This is an atmospheric gothic romance set in Venice and England in the Victorian era – a period where a scandal could undo someone’s reputation. Lady Arabella Pembrook is an American widow whose reputation has been sullied by the mysterious death of her husband Charles, and her past is an enigma. Our romantic hero Alexander can’t help but be drawn to her, and so the story begins. The settings are carefully drawn, from the rich palazzi of Venice to Ravenscourt itself – unloved, remote, its furniture shrouded in dust-covers, and the wind raging outside. The characters are well-drawn and I particularly enjoyed Alexander’s relationship with his friends – this set him up as a young man with an established network, which as the novel progresses, enhances his sense of gradual isolation from his familiar world. This kind of book relies on the ability of the author to create a creepy atmosphere and sense of foreboding, and this novel has both in spades. This is a book in the best tradition of Victorian Gothic Romance, recommended for those who like romance with added chills.

Oh, I do love a Gothic romance mystery – an enthralling atmosphere with flawed characters, an intriguing hidden secret, and a manor house, set in remote countryside and haunted by past events. Ravenscourt has all that, and more. It has a dark twist! The story begins in Venice, a city already past its heyday, during the popular Carnival season. The palazzi are lit up, filled with people enjoying the unbridled freedom masks bring, dancing and flirting, playing card games and gossiping. And plotting suitable marriages! When young Viscount Alexander arrives in Venice following a scandal that involved a married woman, his best friend Rupert – son of a successful merchant – knows just the places to distract Alex from recent events, and distract him from his parents’ wrath. Yet unlike indomitable Rupert, Alex still suffers from the discovery that the woman he seemed to love had seen him as a fling, nothing more. And the discovery that he wasn't the only lover she had broke him. Resigned, he attends the never-ending series of balls and recitals, bored witless by the insipid society beauties thrust his way – after all, he'll be a duke one day. Until he meets, by chance, it appears, beautiful widow, Arabella. Drawn immediately to the enchanting young woman, still fragile from her recent loss, he realises he has found a kindred spirit. Their mutual interest in women's rights is proof to him that there are women who understand his rather modern views. He quickly falls in love with the intelligent, intriguing beauty, and they spend much time over the coming weeks. Certain in that he found a suitable wife, he ignores Rupert's and his parents' warnings. When his father dies in his absence, the dukedom is his, and in Arabella, he has found the perfect duchess. Or has he? After they settle in London, Alex soon finds himself in a changed situation. His wife spends his money, and attends soirées in the highest circles of society. But as her behaviour towards him veers from hot to cold, Alex realises he must travel, in secret, to the home of her previous husband – the remote manor of Ravenscourt. There, he discovers a hidden journal, and the revelations shock him to the core. Will Alex be able to deal with his marriage – and save his life? Well, read the book! Ravenscourt is all you want from a compelling Gothic novel: it has a (very!) dark romance, long-buried secrets, helpless victims, nefarious plots, and evocative locations. Venice past its old grandeur; London's glitzy but superficial society scene; neglected Ravenscourt's remoteness. As the plot develops, you find yourself following Alex's unfolding discoveries with trepidation, as you keep reading – late into the night, in my case. Ravenscourt is the kind of novel you don't want to put down, regardless of time of day or night. The atmosphere of the story is captivating, weaving a web around you that you cannot escape. You just have to keep reading. Arabella is a fascinating character, alluring and intelligent, and you can understand why Alex falls for her. She is the total opposite of the insipid debutantes keen to catch a husband with a title and estate. Alex, however, is your anti-male. He's certainly not a confident alpha. His youthful naïvety is endearing, as is his support for women's rights. But he's not a connoisseur of women, and at times I wanted to shake him for his gullibility. But as his character develops, he finds his inner strength, and a sense of determination. And the events in Ravenscourt are a real learning curve for our young duke. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I can recommend it to readers of historical mysteries and Gothic fiction. It's not your traditional Gothic romance, though, with its dark romantic twist. It's a romance with a difference. Ravenscourt is a highly memorable tale of love, seduction, deceit, and danger that you should definitely check out. It's well worth reading!