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The Winter People
From her first glimpse of Glen Chandler, young Dina Blake was enchanted. Their courtship was swift, passionate, and filled with the kind of excitement Dina never knew existed.
She was certain their marriage would last forever...until he brought her to the family estate at High Towers. Then, slowly, relentlessly, Dina became aware that Glen's twin sister possessed her brother in a way Dina never could.
Suddenly Dina found herself alone in a house of strangers. She could no longer trust Glen's love and she knew his sister would stop at nothing to destroy their marriage, not even murder.
She was certain their marriage would last forever...until he brought her to the family estate at High Towers. Then, slowly, relentlessly, Dina became aware that Glen's twin sister possessed her brother in a way Dina never could.
Suddenly Dina found herself alone in a house of strangers. She could no longer trust Glen's love and she knew his sister would stop at nothing to destroy their marriage, not even murder.
207 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
192 people are currently reading
727 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis A. Whitney
191 books566 followersPhyllis Ayame Whitney (1903 – 2008) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. A review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics".
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 82 reviews
May 11, 2023
12/2018
From 1969. I loved this, but it was over long, over wordy. There is one character, everything she does is "dry." She even looks at you dryly. It's the convention of the genre (more words like it's the 19th century or something). Just, to me, it would have been a better book if it was shorter, tighter. But, by the way, Phyllis A. Whitney lived from 1903 to 2008. So she was far from young when she wrote this, and she wrote novels until 1997. So, pretty amazing. This was very good though a little cheesy, a good gothic story. I loved the descriptions of the art, the details about sculpting. I loved the paintings by Glynnis, the surreal, dark, "innocent art".
From 1969. I loved this, but it was over long, over wordy. There is one character, everything she does is "dry." She even looks at you dryly. It's the convention of the genre (more words like it's the 19th century or something). Just, to me, it would have been a better book if it was shorter, tighter. But, by the way, Phyllis A. Whitney lived from 1903 to 2008. So she was far from young when she wrote this, and she wrote novels until 1997. So, pretty amazing. This was very good though a little cheesy, a good gothic story. I loved the descriptions of the art, the details about sculpting. I loved the paintings by Glynnis, the surreal, dark, "innocent art".
October 6, 2023
I did this as an audio book.
With what I have read by Phyllis A. Whitney so far, she was on the top of her game when she wrote this one. This was a 20th Century Gothic in every sense of the word. I especially enjoyed that it was set during the winter.
Saying too much about this one will spoil the story.
With what I have read by Phyllis A. Whitney so far, she was on the top of her game when she wrote this one. This was a 20th Century Gothic in every sense of the word. I especially enjoyed that it was set during the winter.
Saying too much about this one will spoil the story.
March 13, 2017
I read this book in my early 20's I guess. I started Whitney's books like many others on here, in the 70's, in high school. One of my fave author's at that time and for many years. This book is one of her best to me. Creepy and intriguing. I was hooked on the first page with this one, which rarely happens. I really should read it again. It took me awhile today to find the title, as I could not remember it. Again, it was so dang creepy, the way the sister in law stalks the bride. The twist is so cool! I just loved it. Kept me coming back for more. I got to looking for it today b/c I was looking for a gothic novel to read and just remembered I used to love Whitney and they are easy reads. I don't need anything I have to think about too much right now. This was def. my fave of hers. A page turner for me.
December 31, 2012
if you like reading books with a strong female character skip this book.
if you are a woman and have any respect for your own sex skip this book.
this book is insulting to the strength of women. i know it was written in a different time when women were meeker however i wanted to beat the main character myself because she made herself a victim. anyway thats my two cents.. i say skip it
if you are a woman and have any respect for your own sex skip this book.
this book is insulting to the strength of women. i know it was written in a different time when women were meeker however i wanted to beat the main character myself because she made herself a victim. anyway thats my two cents.. i say skip it
July 8, 2023
3.5 because absolute doormat is too neutral a term to describe the heroine, whose tolerance for abuse and penchant for blaming herself for it was so exhausting.
August 27, 2013
You know a book is good when, after many many years you still remember it was good. It evokes a good feeling.
April 18, 2008
I got this book out of a FREE bin at a airport. I thought I'd give it a try since I had a 9 hour flight ahead of me. I fell in love with this book! Its got so many twists and surprises.
May 1, 2023
If you like reading novels with discerning, intelligible, and intelligent protagonists who make sensible choices, you should not purchase and read The Winter People by Phyllis A. Whitney. If you enjoy reading about conventional characters that are rational and tolerably selfless, go no further. Find a different book to read. On the other hand, if you enjoy reading about foolish young ladies who want everyone to listen to them, but refuse to take counsel from anyone else, then this book is for you. If you want to read about a protagonist living in a house of lunatics, well, then this book is right up your alley. If you enjoy shaking your head as you read a book while you mutter, "You have got to be kidding!," or "Does she have a screw loose or what!," or "Whatever is wrong with her!" then you have found the right book. If you enjoy watching B rated horror movies, where the silly person hears a sound in the adjacent room, and instead of running out the front door, walks into that room without turning on the lights, shakily saying, "Is anyone there?," this book is your book. Personally, I feel that the silly person deserves Jason or Freddie, or whoever, just as the protagonist in the Winter People. Unfortunately, you couldn't be so lucky. You have to deal with her throughout this book, because there is no crazed serial killer to annihilate poor Dina and put both her and the reader out of their misery. Apologies to Lemony Snicket.
That being said, I couldn't hardly put the book down. I'm not sure if it was because I wanted to learn who were the real culprit or culprits, or whether somebody would finally make a sensible decision. Regardless, the darn thing kept me reading, and it probably will for anyone who dares crack open this volume of craziness.
Phyllis A. Whitney started her very successful career as a novelist in 1941 with her first novel A Place for Ann. Following this first book, she enjoyed a very long and successful life in publishing seventy-six adult and children's novels and living to the age of 104. She became known as "The Queen of the American Gothics." One of her most prolific years was 1969 when she published four novels, including The Winter People. Consequently, when a reader looks at this novel, it is almost flawless when it comes to structure, grammar, character development, and setting description. I believe Ms. Whitney had the formula down pat. The problem that I found was that, and maybe it's just me, the formula becomes a bit frustrating. It's like watching the old classic, Gaslight with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. When you're the viewer looking in, even if it is a first person story, you still wonder why in the blazes some people can't see their hand right in front of their face. I give this a three because it is written so well, but take two off for all the exasperation. For anyone that decides to read this book, Good Luck!
That being said, I couldn't hardly put the book down. I'm not sure if it was because I wanted to learn who were the real culprit or culprits, or whether somebody would finally make a sensible decision. Regardless, the darn thing kept me reading, and it probably will for anyone who dares crack open this volume of craziness.
Phyllis A. Whitney started her very successful career as a novelist in 1941 with her first novel A Place for Ann. Following this first book, she enjoyed a very long and successful life in publishing seventy-six adult and children's novels and living to the age of 104. She became known as "The Queen of the American Gothics." One of her most prolific years was 1969 when she published four novels, including The Winter People. Consequently, when a reader looks at this novel, it is almost flawless when it comes to structure, grammar, character development, and setting description. I believe Ms. Whitney had the formula down pat. The problem that I found was that, and maybe it's just me, the formula becomes a bit frustrating. It's like watching the old classic, Gaslight with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. When you're the viewer looking in, even if it is a first person story, you still wonder why in the blazes some people can't see their hand right in front of their face. I give this a three because it is written so well, but take two off for all the exasperation. For anyone that decides to read this book, Good Luck!
October 4, 2010
Ah, this early novel and ones like it are why Whitney is so loved. Glad I'm reading this one after trying 'Ebony Swan' and not being overly impressed. I had to make myself stop reading last night-- way later than I needed to go to bed!
The full review:
http://gothicked.blogspot.com/2010/10...
The full review:
http://gothicked.blogspot.com/2010/10...
June 15, 2015
Totally gripping and intense. This is the second of Phyllis Whitney's books I've read, and she definitely knows how to weave an intriguing story that is impossible to put down.
I debated giving this book 4 stars only because it was so dark and oppressive and there was very little joy in it at all. But I decided to go with 5, because even if it isn't a very happy book (even if it isn't happy at all!) it's still a good book, fraught with tension and audacity and, at times, madness, but in a very artful way, and it is guaranteed to be a story you will not forget.
The settings are lush and deep and devilish at times. Although Phyllis Whitney's books are usually classified as "romantic suspense" I think one would be remiss not to mention the undercurrent of delicious horror that runs through the events of the book like a very low, ominous note played on a bass, just at the edge of the human perception of hearing. Something that puts you on edge at all times, even before you’re sure what exactly you’re on edge about.
My main misgiving about the story is the protagonist, Dina. She was very hard to like, mostly because of her meekness and disillusionment. I wanted to take her by the arm and get her the heck out of that crazy place herself. Yeah I know, this was 1969, but it was 1969, not 1869 for heaven’s sake. Yet, if she hadn't gotten into the predicament she was in, we wouldn’t have such a horribly fascinating story to read. But really...I found myself thinking, over and over, why not escape that dank dark tomb of a place in the New Jersey hills and return to the sunny California from whence you came, Dina! Yes, her mother was old and sickly, but she was still alive. And her aunt couldn’t have been an invalid herself if she was caring for Dina's mom. So Dina would have had some home to go back to, some relatives to reach out to. Each time the snare of the trap ratcheted tighter and tighter, though, I became more and more frustrated with Dina vacillating between the two major men in her life, determined in one moment to be a dutiful wife to Glen and determined in the next to rekindle her old flame for Trent. Although Dina lacked common sense, the story itself carried on very well and made up for her weaknesses.
I saw a lot of similarities when it came to characters and backstory between The Winter People and The Glass Flame (which was the first Phyllis Whitney book I read). The enigmatic aunt, eccentric and sharp and not at all a sweet little old lady; the free-spirited and in some cases maniacal girl-woman who plays pranks and who has a teenaged son to whom she is incapable of being a mother in any real sense and instead acts more like a mischievous older sister to him; the aforementioned adolescent boy, surly and with emotional walls which the protagonist (not his mother) must endeavor to break down; the protagonist’s estranged crush who was also a protégé of the protagonist’s beloved (and deceased) father; the cold, unpredictable husband, etc. I find that interesting rather than repetitive, though I’ll keep an eye out for it in future Phyllis Whitney books that I read. The characters themselves work, and I don’t mind that they carry over from one story to the next.
Lots of plot twists and more than a few strong shocks make this story impossible to escape from. Maybe that’s why Dina couldn’t. It was well-written and very engaging.
I debated giving this book 4 stars only because it was so dark and oppressive and there was very little joy in it at all. But I decided to go with 5, because even if it isn't a very happy book (even if it isn't happy at all!) it's still a good book, fraught with tension and audacity and, at times, madness, but in a very artful way, and it is guaranteed to be a story you will not forget.
The settings are lush and deep and devilish at times. Although Phyllis Whitney's books are usually classified as "romantic suspense" I think one would be remiss not to mention the undercurrent of delicious horror that runs through the events of the book like a very low, ominous note played on a bass, just at the edge of the human perception of hearing. Something that puts you on edge at all times, even before you’re sure what exactly you’re on edge about.
My main misgiving about the story is the protagonist, Dina. She was very hard to like, mostly because of her meekness and disillusionment. I wanted to take her by the arm and get her the heck out of that crazy place herself. Yeah I know, this was 1969, but it was 1969, not 1869 for heaven’s sake. Yet, if she hadn't gotten into the predicament she was in, we wouldn’t have such a horribly fascinating story to read. But really...I found myself thinking, over and over, why not escape that dank dark tomb of a place in the New Jersey hills and return to the sunny California from whence you came, Dina! Yes, her mother was old and sickly, but she was still alive. And her aunt couldn’t have been an invalid herself if she was caring for Dina's mom. So Dina would have had some home to go back to, some relatives to reach out to. Each time the snare of the trap ratcheted tighter and tighter, though, I became more and more frustrated with Dina vacillating between the two major men in her life, determined in one moment to be a dutiful wife to Glen and determined in the next to rekindle her old flame for Trent. Although Dina lacked common sense, the story itself carried on very well and made up for her weaknesses.
I saw a lot of similarities when it came to characters and backstory between The Winter People and The Glass Flame (which was the first Phyllis Whitney book I read). The enigmatic aunt, eccentric and sharp and not at all a sweet little old lady; the free-spirited and in some cases maniacal girl-woman who plays pranks and who has a teenaged son to whom she is incapable of being a mother in any real sense and instead acts more like a mischievous older sister to him; the aforementioned adolescent boy, surly and with emotional walls which the protagonist (not his mother) must endeavor to break down; the protagonist’s estranged crush who was also a protégé of the protagonist’s beloved (and deceased) father; the cold, unpredictable husband, etc. I find that interesting rather than repetitive, though I’ll keep an eye out for it in future Phyllis Whitney books that I read. The characters themselves work, and I don’t mind that they carry over from one story to the next.
Lots of plot twists and more than a few strong shocks make this story impossible to escape from. Maybe that’s why Dina couldn’t. It was well-written and very engaging.
March 24, 2022
"The Winter People" takes a darker turn than the typical Phyllis A. Whitney novel, flirting with what is certainly mental illness and possibly even the supernatural in this contemporary gothic. 24 year-old Dina Blake becomes enmeshed in the close-knit artistic family of Glen Chandler, who sweeps her off her feet and away to his father's home on a lake in Northern New Jersey. To say Dina won't find welcome there is an understatement. As she had been doing in other 60s novels, Whitney has fun making things unpleasant for her heroine, thanks to a nasty set of characters (a tendency she had also indulged in the earlier "Columbella, "Sea Jade" and "Silverhill"). Although the reader starts to lose a little patience with Dina for sticking around longer than a smart person should've, "The Winter People" is a fun ride and a better entertainment than its immediate predecessor "Hunter's Green."
April 13, 2016
I read this sometime in the 1970s and never forgot it. The cover sticks in my brain like it was yesterday. I hope I still have it somewhere in a box so I can reread and remember why I loved it so much. It shaped my love of creepy books so I'm really curious how it compares to what I like to read now.
May 8, 2012
Awesome! One of my favorite's! I finished reading this book in 2 days!
September 10, 2017
I hated the main character. She was an idiot from the first page to the last page.
December 31, 2024
The Winter People is Phyllis A. Whitney at her best. I am coming to view picking up one of her books as stepping into a favorite pair of slippers or tucking into my favorite meal. I look forward to it!
After the reader gets past the "love at first sight" in the opening chapters (I suppose it happens, but that plot device still makes me roll my eyes), the tale takes flight. Specifically it takes flight to upstate New York, in a gothic house named High Towers set above a large lake. There is an inn across the lake from the house that also plays its role in the drama. That drama centers on newlywed Dina Chandler, who gets more than she bargained for as she moves in with her new family at High Towers. Before long she christens them the "winter people", a term that has nothing to do with the gathering snow around the region. There are a series of odd vibes at High Towers, made all the more unsettling my the fact that someone in Dina's new family is not only cold...but deadly so.
Whitney imbues her characters with depth, flaws and clear personas. The story takes twists and turns that surprise the reader; anyone who thinks they can write the plot as they read it will be thwarted as Whitney deliberately takes certain aspects in a different direction. I so appreciate that. We might guess the outcome, but surprises along the way make the journey worthwhile.
After the reader gets past the "love at first sight" in the opening chapters (I suppose it happens, but that plot device still makes me roll my eyes), the tale takes flight. Specifically it takes flight to upstate New York, in a gothic house named High Towers set above a large lake. There is an inn across the lake from the house that also plays its role in the drama. That drama centers on newlywed Dina Chandler, who gets more than she bargained for as she moves in with her new family at High Towers. Before long she christens them the "winter people", a term that has nothing to do with the gathering snow around the region. There are a series of odd vibes at High Towers, made all the more unsettling my the fact that someone in Dina's new family is not only cold...but deadly so.
Whitney imbues her characters with depth, flaws and clear personas. The story takes twists and turns that surprise the reader; anyone who thinks they can write the plot as they read it will be thwarted as Whitney deliberately takes certain aspects in a different direction. I so appreciate that. We might guess the outcome, but surprises along the way make the journey worthwhile.
April 17, 2025
This was a strange read because the structure and a lot of the plot elements reminded me strongly of 'The Pretty Ones' by Dorothy Eden. Both authors wrote gothic romantic suspense but when I checked after finishing this, they were not the same person. However, I had a strong sense of deja vu when starting this, because both books commence with a dramatic incident and then for chapters afterwards go back over what led up to it. Both have a naïve young female protagonist, who is swept off her feet by a charismatic man - an artist in this book, a writer in Eden's - and marries him within a couple of weeks of first meeting him.
The similarities end there though. The husband in Eden's book is rather a chauvinist, but he doesn't side with his twin sister and view his wife as an object to serve him as a model: the only reason the husband in this book marries. There is an aunt in both books, but Eden's is a wry and likeable woman who counsels the protagonist not to rush into marriage. In this book, the woman is a rather embittered character, sister of the deceased wife of the patriarch of the family, who is fond of her nephew (who marries the protagonist) but hates his twin sister. The twin sister makes it clear from their first meeting that she will actively drive a wedge between her brother and his new bride, and when she does some truly outrageous things, everyone brushes them off and treats the protagonist as a whining ninny, apart from the aunt who constantly gives her warnings but doesn't do anything practical to assist her. The protagonist is a very irritating character who constantly makes allowances for the most outrageous treatment dished out to her by her husband and his sister. Something happens about three quarters of the way through which renders the rest of the book rather an anticlimax despite the attempt to rack up the attention at the end; I won't say any more to avoid spoilers. But altogether I could only give this an OK 2 stars.
The similarities end there though. The husband in Eden's book is rather a chauvinist, but he doesn't side with his twin sister and view his wife as an object to serve him as a model: the only reason the husband in this book marries. There is an aunt in both books, but Eden's is a wry and likeable woman who counsels the protagonist not to rush into marriage. In this book, the woman is a rather embittered character, sister of the deceased wife of the patriarch of the family, who is fond of her nephew (who marries the protagonist) but hates his twin sister. The twin sister makes it clear from their first meeting that she will actively drive a wedge between her brother and his new bride, and when she does some truly outrageous things, everyone brushes them off and treats the protagonist as a whining ninny, apart from the aunt who constantly gives her warnings but doesn't do anything practical to assist her. The protagonist is a very irritating character who constantly makes allowances for the most outrageous treatment dished out to her by her husband and his sister. Something happens about three quarters of the way through which renders the rest of the book rather an anticlimax despite the attempt to rack up the attention at the end; I won't say any more to avoid spoilers. But altogether I could only give this an OK 2 stars.
July 25, 2023
While aspects of this book are reminiscent of many of Whitney's books, it is tonally very different and altogether darker. This is perhaps the closest she ever came to the horror side of gothic novels and I loved it. The main character is ludicrously passive but then almost everyone is turned up to eleven in this book. It is wild. No one even bothers gaslighting the protagonist. They all seem to agree that her life is being threatened, they just don't seem to care.
This might be my favorite of her books (so far).
This might be my favorite of her books (so far).
February 6, 2018
I first read this book during my Gothic Romance phase when I was in middle school, so my perspective on it is a bit different now that I'm in my fifties. I still loved the dark eeriness that Ms. Whitney plunges us into as soon as we arrive at High Towers, the vacation home of the deeply troubled Chandler clan, a family of artists who lean more to the mad side than the eccentric side. I still loved all that, but the lack of assertiveness and self respect in the main character was the thing that bothered me now.
In addition to letting her new husband and his crazy twin sister walk all over her and verbally and physically abuse her, she continually puts her life in danger because she doesn't want to argue with them and make things worse. I know I was only about 13 when I read it the first time, but even then I was a pretty spunky girl who couldn't stand being talked down to, so I wondered why I had always remembered this book with such fondness.
When I got to the last 30 or so pages, I got my answer. Ms. Whitney tied the heroine's memories of her father and the legacy of how he'd raised her to the decision to make one final effort in helping her husband escape his evil twin, and it was perfect. I believed it completely and admired her for the decision, even though I knew it was still going to end badly for her because...well, you know, it's a Gothic Romance.
So my rating is actually 3-and-a-half stars. And I'm truly glad I read this again.
In addition to letting her new husband and his crazy twin sister walk all over her and verbally and physically abuse her, she continually puts her life in danger because she doesn't want to argue with them and make things worse. I know I was only about 13 when I read it the first time, but even then I was a pretty spunky girl who couldn't stand being talked down to, so I wondered why I had always remembered this book with such fondness.
When I got to the last 30 or so pages, I got my answer. Ms. Whitney tied the heroine's memories of her father and the legacy of how he'd raised her to the decision to make one final effort in helping her husband escape his evil twin, and it was perfect. I believed it completely and admired her for the decision, even though I knew it was still going to end badly for her because...well, you know, it's a Gothic Romance.
So my rating is actually 3-and-a-half stars. And I'm truly glad I read this again.
October 22, 2023
There is an amazing scene in this gothic romance from 1969 where the protagonist's husband tries on his Christmas gifts: a white silk turtleneck, a leopard print jacket and a gold chain link medallion. Unforgettable. Everybody is absolutely bonkers and the female lead is so badly written that she comes across as unfathomably stupid, but if you can overlook that, you can enjoy twin creepiness and lovely wintry scenery.
January 12, 2009
A rather weird story but well written.
November 12, 2009
Lots of intrigue and I enjoyed reading a mystery that wasn't full of gruesome violence toward women and children, filthy language and gore.
March 8, 2016
This is my favorite Whitney story! A lot of her plots are similar and if you choose to only read one, this is the one to choose.
Read
March 13, 2016This is another of my favourites from P.A.W.
September 11, 2020
Last year I picked up a dozen or so giveaway books at our town library, books by two favored authors from my much younger days, adolescence really. Phyllis Whitney and Mary Stewart. Some I'd read back then, others I hadn't. The Winter People is among the latter.
The romance in the Winter People is laughably predictable. The reader knows at the first appearance of a certain character that he is who the protagonist, Bernadin/Dina Blake Chandler will end up with.
Dina is a weak woman who thinks that she is strong but is drowning in romance. She doesn't have the brains to leave a dangerous situation.
The Gothic plot is bizarre, in part undoubtedly influenced by "Psycho."
I chuckled at the description of the characters' clothing. The Winter People was initially published in 1969. Any reader living during that time can easily picture the sixties psychedelic dress.
Errors ("...he was a child prodigy when he was young." Yikes.) and awkward phrasing abound. At times it seems that words were chosen by checking a thesaurus.
Even the title is obvious. These people are cold. Get it?
And yet. And yet.
Some of the characters are appealing and well defined, and the story line drives one to the conclusion. Some of the events are unexpected. The environment is beautifully described and is almost a character in itself. And there is a certain nostalgia and comfort in re-visiting an old friend.
I should give it one star but I'll add a second for old times' sake.
The romance in the Winter People is laughably predictable. The reader knows at the first appearance of a certain character that he is who the protagonist, Bernadin/Dina Blake Chandler will end up with.
Dina is a weak woman who thinks that she is strong but is drowning in romance. She doesn't have the brains to leave a dangerous situation.
The Gothic plot is bizarre, in part undoubtedly influenced by "Psycho."
I chuckled at the description of the characters' clothing. The Winter People was initially published in 1969. Any reader living during that time can easily picture the sixties psychedelic dress.
Errors ("...he was a child prodigy when he was young." Yikes.) and awkward phrasing abound. At times it seems that words were chosen by checking a thesaurus.
Even the title is obvious. These people are cold. Get it?
And yet. And yet.
Some of the characters are appealing and well defined, and the story line drives one to the conclusion. Some of the events are unexpected. The environment is beautifully described and is almost a character in itself. And there is a certain nostalgia and comfort in re-visiting an old friend.
I should give it one star but I'll add a second for old times' sake.
February 20, 2022
I normally like Phyllis Whitney’s books but I did not like this one very much. The heroine is pretty clueless. There was a nice little plot twist in it but it was really just too twisted for my taste. My advice would be to skip this one and try one of her other books.
August 27, 2023
I did not find Dina, the MC, a doormat (like other people here on GR have), but she seemed very young and too eager to please. As for the big reveal, I figured it out long before we got there, but that was ok.
May 29, 2024
Rereading some of my favorite authors from long ago. A little dated but I do still love Phyllis A Whitney. Gothic Romance was my favorite genre.
February 20, 2022
Another top shelf book by one of the greatest mystery writers ever.
September 13, 2014
This book took me a long time to get through which is usually an indication that it wasn't that good. It was evenly paced and the author did provide an eerie setting that matched the tone of the book, along with the big looming house called Gray Rocks.
Bernardina (Dina) Blake can't believe her luck when, while at work in a museum, she meets the handsome artist Glen Chandler. They fall madly in love with each other and get married, but Glen didn't feel the need to call up his family and let them know. Instead he sent his father and sister a telegraph in hopes that they would get it before Glen and his new bride arrived at the family home. The other option was that his father and twin sister Glynis would be caught unawares and meet the bride, and also be forced to accept her as his wife.
If this sounds strange it's because it is. Glen's sister Glynis is an arrogant woman who clearly lacks social skills of any kind, and uses people for her own gain, no matter how malicious the intent. She is described as wild and carefree, but also given a power almost supernatural. The witches' balls gave the impression that she also practiced witchcraft, which added to the mysterious energy that filled the house.
I have to factor in that this book was written quite a while ago and that Dina's devotion to her husband was normal during this time, but I was still aggravated by it. She did hold her own, and was very reasonable, not impulsive, which made her a formidable character. There were too many incidents that fell into a repetitive pattern of accusation, lies, and distrust; It got tiring. Basically twins do have a very strong bond. They can tend to cling to that twin and, if allowed, manipulate them.
Bernardina (Dina) Blake can't believe her luck when, while at work in a museum, she meets the handsome artist Glen Chandler. They fall madly in love with each other and get married, but Glen didn't feel the need to call up his family and let them know. Instead he sent his father and sister a telegraph in hopes that they would get it before Glen and his new bride arrived at the family home. The other option was that his father and twin sister Glynis would be caught unawares and meet the bride, and also be forced to accept her as his wife.
If this sounds strange it's because it is. Glen's sister Glynis is an arrogant woman who clearly lacks social skills of any kind, and uses people for her own gain, no matter how malicious the intent. She is described as wild and carefree, but also given a power almost supernatural. The witches' balls gave the impression that she also practiced witchcraft, which added to the mysterious energy that filled the house.
I have to factor in that this book was written quite a while ago and that Dina's devotion to her husband was normal during this time, but I was still aggravated by it. She did hold her own, and was very reasonable, not impulsive, which made her a formidable character. There were too many incidents that fell into a repetitive pattern of accusation, lies, and distrust; It got tiring. Basically twins do have a very strong bond. They can tend to cling to that twin and, if allowed, manipulate them.
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