Favel Farrington meets Roc Pendorric on the idyllic Mediterranean island of Capri, where she was raised and lives with her father. Roc sweeps her off her feet, taking her from her home by an emerald sea to the ancient family home of the Pendorrics, in Cornwall. His sister and her family await them with open arms, welcoming young Favel. She is the much anticipated Bride of Pendorric, a name that amuses and flatters her.
The castle is beautiful in its way, but the atmosphere is foreboding. Roc's twin nieces begin watching her carefully; even the stones in the courtyard seem to have eyes. On the walls hang portraits of two other Brides of Pendorric--one of them Roc's mother--who died both young and tragically. Favel's fear increases as Roc seems to be growing more and more distant. Has her courtship and marriage been just a deception?
Soon Favel can no longer dismiss as accidents the strange things happening to her. Someone is trying to kill her and she must confront the very real dangers that surround her.
My Review
I think this might be one of my favorite Victoria Holt novels. Bride of Pendorric is a gripping romantic suspense. Favel Farrington falls hopelessly in love with Roc Pendorric when he arrives for a visit on her Mediterranean island home. It is a compulsive and quick courtship, but Favel knows he is the one for her and they marry. Shortly after, tragedy strikes, but Roc whisks Favel away to his home in Cornwall where he introduces his new Bride of Pendorric to his family.
Meeting the family, the neighbors and the villagers would be overwhelming enough, but Favel is still coming to understand her new life as a married woman to a man who is still mostly a stranger to her. As she learns about her husband and the legends surrounding her new home, she begins to wonder if she made a mistake. Is Roc the man she fell in love with or did he have ulterior motives to marrying her?
With each page, the danger escalates as it becomes increasingly evident that Favel's life is in danger. Is it the ghost that is said to haunt the house or is it someone much more closer to her?
There is so much in this story that I don't want to give away any spoilers. The author wove the elements of this gothic mystery superbly. It had everything necessary to instill a sense of foreboding and fear within the reader. I had to turn the pages faster to find out what happened next. And by the climax, I had a list of suspects, each with a clear motive, but I was completely surprised by the ending. The book was a pleasure to read! I can see why other readers have referred to this as a timeless classic.
If you like books like Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, then you'll be sure to enjoy Bride of Pendorric.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment