A rather uneven romantic suspense novel, with a lot of people behaving suspiciously for inadequate reason and a lot of infodumping. It goes at a fair lick, though, and the chilly atmosphere is very convincing.

Deborah is hired to be a companion/tutor to child prodigy Carreen who goes off before the two even meet. The thought is she will head for Herondale House so Deborah is sent there. Carreen turns up with a long lost cousin in tow which is when the accidents and mishaps begin. Who can Deborah trust in the oh so quiet village, who is telling the truth? This book had a very old fashioned feel to it and it felt older than it actually was. I loved the idea of the story but somehow it didn't quite live up to its expectations. It would be great for a journey to while away a few hours. ( )

I bought this after reading about it on the blog A Work in Progress. I like gothic novels, and this one was one, though it is set in the 1950s or 60s. A young Canadian woman takes a job as a tutor for a precocious 12 year old playwright. She barely meets the child when the child runs away to her uncle's house in a remote village in Yorkshire. The tutor follows and gets caught up in a dispute over the uncle's will. It's a wonderful period piece and quite reminiscent of the Mary Stewart novels I loved when I was young. I recommend it if you are looking for something light but compelling to read, perhaps best read on a winter's night! ( )