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Dark Cypress
Dark Cypress
It was a promising teaching position that brought pretty young Stella Owens to magnificent Hawk House. But her charge, Todd Hawk, was a strange and frightened child, obsessed with guilt for his brother Oliver's death.
Todd's handsome, tormented father, Arthur Hawk, had banished all trace of Oliver from his home -- but someone in the household was dedicated to keeping the boy's memory alive.
Swept up by emotions she could not control, Stella fought desperate to solve the mystery behind Oliver's death -- only to find herself an unwanted intruder, prey to the evil that haunted Hawk House...
It was a promising teaching position that brought pretty young Stella Owens to magnificent Hawk House. But her charge, Todd Hawk, was a strange and frightened child, obsessed with guilt for his brother Oliver's death.
Todd's handsome, tormented father, Arthur Hawk, had banished all trace of Oliver from his home -- but someone in the household was dedicated to keeping the boy's memory alive.
Swept up by emotions she could not control, Stella fought desperate to solve the mystery behind Oliver's death -- only to find herself an unwanted intruder, prey to the evil that haunted Hawk House...
- GenresGothic
Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 20, 2023
A young woman comes to a sinister mansion to work for a handsome, widowed man, taking care of his difficult child. She learns secrets of the past and finds herself in danger.
Very short, but also very repetitive. The young son is continually on the verge of blurting out something important before changing his mind and running off. The heroine repeatedly glances at the sinister housekeeper and sees "blazing hatred" in her eyes. The handsome widower repeatedly loses his temper and then goes all apologetic and passionate straight afterwards. These are all prerequisite "gothic" ingredients, but as a result of that (and of being so short), it's a completely unremarkable read.
Very short, but also very repetitive. The young son is continually on the verge of blurting out something important before changing his mind and running off. The heroine repeatedly glances at the sinister housekeeper and sees "blazing hatred" in her eyes. The handsome widower repeatedly loses his temper and then goes all apologetic and passionate straight afterwards. These are all prerequisite "gothic" ingredients, but as a result of that (and of being so short), it's a completely unremarkable read.
October 25, 2025
Slow-moving yarn about a young woman, Stella, who is hired to tutor a boy living in a mansion with his father and assorted servants. The boy's mother and brother have since passed away. The book is about how Stella must overcome a variety of challenges, mostly having to do with the manner in which the brother was killed. There are secrets in Hawk House, and the unraveling of the mysteries comes pretty slowly. At times, I felt like I was reading a YA novel, but I didn't mind that aspect of it. The action just moved along at a snail's pace. Things did pick up in the final chapters, though. Not a bad read for those who have more patience than I do.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews