Much is written on the landscape of Cornwall and details of its history and customs, so it is not completely void of all the attributes that make Jean Plaidy novels enjoyable for historical enthusiasts.īook Description from the 1966 Crest Paperback:įrom the moment Martha Leigh first glimpsed the cold, brooding manse high on the fog-shrouded Cornish cliffs, she felt a chill of apprehension. From dark and mysterious, to light and humorous (and the in-between Miss Prim-and-proper Martha herself), there is a plethora of possibilities to analyze when solving the mystery of Mellyn. The characters of this particular Holt novel are completely fictional and not found in history books or other literature, however are well-rounded and make a very interesting story, most notably for the array of differing personalities represented. Noticeably missing, if the reader is familiar with Plaidy novels, are the abundant archaic and uncommon words, historically accurate timelines and the politically infused drama centered on royalty. Mistress of Mellyn is different from Plaidy, Kellow and Tate novels in that it is undeniably of the mystery and suspense genre, and though may be labeled “Gothic Romance”-with tacky vintage covers to accompany the brand-they are no more romantic than her other works, or at least not in the sense of today’s romance novels.
In fact, I am unsure why they were even published under Holt, unless it was to keep with the pace of publishing one Holt novel each year (as two other “Jean Plaidy” novels were published during those same years). While I have previously read The Queen’s Confession and My Enemy, the Queen, both biographical historical novels have the exact same quality and style of her Jean Plaidy novels. Today is the 20th anniversary of Eleanor Hibbert’s passing on Januand in honor of her memory I have taken on her first suspense novel, published in 1960 under the pseudonym Victoria Holt-Mistress of Mellyn.
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