It is the start of another Reading Club: a bi-annual even hosted by Simon @ Stuck in a Book and Karen @ Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings. The year this time is 1962 and I am happy to state that I have a few books of that year on my shelves, some of them, in fact, on my Classics Club list. I just hope that I am able to read and review all of them.
My reading starts with a new author for me: Dorothy Eden, who Wikipedia tells me is a writer from New Zealand, who specialised in gothic fiction, a fact I had surmised just by looking at the cover of the book:
Our damsel in distress is Cathleen Lamb, who has recently become a widow after losing her husband, Jonathan, and baby, Debby in a car accident. Through Ronald Gault, a publisher for whom she has done occasional jobs, Cathleen gets a job as the secretary of Miss O’Riordan. Her new employer is writing a history of the O’Riordan clan which has now fallen on hard days and needs Cathleen’s help for that. Cathleen travels to Loughneath castle, the now impoverished home of the O’Riordians. She also gets acquainted to Miss O’Riordian’s niece Kitty and her two brothers: the fair, charming, and welcoming Liam and the dark, surly, off-hand Rory (yes I know, the same bells started ringing in my mind too:)
Anyway, Cathleen who is plagued by nightmares because of her baby’s death wakes up on her first night at Loughneath by the sound of a child’s crying. When she investigates, she finds that it is actually the mother of Rory, Liam, and Kitty who lost her mental balance after the death of her eldest son: Shamus. Further snoopiness reveals more disconcerting facts. Cathleen, takes it upon herself to solve the mysteries surrounding Loughneath.
The primary problem I had with the book was the character of Cathleen. Hired as a secretary, she begins her snooping right from day one though she is asked many a time to mind her own business. Nor did her romance offer anything new. Her two beaus are staple gothic males and offer no surprise. The only character who intrigued me a little was that of a tinker but even he was not enough to save the book. All in all, not a promising introduction to the author.
*
First Line: The baby began to cry in the night.
Publication Details: 1962. London: Coronet Books, 1976.
Pages: 222
Other Opinions: Sweet Rocket
*
a hot cup of pleasure 
It sounds as though this one is a bit ‘samey,’ which is a shame, because the premise could have led to something really interesting. I agree 100%, too, about the snoopiness. That sort of character shows up in too, too many books, and is it’s not really realistic. If I’m being honest, it’s a bit tiresome, too.
LikeLike
Tiresome is the exact word, Margot. If I had been Cathleen’s employer, I’d have booted her out first day itself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds very much like a lot of the books my mum used to read (Jean Plaidy, Victoria Holt etc) and they very formulaic and of their time, alas…
LikeLike
You have hit the nail right on the head, Kaggsy: Very formulaic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A pity! Some of Dorothy Eden’s books are well worth reading. I really enjoyed The American Heiress but it is so long ago that I read these books that I can’t recall which others I liked.
LikeLike
Welcome to the blog. Good to know that her other books are better. I will see if I can get a copy of The American Heiress.
LikeLike
I hadn’t come across the author before but this title seems one that one might be ok with had one read a better one by her.
LikeLike
I had heard of her vaguely. The previous commentator has stated that some of her other books are worth reading. I might give her another chance.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t read many gothic stories; this one doesn’t seem to have much to offer. On the other hand, it is always interesting to read books set at an earlier time. The heroine certainly had a sad life.
LikeLike
The heroine was a pain in the neck:)
LikeLike
Fun review, but yes the book does sound a little predictable. The cover’s amusingly of its era, though!
LikeLike
Yes, the castle in the background, those ominous birds and of course our damsel in distress:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was intrigued by New Zealand, but sounds like I can pass
LikeLike
It’s strange, isn’t it, how little of NZ lit. one encounters. I can’t think of any other writer barring Ngaio Marsh.
LikeLike
And then most of hers are in England. My second 1962 book will be a Marsh, and it’s set in England.
I have enjoyed Eleanor Catton, though, and she’s a contemporary NZ writer.
LikeLike
Thanks for mentioning Eleanor Catton. Will look her up. Also looking forward to your review of Marsh, it’s years since I read her.
LikeLike
sorry, just trying to unsubscribe from comments
LikeLike