Looking for a romantic thriller that's written in a classic style, without a lot of fake, special effects or trivialized plot? Here it is!
"'Surely you can't blame yourself for an accident'- ...'But I do. I let him come here, to this evil place, where they say men in ships once crashed upon these rocks, where moonrakers - land pirates, threw the ships purposely off course by shining moonlight in a glass. Who knows? Maybe the Chambercombe ghost flung Chirstian...' She exhaled with a quivering chin." Ghosts, pirates, poltergeists (maybe), a cruel and shifty father, a mute mother whose eyes alternately register peace or horrid fear, a repulsive suitor, poor but loyal servants, and a logical private investigator whose objectivity is flouted by the electric reaction his body, mind and heart experience on first meeting Miss deBaine - these and more daring characters fill the mysterious pages of this truly Gothic mystery.
The task? Find the ghost who haunts this manor that was once the home of William the Conqueror. Find it before more residents die or are the recipients of daunting injuries. Put an end to the shrieking, crying voices that terrorize the staunchest dreamers. For how long can the protective amulet work in the face of whatever randomly attacks during the day or night?
Yes, the reader will fly through the pages of this perhaps too long but compelling novel. This reader couldn't help, while avidly reading, remembering the various flavors of Daphne DuMaurier's "Rebecca," the Bronte sisters' dark and passionate novels, (for those who remember) the early Victoria Holt works, and the early Penmarric's "Cashelmara". Sullo writes with the flair of these literary giants yet overlays each turn with her own unique skill. Each Moonraker chapter is prefaced with either a definition and description of a healing flower or plant or a pertinent quote from Francis Bacon. While being somewhat connected to the chapter's content, this reader admits being so riveted by the story that I found the quotes to be more of a distraction than strong association.
The fantastic strength of this novel lies in the narrator's ability to describe the terrors within and around each character and the manor's intriguing structure and surrounding cliffs, beaches, caves and more. Characters are quite stereotypical except for the adult private investigator, who is like a schoolboy experiencing his first "crush," and the cantankerous father who at certain times seems to deserve the wild and powerful phantom's attacks.
The female protagonist is a feisty, capable woman, unafraid to counter her father's nasty orders and threats as well as the initially ridiculous investigation of the visiting detective. However, her unexplainable, physical and emotional, feminine reactions to this supposedly skilled Scotland Yard investigator delightfully emerge in a tintillating manner.
Enjoy this historical mystery in all its audacity, sympathy, passion, and horror. It's a treat for sure!