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Falconridge
When lovely, young Lauren Moore arrives at Falconridge, a mysterious mansion with many hidden secrets, to live with relatives, she becomes caught up in the house's dark mysteries and falls in love with a man who might be the evil force behind it all
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
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99 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Wilde
47 books95 followersJennifer Wilde is a pseudonym of T. E. Huff (Thomas Elmer Huff). He also wrote under the names Edwina Marlow and Beatrice Parker.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 18, 2013
Note: I thought at first that I had the wrong book, since I thought the author was Edwina Marlowe. However, it turns out that Edwina Marlow and Jennifer Wilde are both pen names for Thomas Elmer Huff. I'm very surprised to discover how much gothic romance was written by men.
Like The Chaperone, this book was better-written than a contemporary novel of the same quality would be. It was also similar in its lack of sensuality, though the hero, Norman Wade, was quite a bit more attractive and sinister. Here's the excerpt, on the first page after the cover:
Several minutes passed and I was suddenly aware of my own fear. Something was wrong. It was silent, and the silence was terrifying. I whirled around. He was leaning in the doorway, his thumb hooked in his belt. He looked menacing as he stood there, casually blocking the door. I stepped back, and the boards creaked. The water behind me slapped loudly against the wood.
"Two more steps back," he said quietly, "and you would be in the water. It would carry you out to sea. No one would ever know what had happened to you."
I stood on the edge of the platform, my knees weak. He put his hands on my shoulders. His fingers gripped my flesh.
"Or someone could push you," he said. "Just one little shove and you would be gone. You could never swim in those skirts, not in this water. It would be so easy." His voice was beautifully modulated; it seemed to caress the air. "So very easy..."
It was a little like Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre, shorter, less complex, and completely derivative, of course, but interesting and readable.
Like The Chaperone, this book was better-written than a contemporary novel of the same quality would be. It was also similar in its lack of sensuality, though the hero, Norman Wade, was quite a bit more attractive and sinister. Here's the excerpt, on the first page after the cover:
Several minutes passed and I was suddenly aware of my own fear. Something was wrong. It was silent, and the silence was terrifying. I whirled around. He was leaning in the doorway, his thumb hooked in his belt. He looked menacing as he stood there, casually blocking the door. I stepped back, and the boards creaked. The water behind me slapped loudly against the wood.
"Two more steps back," he said quietly, "and you would be in the water. It would carry you out to sea. No one would ever know what had happened to you."
I stood on the edge of the platform, my knees weak. He put his hands on my shoulders. His fingers gripped my flesh.
"Or someone could push you," he said. "Just one little shove and you would be gone. You could never swim in those skirts, not in this water. It would be so easy." His voice was beautifully modulated; it seemed to caress the air. "So very easy..."
It was a little like Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre, shorter, less complex, and completely derivative, of course, but interesting and readable.
November 16, 2018
I didn't take this book seriously, and I think that's why I enjoyed it enough to try and finish reading it in one night. It was like someone had made a checklist of everything you need in a gothic romance and put everything into this book: young, virginal maiden? Check. Creepy house? Check. Patronizing yet devastatingly handsome male lead? Double check. It kept teasing you with the prospect of something intriguing about to happen annnnnd then promptly disappointed you. Since it's written like a checklist, you can pretty much figure out the plot of the whole book within the first twenty or so pages.
Still, the heroine was interesting enough to want to follow, but I have never encountered a lead that was so unwilling to actually DO anything. Whenever she was confronted by something that was a CLEAR, RED FLAG, she just promptly ignored it and went about her business until the very end of the novel when she had no choice but to confront the plot.
"Hm, well this looks questionable and I should probably look further into it...OR I can just go about my day and ignore it. I'm sure it'll work itself out." -Pretty much the whole book.
It was the most baffling thing to have a heroine who was so unconcerned with anything. Not even when the hero threatened her (which he does on multiple occasions) did she find anything wrong, weird, or off about his behavior. In fact, let's talk about their relationship because boy howdy was that weird. She, in turn, treats him like Helga G. Pataki, loving him one minute and then hating his guts the next.
It was weird man. I also got the feeling that I was reading an abridged version of an actual novel because there was a lot that was good about this, and I think that if it had been given maybe another 50-100 to flesh out the characters and have our heroine actually contribute to the plot or develop a meaningful relationship with the hero it would have been great.
I mean, I read this all in one shot because I couldn't put it down. It kept teasing me that something good was going to happen, so make of that what you will. It's a good read for someone who is new to gothic romances or just likes a quick, no fuss story, but otherwise it's completely meh and forgettable.
Still, the heroine was interesting enough to want to follow, but I have never encountered a lead that was so unwilling to actually DO anything. Whenever she was confronted by something that was a CLEAR, RED FLAG, she just promptly ignored it and went about her business until the very end of the novel when she had no choice but to confront the plot.
"Hm, well this looks questionable and I should probably look further into it...OR I can just go about my day and ignore it. I'm sure it'll work itself out." -Pretty much the whole book.
It was the most baffling thing to have a heroine who was so unconcerned with anything. Not even when the hero threatened her (which he does on multiple occasions) did she find anything wrong, weird, or off about his behavior. In fact, let's talk about their relationship because boy howdy was that weird. She, in turn, treats him like Helga G. Pataki, loving him one minute and then hating his guts the next.
It was weird man. I also got the feeling that I was reading an abridged version of an actual novel because there was a lot that was good about this, and I think that if it had been given maybe another 50-100 to flesh out the characters and have our heroine actually contribute to the plot or develop a meaningful relationship with the hero it would have been great.
I mean, I read this all in one shot because I couldn't put it down. It kept teasing me that something good was going to happen, so make of that what you will. It's a good read for someone who is new to gothic romances or just likes a quick, no fuss story, but otherwise it's completely meh and forgettable.
August 23, 2019
disappointing ... this is one of the books that kept showing up in my Recommendations ... since I was looking for a quick read, this looked like an interesting choice. Unfortunately, it turned into a quite a chore. This was definitely not a gothic. There was no atmosphere, no suspense, and no interesting characters - it was just the uninteresting ramblings and "observations" of the 18-year-old heroine. Oh well.
August 10, 2017
Review forthcoming.
December 30, 2019
Atmospheric and detailed gothic novel. Had a surprising twist at the end. Enjoyed reading!
March 19, 2018
Hero or murderer
I liked this story well enough, but it does bother me that the heroine could believe she was in love with a murderer. I loved the big creepy house on the cliffs and it’s evil vibes, tho. Gets me every time. Good read.
I liked this story well enough, but it does bother me that the heroine could believe she was in love with a murderer. I loved the big creepy house on the cliffs and it’s evil vibes, tho. Gets me every time. Good read.
October 28, 2018
Mystery
Mystery and murder. Love and hate. Good read but the ending felt unfinished. I love this author anyways and can't wait to read more.
Mystery and murder. Love and hate. Good read but the ending felt unfinished. I love this author anyways and can't wait to read more.
November 27, 2018
Great Gothic!
September 11, 2019
A dark romantic mystery, set during Queen Victoria's reign. Not a whole lot of romance, and the main character was rather frustrating at times, but still an enjoyable read.
September 23, 2020
Really enjoyed it up to the last 2 chapters.
It concluded too fast and provided and simple solution with a quick ending.
It concluded too fast and provided and simple solution with a quick ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2015
1969 Gothic from Open Library and in ebook as of 2015.
First person POV.
Sinister housekeeper
Orphaned heroine.
Mansion on the cliffs
Moody dark haired hero,
All the troppes but non of the magic of Victoria Holt
First person POV.
Sinister housekeeper
Orphaned heroine.
Mansion on the cliffs
Moody dark haired hero,
All the troppes but non of the magic of Victoria Holt
June 15, 2014
Very predictable gothic romance, right down to the damsel in distress scene along the cliffs of Cornwall at the end. Not horrible, but not one of the better books in the genre.
June 16, 2015
A nice fireside novel with some atmosphere.
June 8, 2015
Predictable.
Read
July 7, 2016Style of Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney--romance is an afterthought.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2016
This book was just ok. I love dark creepy Gothic books, but this one was meh. Not a lot happens and it was never very creepy.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews