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The Phantom of Linkshire Manor
Note: While it is not available for sale on Amazon, Kindle readers can use the Smashwords store to purchase the book as a .mobi file that can be sent/downloaded to your Kindle reader or app.
First published in the gothic romance anthology Bound in Skin, “The Phantom of Linkshire Manor” is now available as a stand-alone story.
Anna Forrester, a young physician’s assistant, is summoned to care for James Rothwell, the handsome master of Linkshire Manor, after he is bedridden from an unusual illness. Anna agrees to stay in the house to oversee Mr. Rothwell’s recovery, but she soon finds that the master’s symptoms are only one of Linkshire’s many mysteries. There are cries and whispers heard at night, servants acting suspiciously, and rumors that the death of Mr. Rothwell’s wife might not have been the suicide it’s been claimed to be.
Inspired by classic gothic romances, this novella from New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer weaves together a story of greed, betrayal, ambition… and love.
First published in the gothic romance anthology Bound in Skin, “The Phantom of Linkshire Manor” is now available as a stand-alone story.
Anna Forrester, a young physician’s assistant, is summoned to care for James Rothwell, the handsome master of Linkshire Manor, after he is bedridden from an unusual illness. Anna agrees to stay in the house to oversee Mr. Rothwell’s recovery, but she soon finds that the master’s symptoms are only one of Linkshire’s many mysteries. There are cries and whispers heard at night, servants acting suspiciously, and rumors that the death of Mr. Rothwell’s wife might not have been the suicide it’s been claimed to be.
Inspired by classic gothic romances, this novella from New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer weaves together a story of greed, betrayal, ambition… and love.
52 pages, ebook
First published June 1, 2022
2 people are currently reading
887 people want to read
About the author
Marissa Meyer
82 books132k followersI live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg. Learn more about me and my upcoming books at http://www.marissameyer.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 14, 2022
Gothic novels are just fun. This one was pretty good. I hope she writes more regencies in the future. This is a proper romance with a couple of sweet kisses. Some pretty good violence. But I would still rate at PG-13. For the violence and the talk of suicide
December 18, 2021
HOW COULD THIS BE A SHORT STORY? I DEMAND A FULL SERIES OF THIS!!!
July 30, 2025
cute novella. reminded me of Gilded.
March 31, 2023
✨3.7✨
Se siente como una combinación de Yo antes de ti y La cumbre escarlata
Se siente como una combinación de Yo antes de ti y La cumbre escarlata
May 27, 2022
An entertaining and well-written short story, though the ending was a bit underwhelming, and the romance came out of nowhere (even more than usual). I think the weakest part of this story was the tone, which severely lacked the charismatic yet uncanny allure of gothic mystery. Having read her more recent books, I can see how much her writing has improved since this one.
April 28, 2023
El principio me recordó muchísimo a Victoria Schwab no se, me daban vibes muy darks, pero me gusto como se desarrolló, es una historia corta… demasiado corta, pero supongo que está bien para pasar el rato entre algún viaje, solo hay un solo misterio que de misterio tiene poco porque se sospecha desde el principio, pero como digo como historia corta esta bien.
May 5, 2024
Too short but a great story!
October 2, 2025
While short, this was atmospheric with a gothic vibe. The characters were interesting and memorable, and the story was well flushed out. This would be a good read for spooky season. I love Marissa Meyer!
January 14, 2022
it was a fun quick read of a spooky mystery without being so heavy
July 20, 2022
My actual rating is more like 90% mostly because a) the story is too short!!!! I would have loved to read a longer story! It was so good! B) there were a few details and explanations that I thought could have used more explanation or focus because it seemed glossed over for me but that makes sense since this is a short story but I still feel like we needed some more focus on these parts .
Anyway, clearly Marissa Meyer can write regency romances with a hint of the supernatural so please please please write a whole book like this, possibly even a book about these characters after the events In this story
Anyway, clearly Marissa Meyer can write regency romances with a hint of the supernatural so please please please write a whole book like this, possibly even a book about these characters after the events In this story
November 2, 2021
A quick little murder mystery that manages to be spooky without being overly heavy. Lovely little Halloween read!
December 18, 2022
As with every story by Marissa Meyer, this tale was exciting. Such a short story, but full of heart even so. I'm giving this one five stars. I only wish it had been much longer, as I so wanted to know more. But as a short story, it was all kinds of awesome. A little creepy, a little romance, a good mystery. Great writing too.
I shall not write much about this one, as it truly was very short. But I will say a little bit. I liked that it was a story set in the past, as I find those to be all kinds of interesting to read. I like those kinds of settings. It was so good in this story as well. Although this book was short, it was easy and fast to read. I loved that.
This story had many details, yet not too many. Which I also very much liked. I liked that it was quick to get to the point of all that happened. But I would have liked even more if this had been a full-sized book, haha, with even more details. As I liked these characters a whole bunch and would have loved to get to know them even more. This one is told from the point of view of Anna. She is a training to be a doctor, one of the first women to do so. And I loved that. She was awesome. And I loved that the male doctor she worked for did not seem to look down at her, but seemed to respect her. Of course, the servants in the manor she end up in did not seem as positive at first. How rude. I hope they got better. I did like getting to know those three as well, though.
This is a story about a mystery. Anna is trying to figure out why her patient, Mr. Rothwell, is so ill. It ends up looking like poison. But who would want to poison him, and why? I liked figuring it out. This manor had many mysteries, despite only having a handful of people inside it. There is the mystery of the death of the wife of Mr. Rothwell, seven years past. A suicide, they say. But was it really? I liked getting to know it all. A little ghostly and mysterious. Just wish it had been longer. But it was a great story and I enjoyed it lots.
The Phantom of Linkshire Manor was all kinds of incredible. Short and exciting. With a good mystery and a good ending too. I was lucky enough to get a copy of this ebook for free as a pre-order bonus for Gilded last year. But you can now buy it too, from the links below. It is a story worth reading and I'm so glad that I read it at last. Now just waiting for more books by Marissa to come out. If you still have not read anything by her, you are truly missing out. All her books have been incredible. The Cinder series is the very best.
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This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2022...
I shall not write much about this one, as it truly was very short. But I will say a little bit. I liked that it was a story set in the past, as I find those to be all kinds of interesting to read. I like those kinds of settings. It was so good in this story as well. Although this book was short, it was easy and fast to read. I loved that.
This story had many details, yet not too many. Which I also very much liked. I liked that it was quick to get to the point of all that happened. But I would have liked even more if this had been a full-sized book, haha, with even more details. As I liked these characters a whole bunch and would have loved to get to know them even more. This one is told from the point of view of Anna. She is a training to be a doctor, one of the first women to do so. And I loved that. She was awesome. And I loved that the male doctor she worked for did not seem to look down at her, but seemed to respect her. Of course, the servants in the manor she end up in did not seem as positive at first. How rude. I hope they got better. I did like getting to know those three as well, though.
This is a story about a mystery. Anna is trying to figure out why her patient, Mr. Rothwell, is so ill. It ends up looking like poison. But who would want to poison him, and why? I liked figuring it out. This manor had many mysteries, despite only having a handful of people inside it. There is the mystery of the death of the wife of Mr. Rothwell, seven years past. A suicide, they say. But was it really? I liked getting to know it all. A little ghostly and mysterious. Just wish it had been longer. But it was a great story and I enjoyed it lots.
The Phantom of Linkshire Manor was all kinds of incredible. Short and exciting. With a good mystery and a good ending too. I was lucky enough to get a copy of this ebook for free as a pre-order bonus for Gilded last year. But you can now buy it too, from the links below. It is a story worth reading and I'm so glad that I read it at last. Now just waiting for more books by Marissa to come out. If you still have not read anything by her, you are truly missing out. All her books have been incredible. The Cinder series is the very best.
---
This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2022...
December 28, 2021
3.5 stars
This short story is a gothic murder mystery about an apprentice doctor turning up to the house of a widower who's very ill. There are claims of haunting and revenge, and it's highly likely that the illness is not very natural at all.
It is a good lesson in getting clues and a mystery into a small number of words. Clues to sort of fall into the girl's lap and there's not really the room for making everyone a suspect. Instead, the tension is between whether it's supernatural or murder, or if the two are interlinked.
I did, however, think the romance was a bit quick (over about the course of day!) and rather inappropriate, all things considered. I have no idea how old she is (but she seemed to be upper teens by the narration style) while he is probably in his thirties (was already married for 10 years.) My main eeek point what that she was the doctor (already being questioned for being a woman) and then goes about kissing her patient.
This short story is a gothic murder mystery about an apprentice doctor turning up to the house of a widower who's very ill. There are claims of haunting and revenge, and it's highly likely that the illness is not very natural at all.
It is a good lesson in getting clues and a mystery into a small number of words. Clues to sort of fall into the girl's lap and there's not really the room for making everyone a suspect. Instead, the tension is between whether it's supernatural or murder, or if the two are interlinked.
I did, however, think the romance was a bit quick (over about the course of day!) and rather inappropriate, all things considered. I have no idea how old she is (but she seemed to be upper teens by the narration style) while he is probably in his thirties (was already married for 10 years.) My main eeek point what that she was the doctor (already being questioned for being a woman) and then goes about kissing her patient.
January 8, 2023
The Phantom of Linkshire Manor is a captivating, romantic, mysterious, and beautiful short story.
TPOLM was a fast-paced read that is one of my favorites. I want more of it. Please. The mysterious manor and characters gave this story a powerful setting. I loved how it was a murder mystery and a poisoning mystery. The romance was cute and will make you swoon. The banter was top-notch, and I adored Mr. Rothwell. Anna was a fabulous MC, and her struggles with being a female physician were interesting. Marissa Meyer has done it again. I can’t recommend this short story enough!
Age recommendation: 13+ (Check TWs)
If you liked Down Comes the Night, Anatomy: A Love Story, Within These Wicked Walls, Gilded, or A Forgery of Roses, give The Phantom of Linkshire Manor a try!
TPOLM was a fast-paced read that is one of my favorites. I want more of it. Please. The mysterious manor and characters gave this story a powerful setting. I loved how it was a murder mystery and a poisoning mystery. The romance was cute and will make you swoon. The banter was top-notch, and I adored Mr. Rothwell. Anna was a fabulous MC, and her struggles with being a female physician were interesting. Marissa Meyer has done it again. I can’t recommend this short story enough!
Age recommendation: 13+ (Check TWs)
If you liked Down Comes the Night, Anatomy: A Love Story, Within These Wicked Walls, Gilded, or A Forgery of Roses, give The Phantom of Linkshire Manor a try!
August 22, 2025
Imagine, if you can, if you took the show Bramwell and made it somehow MORE Gothic with a heaving helping of the Brontës and you get this delightful if predictable tale. While I notice many reviewers would have like this to be longer, and it easily could have been played out as a full book, I think the predictability would have been it's downfall in a longer format. I would still totally be up for further adventures with Anna and James. Hopefully Elizabeth was fired after trying to kill her master.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2022
Final Rating: 5 stars.
Starting a petition for Marissa Meyer to write a full length gothic romance or at the very least a historical fiction novel ASAP. This was such a wonderful homage to the genre and a great little novella particularly at the moment when it’s the spooky season - I only wish it was longer 😭
Starting a petition for Marissa Meyer to write a full length gothic romance or at the very least a historical fiction novel ASAP. This was such a wonderful homage to the genre and a great little novella particularly at the moment when it’s the spooky season - I only wish it was longer 😭
December 2, 2025
I thought this was a Jane Eyre retelling for the first 30 pages because: 1.) that would be on par for Meyer as a retelling and 2.) I thought the name Mr. Rothwell was a thinly-veiled nod to Mr. Rochester
Alas! Not Jane Eyre but instead a GHOST BOOK!! I’ve been loving Meyer’s jaunts into Ghost stories and I have not been disappointed!
+100 points because the main girl’s name is Anna
Alas! Not Jane Eyre but instead a GHOST BOOK!! I’ve been loving Meyer’s jaunts into Ghost stories and I have not been disappointed!
+100 points because the main girl’s name is Anna
January 31, 2025
How fun to accidentally discover one of her old works! This book led me to find out about her old alias Alicia Blade and this short little story was an easy read. Always a pleasure to pick up a Meyer.
November 3, 2021
That was awesome!!! Will definitely reread.
December 8, 2021
I am so glad I was able to read this!
May 6, 2022
I'll ready anything and everything by Marissa Meyer. Loved this short story: it's haunting, mysterious, suspenseful, and also uplifting.
August 14, 2022
I really liked this little story, it gave me goosebumps! I dont mind having more of stories like this.
October 25, 2022
Please make this a full length novel 🙏
December 23, 2022
Fun, very short. Since it was so short (only a few days in the story’s time), the love story developed extremely quickly and didn’t feel as believable as I would have liked, but it was fun.
December 26, 2022
Excellent atmospheric and creepy, if a bit predictable, Gothic romance. Would love to read more about Anna and Mr. Rothwell.
June 6, 2023
ANA LLEGA A UNA CASA EMBRUJADA A CUIDAR AL SR. ROTHWELL. RECLAMA HERENCIA A LA MADRE Y USAN BELLADONA PARA DOPARLA.
October 12, 2023
El comienzo fue bueno y parecía prometedor, pero le faltó algo.
December 19, 2023
This was a very quick read. It was a fun little mystery that resolved itself quickly. Very predictable outcome, but a fun read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews