Book picks similar to
The Dark Beyond Moura by Virginia Coffman
gothic
gothic-romance
format-novel
part-of-a-series
The Victorian Chaise Longue
Marghanita Laski - 1953
This is the story of a trip backward in time in which a nostalgia for the quaint turns into a hideous nightmare.
Garden of Shadows
V.C. Andrews - 1986
Then she entered Foxworth Hall...V.C. Andrews' thrilling new novel spins a tale of dreadful secrets and dark, forbidden passions--of the time before Flowers in the Attic began. Long before terror flowered in the attic, thin, spinsterish Olivia came to Virginia as Malcolm Foxworth's bride. At last, with her tall handsome husband, she would find the joy she has waited for, longed for. But in the gloomy mansion filled with hidden rooms and festering desires, a stain of jealous obsession begins to spread... an evil that will threaten her children, two lovely boys and one very special, beautiful girl. For within one innocent child, a shocking secret lives... a secret that will taint the proud Foxworth name, and haunt all their lives forever!The wicked curse of the Dollanganger family begins in... Garden of Shadows(back cover)
The Witch of Painted Sorrows
M.J. Rose - 2015
Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris.Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires.Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten—her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul,” her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery.
Rawblood
Catriona Ward - 2015
She dares to fall in love.And only then do they discover the true horror of the Vallarca curse.
Whisper of Scandal
Nicola Cornick - 2010
Desperate to thwart another proposal, Joanna brazenly kisses Arctic explorer Alex, Lord Grant. Unable to deny the blazing attraction that flares, Joanna knows she's just set the gossip mill turning.After suffering countless infidelities during her marriage, she's accustomed to scandal. But nothing prepares her for the shocking news that her deceased husband has bequeathed his illegitimate child to her and his friend Alex. As rumors run rampant in the ton, Joanna and Alex travel to the Arctic to claim the orphan. Battling blizzards, dangerous wildlife and a treacherous plot, Alex must protect Joanna, but not before he wickedly seduces her ...
Dragonwyck
Anya Seton - 1944
A classic gothic romance, the story features an 18-year-old Miranda Wells who falls under the spell of a mysterious old mansion and its equally fascinating master. Tired of churning butter, weeding the garden patch, and receiving the dull young farmers who seek her hand in marriage, Miranda is excited by an invitation from the upstate New York estate of her distant relative, the intriguing Nicholas Van Ryn. Her passion is kindled by the icy fire of Nicholas, the last of the Van Ryns, and the luxury of Dragonwyck, and a way of life of which she has only dreamed. Dressed in satin and lace, she becomes part of Dragonwyck, with its Gothic towers, flowering gardens, acres of tenant farms, and dark, terrible secrets. This compelling novel paints a marvelous portrait of a country torn between freedom and feudal traditions; a country divided between the very wealthy and the very poor. Poor tenant farmers at Dragonwyck, the European royalty who visit, and American icons such as Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, and the Astors are vividly brought to life. This is a heart-stopping story of a remarkable woman, her breathtaking passions, and the mystery and terror that await her in the magnificent hallways of Dragonwyck.
Seven Sisters
M.L. Bullock - 2014
The handsome and wealthy Ashland Stuart has hired her to uncover the history and the secrets of Seven Sisters, an aging antebellum mansion in sultry downtown Mobile, Alabama. A series of dreams, an untimely death and the betrayal of someone she loves lead her back in time to uncover the truth about a missing young heiress and a web of secrets.Will Carrie Jo slip into the shadows of Seven Sisters, following in the ghostly footsteps of the lost young woman, or can she solve this tragic mystery and find her own happiness?
Creole Fires
Kat Martin - 1992
Claire just as fate, too, had been merciless. The once wealthy, flirtatious belle stood on the auction block to be sold as a servant. Her sensual figure disguised, her glorious titian hair disheveled, she looked like a waif, but she was all woman, trembling when she recognized the highest bidder—idol of her childhood dreams, the owner of plantation Belle Chene. A man of blazing passion, Alex du Villier bought the girl out of pity, but her aqua eyes stirred his soul and her body ignited his blood. She would be the perfect mistress to make him forget his coming marriage to a cold, haughty heiress. Now he intended to teach this innocent beauty that although he had purchased her freedom, he could steal her heart. An affair of burning desires. . . . Under a Creole moon their passion became a wildfire neither could control, driving them to heart-wrenching choices of silken sin . . . or freedom and love.
Winterwood
Dorothy Eden - 1966
There she becomes acquainted with the Meryons - Daniel, the handsome head of the family to whom she's immediately drawn, his vicious wife, their daughter who was crippled by a tragic accident, and the great-aunt - an ancient woman of enormous wealth who is near death. The deeply troubled girl takes to Lavina who is employed as her companion at Winterwood, the family's lonely, isolated estate in England. There Lavinia is troubled by the wife's evil scheming, about a nephew who hints that he knows her secret, and after the death of the aunt - struggles to protect the now-wealthy young girl from her ruthless mother.
The Neglected Garden
Suzanne Winterly - 2019
A property developer with secrets. Will the restoration of an old walled garden dig up more than they can handle? Ireland, 2010. Gilly Townsend’s beloved landscaping business doesn’t survive the financial crash. Just when she thinks she’ll have to move back home, a profitable project to restore an inspirational walled garden lands in her lap. But she never expected her wealthy boss from London to inspire her as well.Marc Fletcher just wants an escape for him and his four-year-old son. As he tries to forget a dark past, Gilly’s skills in the garden bring light back into his life. As he and his landscaper grow closer, a family shadow threatens everything he holds dear. Amidst increasingly angry blackmail, Marc and Gilly’s love starts to blossom. But when threats transform into criminal action, will the developer’s poisonous past bury Gilly six-feet-under?The Neglected Garden is a standalone novel seeded with intrigue. If you like gutsy heroines, enigmatic heroes, and twists you won't see coming, then you’ll love Suzanne Winterly’s captivating garden mystery.
Buy The Neglected Garden to untangle a romantic mystery thriller today!
Talk of the Ton
Eloisa James - 2005
In the salons of the Ton, no tidbit is more delicious than a rumor of amour--the more outrageous the better. Rakes and rogues, ladies of high station and low morals are choice fodder for the gossips of society. Now, four of today's most popular Regency authors titillate the Ton with tales of how untoward talk can fan the flames of passion.Eloisa James - A Proper EnglishwomanBetrothed since they were children, Gilbert Baring-Gould, Earl of Kerr, and the Honorable Emma Loudan are not quite what one would call a perfect match. The whole Ton knows him to be a complete rakehell, hardly the ideal spouse for a lady.When he horrifies the Ton by announcing that he won't go through with the marriage until Emma is carrying his child--or did he say that she was already carrying a child?--the gossips (and Emma) go wild.Obviously she should hand this Beelzebub his ring back directly. But curiosity, and a strong wish to teach her brazen-faced fiancé some manners, demand that she beat him at his own game.So she does.It's the story of a reluctant bridegroom (engaged since childhood, and hasn't seen his fiancée in years), a bride who's losing her patience, and a wild night in which the said bridegroom meets a wicked, delicious Frenchwoman... or is she?Julia London - The Vicar's WidowDarien, Lord Montgomery, has always had a thing for the vicar's wife. He is convinced she is the loveliest creature on earth, and even managed a passionate kiss with her one time during a party. When her husband dies, Darien is ready to court her as soon as she throws off mourning. However, a young miss making her debut wants Darien for herself. She decides to spread two rumors. The first is that Darien is on the verge of offering for her, and the second is that Mrs. Beckett (the vicar's widow) is loose with her morals. Both rumors spread like wildfire, with sad consequences for Mrs. Beckett and Darien.Rebecca Hagan Lee - Clearly a Couple (Free Fellows League #4.5)This novella ties in with her Free Fellows series.Jonathan Manners, Earl of Barclay, plans to return home to London after picking up a package for one of his Free Fellows colleagues. When Jonathan is nearly killed by a murderous Turk with a scimitar, he discovers that the "package" is Lady India Burton, a noblewoman who was kidnapped by Barbary pirates and spent the last six years as part of a sultan's harem. She's recently been ransomed and needs an escort to London. As Jonathan and India talk (and work on thwarting her horrible keeper) they quickly fall for each other. India shares details about her amazing and difficult life, and Jonathan knows he's in love with her.Jacqueline Navin - Miss Jenny Alt's First KissJenny Alt is a poor relation who tends to fade into the background while her more flashy cousin steals the spotlight. Jenny eschewed a season of her own for several years, but finally goes to London with her aunt when her cousin Cassandra makes her comeout. Jenny has spoiled Cassandra for years, giving in to her every whim. Now the group is taken by surprise when the aunt's distant cousin Miles comes to town. He needs help finding a new wife and asks for her guidance. There is almost an immediate spark between Miles and Jenny, but Cassandra wants him for herself and starts unkind rumors about Jenny. Jenny tries to give Miles up and even discourages his advances, but--well, you can guess how that goes.
The Nosferatu Conspiracy: The Sleepwalker
Brian James Gage - 2020
This contrasts suppressed documents citing the royal family mysteriously disappeared after fires ravaged Saint Petersburg in December 1916 (OS).Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was supposedly murdered by high-ranking Russian officials on December 16, 1916 (OS), for his unprecedented and perceived nefarious influence over the royal family. He was poisoned, shot twice, and clubbed into submission, yet remained alive. His attackers finally drowned him underneath the icy Neva River.Rasputin’s autopsy was reportedly performed three days later by Professor Kossorotov, a high-ranking Okhrana agent and future Kremlin operative. Cause of death: drowning. The document states Rasputin broke free of his bindings and his fingernails showed signs he’d tried to claw through the ice.The stories surrounding Rasputin’s death are gross falsifications. His body was never recovered for examination, and his status within the Russian intelligence community to this day remains: At Large.This is the true story of Rasputin’s paranormal coup d'etat and his conjuring of ancient vampires that destroyed Saint Petersburg, Russia, in December 1916.History is a lie. The truth will be exposed.
The Haunting of Gatesworld Manor
Cat Knight - 2019
All she had to do was stay at the manor and research the history of the house. She didn’t know she couldn’t leave…..
Novelist and freelancer Zandra Turner is finding it tough to get work when a mysterious envelope brings a job offer to research the history of Gatesworld Manor. The estate manager seems evasive, the housekeeper borders on rude, but that is not all that’s wrong with Gatesworld manor. How is it possible that the layout of the manor changes with rooms and hallways that come and go? And who is the woman that Zandra hears crying in the night? But more than anything how can it be day and night at the same time? As Zandra enters into a battle for her soul the world she finds herself in closes in around her, and Zandra’s existence hangs in the balance. Will she manage to find her way out of the manor and back to her life, or will the manor claim her life forever?
List of Books
The Ghosts and Haunting Collection - 16 Book Boxed SetThe Haunting of Elleric LodgeThe Haunting of Grayson HouseThe Haunting of Weaver HouseThe Haunting of Fairview HouseThe Haunting of Keira O’ConnellThe Haunting of Ferncoombe HouseThe Haunting of Highcliff HallThe Haunting of Stone Street CemeteryThe Haunting of Knoll HouseThe Haunting of Harrow HouseThe Haunting of Rochford HouseGhosts and Haunted Houses Vol OneThe Haunting of the Grey LadyThe Haunting of Blakely ManorThe Haunting on the Ridgeway (Ghost Sight Chronicles)Cursed to Haunt (Ghost Sight Chronicles)The Revenge Haunting (Ghost Sight Chronicles)The Haunting of Fort RecluseThe Haunting TrapThe Haunting of Montgomery HouseThe Haunting of Mackenzie HouseIf you read stories in the occult, occultism, horror, supernatural and paranormal genres then add these to your reading list.
Louisa The Poisoner
Tanith Lee - 1995
Find them in one spot, take them and make them up. From them comes this dew. Oh Louisa. Listen carefully. This stuff grants the gift of death.'Louisa widened her eyes but she was not actually impressed. Death was everywhere in the mire and especially often in her aunt's nasty bottles.'Listen,' said the aunt again, 'the poison in this bottle leaves no trace as it kills. In the world beyond the mire this can mean much. I've told you, there are towns along the moors, and great houses piled up with money and jewels. If every cobweb on that ceiling was changed to bank notes it would be nothing to them... We'll seek for just such a rich place. Then I'll know how to go on. You shall pretend to be a lost lady, as I've trained you. You'll do as I say, and our fortunes will be made.''But how, Aunt?''They'll fall in love, and make over their goods through wills, which I've told you of. And then I'll see them off...'Thus begins Louisa's strange journey into the world beyond the mire, armed only with her striking beauty, her perfect manners, and her aunt's deadly poison. A thrilling historical fantasy!from inside front flap
