Kirkland Revels by Victoria Holt

Wow! That’s what I have to say after reading Kirkland Revels by Victoria Holt. The story was a traditional gothic romantic suspense book. The heroine, Catherine lived on the moors in a dark house with her father. She had just returned from her education in France, and she was desolate at not having any prospects for the future. One day on the moors, she found a gypsy woman with an abused and hungry dog. Catherine tried to buy the dog from the woman, but found she didn’t have money. That’s where Gabriel Rockwell came into the picture. He was passing by, and Catherine asked for help with buying the dog. That was the start of Gabriel and Catherine’s whirlwind relationship. Within weeks, the pair was married, even though Catherine felt that there was much about Gabriel that she didn’t know. Catherine and Gabriel returned to his family home, Kirkland Revels. The house is as dark and brooding as Gabriel’s inner thoughts. Within days of getting to the house, Friday, the dog went missing, and Gabriel, the heir to Kirkland Revels, threw himself from a third floor parapet. Catherine went back to her father’s house, but soon found out that she was pregnant. Of course, the Rockwell family insisted that Catherine come back to Kirkland Revels to have the baby. That’s when Catherine started to be terrorized by a phantom monk. Was she crazy, or was someone trying to harm Catherine and her unborn baby to gain control of the baby’s rights to Kirkland Revels.

The book was great! The atmosphere was great. Victoria Holt created a perfect rendition of the traditional gothic romantic suspense. The heroine was being haunted by evil, but there was romance in the background with the cousin, Simon Redvers. I was so engrossed in the book that I couldn’t put it down. It was one of the best Victoria Holt books that I read recently. Now to read more of some of the earlier books.