O monstro do labirinto

by Barbara Michaels

For years, Heather Tradescant had dreamed of the journey she and her father would take to England--a pilgrimage to the great gardens of history. Now that her father is dead, Heather is determined to fulfill his dreams. Unfortunately, her request to see the fabled 17th-century garden of Troytan House is denied by the owner. Though unwelcome, she braves the walls of briars and reaches the Victorian manor house beyond. She senses a strange mission of evil lurking, tainting the manor's peaceful beauty. Only then does Heather begin to wonder whether it is only stories of long-vanished witchcraft that haunt Troytan House or whether there is some more modern horror, hearer at hand, and far, far more dangerous.

Continuing in the classic tradition she established with such acclaimed novels of suspense as Stitches in Time, Vanish with the Rose, and House of Stone, New York Times bestselling author Barbara Michaels has penned a chilling tale that will keep you reading until the last page.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Gothic, Romance, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Supernatural

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Barbara Michaels was a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Elizabeth Peters, as well as under her own name.

She was born in Canton, Illinois and has written over fifty books including some in Egyptology. Dr. Mertz also holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Egyptology.

Reviews

[Eilonwy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heather Tradescant stumbles into a British estate owned by a fellow American and, on the basis of only her last name (shared with a famous gardener who'd planted the estate's long-lost landscaping centuries before) is invited to stay for as long as she wishes. She finds herself involved with three young men who all seem interested in her; with a local wise woman/witch; and with the search for a missing child. And it all adds up to ... not much.

I really loved Barbara Michaels' books back when I was a teen and into my 20's, so when I realized I hadn't read this one, I grabbed it.

True to form, it kept me zooming along breathlessly, so I'm giving it three stars. But at some point, I realized that Everyone Finds Plain Heather Irresistible was not much of a plot (and I certainly didn't feel any chemistry between her and any of those guys, including the one she ends up with), and none of the other threads were tying together in any satisfactory way. This book also lacked the eeriness -- is there something supernatural happening, or not? -- of Michaels' other books. A couple of spooky things happen, such as a fog that envelops two characters but no one else, but then it was just dropped by the story line, so it was of no importance whatsoever after all. By the end of the book, it didn't seem to me as if anything that had happened actually mattered in any way, except to introduce Heather to a man I was actively hoping would NOT turn out to be the love interest.

So, meh. I'm going to have to reread some earlier books and see if they hold up to what I remember, because this one was a sad disappointment.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heather Tradescant is on a pilgrimage to England, to visit historic gardens, as she and her father planned before they died. When she is refused entrance to the 17th-century gardens of Troytan House, now owned by an eccentric millionaire, she instead goes through a mysterious wall of brambles, which takes her into the gardens and also into a set of events which put her life in danger.

This is one of Michaels' last books (she doesn't seem to be writing under this pseudonym any more), and not one of her best. It's too long and drawn out, for one thing; Michaels' best novels are tense and quick moving, while The Dancing Floor develops very slowly. For another, I don't really like the heroine, who's unbelievably rude and yet attracts every male in sight. (I rather like that she is presented as physically unattractive, but I failed to see how her abrasive personality was so alluring.) And lastly, I really don't like the "naturally evil child" theme.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio read by the great Barbara Rosenblat. I had read the story many years ago and may have read it more than once. It was Barbara Michaels's last novel under this pseudonym. I would give the story a 3, but Barbara R.'s reading a 5. I loved the heroine, but in the end, the plot was kind of all over the place. Although Heather, our funny, caustic, and indomitable heroine ends up with the guy I wanted her to, I’m not sure how it happened exactly. She seemed to be going in another surprising direction, and it wasn’t until the end that that attraction was explained, and it kind of made sense. I was happy and even relieved at the pivot.

American school teacher Heather Tradescant is touring the gardens of England in honor of her gentle scholarly father. They had planned the pilgrimage together, but he has since died in an automobile accident. She arrives at what was to be the highlight of their tour, the estate of Troyton House, the site of a famous 17th-century garden long since grown over and all but vanished. When she is locked out of the grounds, Heather, being Heather, forges through a thick overgrown hedge, which mysteriously seems almost alive and malevolent. She bursts through, scratched and bloody, and lands at the feet of the famous and fabulously wealthy Mr. Karim, the current owner. To her surprise and incredulity, he enlists her amateur aid in restoring the important garden. he learns her last name, Tradescant, is coincidentally (?) the same as the original designer. Also, he likes her because, unlike everyone else in the world, she refuses to be bossed or bullied and gives as good as she gets. She is a breath of fresh air.

Unfortunately not much restoration is accomplished because Heather is too busy dealing with local witches, mysterious fogs, trying to rediscover how she got through the impenetrable hedge in the first place, the jealous wife of the former owner of the estate, and her spoiled little boy who has all of the makings of a future serial killer with a history of pyromania to boot. Not to mention being the romantic target of two attractive men despite the fact that she is just average looking with an overweight though athletic build. The third man in the picture is Mr. Karim’s sarcastic grouchy son who is a university professor working on a book and doesn’t seem to like her at all.

There is really not much of a plot and not even a mystery to solve unless you count why Mr. Karim is so hateful to his son. Bobby, the future serial killer, disappears and is feared dead, but that is a matter for the police and his unhappy parents and is not any of Heather’s business. Not that anyone misses the horrid child anyway. Heather is poisoned and has two other exciting escapes at the end. The story ends with a shocking development, but the reasons behind it all didn’t really make a lot of sense.

This is the last of a long line of Barbara Michaels novels, and she might have been a little tired. She was also keeping up with her yearly and very popular Amelia Peabody adventures under "Elizabeth Peters," and an occasional Jacqueline Kirby or Vicky Bliss entry. Most of her earlier "Barbara Michaels" books were true Gothics which featured haunted houses, witchcraft, and other paranormal activities: Werewolves, fairies, timeslips, and possession included. The latter novels are immersed in fascinating and arcane aspects of professional and hobbyist pursuits. This one is steeped in the lore of formal gardens and mazes with a healthy dose of witchcraft and ancient curses. Previous books have also tackled vintage fashion, quilting folklore, antique jewelry, old rose cultivation, deciphering damaged manuscripts, and archeology. Barbara Michaels's scholarly and feminist approach shines throughout all of them. To qualify as “Romantic suspense” each has a sometimes perfunctory, sometimes charming romance thrown into the mix. I always loved her Barbara Michaels novels, having grown a little weary of Amelia Peabody over the years. I have learned a lot from her books, and this one was no exception.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The late, great Barbara Michaels really knew how to do paranormal or just bewitching mysteries just right. Other Worlds: The Bell Witch and the Stratford Haunting, Be Buried in the Rain, and Wait for What Will Come provide hours of suspenseful entertainment for the times when you just want something vaguely mindless but that won't insult your intelligence. The Dancing Floor doesn't quite rise to the level of these three, but the novel is still pretty good.

Heather Tradescant literally stumbles into American multi-millionaire Frank Karim's entourage when she is exploring the fabled gardens of the English manor house he's purchased in Lancashire, Troytan House. Karim takes a fancy to Heather, whose parents have recently died in an automobile accident, and asks her to help him restore the gardens. But almost immediately, menacing things begin to happen: accidents, disappearances, and more. Who amongst Karim's nearest and dearest might have a grudge against Heather? Karim's son Jordan, who the father berates at every opportunity? The factotum Sean? The neighbor Giles Betancourt, whose family had to sell Troytan House? Giles' pretty wife Lindsay, whose clearly infatuated with Jordan Karim? Or the village witch, Jennet, whose obviously in love with Giles? While the ending is a bit implausible, readers will have fun getting there, and quite a few surprises will entertain them along the way.

No one will mistake The Dancing Floor for one of the much cleverer Vicky Bliss mysteries, which the author wrote under the pen name Elizabeth Peters; however, The Dancing Floor does boast a wisecracking, clever heroine who doesn't swoon under pressure or eschew dessert so as to fit into a size 8 dress, a clever plot, interesting secondary characters, and some excellent history on the real-life Pendle witches who were hung nearby in 1612.

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

With memories of having enjoyed a novel by this author many moons ago, though unable to remember which, I anticipated a good page turning read. In one sense, that is what it is. Heather Tradescant is on a touring holiday of England following the death of her father (and mother, but her father was her real parent for various reasons) with whom she had anticipated visiting famous gardens. Both shared a love of gardening and, to some extent, the history of gardens, mainly centred around the two John Tradescants who lived in the seventeenth century (and from whom, her father believed, they descended).

Denied access to a major goal, Troytan House, which had a garden which John Tradescant (the Elder I think) had designed, Heather finds her own way in, which turns out to lie through an overgrown maze. While there, she has a panic attack and so reels to the feet of Jordan Karim, son of the house's owner, rather bedraggled, scratched and with a twisted ankle. When Franklin Karim, Jordan's father, learns her name (and has it checked up by his factotum Sean to make sure she isn't a lying reporter), he invites her to stay and help him find where the garden that Tradescant designed used to be. Frank, as he prefers to be called, is a rich man and generally gets his own way with a manner part charm and part bullying. He is very insulting to his son, and eventually the reason for his behaviour is disclosed.

One element which intrigued me was the references to the famous seventeenth century Pendle Witch Trial and the various victims of the beliefs of that day. There is an attempt to tie it in with modern day (the book was published in 1997) Wicca and other New Age beliefs, and one character, Jennet, has a major role in this, but it isn't really followed through and I did wonder why any of this was in the book at all.

A lot of the story centres around Helen's relationships with the various men at the house - not only Frank, Jordan and Sean, but also Giles, son of the former owner and terribly, terribly nice but terribly put upon by a selfish wife and awful bratty son. There is a hint of romance between her and Giles and her and Sean, although Jordan keeps her at arm's length with his distant attitude which descends at times into hostility. Meanwhile, I appreciated that Helen is a tough cookie, physically fit - she does quite a lot of climbing ladders etc - and brave, and also quite blunt, plus she is constantly lectured or teased about her weight and the amount of food she puts away. So not a simpering violet. In the course of the story it becomes clear that someone is trying to do her harm, and suspicion falls mainly upon Jennet and the housekeeper Doreen.

One point I liked in the novel was that, unlike a lot of books with a romance theme, there were no steamy bedroom scenes. The only scenes set in the bedroom were completely unromantic, and the interactions with some of the men in the story never went beyond a kiss or two. That made a nice change!

However, I had a few problems with it, apart from its not following through on the witchy/supernatural element. Detailed descriptions of food menus are not that interesting, and do occur a lot. Also there is quite a bit of repetition, with various people going with Helen to see the access point where she got into the grounds etc. It was pleasing to see that the author had at least done her research about the history of the witchcraft trials - for example, one character tells another that witches were hung in England, not burned - but some of the Americanisms were a little throwing when spoken by characters who were not meant to be American. It was fine for Heather, whose first person viewpoint narrates the whole story, to refer to 'pants' instead of trousers, and 'sidewalk' instead of pavement etc, and given that the Karims are apparently American also, not a problem when they spoke in a similar way, but I wasn't sure if Sean was also American until much later in the story. But Doreen used one or two American expressions and she is definitely meant to be English. This would have been far less common in 1997 than today.

I also wasn't sure why the Karims were meant to be of Eastern extraction originally: there was one reference to them not being practicing Muslims, and their portrayal was of wealthy American industrialist types. Like the witchcraft angle, it seemed a bit pointless. One element I found quite predictable, concerned whom Heather would eventually end up with, because it is a common trope that the man with whom she spent the novel arguing had to be the one even if he didn't seem an attractive character. I did wonder if a certain nice person would turn out to be the villain: although I ended up wide of the mark, I think it might have been more effective somehow.

One point that was surprising, given the author's preface in which she says that only the Lancashire witch trial characters are real and everyone else is a figment of her imagination, is that the two John Tradescants really existed as I have since discovered from articles such as this one - https://gardenmuseum.org.uk/the-museum/history/tradescants/.

Finally, the title of the novel is a complete red herring. Although the Dancing Floor is mentioned a few times, and Jennet eventually explains its purpose, she also says it is in another location entirely. So I couldn't see the reason for using it. The focal place in the story is the overgrown maze so perhaps 'The Labyrinth' would have been more appropriate, especially as the history of labyrinths and garden mazes is an important thread in the story.

Given mixed feelings about this novel - enjoyed the exploits of Helen, was intrigued by the witchcraft angle but disappointed it didn't go anywhere, found it a bit repetitive in places and found the resolution of the romance subplot entirely predictable - I am awarding this a 3 star rating.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quite a lot through the first half, and then started losing interest toward the end. Maybe it was just my mood? There were a couple of twists I didn't see coming, which was nice, but I was ready for this book to be over about 75pp before the end.

The audio narration by Barbara Rosenblat was pretty good, but the writing was just ok for me. Barbara Michaels & Barbara Vine sometimes get mixed up in my head, but the quality of the writing is very different! Michaels is also Elizabeth Peters, and Vine is also Ruth Rendell. Vine is really a terrific writer, while Michaels is kind of meh, although she did have me very interested in the cozier beginning part of the narrative.

[Robert Beveridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbara Michaels, The Dancing Floor (Harper, 1997)

Well, it had to happen sooner or later: Barbara Michaels is winding down. After writing a surprisingly large number of witty, original gothic romances, Michaels is starting to get-- gasp-- predictable.

Our (spunky, not overly attractive, pits in the self-esteem department) heroine, fulfilling plans she made with her recently-deceased father, has traveled to Britain to tour the great gardens therein. At one, she is staunchly rebuffed and refused entrance, but she gains entrance anyway. Surprisingly, the lord of the crumbling demesne is overjoyed to see her, and invites her to stay in his home for as long as necessary. He (older cad, dashingly handsome, filthy rich) has both a son (standoffish, far more interested in his research than in the goings-on around him, needlessly harsh with his words when forced to interact) and a servant (who looks and acts something like Pan) who are both around heroine's age. Add in some seemingly-supernatural goings-on and... hmm. Bet you can't predict how THAT one's going to turn out.

Still, Michaels is Michaels. The plot moves along at a fine clip, the characetrs have just enough depth to make her work stand out from the pack, and everything is quite satisfactorily put to rest at the end of the book. It's pure escapism of the most guilty kind. Good for turning one's brain off. But if you're looking for real quality, earlier Mchaels novels are the way to go-- Prince of Darkness, Houses of Stone, Black Rainbow, etc. ** 1/2

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Heather sneaks her way into a garden after being denied entrance and finds herself in a maze. She stumbles across a statue that scares the piss out of her and runs blindly out of the maze. Only to fall right at the feet of the owner who denied her entrance and his son, Jordan. After hearing her last name their attitudes toward Heather turns from hostel to friendly. The owner insists that she stays in the mansion with them until she heals from her injuries from running through the maze. Soon Heather finds herself interested in the garden the owner is trying to restore, the little boy that turns up missing, and the weird things that are happening to people who get too close to the maze. The town the mansion is in is known for its legendary witchcraft trials and all the information and folklore on that subject was really interesting. The town and people in this book were fabulous and I loved the mystery that was centered on the maze.

My only problem with the book was that the climax was more of a fizzle than it was a pop. There was all this build up about the maze and when they finally went in, it was only for few minutes. Another problem I had was with the way the villain was disposed of. What happened was a little unclear. I had to go back and reread because I didn't catch on to what happened the first time. One minute they're in the maze facing off with the villain and then on the next page the good guys are at a hospital.

[Sharon Ouderkirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is paper thin in this mystery, but I kept reading because the dialogue was razor sharp and funny. Heather Tradescant is our reluctant heroine, and she's on a long-planned trip to England to visit famous gardens. Unfortunately, the plan was to go with her father, but he died, so she's on her own. When she is refused entrance to Troytan House, she decides to go in through the hedge, and falls through onto the grounds in front of the owner, Jordan Karim. His bossy, wealthy father Frank takes a liking to Heather and invites her to stay to help him as he restores the gardens. A series of unsettling events occurs - a local boy goes missing, she meets a store owner (Jennet) who is a witch, she drinks poisoned water. There is no clear line of suspense through the novel, as there usually is in a Gothic: things happen but Heather is not necessarily the imperilled target.
As I said, the reason to read this novel is for the humorous dialogue. Heather is quick-witted and does not suffer fools gladly and she's well-matched by the other characters. I laughed out loud a few times, and looked forward to my nightly reading time to continue. A lot of issues that were raised in the book never got satisfactorily settled, but I enjoyed reading The Dancing Floor anyway.

[Miki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Years ago I loved Barbara Michaels books. I have quite a few on my keep shelf. When I found this one at a thrift store I was excited to read it. What a let down. The main character, Heather, is annoying. She makes decisions that reasonable people wouldn't make, even going as far to slap a complete stranger's child across the face. The book centers around garden mazes, witchcraft, and a missing child. This book also included a lot of fat shaming....I mean A LOT. The ending was rushed, almost to the the point of being an afterthought after it had built up mystery throughout the whole book. I only gave it two stars because it did keep me turning pages only to end with a rushed unsatisfying conclusion. At the end of the day I'd say to skip this one.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't get into this one

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Barbara Michaels, so it's pretty much a given that I will enjoy anything by her. The Dancing Floor was just as good as all the other Barbara Michaels books I've read.

When Heather tries to visit a famous garden in England, as an homage for the trip she and her late beloved father had planned, but never got to take, she is infuriated to be turned away unceremoniously by nothing more than a voice in a box at the gate.

Refusing to admit defeat, Heather decides to walk around the estate to see if she can at least get a glimpse of the gardens through the thick hedge that surrounds part of it. When she discovers a path inside the hedge and follows it, she unexpectedly finds herself at the feet of the owner and his son inside the perimeter.

When the odd and eccentric Frank hear's Heather's last name - Tradescant, coincidentally the same as the famed garden designer who originally designed the gardens of his estate, and which he hopes to restore, Frank immediately invites her to stay and help with the project.

Although Heather thinks the whole thing very odd, she can't quite seem to refuse and leave. In addition to feeling she could fulfill a wish that would have made her father happy, she finds herself intrigued by the unusual group of individuals who seem to orbit around Frank like satellites.

Once she moves in, however, disturbing things start happening, and she quickly starts to fear for not only her own safety but others as well. She can't quite figure out what is going on, or why, but she has no intention of leaving until she does.

As always with books by Micheals, there are lots of characters, and lots of hints about who the bad guys might be, but also lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing and throw you off the track. She also always tells a great story, with realistic characters, who do and say things you can actually believe could happen and you can actually relate to them as though you know them. You certainly can like the characters in this book, especially Heather, who is spunky and curmudgeonly all at the same time.

I really enjoyed this. A perfect summer read!

[Jeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Michaels has always been a buy-on-sight name for me; she is a master storyteller who can be counted on for winning characters and unfailing suspense. THE DANCING FLOOR has an intriguing background with deft hints of the supernatural. There are unexpected twists and turns, quirky characters, and her trademark humor and wit. The only flaw (if there is one at all) is that Michaels leaves you guessing about Heather's feelings for the three men she meets to the point where that was a more interesting mystery (for me) than the real puzzle. This is not unusual for Michaels (I can think of several others that are similar on this point) but I prefer her books where there is a bit more about the developing relationship. This may be partly the preferences of a long time romance reader, but it is also because the characters are so well done that I am as (or more) interested in them as in the mystery. This aside, what else is there to say but "it's vintage Barbara Michaels -- read it."

[T. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh boy. I'm think I'm done with Barbara Michaels after this one. I can't give an accurate summary of the plot because I'm not even sure what the plot was.

The story was painfully slow moving, with pointless conversations and mundane accounts of everything the main character eats. For some reason it is a major part of her personality that she is a big eater and is overweight. Everyone in the book seems to harp on this endlessly. None of the characters are terribly sympathetic, either; everyone is very nasty to each other.

Here is a trick I've learned after reading several Michaels books: whichever man is the nastiest and meanest to the heroine, that is who she will end up with. It makes the books extra predictable as well as unpleasant to read.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was impressed. It didn't follow the "formula" that I expected to find. There were enough twists to keep it interesting. The characters were decently developed, the setting was believable & the ending was unexpected. (Well, yea, you knew our female lead would end up victorious & find love but how & with whom....hmmm?)

It hinted at being about witches but there was not a lot of crazy witch stuff. I guess I can honestly say I would have enjoyed a little bigger bite of witchy intrigue but it was ok.

I'm kinda excited about reading some of her other stuff.

[Luseride · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to love an author that has the main character come bursting out of an overgrown maze to fall at the feet of another major figure in the story. Ms. Michaels always adds enough humor and sarcasm to keep the story flowing and the reader laughing outloud on occasion.

Gardening history, a missing child, a super rich older man, a bit of Wiccan, and a few strange happenings all make for a page turning read.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read on audio. A bit Vicki Blissish, Heather Tradescant barrels into a story full of Wicca, old gardens, rich old men, and three swains. You need a lot of suspension of disbelief but once you're up, it's a great ride.

[☺Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminded me of the gothic romances I read in my youth, (just change the century and change the heroine's name from Heather to something archaic such as Dorcas). Pretty good mystery - held my interest.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have reread this book probably 40 times since I first read it as a teenager, and I absolutely love it every time. A well-worn, beloved, old friend of a book.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Michaels has a way of writing that keeps the reader on his/her toes. You can never tell where any relationship is going. Personally, I was taken with Jordan from the beginning, but it looked like Heather was going for Giles for the longest time, and the ending gave me shivers. It also gave me shivers when she always referred to her mother as "she", never once calling her mother. So far, this is probably my favorite Barbara Michaels, but I am just beginning, so there may be something out there that I will like even more.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another entry in the Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels oeuvre. As always the books stars an interesting young woman, gifted with more wit than looks, who still manages to find romance. And along the way readers are treated to fascinating frames--here the restoration of a 17th century garden and a coven of witches who still enchant--secrets and secret passages, and puzzles of all sorts to be solved. Adventure and romance, along with a sensible dose of the supernatural. Barbara Rosenblat narrates admirably.

[Jina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars

[Renee M. P. T. Kray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and entertaining, though a bit slow paced in parts and too contrived in others.

[Marilyn Fontane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dancing Floor by Barbara Michaels (Elizabeth Peters) is a wonderful, enjoyable novel. Heather Tradescant, an American, is making a journey to view English gardens that she had planned to see with her father, who died in an auto accident. Near the end of her tour, she accidentally runs into a maze on one of the properties and almost literally falls into the tea ceremony of the owner of the mansion, Franklin Karim. He is intrigued with both her name and interests, and offers to let her stay with him and help him restore the gardens. She temporarily accepts, and soon finds three males of her age to flirt with. There is Jordan, Frank's son, who is writing a dissertation on historical mazes; Sean, Frank's bodyguard; and Giles, a neighbor and former owner of Troyton, Frank's mansion.
Not only are there the gardens and a potential maze to find and restore, there is a coven of witches led by Jennet, who is also interested in Giles, who incidentally is married and has two children, one of whom is a monstrous boy, Bobby, who tortures animals, "accidentally" hurts people, starts fires, runs away for periods of time, and needs serious mental intervention, but who is "protected" by his mother, the nasty-nice Lindsay.
It is a gothic novel full of humor, suspenseful incidents, witchcraft, fires, murder; what more could a reader want? I just loved it!

[Robert Fontenot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been going through a re-read of Michael's work and I probably haven't touched this one since reading it when it first came out. There are some elements that are quite refreshing (mostly the main character's weight and homeliness, as well as the central mystery of the labyrinth) but they are weighed down by some inexplicable choices such as a backstory revolving around a henpecked father and a mother who may as well have been Voldemort for how she is often remembered in a she-who-cannot-be-named manner. There are also three possible love interests, none of whom seem particularly drawn to our MC or she to them, despite the occasional kisses. Spoiler alert: She ends up with the one with the most money.

This book also has a weird relationship to body image that has not aged well and the MC spends a great amount of time eating while those around her spend a great amount of time remarking about how much she eats.

Ultimately there is fun to be had here but I wouldn't recommend it as anyone's first Michaels novel. It's probably too long and a little clunky, but it is an interesting attempt at folk horror and better than some of her earlier attempts at similar witchy themes.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really fascinated with this book for some reason. I got so curious when the main character Heather stumbled into this overgrown maze and had a run in with some horned statue. I wanted to know so bad what was hiding in that maze that I read and read to see what happens. The situations between the characters in the book are interesting enough, like listening to gossip, but I felt I was getting nowhere with this maze mystery yet I continued to read to the end. I just had to know. Most of the action in this book takes place in the last two chapters. I felt like I had set the book down and picked up another. The Dancing Floor felt very mellow for most the book and then it just picks up and surprises you and you’re left on the last page blinking with your mouth hanging open. Like did that all just happen? I was definitely expecting something more paranormal because of the reviews for the author, and felt a little disappointed that it wasn’t more paranormal like I had thought but it still really fascinated me somehow. Very good writing, I enjoyed it.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

For years, Heather Tradescant had dreamed of the journey she and her father would take to England--a pilgrimage to the great gardens of history. Now that her father is dead, Heather is determined to fulfill his dreams. Unfortunately, her request to see the fabled 17th-century garden of Troytan House is denied by the owner. Though unwelcome, she braves the walls of briars and reaches the Victorian manor house beyond. She senses a strange mission of evil lurking, tainting the manor's peaceful beauty. Only then does Heather begin to wonder whether it is only stories of long-vanished witchcraft that haunt Troytan House or whether there is some more modern horror, hearer at hand, and far, far more dangerous.

I was not as thrilled with this offering as much as some of Ms Michael's other works. it felt like a short story stretched out too long. Not enough depth for me.

[Deb White · Rating 2 out of 5]

When would a young, female, single American travel to England and then stay at a home of a rich man and his son, who she never met until she went through their garden hedge? Unbelievable!
The rich man wants her help studying and finding 300 year old gardens on his property. So she stays and dines with the two ment and their neighbors. Wiccans, withches, superstition, a fire bug, and a maze. Yikes!

[Blythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy a good gothic romance, and Barbar Michaels does it so brilliantly - I have never been disappointed by her books! I like how her heroines are not always gorgeous young things, and neither are her hero's - it's always unexpected. Her writing gives me the shivers when I'm reading these books at 2 in the morning!

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a long time ago and checked it out again at the library for nostalgia. My library only had it as audio book so I listened to it on a long drive. Not my typical book, but an interesting and suspenseful story nonetheless.