic hero who is not as brooding and seemingly untrustworthy as the usual Gothic hero.
In 1812 Norfolk heroine Ella Winterton is struggling to survive financially, her only family, after the death of her mother and brother, being her alcoholic father, who has taken to drinking away his sorrows and giving not a thought to his surviving daughter. Ella is best friends with well-off neighbor Kate Rockland and at one time believed that Kate's brother Robert was going to marry her but was heartbroken when he came back from a trip to London married to the very lovely but spoiled Olivia.
Financial desperation and a sense that she does not want help from Robert, now widowed and looking her way again, lead Ella to get involved with some not quite on the up-and-up activity in the area through her contact with a "Lantern Man" who mysteriously shows up every time Ella is out in the marshes at night. (Yes, you may wonder why she would be out there at night but she had compelling and legitimate reasons for her first outings.)
Huber has written an interesting story with well-developed characters. You'll find yourself wondering along with Ella about who is trustworthy and who is not, who's a spy, who's a smuggler. You'll sympathize with Ella in all she has to put up with in her dealings with a drunken father and feel indignation for all she has to go through in her struggles. And you'll enjoy the adventures her desperation leads her into. This story does not completely follow traditional and predictable Gothic guidelines and so there are a few surprises along the way.
There are a few editing errors, such as "discrete" instead of "discreet", "had drank", "I" as object of preposition, and anachronistic language such as "exploring one's options", but not enough that they take away from the pleasure of the read. In addition, there is some interesting history here about smuggling, spies and the fens and waterways of East Anglia. Since I've had a fondness for Gothics since my teens and haven't outgrown it yet, I'm hoping there will be several books in this new series.
In 1812 Norfolk heroine Ella Winterton is struggling to survive financially, her only family, after the death of her mother and brother, being her alcoholic father, who has taken to drinking away his sorrows and giving not a thought to his surviving daughter. Ella is best friends with well-off neighbor Kate Rockland and at one time believed that Kate's brother Robert was going to marry her but was heartbroken when he came back from a trip to London married to the very lovely but spoiled Olivia.
Financial desperation and a sense that she does not want help from Robert, now widowed and looking her way again, lead Ella to get involved with some not quite on the up-and-up activity in the area through her contact with a "Lantern Man" who mysteriously shows up every time Ella is out in the marshes at night. (Yes, you may wonder why she would be out there at night but she had compelling and legitimate reasons for her first outings.)
Huber has written an interesting story with well-developed characters. You'll find yourself wondering along with Ella about who is trustworthy and who is not, who's a spy, who's a smuggler. You'll sympathize with Ella in all she has to put up with in her dealings with a drunken father and feel indignation for all she has to go through in her struggles. And you'll enjoy the adventures her desperation leads her into. This story does not completely follow traditional and predictable Gothic guidelines and so there are a few surprises along the way.
There are a few editing errors, such as "discrete" instead of "discreet", "had drank", "I" as object of preposition, and anachronistic language such as "exploring one's options", but not enough that they take away from the pleasure of the read. In addition, there is some interesting history here about smuggling, spies and the fens and waterways of East Anglia. Since I've had a fondness for Gothics since my teens and haven't outgrown it yet, I'm hoping there will be several books in this new series.
February 16, 2018
I loved this novel about suspense, and smuggling with a gothic twist. The story was engaging, and fluid. The characters were all fleshed out, and interesting. The romance was clean, and still exciting. The traitor was slimy and, totally evil, and made my skin crawl. I just liked every part of it. I love this author, and have read all her books. The ending was perfect. It showed how easily we can resort to weakness, and trouble. That the best intentions to help everyone doesn't always work out, and you cannot take on the responsibility of everyone else's flaws. The marshes, and bogs at night made for a spooky back drop. I really liked the heroine, but she could not see the answer, and handle her situation until it was almost to late. To be fair, the time she lived in limited her options, so it made sense that she try daily to handle things, against unbeatable odds. It was a very good read . I hope she will continue this series.
October 28, 2018
A beautifully written atmospheric gothic mystery/ romance! Set in 1812 England rife with smugglers, villains and spies. Huber brings this time period to life. If you haven’t read this yet you should give it a try. It’s just as good as the Lady Darby series but in a different way. ❤️❤️ 4 1/2 🌟
April 9, 2021
Absolutely loved this one! Deliciously Gothic, very romantic, and full of intrigue.
Clean (no language, no sexual content).
Clean (no language, no sexual content).
December 8, 2016
So many of my friends are fans of Anna Lee Huber's Lady Darby mystery series, which I've not yet had a chance to read, so I jumped at the chance to review the first book in her brand new romantic suspense series centered around Gothic myths and folklore, Secrets in the Mist.
On a dark, foggy night, the kind of night where most people wouldn't dare cross the marshes on foot, Ella Winterton ventures out to take much-needed medicine to her sick friend, skeptical of her old housekeeper's tales of Lantern Men until she spots their floating lights in the mist and comes face-to-face with one. Only he's no specter but a flesh-and-blood man, dark and menacing and delivering a warning to stay out of the marshes. But that's hard for Ella to do, living on the edge of them as she does, and spending so much time traveling back and forth between her humble home and her friend Kate's home, Greenlaws. Kate recovers from her illness, but it soon becomes apparent that she and her brother, Robert, with whom Ella has a complicated past, are keeping secrets, and Ella's refuge from her drunken father and dwindling prospects no longer seems so inviting. After several more run-ins with the handsome Lantern Man and a lecherous revenue man who levies an exorbitant fine for her father's smuggled brandy, Ella has no choice but to take her family's future into her own hands. But rather than turn to Robert for help, she forces the Lantern Man, aka Jack, to help her and stumbles onto an enterprise far more dangerous than she'd imagined. Now, caught in a trap of her own making, Ella must decide how far she's willing to go to protect her father, her friends, and her very life, and whether Jack can be trusted or if he's leading her into danger for his own nefarious purposes.
Secrets in the Mist is a very well-written and incredibly atmospheric romance. Marshy estuaries, hidden waterways tucked among the tall reeds and grasses, a treacherous path between a run-down cottage and a grand manor, a forlorn dock that becomes a clandestine meeting place, and ever-present mist that can hide lovers in a romantic cocoon, hide smugglers from the eyes of the law, or hide things of a far darker nature from unsuspecting travelers. It's also rich in historical detail. In a note on the author's website, she reveals that many aspects of this story were inspired right from the pages of history. Coastal England must have been a very interesting place to live during the war with France.
While I really enjoyed the story, I did find sections of it to be slow-moving and repetitive, and I thought the plot fairly predictable. I had hoped the Lantern Men mystery would play out a bit longer so it could have been a tad spookier; as it is, the cause of the marsh lights Ella sees is revealed early on, so the suspense of the unknown doesn't really reach its fullest potential, although a whole other type of danger presents itself. However, I still couldn't put it down. I had to keep reading to see if my assumptions were correct and to see how everything would come together in the end. I particularly enjoyed the romance. I really felt for Ella and her circumstances, and Jack is sexy and sweet under his gruff facade. The romantic tension between them was very well done.
Secrets in the Mist stands out to me as something unique and memorable in historical romance. It does stay pretty close to the classic Gothic romance formula, but it is set against a rich historical backdrop and incorporates many of the elements that make for a great read--dimensional and intriguing characters, an evocative setting, action, suspense, betrayal, danger, and of course, true love. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series and will be adding Anna Lee Huber's other series to my reading list.
*This review was originally posted to Romantic Historical Reviews.
On a dark, foggy night, the kind of night where most people wouldn't dare cross the marshes on foot, Ella Winterton ventures out to take much-needed medicine to her sick friend, skeptical of her old housekeeper's tales of Lantern Men until she spots their floating lights in the mist and comes face-to-face with one. Only he's no specter but a flesh-and-blood man, dark and menacing and delivering a warning to stay out of the marshes. But that's hard for Ella to do, living on the edge of them as she does, and spending so much time traveling back and forth between her humble home and her friend Kate's home, Greenlaws. Kate recovers from her illness, but it soon becomes apparent that she and her brother, Robert, with whom Ella has a complicated past, are keeping secrets, and Ella's refuge from her drunken father and dwindling prospects no longer seems so inviting. After several more run-ins with the handsome Lantern Man and a lecherous revenue man who levies an exorbitant fine for her father's smuggled brandy, Ella has no choice but to take her family's future into her own hands. But rather than turn to Robert for help, she forces the Lantern Man, aka Jack, to help her and stumbles onto an enterprise far more dangerous than she'd imagined. Now, caught in a trap of her own making, Ella must decide how far she's willing to go to protect her father, her friends, and her very life, and whether Jack can be trusted or if he's leading her into danger for his own nefarious purposes.
Secrets in the Mist is a very well-written and incredibly atmospheric romance. Marshy estuaries, hidden waterways tucked among the tall reeds and grasses, a treacherous path between a run-down cottage and a grand manor, a forlorn dock that becomes a clandestine meeting place, and ever-present mist that can hide lovers in a romantic cocoon, hide smugglers from the eyes of the law, or hide things of a far darker nature from unsuspecting travelers. It's also rich in historical detail. In a note on the author's website, she reveals that many aspects of this story were inspired right from the pages of history. Coastal England must have been a very interesting place to live during the war with France.
While I really enjoyed the story, I did find sections of it to be slow-moving and repetitive, and I thought the plot fairly predictable. I had hoped the Lantern Men mystery would play out a bit longer so it could have been a tad spookier; as it is, the cause of the marsh lights Ella sees is revealed early on, so the suspense of the unknown doesn't really reach its fullest potential, although a whole other type of danger presents itself. However, I still couldn't put it down. I had to keep reading to see if my assumptions were correct and to see how everything would come together in the end. I particularly enjoyed the romance. I really felt for Ella and her circumstances, and Jack is sexy and sweet under his gruff facade. The romantic tension between them was very well done.
Secrets in the Mist stands out to me as something unique and memorable in historical romance. It does stay pretty close to the classic Gothic romance formula, but it is set against a rich historical backdrop and incorporates many of the elements that make for a great read--dimensional and intriguing characters, an evocative setting, action, suspense, betrayal, danger, and of course, true love. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series and will be adding Anna Lee Huber's other series to my reading list.
*This review was originally posted to Romantic Historical Reviews.
February 21, 2017
This book starts off slowly and a bit clunky, but readers who persevere will be rewarded. This tale of a young woman trying to hold things together for her household in the face of financial ruin and her father's illness leads into a deliciously spooky tale. The stark isolation of the marshes and legends of creepy doings at night give this tale of romance and smugglers a gothic touch. This adds some extra spark to the romance, and the danger of smugglers and treason kept me turning pages once the story started running smoothly. I'm hoping Huber gives readers another gothic tale soon!
April 17, 2021
I love this author's Lady Darby series, but this book just didn't draw me in and I did not finish it.
Some of it was the dark and heavy tone of the story and the characters. It is a gothic so that may have been my fault and maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for dark and heavy just now with the pandemic still raging and the world a mess.
Whatever the reason this wasn't a hit for me. I will stick with the Lady Darby books, which are fabulous!
Some of it was the dark and heavy tone of the story and the characters. It is a gothic so that may have been my fault and maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for dark and heavy just now with the pandemic still raging and the world a mess.
Whatever the reason this wasn't a hit for me. I will stick with the Lady Darby books, which are fabulous!
November 18, 2016
Secrets in the Mist transported me back to the early 1800s and left me with a strong desire to visit some marshes. I really enjoyed this novel. The back of the book claimed that it was written in the tradition of Victoria Holt and this novel did not disappoint. There was suspense, romance and an overwhelming need to keep reading so I could find out what happened next.
Ella has grown up near the marshes in an area of England where there is a legend of Lantern Men who haunt the area. Ella has lost her mother and brother and is left with only her father and a housekeeper who is really more of a family member than a servant. Ella must fend for herself though because her father is so lost in grief that he has found solace in whiskey. Her family is in dire straits financially and she has very few options left to solve her problems. One night Ella has to travel through the marshes to help a friend and she encounters a "lantern man." This "lantern man" affects Ella in a way that she has never felt before and he might hold the key to helping her out of a horrible situation.
What I really liked about this book is I was never quite sure where the plot was going to go. Ella was also a strong female which I loved but the novel was still true to the time period. I cannot wait to read more in this series. I am very thankful to have won this novel in a Goodreads Giveaway. I highly recommend this book especially if you love history, mystery, romance, and suspense. It was an excellent read!
Ella has grown up near the marshes in an area of England where there is a legend of Lantern Men who haunt the area. Ella has lost her mother and brother and is left with only her father and a housekeeper who is really more of a family member than a servant. Ella must fend for herself though because her father is so lost in grief that he has found solace in whiskey. Her family is in dire straits financially and she has very few options left to solve her problems. One night Ella has to travel through the marshes to help a friend and she encounters a "lantern man." This "lantern man" affects Ella in a way that she has never felt before and he might hold the key to helping her out of a horrible situation.
What I really liked about this book is I was never quite sure where the plot was going to go. Ella was also a strong female which I loved but the novel was still true to the time period. I cannot wait to read more in this series. I am very thankful to have won this novel in a Goodreads Giveaway. I highly recommend this book especially if you love history, mystery, romance, and suspense. It was an excellent read!
June 5, 2018
Okay, really had a hard time with this book. The back cover said it was in the tradition of Mary Stewart. . I think not!! In fact I am close to giving 2 stars. Mary Stewart wrote beautifully, descriptive works that made me feel like I was there. On the other hand, I felt like I was slogging through quicksand reading this book, literally not a quick read! And I guess I never really connected with the heroine! I think I enjoyed this authors Lady Darby mysteries, now I may have to check that out!
November 4, 2019
No. Just, no.
This was not the book for me, which is a shame because I have enjoyed the Lady Darby Mystery series. However, I didn’t enjoy the characters, and although the antagonist was a right royal rotter, I was not keen on the resolution of the story and the weak ending regarding the protagonist and a certain gentleman. Also, there is no final confrontation with said villain, so therefore that plot point is left feeling unresolved as we hear about it second hand.
I think I’ll stick to the Lady Darby series, and perhaps the Verity Kent series which seems promising (read the sampler and waiting for my library reservation).
1.5 stars ⭐️
This was not the book for me, which is a shame because I have enjoyed the Lady Darby Mystery series. However, I didn’t enjoy the characters, and although the antagonist was a right royal rotter, I was not keen on the resolution of the story and the weak ending regarding the protagonist and a certain gentleman. Also, there is no final confrontation with said villain, so therefore that plot point is left feeling unresolved as we hear about it second hand.
I think I’ll stick to the Lady Darby series, and perhaps the Verity Kent series which seems promising (read the sampler and waiting for my library reservation).
1.5 stars ⭐️
June 30, 2021
I’ll read anything Anna Lee Huber writes, so I was excited to get my hands on this book. This first third of the book had me in tears due to the burdens Ella carried and her devastating home life. As the heroines in this author’s books always do, Ella figures out a way out of terrible circumstances and the story takes off as she does.
I thought this was a standalone book at first, but the end makes me think the story could continue (and goodreads is showing a second book coming in the future). I wonder if we’ll stay with Ella and Jack or meet some new characters. I wouldn’t mind following their story (anyone who has read the Lady Darby or Verity Kent series knows Huber writes couples-who-sleuth well).
I thought this was a standalone book at first, but the end makes me think the story could continue (and goodreads is showing a second book coming in the future). I wonder if we’ll stay with Ella and Jack or meet some new characters. I wouldn’t mind following their story (anyone who has read the Lady Darby or Verity Kent series knows Huber writes couples-who-sleuth well).
June 29, 2019
A little slow at first but I did finish it. More of a romance than a mystery.
July 14, 2019
I adored everything about this book. The mystery, the romance, the creepy gothic feel of the bogs. I can't wait for the next one!
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November 4, 2020DNF
May 23, 2023
Such a fun, sweet romance set within the Napoleonic Wars with a sensible but strong heroine who finds herself within situations she had never planned for but finds the strength she never found she had. Sweet romance, adventure, supernatural folklore with a Jane Austen type romance sprinkled in. This book was sent to me by a dear friend and I am indebted to her! Definitely worth a read!
November 10, 2018
I am getting REALLY tired of completely stupid heroines.
November 26, 2016
Very enjoyable first book in a new Huber series, and I think I liked it a bit more than the Lady Darby books. Much like Keira Darby, Ella Winterton is a strong female protagonist who grows more resilient through the course of the novel. She starts off as a wallflower trapped in her cottage taking care of her inebriated father and struggling to keep their house from being sold off to pay her father's incurring debts. Ella's curiosity and desire to be independent lead her to explore a range of options to get herself out of a terrible conundrum, and some of her options are decidedly risky and even criminal. I enjoyed her exploration of potential choices at her disposal, even as I cringed at times at some of the decisions she contemplates. One especially dangerous subplot leads her to an alliance with local smugglers. While it seems that nothing good can come of her venture into the subterranean world of smuggling, it does put her more firmly on the path of true romance. The romance in the novel is quite satisfying, though I did guess the identity of the Lantern Man very quickly in the novel. The clues are all there, but knowing in advance did not detract from it. I also enjoyed the setting of the Fens and spent a little time searching for images of them, having not ever been in person. They helped to create a gripping atmosphere for the book. Looking forward to the next in the series.
February 4, 2017
Secrets in the Mist by Anna Lee Huber to me is not what I remember Gothic novels being. I read copious amounts of Victoria Holt in my late teens and early twenties, and I remember the haunting feelings I used to get with great joy. In Secrets in the Mist which takes place in the Norfolk Broads except for the beginning when the young female protagonist sees the "Lantern Man" in the marshes and recalls the stories that parents tell their young to kept them away from the marshes, and she even got 'that feeling' when she keeps spotting the lantern light, did not seem 'Gothic' to me. Possibly the end when Ella begins to figure out the 'puzzle' that got her best friend, Kate, and she into the situation in which they find themselves follows the Gothic novel pattern, I did not find this novel to be Gothic at all. I guess that is why I would put it down for long periods of time. I am sure that I will attempt to read book two of this series because I so enjoy Ms. Huber's Lady Darby mystery series.
October 20, 2016
As soon as I read that Anna Lee Huber was writing a gothic romance I knew I would be reading it. I thought it was pretty good. The gothic elements are there and the characters are likeable. It was pretty easy to guess what was going on and who the real villain was. It's not deep or emotional but I wasn't expecting it to be and the romance was more developed than other gothic romances I've read.
I like it when favorite authors branch out and write different things and the truth is that I will read anything ALH writes.
I like it when favorite authors branch out and write different things and the truth is that I will read anything ALH writes.
November 17, 2016
I recommend this book to anyone who loved reading the gothic novels of the 1970's. I have to admit that I was transported into the teenager I was throughout the reading of this story. And although I wouldn't want to stay being that person I did not mind re-living the feeling I use to have reading a haunting novel for a few hours.
Although I have to admit that the story was somewhat predictable (gothic novels do follow a certain form), I found that Anna Lee Huber wrote a story that I found quite absorbing and mesmerizing, the TRUEST "Gothic" I have read in some time.
Although I have to admit that the story was somewhat predictable (gothic novels do follow a certain form), I found that Anna Lee Huber wrote a story that I found quite absorbing and mesmerizing, the TRUEST "Gothic" I have read in some time.
October 27, 2016
I was curious about this, since it is Huber's first book outside her Lady Darby series. She did not disappoint. The setting is very atmospheric, and she did a nice job of weaving in the historical context. As always with Huber, her characters draw you in. The plot has a few twists, although I made a couple of correct guesses along the way. But at the end, I wanted to know what happens next to the protagonists, a sign to me if a good story
February 6, 2017
I liked this book, but not as much as her other series. I must admit that I skipped some of the middle of the book.
November 6, 2016
This was such a fun, don't want to put down novel by Anna Lee Hunter. I love the Golthic style, the suspense and the bits of romance.
January 14, 2019
This week I read Secrets in the Mist by Anna Lee Huber, a book I have been trying to get a hold of for two years! Huber also writes the Lady Darby books, a series of murder mysteries in Victorian England. I love that series, so I was fairly confident that I would enjoy this book. I was not wrong! This was fast-paced, engaging book, so much so that I couldn’t put it down!
The story follows Ella, a lady of gentle breeding but who’s father has sunk into alcoholism, which has wiped out their financial resources. With the latest bill coming due, Ella is forced to look for alternate sources of income, which leads her to meeting the Lantern Man. This first meeting leads her down a path of trouble, both physical and emotional, but ultimately is the solution she has been looking for.
I won’t say anymore for fear of spoilers, as the mystery of the Lantern Man is one of the threads that kept me absorbed in the book. Huber deftly weaves the threads of a mystery, a romance and a friendship throughout the book. Ella’s relationship with Kate and the Lantern Man are extremely well-handled. She is one of the few female characters that I would truly classify as a strong woman, right beside my favorite October from Seanan McGuire’s Toby Daye series. Ella is very well fleshed-out, with vulnerabilities that she acknowledges while still pushing forward. Kate, her best friend, is also a three-dimensional character, giving the impression of a rich girl in pretty clothes, while still being human and relatable. Their friendship is one of the bright points of the book as well.
Ella’s relationships in the book are as much of a reading point as the mystery itself, but neither factor takes away from the other. I know that I will definitely be reading this book again. In fact, the only sad part for me is that the next book will not be focusing on Ella! However, I’m sure that it will be just as riveting!
The story follows Ella, a lady of gentle breeding but who’s father has sunk into alcoholism, which has wiped out their financial resources. With the latest bill coming due, Ella is forced to look for alternate sources of income, which leads her to meeting the Lantern Man. This first meeting leads her down a path of trouble, both physical and emotional, but ultimately is the solution she has been looking for.
I won’t say anymore for fear of spoilers, as the mystery of the Lantern Man is one of the threads that kept me absorbed in the book. Huber deftly weaves the threads of a mystery, a romance and a friendship throughout the book. Ella’s relationship with Kate and the Lantern Man are extremely well-handled. She is one of the few female characters that I would truly classify as a strong woman, right beside my favorite October from Seanan McGuire’s Toby Daye series. Ella is very well fleshed-out, with vulnerabilities that she acknowledges while still pushing forward. Kate, her best friend, is also a three-dimensional character, giving the impression of a rich girl in pretty clothes, while still being human and relatable. Their friendship is one of the bright points of the book as well.
Ella’s relationships in the book are as much of a reading point as the mystery itself, but neither factor takes away from the other. I know that I will definitely be reading this book again. In fact, the only sad part for me is that the next book will not be focusing on Ella! However, I’m sure that it will be just as riveting!
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