Book picks similar to
Crystal Shadows by Michele Y. Thomas


gothic
historical-romance
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Mistress of Mellyn


Victoria Holt - 1960
    But what about its master--Connan TreMellyn? Was Martha Leigh's new employer as romantic as his name sounded? As she approached the sprawling mansion towering above the cliffs of Cornwall, an odd chill of apprehension overcame her. TreMellyn's young daugher, Alvean, proved as spoiled and difficult as the three governesses before Martha had discovered. But it was the girl's father whose cool, arrogant demeanor unleashed unfamiliar sensations and turmoil--even as whispers of past tragedy and present danger begin to insinuate themselves into Martha's life. Powerless against her growing desire for the enigmatic Connan, she is drawn deeper into family secrets--as passion overpowers reason, sending her head and heart spinning. But though evil lurks in the shadows, so does love--and the freedom to find a golden promise forever...

Mistress of Raghery


Raine English - 2013
     On a storm-shrouded island, ghosts of the past threaten to kill again. Sheeva Desmond always believed she’d marry for love. But when she’s left penniless after her parents’ deaths and her fiancé cancels their wedding, she’s convinced love is a fairy tale. Desperate to find a way to support herself, she takes a position as governess to a troubled mute boy. She never expects to lose her heart to the boy’s handsome father. Or to become entangled in a deadly mystery.Ronan Quinn, Master of Rathlin Island, spent years in an unhappy marriage. When his faithless wife threatens to leave him and is later found dead, he blames himself for not keeping her safe. He’s left with a hardened heart and a devastated young son. The beautiful governess he hires may have the courage to help his son and to heal Ronan’s soul. But a murderer from his past haunts the shadows and threatens them all. ˃˃˃ Warning: Mistress of Raghery contains restless ghosts, misty cliffs, mysterious smugglers and a woman who will challenge them all to win the heart of the man she loves. Novel length, approximately 77,000 words. Scroll up and grab a copy today.

The Secret of Studborne Abbey


Emmanuelle de Maupassant - 2021
    Pretending she's still a wealthy catch, she sets out to ensnare the Duke of Studborne. The only spanner in the works? Her growing attraction to the duke's very proper, very honourable and very penniless nephew, Benedict.The duke seems enchanted, but his motives for courting her are not what they seem, and Rosamund is caught in a trap. She must uncover the truth, and only one person in the abbey can help her. The annoyingly principled Benedict! The Lady's Guide to Scandal Before archaeologist Ethan Burnell can return to his exploration of the Mexican jungle, his sister insists he attend her Christmas houseparty, filled with eager debutantes. A fake engagement for the duration of the festivities sounds like the perfect plan.With her name mired in scandal, Cornelia Mortmain's marriage prospects are nil. Wild adventurer Burnell is exactly the sort of 'dangerous man' she's sworn off, and posing as his fiancée can only spell trouble. Or, make her so notorious she'll become irresistible.But convincing everyone they're madly in love isn't the only challenge facing the ill-matched pair. Exploring the Abbey's hidden passageways, they discover its crypt, and the secret of its chilling past.Heat level : PassionateDiscover more in 'The Lady's Guide' series: historical romance brimming with adventure, mystery and intrigue. Available now The Lady’s Guide to a Highlander's HeartThe Lady's Guide to Mistletoe and MayhemThe Lady’s Guide to Escaping CannibalsThe Lady’s Guide to Deception and Desire Releasing through 2022 and beyond The Lady’s Guide to Havoc in a HaremThe Lady’s Guide to Tempting a Transylvanian CountThe Lady's Guide to Egyptian CursesEach can be read as a 'stand alone' and in any order.

The Voice of the Dolls


Dorothy Eden - 1950
    Since her mother's accidental death, Jennie has been withdrawn; she plays only with her dolls, "communicating" with them in a macabre game that resembles reality in the secretive Foster household all too accurately.

Fearless


Nicola Claire - 2015
    Brilliant. A Liability?Doctor Anna Cassidy has been trained by the best; the former Chief Surgeon for the Auckland Police Force. She knows how to dissect a body. She knows how to treat any ailment. And she knows how to find a cause of death. But society is not ready for a female surgeon.Fighting for what she believes in has been ingrained in Anna since she was a young child. But the battles she faces now are not all based on equality. A murderer stalks her fellow Suffragettes and the police inspector in charge of the case could be Anna's downfall.Experienced. Dedicated. Something to hide?Inspector Andrew Kelly holds duty and honour in the highest regard. His role as a detective proves just that; he never stops until justice is served. Love is something he has forsaken, for reasons he'd rather you didn't know.But Anna is not a woman a man can ignore.Fighting his instincts with cold determination is something Kelly has become accustomed to. But a murderer is loose in his adopted city, bringing memories to the fore of a killer who walked in the shadows of Whitechapel, and shining light on a dark past the Inspector is trying hard to forget.A gritty, twisted, and authentic Victorian romantic suspense, sure to rip you apart... just like old Jack.

The Other: A traditional clean Victorian Gothic (Gothika Series)


L.C. Kincaide - 2017
    She was wrong. New widow, Haley Colbrooke travels to Ashdown to meet her husband’s family and to visit his grave. The shocking news of their recent marriage is awkward enough. That her brother in-law is Lance’s identical twin is worse. Given her circumstances, she accepts the invitation to stay, which sets in motion a chain of events that will risk Haley losing all she has left. Rather than finding solace, she is drawn into past tragedies and deadly secrets. Perhaps coming to the family estate was a terrible mistake.

Greek Wedding


Jane Aiken Hodge - 1970
    Yet bankrupt as he was, how could he refuse to let her charter his yacht? Romance and adventure abound as an independent American young woman is embroiled in the turbulent Greek War of Independence.

Sons of the Wolf


Barbara Michaels - 1967
    Wolfson, the strangely magnetic, darkly funny man who was to be their new guardian. Who, confined to a wheelchair and flanked by two fierce dogs, both welcomed and intimidated the girls. And who had equally mysterious sons, Julian and Frances - one was as good-natured as the other was evil. But evil, as Harriet soon discovered, ran rampant through Abbey Manor and the surrounding moors. Especially in the moonlight...

Velvet Shadows


Andre Norton - 1977
    She would be a "friend" who would try to protect her from another scandalous involvement--like the one back in France.Alain was a generous and thoughtful employer. Victorine a bright and amusing companion. But Tamaris could not help wondering about the significance of the gold and enamel snake Victorine wore around her neck. Nor could she stop thinking about the fact that someone had been going through her belongings and leaving strange objects among them.Then one day Alain was forced to reveal the true story of Victorine's past. A past, Tamaris suspected, that would soon gain on the future and place everyone at Rancho del Sol under a shadow of constant fear..

The Splendour Falls


Susanna Kearsley - 1995
    It is to Chinon that Emily goes on a long-awaited holiday, to meet her charming but unreliable cousin, Harry. Harry wanted to explore the old town and the castle, where Queen Isabelle, child bride of King John, had withstood the siege of Chinon many centuries ago, and where, according to legend, she hid her casket of jewels. But when Emily arrives at her hotel she finds that Harry has disappeared, and as she tries to find him she becomes involved with some of the other guests and learns of a mystery dating from the German occupation during the Second World War. Another Isabelle, a chambermaid at the hotel, fell in love with a German soldier, with tragic results.Emily becomes increasingly aware of strange tensions, old enmities and new loves; as she explores the city, with its labyrinthine dungeons and tunnels and its ancient secrets, she comes ever closer to the mystery of what happened to both the Isabelles of Chinon's history.

The Haunting of Maddy Clare


Simone St. James - 2012
    Alistair Gellis—rich, handsome, scarred by World War I, and obsessed with ghosts—has been summoned to investigate the spirit of nineteen-year-old maid Maddy Clare, who is haunting the barn where she committed suicide. Since Maddy hated men in life, it is Sarah's task to confront her in death. Soon Sarah is caught up in a deperate struggle. For Maddy's ghost is real, she's angry, and she has powers that defy all reason. Can Sarah and Alistair's assistant, the rough, unsettling Matthew Ryder, discover who Maddy was, where she came from, and what is driving her desire for vengeance—before she destroys them all?

The Quicksilver Pool


Phyllis A. Whitney - 1955
    When Lora marries Union soldier Wade Tyler she learns of his past, and as she moves closer to the heart of the mystery she finds herself on the edge of a shattering truth that someone will do anything to keep hidden forever.

In the Shadow of Croft Towers


Abigail Wilson - 2019
    She believes she was hired to act as companion to a dying woman, but a highway robbery and a hostile welcome from the Chalcroft family cause her to wonder if she was actually hired to help someone spy for France.An unsolved murder adds intrigue to this already secretive family, and Sybil recognizes Mrs. Chalcroft’s handsome grandson as one of the infamous highwaymen who robbed her. Sybil must determine if this man's charming smile and earnest eyes speak the truth or if he is simply using her like others in the house. Everyone seems to have something to hide, and Sybil must decide who to trust while also coming to terms with the truth about her own past.

Mistress of Misfortune: A Gothic Romance


Hazel Hunter - 2020
    But Meredith Starling will hear none of it. Instead she finds it enchanting. Though prone to accidents and mishaps, Meredith rides by the Hall at every opportunity. For her the rundown manor evokes a grander time. She looks past the broken gate and moss covered statues and sees the imposing facade’s elegant lines and graceful charm. In fact, she is determined to see inside. But Colonel Alistair Thorne rebuffs all callers without exception—and not for the sake of being a recluse. He avoids women because of his family curse. The master of Dredthorne is doomed to fall in love with a lady who spends a night at the Hall. Though love would be welcome, its consequences would not. All of the mistresses of Dredthorne have vanished, gone mad, or suddenly died.

'Til Death Do Us Part


Amanda Quick - 2016
       Calista Langley operates an exclusive “introduction” agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world. But now, a dangerously obsessed individual has begun sending her trinkets and gifts suitable only for those in deepest mourning—a black mirror, a funeral wreath, a ring set with black jet stone. Each is engraved with her initials.   Desperate for help and fearing that the police will be of no assistance, Calista turns to Trent Hastings, a reclusive author of popular crime novels. Believing that Calista may be taking advantage of his lonely sister, who has become one of her clients, Trent doesn’t trust her. Scarred by his past, he’s learned to keep his emotions at bay, even as an instant attraction threatens his resolve.   But as Trent and Calista comb through files of rejected clients in hopes of identifying her tormentor, it becomes clear that the danger may be coming from Calista’s own secret past—and that only her death will satisfy the stalker...