Merlin's Keep

by Kate Norway

'Recovering steadily from a seriously crippling illness, Rosemary Hurst decided to take a light job until she felt fit enough to resume her more demanding career in physiotherapy. But when she answered an advertisement for a companion to a young polio victim, Rosemary found her reserves of courage and sense of humour were to be tested to the limit. The atmosphere of the gloomy Welsh manor house, known locally as Merlin's Keep, was alarming enough to shake even Rosemary's self-sufficiency.
Then she met Ned Brodie. And in the following few weeks, as Rosemary set out to unearth the macabre secrets of Merlin's Keep and Michael, her attractive employer, she and Ned became close companions and allies...much to Michael's displeasure.'

176 pages, Paperback

Published February 23, 1973

Reviews

[JR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on something of a Kate Norway binge at the moment, having conveniently discovered that a number of her titles - originally published as hardcovers by M&B - were republished by Corgi Books as paperbacks a decade or so later. 'Merlin's Keep' is one such novel, first published by M&B in 1967 and subsequently reprinted a number of times by Corgi (various editions in 1967, 1973 and 1974).

Upfront, I should note that the novel is less medically focused than other titles by Olive Norton (a.k.a. Hilary Neal, Bess Norton, Kate Norway) and very far removed from a vintage hospital romance setting. Instead, the book is set deep in the Welsh countryside and is written in a Gothic romance/ mystery vein (which was very popular in the 1960's/1970's).

The story opens conventionally enough, with 20-year old trainee physiotherapist, Rosemary Hurst, herself still recovering from polio, taking a position as companion to a delicate young widow. Rosemary hopes that her physiotherapy training, and own experiences in recovering from polio, might assist the beautiful, but languid and wheel chair bound, Mrs. Frances Guise with her own recovery from the illness.

Once she is at 'Merlin's Keep' - the isolated home of France's handsome, brooding brother-in-law, Michael - however, Rosemary starts to feel distinctly uneasy about happenings in the Guise household and her position in it. In particular, the heroine rapidly becomes suspicious as to what happened to her two predecessor's who acted, at various times, as companions to Frances quite rightly, she wonders 'where the bodies are buried!'. She also diagnoses, professionally, that Frances has never in fact contracted polio - so why is she convinced she had it and seemingly unable to walk?

Eventually, the naturally inquisitive Rosemary feels she cannot shelve her doubts about 'Merlin's Keep' and the Guise family, and she teams up with visiting local documentary maker, Ned Brodie, as well as her chums at the hospital, to solve the mystery. Rosemary's attempts at detective work, however, aren't at all appreciated by her employer, Michael, whose good looks and steely personality in part fascinate Rosemary and in part repel her. And, as she uncovers the tangled goings-on at Merlin's Keep, the heroine finds herself plunging into some very dangerous territory...

While I'm not overly partial to a mystery sub-plot with a 'Gothic' flavour, I found this one quite palatable. The story-line is assisted, I think, by the heroine being drily caustic at times and also the fact she's very aware when she's acting in a somewhat melodramatic fashion.

In summary 'Merlin's Keep' is probably as much mystery as romance, but it's certainly not a bad read - I'm rating it three-and-a-half vintage romance stars.