Mistress of Mellyn 2nd (second) edition Text Only

I am pleased by the quality of the merchandise. I like knowing whether it has a dust cover, if the pages have wear, any staining or damage on the cover or pages. I do not buy if it does not give some kind of indication of these things. The seller was honest about all these things and I am impressed by that.

I had been looking forward to reading a Victoria Holt novel, as I had read such good things about her. This was ok - full of suspense and exciting scenes - but it read like a 1950's B movie. Very campy. The heroine was not believable- one minute she is miss prim and proper and the next minute, because her otherwise cold and heartless employer casts a devastating smile at her, she is madly in love. Oh, please.

Loved the premise for the mystery part of the book- which was actually quite dark and suspenseful, and fairly effective in scaring the daylights out of me. But the romance? Eh. This is a great book if you need to pass some time. But if your time is precious, there are probably better choices.

Spoiler, sort of:

Her employer (whose motivation I could never figure out) eventually declares his undying love for her - out of the blue, and after carrying on a long and torrid love affair with a married woman. I was laughing the whole time. The dialogue was so corny that I thought he was joking. Apparently he wasn't. The joke was on me.

Of course the synopsis reminded me of Jane Eyre, and I chose the book for that reason. While this was not great literature, the story had romance and suspense and was relatively satisfying. Good easy read.

As always , Victoria Holt comes through with another great romantic but suspenseful mystery. She has been my top choice for Gothic mysteries for many years and hasn`t let me down yet. If you like mysteries with romance, old houses , creepy people, and things that go bump in the night, this is the book for you.

I recently watched the 2006 Masterpiece Theater version of Jane Eyre (excellent!), which caused me to revisit the book. I quickly finished Jane Eyre, and wanted to find books that were similar in genre. (This turned out to be somewhat difficult of a task, given that Jane Eyre has seemingly a little bit of everything in it.) I eventually found this book, read the description, and since it was a bargain price at the time, decided to buy it. I'm glad I spent very little money on it.

Mistress of Mellyn is almost exactly like Jane Eyre. While there are some differences in the plot, the basic points are the same. Impoverished young woman moves to isolated mansion to become the governess of the ward/child of the master of the house. Governess falls in love with master, etc, etc. All the while there is a creepy feeling in the house, due perhaps to a mad woman on the third floor, or in the case of Mistress of Mellyn, a dead body hidden within the walls.

Getting to the main point of this review: If this book seems like one that would appeal to you, but you have not yet read Jane Eyre, please read Bronte's work instead. First of all, the writing is simply better. The character development in Jane Eyre is exceptional; the relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester is much more believable than that between Connan TreMellyn and Miss Leigh. Bronte allows more time for her character's feelings to develop. When Connan proposes to Miss Leigh, the reader knows its coming, but it still seems contrived. I could go on and on with reasons why Jane Eyre is a better book, but what it really comes down to, for me at least, is that Jane Eyre just has so much more feeling in it, and thus elicits a greater emotional response from its readers.

If you have already read Jane Eyre, and are looking for something similar, this book certainly is similar. However, it is much too similar for my taste, and lacks a lot of what makes Jane Eyre a wonderful book.

While I have been a reader of gothic/romantic/suspense novels since I was a teenager, I must confess that I didn't get around to reading Victoria Holt until recently. As other reviewers have pointed out, the inspiration from Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" and Daphne duMaurier's "Rebecca" is evident, but that can be said of most of the books of this genre. I dare say even a little influence from Anya Seton's "Dragonwyck" carries over in much of these novels too. In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a boom of gothic stories and novels and authors like Mary Stewart, Dorothy Eden, Phyllis A. Whitney, Dorothy Daniels, Virginia Coffman, and Caroline Farr were close behind Holt in their output. Holt (whose real name was Eleanor Hibbert), was an extremely prolific writer and also produced historical fiction romances under the pen names Phillipa Carr and Jean Plaidy. Her research and love for earlier time periods showed, and she was able to put her own spin on the often rehashed formulas. "Mistress Of Mellyn" was my first foray into the author's work, and it really was an ideal place to start. It's an easy read, and a highly enjoyable one.

Martha "Marty" Leigh takes a post as governess to Connan TreMellyn's young daughter Alvean, at the Master's ancestral home on the Cornish coast, and of course there is a mystery surrounding the death of Connan's wife, Alice, who perished on her way to elope with a lover, or so the story goes. Of course, things are not quite what they seem and Marty finds herself attracted to the mysterious Connan, who supposedly has his eye on Lady Treslyn. But there are some interesting plot twists and an intriguing backstory that will hold the reader's interest. Secrets and whispers, dark corridors, and lurking danger, and someone who will stop at nothing to keep the truth from being revealed - and you'll never guess who!

The other characters - Mrs. Polgrey, Celestine Nansellock, Peter Nansellock, the maids Kitty and Daisy and the sweet but shy child, Gillyflower, are quite well-drawn for the length of the book, and of course, play an important part in the story. Holt describes the atmosphere of Cornwall and the period of the 19th century in a way that makes it vividly come to life.

Originally published in 1960, "Mistress Of Mellyn" holds up very well and like several other Victoria Holt's books, has been reprinted in more recent years.

An ideal way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Martha is an educated, but impoverished young woman that accepts a governess position. The story takes place sometime during the late 19th century. She is twenty-four years old and has not received a marriage proposal so she must find employment. Her new position is at Mount Mellyn, a mansion in Cornwall, England. The owner, widowed Connan TreMellyn, needs a governess to care for his young daughter, Alvean. His wife, Alice TreMellyn died under scandalous circumstances and the effects still linger over the household. Some think that Alice haunts the house. Alvean is an unhappy and rebellious child that is a serious challenge for Martha. She is also struggling with her growing attraction to Connan...

This was a good read. If you like the classic Jane Eyre, you will probably enjoy this book. The lead character is smart, strong and sticks to her principles which is nice. The author provides wonderful descriptions of Cornwall and the lifestyle of this era (the foods that they eat, their hobbies/entertainment and the social hierarchy). There is also the mystery of Alice and a dangerous villain that is revealed near the end of the story. Very well-written book.

When the cover says "The Classic Novel of Romantic Suspense", that is what it means! Wow!

The romantic side of this story reminded me a bit of Jane Eyre. You have a governess in charge of a spoiled girl who has a brooding father that the governess falls in love with. However, the mystery/suspense side of this story was very new to me. I did not know who could be trusted throughout the entire book. And, the ending was fantastic. The suspense was definitely the star in this story.

I found the romantic story line lacking. I didn't believe the male lead when he said he was in love with the governess. I didn't see their relationship grow. And, I didn't understand why the governess loved him. What did she see in this philandering, non-present father?

The setting of this book was a character as well. It took place in Cornwall (I had to look it up on a map). There were cliffs and waves crashing. There were different customs and ways of speaking as well. The setting added to the mystery and feel of the book.

Warnings: Philandering, murder, illegitimate children

I would let my 15 year old read this book.

Victorian England. Martha Leigh has no idea what to expect from Mount Mellyn. All she knows is that she is to work as governess and care for a spoiled and controlling child. Four governesses had come and gone during the past year, and Martha had no hopes of becoming an exception. But as she works with young Alvean, the more she realizes that all the girl wants is her father's affection. Mr. Connan TreMellyn is aloof and cynical, but Martha couldn't help noticing that he was also charismatic. However, dark secrets surround the beautiful Cornish estate. Alice, Connan's wife, died a year before Martha's arrival. Apparently, she had run off with her lover and killed on a train wreck. But what if her demise is much more sinister than that? More to the point, is she even dead? After all, the body was beyond recognition. Also, Martha feels Alice's presence at times. She knows that Gilly, a taciturn little girl, feels the same way. As Miss Leigh develops a friendship with the eccentric servants and flirts with a notorious ladies' man, she uncovers secrets and revelations. And as her life becomes paralleled with that of Alice's, one could only wonder if she'd meet the same dark fate as the late mistress...

It says, "The Classic Novel of Romantic Suspense" on the cover of Mistress of Mellyn. Funny, I had never heard of the book or its author until now. People on this site boast about Victoria Holt (pen name) and her brilliant gothic/romantic suspense fiction. So I decided to give her a whirl. Well... At first, the story enthralled me. Then I was bewildered. It was obvious to me where Holt had gotten her inspiration. I thought, "Is there a mad wife living in the attic?" And, "Does Alice, though dead, still have a strange hold on the servants and the way of things as though she were still the mistress of Mellyn?" Yup, Jane Eyre and Rebecca sprang to mind. But the more I read, the more Mistress of Mellyn developed its own unique and haunting voice. Holt doesn't do anything melodramatic for most of the novel. She lets the narrative -- along with intrigue and atmosphere -- guide you to its wonderful conclusion. There is symbolism and foreshadowing -- the sort of thing you come to expect from this genre. I loved it. Victoria Holt is a new addition on my "must read" list. I look forward to reading more of her work.

Gothic romance and suspense were a hot, hot thing in the 18th and 19th centuries, but not a huge number of people were still writing it in the twentieth century. But Victoria Holt proved that it could still sell with her first gothic romance/suspense novel, "Mistress of Mellyn" -- it's a misty, dark-hued story with plenty of eerie clues and sensual touches, but it's a bit too redolent of "Rebecca" and "Jane Eyre."

Having failed to attract a husband, Martha "Marty" Leigh arrives at the Cornish estate of Mount Mellyn to be a governess to Alvean TreMellyn. Cue a sinister fortune-telling, predicting trouble with "Alice" and a house of shadows.

In true governess fashion, Marty's common sense and kindess soon wins over the servants and the neighboring family, flirty Peter and plain but kindly Celestine. But she has a little more trouble with her new charge, Alvean, who is neglected by her distant, chilly father Connan and spoiled by everyone else; there's also a strange, fey child named Gilly who wins Marty's compassion.

As she tries to help Alvean get some paternal affection, Marty starts to hear strange rumors about the demise of Connan's wife Alice, a beautiful and kind woman who apparently died while eloping with a lover. But an old diary points at possible murder. And though Connan seems to be smitten with a local sexpot, Marty has begun to fall in love with him -- and he with her. But now she's beginning to have questions about just how Alice died.... and she might be next.

"Mistress of Mellyn" is a book that absolutely drips with Daphne DuMaurier and Charlotte Bronte -- the plain young woman, the brooding Byronic hero, sexy rivals, dark family secrets and half-hidden scandals, sinister suspicions, dark corridors, and a house overshadowed by the presence of a dead woman. In fact, the biggest weakness of this book is that Victoria Holt seems to have plucked whole ideas from the most famed works of gothic romance/suspense.

That said, Holt still manages to take the cribbed material and sculpt it into a unique, genuinely suspenseful thriller, where you're not quite sure who is really sinister, and what happened to Alice. She peels away secrets and clues one at a time right up to the end, when the darkly suspenseful story blossoms into pure horror for a brief time. And her romance -- while not explicitly sexual -- is pretty powerful stuff, with the Eyresque Marty suspended between a local flirt and the brooding Connan.

Her prose is mostly solid and formal in the style of the late 19th century, but it's speckled with lush descriptions of Cornwall ("The sea mist would come drifting in, wrapping itself about the grey stone of the house") and the occasional moments of pure beauty (the ball dancing in the moonlight).

Holt also shows a sure hand with characterization, although the true love between Connan and Marty seems too fraught with distrust in the last quarter. Marty is a likably strong heroine who has slight flaws that keep her human (mostly her ironclad pride and her envy of more privileged people), while Connan is a sexy sarcastic rake who hides some painful secrets. The supporting characters are nicely fleshed out as well, especially a little girl who desperately chases Connan's affection (even to the point of facing her fear of horses).

"Mistress of Mellyn" is hung over with other authors' leftover trappings, but Victoria Holt's first gothic romance is a strong piece of work taken on its own. A nice if flawed debut.

Gothic romance and suspense were a hot, hot thing in the 18th and 19th centuries, but not a huge number of people were still writing it in the twentieth century. But Victoria Holt proved that it could still sell with her first gothic romance/suspense novel, "Mistress of Mellyn" -- it's a misty, dark-hued story with plenty of eerie clues and sensual touches, but it's a bit too redolent of "Rebecca" and "Jane Eyre."

Having failed to attract a husband, Martha "Marty" Leigh arrives at the Cornish estate of Mount Mellyn to be a governess to Alvean TreMellyn. Cue a sinister fortune-telling, predicting trouble with "Alice" and a house of shadows.

In true governess fashion, Marty's common sense and kindess soon wins over the servants and the neighboring family, flirty Peter and plain but kindly Celestine. But she has a little more trouble with her new charge, Alvean, who is neglected by her distant, chilly father Connan and spoiled by everyone else; there's also a strange, fey child named Gilly who wins Marty's compassion.

As she tries to help Alvean get some paternal affection, Marty starts to hear strange rumors about the demise of Connan's wife Alice, a beautiful and kind woman who apparently died while eloping with a lover. But an old diary points at possible murder. And though Connan seems to be smitten with a local sexpot, Marty has begun to fall in love with him -- and he with her. But now she's beginning to have questions about just how Alice died.... and she might be next.

"Mistress of Mellyn" is a book that absolutely drips with Daphne DuMaurier and Charlotte Bronte -- the plain young woman, the brooding Byronic hero, sexy rivals, dark family secrets and half-hidden scandals, sinister suspicions, dark corridors, and a house overshadowed by the presence of a dead woman. In fact, the biggest weakness of this book is that Victoria Holt seems to have plucked whole ideas from the most famed works of gothic romance/suspense.

That said, Holt still manages to take the cribbed material and sculpt it into a unique, genuinely suspenseful thriller, where you're not quite sure who is really sinister, and what happened to Alice. She peels away secrets and clues one at a time right up to the end, when the darkly suspenseful story blossoms into pure horror for a brief time. And her romance -- while not explicitly sexual -- is pretty powerful stuff, with the Eyresque Marty suspended between a local flirt and the brooding Connan.

Her prose is mostly solid and formal in the style of the late 19th century, but it's speckled with lush descriptions of Cornwall ("The sea mist would come drifting in, wrapping itself about the grey stone of the house") and the occasional moments of pure beauty (the ball dancing in the moonlight).

Holt also shows a sure hand with characterization, although the true love between Connan and Marty seems too fraught with distrust in the last quarter. Marty is a likably strong heroine who has slight flaws that keep her human (mostly her ironclad pride and her envy of more privileged people), while Connan is a sexy sarcastic rake who hides some painful secrets. The supporting characters are nicely fleshed out as well, especially a little girl who desperately chases Connan's affection (even to the point of facing her fear of horses).

"Mistress of Mellyn" is hung over with other authors' leftover trappings, but Victoria Holt's first gothic romance is a strong piece of work taken on its own. A nice if flawed debut.

After their parents died, sisters Martha and Phillida Leigh moved in with Aunt Adelaide. She sponsors a season for each of her wards with Phillida making a good match while Martha failed. Now twenty-four years old and considered on the shelf, Martha has only one course of action: accepting a governess position, which is not easy to attain for someone with no experience.

However, Martha is fortunate that widower Lord Connan Tremellyn needs a governess for his difficult Alvean, who has recently run off three in one year; although in fairness the last one was actually run off by Connan's mistress Lady Treslyn accusing her of theft. As Martha tries to help the troubled Alvean, she falls in love with her employer. However, she begins to learn secrets that make her wonder what happened to Connan's first wife Alice as she now believes the woman did not "elope" with the neighbor Geoffrey Nansellock as his sister Celestine claims and that Alvean is not Connan's biological daughter. Her only ally she trusts is Geoffrey's mentally challenged other daughter Gillyflower when she realizes someone wants her dead; perhaps Connan.

This is a reprint of a 1980s gothic romantic suspense that is fun to read though does show some age as adhering to the rules in place back then for this sub-genre. Martha is marvelous as the beleaguered heroine wondering if the brooding hunk she loves is a murderer. With the Cornish castle serving as a backdrop, the gothic audience especially the fans of the late great Victoria Holt will enjoy the MISTRESS OF MELLYN.

Harriet Klausner

I can't believe reading all these reviews of this book. It's hard to believe there are so many others out there that shared the same experience at the age of 13 with Mistress of Mellyn. I was the only girl I knew reading Victoria Holt books, and this book sparked not only a love of reading that has lasted my entire life, but made me a history buff as well, and an Anglo-phile forever. Just last year I took my dream trip -- to Cornwall... and all the names of villages and places were so familiar because Victoria Holt introduced me to them so often in her books. This was my first Holt book, I next read Shivering Sands -- one of her best -- and then read every single book she ever wrote under all her pseudonyms. I believe her best are: Mistress of Mellyn, Shivering Sands, Shadow of the Lynx, and Legend of the Seventh Virgin. Those books transported me, and I remember the characters to this day. A few years ago I had to give away my entire Victoria Holt collection and it was a wrench... but the books were starting to fall apart and were musty. Now that I see they're re-releasing them, I'm considering getting my favorites once again. It's good to hear others say they are as riveting at 42 as they were at 13. What memories this has brought back!

Martha Leigh is our erstwhile heroine who, lacking a husband and in a bit of a financial quagmire, takes the obligatory governess job for the mysterious and wealthy Connan Tremellyn who lives on the great Mellyn estate conveniently located on the romantic moors in Cornwall. Of course, all is not what it seems when Miss Leigh arrives and in addition to caring for a motherless child, there are family secrets to be uncovered and danger lurking around every corner.

Eleanor Hibbert, this time writing as Victoria Holt, turned out an especially good novel with Mistress of Mellyn. (For all you historical fiction fans, Eleanor also wrote under the pen name of Jean Plaidy.)

The story is a tasty combination of Jane Eyre and that classic gothic Du Maurier romance, Rebecca. So much so that the first half of the novel reads with a hovering sense of deja vu. And although the villainous culprit isn't too hard to identify (I had them pegged by Chapter Four), this doesn't detract from Holt's sense of good, old-fashioned storytelling.

This book is, without a doubt, what I like to call a comfort book. One that doesn't require fancy prose or literary dissection. Just grab a blanket, curl up by the fire, and enjoy the read.

Mistress Of Mellyn by Victoria Holt was released in 1960. The first gothic romance by Victoria Holt started a new rush of titles by her and other writers. A fine reworking of Jane Eyre. I loved this and all her other books. Fans of Victoria Holt will like this the most.

This was my first Victoria Holt novel and I instantly liked her style.
"Lord of the Far Island", "Bride of Pendorric" and "Devil on Horseback" were similarly satisfying reads, but for me the "Daughters of England" series of books (ca. 20 volumes) is unsurpassed. Victoria Holt wrote "Daughters of England" under her Philippa Carr pseudonym. Volume one starts in the 1500's (the closing of the monasteries) and follows the same family through many generations into the 20th century. The first 5 or 6 sequels are especially good!

Impoverished gentlewoman Martha Leigh takes a governess position at imposing Mount Mellyn in Cornwall. As she tries to win over her young charge with riding lessons, she finds herself falling in love with the widowed master of the house. But first Martha must find the truth of happened to the late Mistress of Mellyn.

All too predictable, unsurprising since this is one of Holt's early works. But the characterization is still good and the plot rolls right along.

This is the first Victoria Holt book that I read, and I think it was where I should have started. I have always liked the stories of Jane Eyre and Rebecca, so this one sounded interesting. It lived up to expectations. It is about a governess that finds out she is in much more than she bargained for. The house she is living in is filled with history and mystery. Her employer, with whom she falls in love, is very much the same. With twists and turns, and a huge surprize ending, this book is one you will remember for years to come.

Mistress of Mellyn is another good book by Victoria Holt. It is a bit predictable, but very comfortable and enjoyable if you like this style of writing.

I started reading books by Victoria Holt after I got through all of the audio books versions of books by another author, Phyllis Whitney. They are well written and a nice way to spend downtime. I like books like this with a small amount of romance and well thought out writing!

Although this novel is typical of a well written gothic it was well worth reading. It had moments of suspense. It was never dull. If a reader expects a lot of four letter words they will be disappointed. This novel would be appropriate for teens. I look forward to my next victoria Holt novel.

It seems ages ago when I read this classic Gothic story. Loved it then, love it now. Victoria Holt is THE Queen of Gothic novels. In fact, her work inspired my own writing. My novelSeason of the Serpent has a Southern Gothic atmosphere but takes place in the late 1980s.

I read this book first 30 years ago!
Now available on Kindle- amazing how time flies and technology advances!
What a great book!
Suspense, romance,mystery.
I love Martha- prim and not drop dead gorgeous.
if you are tired of vampire and paranormal romance, try out this Gothic classic.

A classic that still surpasses many contemporary love stories. Difficult to put down, you will fall in love with Martha, and the other characters. The love story keeps the pages turning into the night!

It seems ages ago when I read this classic Gothic story. Loved it then, love it now. Victoria Holt is THE Queen of Gothic novels. In fact, her work inspired my own writing. My novelSeason of the Serpent has a Southern Gothic atmosphere but takes place in the late 1980s.

I read this book first 30 years ago!
Now available on Kindle- amazing how time flies and technology advances!
What a great book!
Suspense, romance,mystery.
I love Martha- prim and not drop dead gorgeous.
if you are tired of vampire and paranormal romance, try out this Gothic classic.

A classic that still surpasses many contemporary love stories. Difficult to put down, you will fall in love with Martha, and the other characters. The love story keeps the pages turning into the night!

I've read many Victoria Holt novels over the years, and I have to admit this is one of her best written. While it does borrow a lot from Jane Eyre...it is still very enjoyable. Quick paced, great characters, and just enough suspense to keep you going!

I am currently reading this book--again, and I love it every time--and everything else written by victoria holt. Until I clicked on the store.com I thought I was the biggest Victoria Holt fan and now I find that I am not alone in my opinion of her. She is the best thriller/romance novelist of all time!