What do you think?
Rate this book
The Black Opal
Abandoned as a baby, her exotic beauty prompted hushed whispers of gypsy blood. But lovely Carmel March remained shrouded in mystery....
When tragedy struck her adopted home of Commonwood House, little Carmel had been bundled off to Australia. Returning to England as a young woman, she became haunted by questions from her past, as well as the shocking revelation that she had been rushed from a murder scene those many years ago.
Yet she was convinced that the wrong man had been sentenced for the crime. Was the answer locked away in her childhood memory -- or in the dark, secretive behavior of her old childhood friend, Lucian? And what fateful role did the opals -- always present at crucial moments of her life -- play? For only when she released the dark secrets imprisoned at Commonwood would she find the freedom to love....
When tragedy struck her adopted home of Commonwood House, little Carmel had been bundled off to Australia. Returning to England as a young woman, she became haunted by questions from her past, as well as the shocking revelation that she had been rushed from a murder scene those many years ago.
Yet she was convinced that the wrong man had been sentenced for the crime. Was the answer locked away in her childhood memory -- or in the dark, secretive behavior of her old childhood friend, Lucian? And what fateful role did the opals -- always present at crucial moments of her life -- play? For only when she released the dark secrets imprisoned at Commonwood would she find the freedom to love....
373 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
53 people are currently reading
1276 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Holt
373 books1,378 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Eleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia
Eleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
December 22, 2024
Easily the worst Holt I’ve encountered—clunky, repetitive, dull, meandering, & tepid with flat, pedestrian prose. This is like hitting the snooze button on your gothic romance shelf. 🥱
If you’ve never read Holt before, I can’t emphasize strongly enough that this is NOT the place to begin.
2 stars, but only because I reserve my 1-stars for truly heinous dreck.
If you’ve never read Holt before, I can’t emphasize strongly enough that this is NOT the place to begin.
2 stars, but only because I reserve my 1-stars for truly heinous dreck.
November 11, 2015
The Black Opal is an other great book. I highly recommend it to all. It is a story of a Gypsy Foundling's life in England and then in Austrailia and then back home again. It speaks of how she finds her Gypsy Mom and her Captain sailer Dad. When she moves back home to England she discovers murder and betrail in her original family. She ends up living happily ever after.
Enjoy and Be Blessed. Diamond
Enjoy and Be Blessed. Diamond
December 17, 2022
Intenté enfocarme lo más posible, intenté que me gustara pero siento que más de la tercera parte de esta novela fue paja sobre paja donde ni siquiera profundiza en situaciones importantes como de costumbres por ejemplo; la protagonista se va a vivir a Australia y no nos cuentan nada de sus costumbres, es como si hubiera pasado de una colonia a otra y pués no hubiera importado.
Tampoco profundiza en la el origen de la protagonista que se supone que es gitano. Y el tema del ópalo negro que así es como se titula la novela pues Ni Fu Ni Fa, es un tema súper sencillo y ni siquiera explican tampoco el significado o el origen de la piedra, o sea está todo por encima, son lecturas muy simplistas, yo mejor vería una película.
Me dirán y la parte romántica, la pareja principal qué tal la química… Completamente nula, en un principio cuando se conocieron creo que sí le di un poquito de voto porque pensé que se iba a desarrollar más pero resulta que la pareja se separa durante muchos años y ni uno ni otro se buscan y entonces pues no pasa nada, y el reencuentro es más frío que un iceberg.
Terminé de leerlo al menos, eso es algo positivo no lo dejé a la mitad porque quería saber qué había pasado con la familia, y al final sí lo supe pero también algo sin sentido, tosco y tonto.
Necesito leer algún buen romance de verdad. Please ayuda.
Tampoco profundiza en la el origen de la protagonista que se supone que es gitano. Y el tema del ópalo negro que así es como se titula la novela pues Ni Fu Ni Fa, es un tema súper sencillo y ni siquiera explican tampoco el significado o el origen de la piedra, o sea está todo por encima, son lecturas muy simplistas, yo mejor vería una película.
Me dirán y la parte romántica, la pareja principal qué tal la química… Completamente nula, en un principio cuando se conocieron creo que sí le di un poquito de voto porque pensé que se iba a desarrollar más pero resulta que la pareja se separa durante muchos años y ni uno ni otro se buscan y entonces pues no pasa nada, y el reencuentro es más frío que un iceberg.
Terminé de leerlo al menos, eso es algo positivo no lo dejé a la mitad porque quería saber qué había pasado con la familia, y al final sí lo supe pero también algo sin sentido, tosco y tonto.
Necesito leer algún buen romance de verdad. Please ayuda.
April 3, 2016
Books written by Victoria Holt are so cheesy, but sometimes that's exactly what you need. I've read a loooot of her books when I was 14/15 years old..that was the last time I've read them. I absolutely loved them at the time. I'm thinking of reading one of her books just for the old times sake! =)
March 20, 2012
Carmel is found under the Azalea bush, "the one that gave Tom Yardley all that trouble one year." She is taken in by the people at Commonwood House and is generally made to feel unwelcome. It is hinted that she might belong to the gypsies. She is championed by Uncle Toby as well as the two youngsters from The Grange, Lucian and Camilla. When the lady of the house dies, she goes off to Australia with Uncle Toby and only upon her return as an 18-year-old lady, does she find she's been whisked away from a murder scene.
From the description on the back cover, (which mentions the murder, so that's not a spoiler, per se) I expected more of this book to revolve around the murder mystery, but fully two thirds of the book had gone by before Carmel even learns there was a murder. Much more of the story involves Carmel's childhood at Commonwood and her experiences in Australia, both of which, fortunately, were interesting to read about. Once Carmel grows up and returns to England, though, I found things got a bit silly. I find it hard to believe that an illegitimate young lady, who is possibly part gypsy, and definitely has a scandalous connection to a murder receives no less than THREE marriage proposals, all from respectable gentlemen, one of whom is a peer of the realm. Particularly in the time period in which the story is set. She's so wishy-washy about them, too, definitely leading two of these men on while using their connections to solve the murder. I'm not even sure she chose the right one in the end. I guess my verdict is that I loved two thirds of this book and the last third was merely okay. I also found it quite easy to guess who the culprit was in the unfortunate death. A very ho-hum and anti-climactic ending. Sigh.
From the description on the back cover, (which mentions the murder, so that's not a spoiler, per se) I expected more of this book to revolve around the murder mystery, but fully two thirds of the book had gone by before Carmel even learns there was a murder. Much more of the story involves Carmel's childhood at Commonwood and her experiences in Australia, both of which, fortunately, were interesting to read about. Once Carmel grows up and returns to England, though, I found things got a bit silly. I find it hard to believe that an illegitimate young lady, who is possibly part gypsy, and definitely has a scandalous connection to a murder receives no less than THREE marriage proposals, all from respectable gentlemen, one of whom is a peer of the realm. Particularly in the time period in which the story is set. She's so wishy-washy about them, too, definitely leading two of these men on while using their connections to solve the murder. I'm not even sure she chose the right one in the end. I guess my verdict is that I loved two thirds of this book and the last third was merely okay. I also found it quite easy to guess who the culprit was in the unfortunate death. A very ho-hum and anti-climactic ending. Sigh.
September 7, 2013
I think it's been over 25 years since I've read a Victoria Holt novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Mysterious, romantic, well written and filled with interesting characters and descriptions of England and Australia during the late 1800s. A bit old fashioned, true, but I felt it added to the book's charm. I think I might read another Victoria Holt book, this one was so much fun!
August 22, 2014
My mother used to eat these books up. I remember her getting so excited when a new one came out. She loved them. And I had a friend recommend Victoria Holt when he found out I liked period/historical fiction. Frankly, this just wasn't my cup of tea. Disappointing. I had such high hopes. Oh well. Now I know!
May 26, 2016
The Black Opal follows the fundamental Victoria Holt formula: Lovely foundling girl (Carmel), handsome and mysterious rich neighbor (Lucian), large manor house, and a mystery. This time the heroine, Carmel, is found beneath a bush in the yard of a wealthy family. The father is a kindly doctor, the mother a malcontent, and the three children include a daughter with developmental delays. The early part of the story deals with Carmel's childhood with the family, being reminded regularly that she is not really part of the family and should actually be in a workhouse somewhere. The doctor treats her kindly as does her sea captain "Uncle Toby." Lucian is the handsome young son of the big house nearby. Things become tense when the family adds a lovely young governess, Kitty Carson, who treats all the children kindly and the doctor a little too kindly.
Suddenly Carmel is taken from her home by her Uncle Toby to Australia, and the action of the central part of the book takes place there before Carmel returns to England as a polished and educated young woman. By this point, she has three potential suitors and learns why she had to leave England so quickly nine years earlier.
Holt's books are entertaining formula novels, and sometimes the formula works better than others. The formula this time isn't quite as effective as usual. There are too many coincidences, and some of the mysteries are contrived to create extra drama, including the "tragedy" of Lucian's early marriage, which just makes very little sense, but is needed to make him appear more flawed and mysterious (a requirement for a Holt hero). This is an enjoyable read, but not one of Holt's better outings.
Suddenly Carmel is taken from her home by her Uncle Toby to Australia, and the action of the central part of the book takes place there before Carmel returns to England as a polished and educated young woman. By this point, she has three potential suitors and learns why she had to leave England so quickly nine years earlier.
Holt's books are entertaining formula novels, and sometimes the formula works better than others. The formula this time isn't quite as effective as usual. There are too many coincidences, and some of the mysteries are contrived to create extra drama, including the "tragedy" of Lucian's early marriage, which just makes very little sense, but is needed to make him appear more flawed and mysterious (a requirement for a Holt hero). This is an enjoyable read, but not one of Holt's better outings.
September 22, 2009
This book I really liked, but it's one I have to be in the exact mood for. There's no denying the writing genius of Victoria Holt, who also wrote under several other names. Her descriptions are breath-taking and whole, her vocabulary is miraculous, and her ability to weave a story into one's mind cannot be questioned. It's her style, though, to start at the beginning of a character's life and go to the end. Which is wonderful. But sometimes I'm too impatient a reader for that style.
However, I very much enjoyed this book. The main character was saucy and level-headed. I adored the relationship she shared with "Uncle" Toby, and the mystery, while maybe a titch predictable, was good. The story was tragic in itself, but showed that everything ends up right eventually, something I believe happens in real life as well as in novels. But then, fictions somehow shows life for what it really is in a way that we can accept it.
I suggest this book to mystery-lovers that have a hunger for the classic description too often skipped over in more modern fiction. Absolutely wonderful.
However, I very much enjoyed this book. The main character was saucy and level-headed. I adored the relationship she shared with "Uncle" Toby, and the mystery, while maybe a titch predictable, was good. The story was tragic in itself, but showed that everything ends up right eventually, something I believe happens in real life as well as in novels. But then, fictions somehow shows life for what it really is in a way that we can accept it.
I suggest this book to mystery-lovers that have a hunger for the classic description too often skipped over in more modern fiction. Absolutely wonderful.
May 27, 2016
Recien termine de leer El Ópalo Negro de Victoria Holt, la verdad hace mucho tiempo lei una novela de ella bajo su seudonimo de Jean Plaidy y me gusto pero como era biografica pues tuvo un final triste y no habia tenido oportunidad de cojer otro libro de ella y luego me tope con Lilith que me encanto, no la podia soltar, con el Opalo me paso lo mismo pero me oblige a que me durara toda la semana, ahora estoy tratando de conseguir todo lo que pueda de esta escritora porque en mi humilde opinion es buenisima, me encanta.
January 24, 2022
I know there are others that really liked this book but it was not for me. There just seemed like there was a lot going on and I was not entirely sure what to make of the storyline. While there was some form of resolution it seemed to come about in a very wide arc.
It just wasn't for me.
It just wasn't for me.
June 13, 2011
Meh. Not Holt's greatest. Still an interesting read, though.
November 2, 2010
I was pleasantly surprised that this book was not just a romantic mystery, but had some substance, namely, dealing with grief, and the complications of relationships, especially with family.
December 5, 2016
Not a lot of depth to the writing, but enjoyable nonetheless.
June 8, 2014
This is a bit of an odd book. It's told in first person, obviously from an adult perspective as a woman looks back on her life. It can be split into three parts (although there are no formal "part 1", etc sections of the novel).
In the first section, young Carmel March is a foundling, brought into the care of a doctor and his wife. Carmel - was literally found under an Azalea bush. Although his wife objects, Dr. Marline insists that the family take Carmel in. They give her the name, Carmel, because of the Azalea bush where she was found, and March, because that is when they found her. As a child, Mrs. Marline treats Carmel with some scorn, as does the household's children's overbearing Nanny. Carmel is told over and over she isn't good enough. but Carmel endures and doesn't take the criticism to heart.
She has many adventures as a child - befriending Adeline the mental-challenged eldest daughter, Henry the second eldest and only son, and Estella, the younger daughter. The well-to-do noble family next door show kindness to the Marline children, and when the son, Lucien, notices Carmel watching from the bushes, he invites her to tea as well - and thus begins a friendship. Carmel also makes trips to the nearby woods, and chats with the Gypsies in their caravans.
Other than Lucien's kindness, and adventures with the Gypsies, the best thing in Carmel's life is the children's Uncle Toby, a sea captain who visits on occasion.
Mrs. Marline because more and more cruel, especially to her eldest daughter, Adeline, especially after she's paralyzed in a riding accident. Soon, Dr. Marline hires a young governess to teach the children, and the district nurse is visiting to help with Mrs. Marline. The children, especially Adeline, love the governess, and Mrs. Marline becomes jealous. It's implied that the governess and Dr. Marline have an affair. Then Mrs. Marline dies.
At that point, the three children are whisked away to an aunt's house. Carmel doesn't know what will happen to her, then Toby arrives and takes her to his ship.
And thus part two begins, as Captain Toby turns out to be Carmel's biological father, and her mother was a Gypsy, who had been born in the same traveling group that settled in the woods near Dr. Marline's house - but she had made a name for herself dancing and singing on the legitimate stage. Carmel takes her father's name and is now Carmel Sinclair.
Capt. Toby takes her to Australia, where his wife raises Carmel as her own daughter, and she meets many new friends, including a potential suitor - who eventually decides to try his hand mining opals.
But when Toby and Carmel are making a short, "easy", trip to nearby South Sea Islands - there's a storm. Carmel is rescued from the shipwreck, but the captain goes down with his ship.
Part III
Carmel's at a loss, so she returns to England with her friend, Gertie, who had traveled to Australia from England on Capt Toby's ship and had befriended young Carmel. Gertie wishes to return to England, so Carmel accompanies her back. Soon Gertie has a suitor, then marries. Carmel, meanwhile, has three suitor's - James, back in Australia, mining for opals - and hoping to strike his fortune; Lawrence, a doctor, who seems to come in a set with his sister, and is much older than Carmel; and Lucian, now Sir Lucian, after inheriting his father's title.
Once back in London, Carmel discovers that Mrs. Marline didn't merely die suddenly - she was murdered. And Dr. Marline and the governess were accused of the crime. Dr. Marline was excuted for it and the governess only got off because she was pregnant.
Carmel dithers around, trying to decide who to marry, and even manages to find her mother as well as Ms. Kitty Carson, the governess. She is now Mrs. Jefferson Craig, having married Dr. Marline's lawyer, and the couple are raising Kitty's child and Adeline.
Lucian and Carmel become closer, though Lucian has a secret - which he finally bares to Carmel. Far from pulling the couple apart, it brings them together.
In the end, they discover Adeline has a terrible secret too.
But, everything works out.
Overall, the best part of the book was the section set in Australia. I could have read an entire series about teenaged Carmel and Gertie and their friends in Australia - especially when I was a young person. I thought the book really dragged in the third part, as Gertie finds a suitor and quickly marries, and then she tries to marry off Carmel. The suddenly introduced mystery is a bit brief - Carmel's sudden departure from the Marline house had seemed odd, so it's not a surprise when in turns out Mrs. Marline was murdered (beside the book jacket mentions it).
This is set in a historic setting, but there are so few details describing it that I had no idea when it was supposed to take place, only when she refers to "the death of the Queen" and the New Century, does it become obvious that the story takes place in the 1890's and the last chapter about 1910. More historical details would have given the book a richer feel. It's also very short, only about 250 pages or so. But the first person narration by an older Carmel describing her life, worked quite well, and I enjoyed that. I also liked Carmel and the intriguing women in her life.
In the first section, young Carmel March is a foundling, brought into the care of a doctor and his wife. Carmel - was literally found under an Azalea bush. Although his wife objects, Dr. Marline insists that the family take Carmel in. They give her the name, Carmel, because of the Azalea bush where she was found, and March, because that is when they found her. As a child, Mrs. Marline treats Carmel with some scorn, as does the household's children's overbearing Nanny. Carmel is told over and over she isn't good enough. but Carmel endures and doesn't take the criticism to heart.
She has many adventures as a child - befriending Adeline the mental-challenged eldest daughter, Henry the second eldest and only son, and Estella, the younger daughter. The well-to-do noble family next door show kindness to the Marline children, and when the son, Lucien, notices Carmel watching from the bushes, he invites her to tea as well - and thus begins a friendship. Carmel also makes trips to the nearby woods, and chats with the Gypsies in their caravans.
Other than Lucien's kindness, and adventures with the Gypsies, the best thing in Carmel's life is the children's Uncle Toby, a sea captain who visits on occasion.
Mrs. Marline because more and more cruel, especially to her eldest daughter, Adeline, especially after she's paralyzed in a riding accident. Soon, Dr. Marline hires a young governess to teach the children, and the district nurse is visiting to help with Mrs. Marline. The children, especially Adeline, love the governess, and Mrs. Marline becomes jealous. It's implied that the governess and Dr. Marline have an affair. Then Mrs. Marline dies.
At that point, the three children are whisked away to an aunt's house. Carmel doesn't know what will happen to her, then Toby arrives and takes her to his ship.
And thus part two begins, as Captain Toby turns out to be Carmel's biological father, and her mother was a Gypsy, who had been born in the same traveling group that settled in the woods near Dr. Marline's house - but she had made a name for herself dancing and singing on the legitimate stage. Carmel takes her father's name and is now Carmel Sinclair.
Capt. Toby takes her to Australia, where his wife raises Carmel as her own daughter, and she meets many new friends, including a potential suitor - who eventually decides to try his hand mining opals.
But when Toby and Carmel are making a short, "easy", trip to nearby South Sea Islands - there's a storm. Carmel is rescued from the shipwreck, but the captain goes down with his ship.
Part III
Carmel's at a loss, so she returns to England with her friend, Gertie, who had traveled to Australia from England on Capt Toby's ship and had befriended young Carmel. Gertie wishes to return to England, so Carmel accompanies her back. Soon Gertie has a suitor, then marries. Carmel, meanwhile, has three suitor's - James, back in Australia, mining for opals - and hoping to strike his fortune; Lawrence, a doctor, who seems to come in a set with his sister, and is much older than Carmel; and Lucian, now Sir Lucian, after inheriting his father's title.
Once back in London, Carmel discovers that Mrs. Marline didn't merely die suddenly - she was murdered. And Dr. Marline and the governess were accused of the crime. Dr. Marline was excuted for it and the governess only got off because she was pregnant.
Carmel dithers around, trying to decide who to marry, and even manages to find her mother as well as Ms. Kitty Carson, the governess. She is now Mrs. Jefferson Craig, having married Dr. Marline's lawyer, and the couple are raising Kitty's child and Adeline.
Lucian and Carmel become closer, though Lucian has a secret - which he finally bares to Carmel. Far from pulling the couple apart, it brings them together.
In the end, they discover Adeline has a terrible secret too.
But, everything works out.
Overall, the best part of the book was the section set in Australia. I could have read an entire series about teenaged Carmel and Gertie and their friends in Australia - especially when I was a young person. I thought the book really dragged in the third part, as Gertie finds a suitor and quickly marries, and then she tries to marry off Carmel. The suddenly introduced mystery is a bit brief - Carmel's sudden departure from the Marline house had seemed odd, so it's not a surprise when in turns out Mrs. Marline was murdered (beside the book jacket mentions it).
This is set in a historic setting, but there are so few details describing it that I had no idea when it was supposed to take place, only when she refers to "the death of the Queen" and the New Century, does it become obvious that the story takes place in the 1890's and the last chapter about 1910. More historical details would have given the book a richer feel. It's also very short, only about 250 pages or so. But the first person narration by an older Carmel describing her life, worked quite well, and I enjoyed that. I also liked Carmel and the intriguing women in her life.
January 18, 2024
Slow start. I'm not a fan of books with extremely long chapters so it was not as enjoyable as I hoped. Again, it was a predictable ending and that accounts for the 3 stars
October 2, 2024
It was better than I expected it to be, but it's still a love story.
April 15, 2018
I have always loved Victoria Holt....this book is 25 years old, but is wonderful. Didn't go into it as reading a "mystery" however; as the chapters went along it grew that way....I only figured out the person who committed the crime 4 pages before I was told....WTG, Victoria!
only 2 negatives.....the chapters are between 45 and 60 pages long....which means there is never a very good place to stop reading and place the bookmark. Victoria really dropped the ball when she didn't "wrap-up" one of the characters....one of Carmel's suitors. Guess I can't everything!
only 2 negatives.....the chapters are between 45 and 60 pages long....which means there is never a very good place to stop reading and place the bookmark. Victoria really dropped the ball when she didn't "wrap-up" one of the characters....one of Carmel's suitors. Guess I can't everything!
June 3, 2023
Każdy jeden dialog w tej książce był tak żałosny i żenujący, że aż mnie skręcało. Jedyne na czym fabuła tej książki się opierała to główna bohaterka odwiedzająca wręcz każdego kogo zna i opowiadająca podczas tych odwiedzin o każdych poprzednich. Jedyne kilkanaście ostatnich stron było ciekawe.
February 24, 2022
I read this book for nostalgic reasons. I’d read Victoria Holt’s stuff as a teenager and wanted to see how it held up. It’s kind of silly, yet the story moves along nicely. It’s kind of like an old-fashioned YA novel. Still an enjoyable read.
May 2, 2013
Catherine's Review:
Left under an azalea bush at Commonwood House and reluctantly taken in by Dr. and Mrs. Marline, Carmel March has always felt like an outsider. Her origins shrouded in mystery, Carmel has always wondered why she was abandoned. Desperate for affection, she forms attachments with the gypsies in the woods, dear Uncle Toby, and Kitty Carson, her beloved governess. When Mrs. Marline is crippled in a hunting accident and becomes even more bitter and cruel, life at Commonwood becomes increasingly miserable.
Mrs. Marline’s sudden death prompts Uncle Toby to take Carmel away to his home in Australia. Ecstatic to be with her favorite person and experiencing grand adventures, Carmel doesn’t realize she has been whisked away from a murder scene and the brutal trial of the Dr. Marline until she returns to England as an adult. Convinced the wrong man was hanged for the crime, Carmel sets out to prove the doctor’s innocence. At the same time, Carmel finds herself torn between two suitors, the steady Dr. Emmerson and the handsome, enigmatic Lucian Crompton, a childhood friend whose past seems to be full of dark secrets. Carmel must lay the secrets and tragedies of Commonwood to rest before she can find the freedom to love freely.
Victoria Holt has long been recognized as a master of historical romantic suspense. While it doesn’t create the sense of urgency that comes with some of her other novels, The Black Opal is a perfect example of her understated yet captivating style of storytelling. Holt provides a charming view of life in late Victorian England and Australia. This tale is truly more about understanding the characters, their backgrounds, and personalities than solving the mystery. The Black Opal is a must read for fans of subtle yet unsettlingly suspenseful stories found in books by authors like Mary Stewart, Phyllis A. Whitney, or Elizabeth Peters!
Selection:
I first discovered Victoria Holt as a preteen when digging through my grandmother’s bookshelves. She was a voracious reader and Holt was one of her favorites. The Black Opal was my first Victoria Holt novel, but certainly not my last. I have always remembered it fondly because of the connection it gives me to my grandmother.
Upon rereading, I discovered that while I still enjoyed it, it wasn’t quite as wonderful as I remembered. I still love Holt’s writing style but I find that I now prefer some of her more suspenseful offerings such as Mistress of Mellyn, Bride of Pendorric, or On the Night of the Seventh Moon.
Left under an azalea bush at Commonwood House and reluctantly taken in by Dr. and Mrs. Marline, Carmel March has always felt like an outsider. Her origins shrouded in mystery, Carmel has always wondered why she was abandoned. Desperate for affection, she forms attachments with the gypsies in the woods, dear Uncle Toby, and Kitty Carson, her beloved governess. When Mrs. Marline is crippled in a hunting accident and becomes even more bitter and cruel, life at Commonwood becomes increasingly miserable.
Mrs. Marline’s sudden death prompts Uncle Toby to take Carmel away to his home in Australia. Ecstatic to be with her favorite person and experiencing grand adventures, Carmel doesn’t realize she has been whisked away from a murder scene and the brutal trial of the Dr. Marline until she returns to England as an adult. Convinced the wrong man was hanged for the crime, Carmel sets out to prove the doctor’s innocence. At the same time, Carmel finds herself torn between two suitors, the steady Dr. Emmerson and the handsome, enigmatic Lucian Crompton, a childhood friend whose past seems to be full of dark secrets. Carmel must lay the secrets and tragedies of Commonwood to rest before she can find the freedom to love freely.
Victoria Holt has long been recognized as a master of historical romantic suspense. While it doesn’t create the sense of urgency that comes with some of her other novels, The Black Opal is a perfect example of her understated yet captivating style of storytelling. Holt provides a charming view of life in late Victorian England and Australia. This tale is truly more about understanding the characters, their backgrounds, and personalities than solving the mystery. The Black Opal is a must read for fans of subtle yet unsettlingly suspenseful stories found in books by authors like Mary Stewart, Phyllis A. Whitney, or Elizabeth Peters!
Selection:
I first discovered Victoria Holt as a preteen when digging through my grandmother’s bookshelves. She was a voracious reader and Holt was one of her favorites. The Black Opal was my first Victoria Holt novel, but certainly not my last. I have always remembered it fondly because of the connection it gives me to my grandmother.
Upon rereading, I discovered that while I still enjoyed it, it wasn’t quite as wonderful as I remembered. I still love Holt’s writing style but I find that I now prefer some of her more suspenseful offerings such as Mistress of Mellyn, Bride of Pendorric, or On the Night of the Seventh Moon.
January 14, 2013
Good writing, descriptive and enjoyable but very similar in plot to her other books with some differences:
First, the story has much more emphasis on Carmel's childhood than I remember many Holt stories having. There is a lot of interesting plot from her childhood that comes into play later on, but the real romance part comes quite late in the book.
So late as to make it incidental. More on that below.
I actually didn't mind that so much of it was on Carmel's childhood as I found it all very interesting, and the story moves on without dragging.
Was the story satisfying at the end? There was some let down, I think due mostly to the romance, as it were coming so late.
Spoilers:
Her feelings for Lucian seem to come from nowhere. Yes, they were friends. Yes, I did appreciate that Carmel was presented with evidence that he was flawed and not the hero she'd first thought. I didn't mind that at all, in fact I appreciated Holt's effort to round out Lucian's character more than she had done with many of her previous male characters. But Carmel's feelings turning to something more substantial for him seemed misty. I was glad there was a happy ending, but was left with the feeling that something was missing.
Also, why was this book titled as it was? I kept waiting for a black opal, specifically, to become more important in the plot. Didn't happen. Yes, Adeline was getting an opal from the drawer, but that only figured highly in the story in that it moved Carmel on to live with her father. And was that black opal? Not stated.
The only black opal was the one James gave her that she had put in a ring. One might wonder if this was to be a hint that her feelings for James went deeper than was presented on the surface. Why was it so important as to title the book after it? Why not include the name Commonwood in the title since she kept going back to that place?
I've not read Holt books in years, but I did used to re-read them a lot, and I don't recall them being quite so gruesome as this one - I'm referring to poor Dr Marline being hanged for a murder he didn't commit. That took me by surprise. I did guess who the real killer was well before it was presented, though. Probably because of all the other Holt books I've read in the past. Still, a solid read and one I found it hard to put down.
I would have rated it 3-1/2 stars if GR would allow that. I do so hate the rating system here.
First, the story has much more emphasis on Carmel's childhood than I remember many Holt stories having. There is a lot of interesting plot from her childhood that comes into play later on, but the real romance part comes quite late in the book.
So late as to make it incidental. More on that below.
I actually didn't mind that so much of it was on Carmel's childhood as I found it all very interesting, and the story moves on without dragging.
Was the story satisfying at the end? There was some let down, I think due mostly to the romance, as it were coming so late.
Spoilers:
Her feelings for Lucian seem to come from nowhere. Yes, they were friends. Yes, I did appreciate that Carmel was presented with evidence that he was flawed and not the hero she'd first thought. I didn't mind that at all, in fact I appreciated Holt's effort to round out Lucian's character more than she had done with many of her previous male characters. But Carmel's feelings turning to something more substantial for him seemed misty. I was glad there was a happy ending, but was left with the feeling that something was missing.
Also, why was this book titled as it was? I kept waiting for a black opal, specifically, to become more important in the plot. Didn't happen. Yes, Adeline was getting an opal from the drawer, but that only figured highly in the story in that it moved Carmel on to live with her father. And was that black opal? Not stated.
The only black opal was the one James gave her that she had put in a ring. One might wonder if this was to be a hint that her feelings for James went deeper than was presented on the surface. Why was it so important as to title the book after it? Why not include the name Commonwood in the title since she kept going back to that place?
I've not read Holt books in years, but I did used to re-read them a lot, and I don't recall them being quite so gruesome as this one - I'm referring to poor Dr Marline being hanged for a murder he didn't commit. That took me by surprise. I did guess who the real killer was well before it was presented, though. Probably because of all the other Holt books I've read in the past. Still, a solid read and one I found it hard to put down.
I would have rated it 3-1/2 stars if GR would allow that. I do so hate the rating system here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2014
I quite enjoyed this book. It was a little unexpected turn-of-events for me because I didn't know much about it at all. It's been on my shelf for a couple of years now and it looks a bit battered up and small because I bought it at a used book store type place.
But finally picking it up and finishing it has made me feel really good.
To me, there were three parts to it.
The first part was about Carmel and her childhood, Commonwood House, her family then, and the atmosphere in that first part was so different. I quite liked that part, it had a nostalgic vibe to it for me. The gypsy parts were different and a nice contrast to reading about Commonwood and The Grange all the time. I liked the little back story with her parents as well. (I did have an 'omg' moment out loud when we figure out who her real father is, though. That was loads of fun.)
The second part was her going to Australia with her father, to me. And her life in Australia, with Elsie, Gertie, James, etc. That evoked a totally different setting. Even the little outing with James and the sundowner, that was very vivid and I very much liked how I pictured it in my head. All of it, the birds, Elsie's place, Lawrence and Dorothy, etc.
And the small, third part, was that of the actual mystery. Now, when I read the back of the book, I thought that the whole novel was going to be this big giant mystery. In a way, it was partly. In the end, I liked how all of it tied together. But I guess I quickly grew to realizing that this wasn't going to be all 'the main character goes on this giant quest to figure out who the real killer was', etc.
But it's all good. Like I said before, I enjoyed it a lot. It had a satisfactory ending.
I was sufficiently satisfied with this book.
(Though I couldn't help but picture Lucian as a Malfoy-type character and always had it in my head that he was evil and maleficent. Maybe that's how they wrote him, too, though.)
Keeping this book, it was a nice, light, small read.
But finally picking it up and finishing it has made me feel really good.
To me, there were three parts to it.
The first part was about Carmel and her childhood, Commonwood House, her family then, and the atmosphere in that first part was so different. I quite liked that part, it had a nostalgic vibe to it for me. The gypsy parts were different and a nice contrast to reading about Commonwood and The Grange all the time. I liked the little back story with her parents as well. (I did have an 'omg' moment out loud when we figure out who her real father is, though. That was loads of fun.)
The second part was her going to Australia with her father, to me. And her life in Australia, with Elsie, Gertie, James, etc. That evoked a totally different setting. Even the little outing with James and the sundowner, that was very vivid and I very much liked how I pictured it in my head. All of it, the birds, Elsie's place, Lawrence and Dorothy, etc.
And the small, third part, was that of the actual mystery. Now, when I read the back of the book, I thought that the whole novel was going to be this big giant mystery. In a way, it was partly. In the end, I liked how all of it tied together. But I guess I quickly grew to realizing that this wasn't going to be all 'the main character goes on this giant quest to figure out who the real killer was', etc.
But it's all good. Like I said before, I enjoyed it a lot. It had a satisfactory ending.
I was sufficiently satisfied with this book.
(Though I couldn't help but picture Lucian as a Malfoy-type character and always had it in my head that he was evil and maleficent. Maybe that's how they wrote him, too, though.)
Keeping this book, it was a nice, light, small read.
July 28, 2011
Everytime I read a Victoria Holt novel I wait for the main character to fall in love, and sometimes I can guess who it is before it's revealed. Holt has a recipe for writing mystery novels; sometimes it can be redundant, sometimes it can really grab you. The Black Opal starts off with a baby found under an Azalea bush next to Commonwood House where Dr and Mrs Marline live with their two daughters, Adeline and Estella, and their son Henry. Hesitantly, the Marlines' take the baby in and name her Carmel. Carmel grows up realizing that her mother gave her up, and Estella and Nanny Gilroy constantly remind her that she doesn't belong with the Marlines'. I enjoyed the book up until the sea voyage with uncle Toby. Sea tales do not interest me so I found most of that part boring. The middle and the end however were entertaining because that's where the mystery takes place. Through out the novel there are little surprises as well, and of course it finishes with everybody living their happy ending.
November 30, 2018
It had been so long since I read this book that, despite remembering that I enjoyed it, I couldn't remember any of the plot details!
Carmel March is a foundling taken in by the Marline family as an infant. She lives with the family until she is about eight years old, when a tragedy occurs and the man she calls Uncle Toby takes her to Australia with him. It's no great spoiler to reveal that Toby is her father, because you can see it coming for ages.
Anyway, it's a Gothic romance with brooding heroes, secrets to be kept or revealed, and a happily-ever-after ending for Carmel, who learns that real family can be created when one's origins are unknown (although they are eventually revealed in their entirety through the course of the book).
Carmel March is a foundling taken in by the Marline family as an infant. She lives with the family until she is about eight years old, when a tragedy occurs and the man she calls Uncle Toby takes her to Australia with him. It's no great spoiler to reveal that Toby is her father, because you can see it coming for ages.
Anyway, it's a Gothic romance with brooding heroes, secrets to be kept or revealed, and a happily-ever-after ending for Carmel, who learns that real family can be created when one's origins are unknown (although they are eventually revealed in their entirety through the course of the book).
January 28, 2009
a half gypsie chick lives in house where she isnt wanted until some thing stirs up in there that her "uncle"toby came and got her to take a voyage with him and thats where he confessed to her he was her father. but later her father dies tragically and she is left to live with his wife her new mom. Later on she goes back to her origional home where she discovers that the poeple she knew and some she loved died or dissapeared fromt he house where she was raised. she is to be in a love triangle a doctor the brother of her best friend and an old love from her old home. who is she to pick and who killed her aunt
July 2, 2014
Picked this book up at my grandma's and was amazed at how much I enjoyed it! Full disclosure--I skimmed the whole thing, rather that reading it in depth... but I loved the crazy twists and turns of the plot. I loved that it happened across the first twenty years of a girl's life--I thought the author handled the passage of time very realistically. I loved the characters, too, especially Toby. They were all very dynamic.
And the plot kept me guessing! So many plots and subplots and so much suspense, but somehow it all worked together without becoming a tangled mess.
Maybe I need to read more Victoria Holt!
And the plot kept me guessing! So many plots and subplots and so much suspense, but somehow it all worked together without becoming a tangled mess.
Maybe I need to read more Victoria Holt!
April 4, 2014
Poor Carmel is left under the azalea bush and found by the family gardener. She grows up with the family that takes her in, occasionally treated like an outsider, but ultimately learns the truth of her parentage, has adventures along the way, and receives more than one marriage proposals. Sometimes disjointed, but neatly wrapped up in the end in typical Holt style. I was in the mood to revisit this story that I read years ago, but find myself feeling a little vexed, and thinking, "I wish she had written it this way."
February 12, 2020
This is the best book I’ve read by Victoria Holt. This book was told by Carmel, a girl who lived at Commonwood House. She never quite fit in with the family. Dr. Marline, her “step-father”was a kind man. His wife never paid attention to Carmel since she wasn’t her child, and when Mrs. Marline has a riding accident, putting her in a wheel chair permanently, she becomes very mean. Her children were Adeline, a mentally challenged girl who was yelled at too much by her mother; Henry, who would be going away to school; and Estella, nearest in age to Carmel but not close to her.
Carmel highlighted events in her life that were meaningful to her. One was visiting The Grange, a big estate owned by the Cromptons. Carmel was not allowed to picnic with the family. So she stayed back in the bushes to watch. She realized a pendant given to her by her Uncle Toby was missing. Lucian Crompton, noticing her, helped her find her pendant and had the clasp fixed for her.
Commonwood house gets a new governess, Kitty Carson. She gets along very well with the children, and has formed a romantic relationship with Dr. Marline. The staff of the house have figured that out, and when Kitty gets into an argument with Mrs. Marline about how she treats Adeline, she faints while going back down the hall, a sure sign that she is pregnant.
Soon after, Mrs. Marline is found dead in her room. The children are sent away from the house so they wouldn’t be disposed to the inquest and aftermath. Carmel goes out to sea with Uncle Toby, the captain of The Lady of the Seas. The other children go with an aunt to live.
Carmel is overjoyed at being with Toby. They have always had a strong bond, most probably because Toby is actually Carmel’s father. Toby had an affair with a gypsy woman, Zingara, who Carmel has actually met before when she visited a gypsy camp near Commonwood. This is Carmel’s mother. Toby is actually married to Elsie who lives in Australia, but their relationship is very open, more like a good friendship since they only see each other when Toby comes to Australia. This is their destination now. On the voyage Carmel rooms with a girl who is around her age, Gertie. Carmel forms a strong friendship with Gertie and her family. As a matter of fact, when Carmel learns she is to stay in Australia, Gertie and Carmel go to school together.
Time passes and the girls have graduated from school. Gertie’s brother, James, takes an interest in mining opals as well as an interest in Carmel. When he asks Carmel to marry him and stay with him in Australia, Carmel tells him they should wait since they aren’t even in love yet. Carmel goes on another voyage with Toby, but there is a bad storm. Carmel is rescued but Toby will forever be lost at sea. Carmel is devastated, and agrees to go with Gertie back home to stay with her Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Harold. On the ship going back to England, Gertie meets her future husband, Bernard. Carmel happens to run into Dr. Lawrence Emmerson, a friend of her father’s and who had helped the girls a while back not miss their ship when it had docked for a short time in Suez.
Back in England, Carmel goes with Gertie to meet Bernard’s family. While there, it just so happens it’s not far from where she grew up, so Carmel visits Commonwood House. It’s now in bad shape, vacant, and spooky. As Carmel heads back to the town, she runs into Lucian! They have a bite to eat and catch up. Lucian tells her that Dr. Marline was found guilty of murdering his wife and was hanged. Lucian’s wife died giving birth to a girl, Bridget.
As time goes on, Carmel has three men in her life. But who will she fall in love with? James is mining opals in Australia. Lawrence is a good deal older than Carmel but good company. His sister Dorothy is very close to him and looks out for him. Lucian is mysterious. But once he tells Carmel about how his first wife deceived him into marriage because she was pregnant (not even with his child) Carmel starts falling in love with him. The last “secret” he reveals is him thinking he was the one who killed Mrs. Marline. He accidentally spilled her pills she had on her night stand and in a rush so he wouldn’t be seen picked up the pills and put them haphazardly in the bottles. Could she have mistakingly taken the wrong pills because Lucian put them in the wrong bottle? Lucian has the opportunity to reveal this to Kitty, the former governess, who Carmel has located and gotten to meet again. Her husband, who helped her when the case was active, tells Lucian it probably would be best not to tell the press or the police this confession since it’s just a possibility this could have resulted in Mrs. Marline’s death.
While staying with Kitty and her family Carmel reunited with Adeline. Adeline only wanted to be with Kitty so her aunt let her live with Kitty since she’s a lot to handle with her mental states. She gets into highs of happiness and lows of actually wanting to push Carmel over the balcony! It’s after this occurs that Carmel runs to get Kitty but it’s too late...Adeline goes back to the balcony and jumps. She’s still alive at the hospital where she confesses to putting a bunch of Mrs. Marline’s pills in water when she asked for them. That’s when Mrs. Marline died. Adeline passes away from her injuries.
Carmel’s life is settled now that the truth has come out about how Mrs. Marline died. She marries Lucian who she truly loves and they live at The Grange. Kitty and her daughter Edwina (daughter of Dr. Marline) live on a new house built where Commonwood once stood.
Carmel highlighted events in her life that were meaningful to her. One was visiting The Grange, a big estate owned by the Cromptons. Carmel was not allowed to picnic with the family. So she stayed back in the bushes to watch. She realized a pendant given to her by her Uncle Toby was missing. Lucian Crompton, noticing her, helped her find her pendant and had the clasp fixed for her.
Commonwood house gets a new governess, Kitty Carson. She gets along very well with the children, and has formed a romantic relationship with Dr. Marline. The staff of the house have figured that out, and when Kitty gets into an argument with Mrs. Marline about how she treats Adeline, she faints while going back down the hall, a sure sign that she is pregnant.
Soon after, Mrs. Marline is found dead in her room. The children are sent away from the house so they wouldn’t be disposed to the inquest and aftermath. Carmel goes out to sea with Uncle Toby, the captain of The Lady of the Seas. The other children go with an aunt to live.
Carmel is overjoyed at being with Toby. They have always had a strong bond, most probably because Toby is actually Carmel’s father. Toby had an affair with a gypsy woman, Zingara, who Carmel has actually met before when she visited a gypsy camp near Commonwood. This is Carmel’s mother. Toby is actually married to Elsie who lives in Australia, but their relationship is very open, more like a good friendship since they only see each other when Toby comes to Australia. This is their destination now. On the voyage Carmel rooms with a girl who is around her age, Gertie. Carmel forms a strong friendship with Gertie and her family. As a matter of fact, when Carmel learns she is to stay in Australia, Gertie and Carmel go to school together.
Time passes and the girls have graduated from school. Gertie’s brother, James, takes an interest in mining opals as well as an interest in Carmel. When he asks Carmel to marry him and stay with him in Australia, Carmel tells him they should wait since they aren’t even in love yet. Carmel goes on another voyage with Toby, but there is a bad storm. Carmel is rescued but Toby will forever be lost at sea. Carmel is devastated, and agrees to go with Gertie back home to stay with her Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Harold. On the ship going back to England, Gertie meets her future husband, Bernard. Carmel happens to run into Dr. Lawrence Emmerson, a friend of her father’s and who had helped the girls a while back not miss their ship when it had docked for a short time in Suez.
Back in England, Carmel goes with Gertie to meet Bernard’s family. While there, it just so happens it’s not far from where she grew up, so Carmel visits Commonwood House. It’s now in bad shape, vacant, and spooky. As Carmel heads back to the town, she runs into Lucian! They have a bite to eat and catch up. Lucian tells her that Dr. Marline was found guilty of murdering his wife and was hanged. Lucian’s wife died giving birth to a girl, Bridget.
As time goes on, Carmel has three men in her life. But who will she fall in love with? James is mining opals in Australia. Lawrence is a good deal older than Carmel but good company. His sister Dorothy is very close to him and looks out for him. Lucian is mysterious. But once he tells Carmel about how his first wife deceived him into marriage because she was pregnant (not even with his child) Carmel starts falling in love with him. The last “secret” he reveals is him thinking he was the one who killed Mrs. Marline. He accidentally spilled her pills she had on her night stand and in a rush so he wouldn’t be seen picked up the pills and put them haphazardly in the bottles. Could she have mistakingly taken the wrong pills because Lucian put them in the wrong bottle? Lucian has the opportunity to reveal this to Kitty, the former governess, who Carmel has located and gotten to meet again. Her husband, who helped her when the case was active, tells Lucian it probably would be best not to tell the press or the police this confession since it’s just a possibility this could have resulted in Mrs. Marline’s death.
While staying with Kitty and her family Carmel reunited with Adeline. Adeline only wanted to be with Kitty so her aunt let her live with Kitty since she’s a lot to handle with her mental states. She gets into highs of happiness and lows of actually wanting to push Carmel over the balcony! It’s after this occurs that Carmel runs to get Kitty but it’s too late...Adeline goes back to the balcony and jumps. She’s still alive at the hospital where she confesses to putting a bunch of Mrs. Marline’s pills in water when she asked for them. That’s when Mrs. Marline died. Adeline passes away from her injuries.
Carmel’s life is settled now that the truth has come out about how Mrs. Marline died. She marries Lucian who she truly loves and they live at The Grange. Kitty and her daughter Edwina (daughter of Dr. Marline) live on a new house built where Commonwood once stood.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2016
A young woman is abandoned on the front steps of a wealthy family who takes her in and raises her though they didn't always make her feel as an equal. Though one day her life is interupted by a death at the home and she is wisked away to Australia to be raised by her father who was the brother of the woman whose family had taken her in. After a few years and her fathers death she returns to England and starts to unravel the mysteries of the family that raised her and the mother who gave her up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews