| Upon being banished to the wilds of
Cornwall to stay as a guest with some distant English relatives as punishment for a
high-spirited prank, young American heiress Alyssa Lockhart feels hurt and betrayed. But
with the usual exuberance of youth (she’s nineteen), she bounces back and eagerly
looks forward to meeting her English relations, hoping to find them just like characters
out of the books of her favorite English authors, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. The
reality is very different as she soon finds when her arrival at Penridge House is
interrupted by a Reverend Whittle who climbs into her carriage and delivers dire warnings
and rumors of murders and foul play at Penridge House. Upon arrival, Alyssa finds Penridge House to be quite exquisite, both
inside and out. But she can’t say the same of the people within – her host
Captain Harris Trevell, lately of India, who’s rumored to have murdered his cousin,
the previous Lord Penridge (!), is a devilishly attractive man; Lady Gwendolyn who’s
the recent widow, is a pale, mysterious woman; her daughter Meggie is a termagant who
decides Alyssa is her sworn enemy at their very first meeting and sets out to make life
hell for her; the enigmatic and somewhat menacing Indian butler Tavi who seems
omnipresent; and last but not the least, the few servants who are full of rumors of
murder! It all leaves Alyssa with a feeling of doom.
Alyssa is immensely attracted to Harris Trevell and
his kisses excite her, but his too-familiar behavior towards his cousin’s widow makes
her jealous as well as suspicious. And then there are the rumors of him being a murderer.
Should she trust her heart or investigate the murder as her brain tells her? The suspects
are many and the possibilities endless. Is it the jealous neighbors or is it the mine
workers who are on the brink of a riot?! Is Alyssa upon a futile quest? Will she like what
she ultimately discovers?!
Linda Madl has done an excellent job of creating a
vibrant and mysterious story in “Silk and Secrets”. This well-told tale,
rife with plot twists and powerful emotions, will delight all the readers. The well
thought-out characters all seem to be hiding behind masks, contributing immensely to the
mystery and the aura of something sinister that is prevalent in the story. The gloomy,
fog-shrouded Cornish coast and the rumors and innuendoes about murder – all provide a
sinister and gothic atmosphere to this very entertaining and gripping book. The mystery is
good and is retained till the very shocking end! The strong plot and the detailed and
descriptive narrative, sweeps the readers along and holds them in thrall, from the
startling beginning to the fiery end.
Romance tinged with suspense – Ms. Madl has
proved herself a master at this! I will watch for the next romance from this talented
author!
Reviewed By Rashmi Srinivas for The Road to
Romance
December 19, 2002
|
