Black Rainbow [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Barbara Michaels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1984

Megan O'Neill sees it hanging in the sky above the towers of Grayhaven Manor -- a beautiful yet sinister black rainbow, a warning to the estate's new governess to stay away. Yet the warmth and kindness of the Mandeville family banish her fears -- and her hypnotic obsession for her handsome, mysterious new employer blinds her to the darkness within. But desire always has its price. And the shocking secrets enclosed in Grayhaven's walls threaten to pull Megan into the terrifying shadows, never to emerge again.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Elizabeth Peters (writing as Barbara Michaels) was born and brought up in Illinois and earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago's famed Oriental Institute. Peters was named Grandmaster at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986, Grandmaster by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar® Awards in 1998, and given The Lifetime Achievement Award at Malice Domestic in 2003. She lives in an historic farmhouse in western Maryland.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Ulverscroft Large Print Books Ltd; Large Print edition edition (August 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0708911722
• ISBN-13: 978-0708911723
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars read another of Michaels' books instead, February 7, 2002

By 

Miss Ivonne (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Rainbow (Paperback)

Barbara Michaels usually writes wonderful Gothic romances with great plot twists, wonderful characters and witty dialogue. You won't find any of that here. I had to force myself to finish this dreadful book.

The "heroine" is actually the plain-looking and plain-spoken sister Jane. The governess who you think will be the heroine is a pretty idiot who can't see the obvious flaws in the man she works so hard to entrap. Except for Jane and a few workmen, every character in this book is so boorish, selfish or sociopathic that you don't care what happens to them.

Forget this book. Read instead Michaels' clever "Stitches in Time" or her even better "Wait for What Will Come." They're both so excellent you'll mourn when you come to the last page.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars beautiful descriptions, but painfully boring, June 9, 2006

By 

BBHJ "Chiquita" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Rainbow (Paperback)

The build up of suspense that occurred throughout this book was appealing, but the results were always a let down. Many secondary characters are described in great detail when they first appear, then they don't appear again in the book for several chapters (including a young ward which was the entire reason for the "main character" to arrive in the first place). Some interesting storylines were introduced but seemed to go nowhere. I was disappointed and skipped over most of the beautiful yet very lengthy descriptions that seemed to weigh the story down.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Old-fashioned romantic suspense with a twist, June 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Rainbow (Paperback)

I grew up on Victorian novels and Ms. Michaels captures what I remember of their style. The heroine, Megan, is such a twit that she can't figure out that her beloved Edmund is a grade-A jerk. The character who makes the book is Edmund's sister, Jane, a woman of intelligence, courage, and sense. Sam, their kinsman, is a good character, too. I spent much of the book wanting to shake some sense into Megan, but I kept on reading because I cared about Jane, Sam, and the townspeople. The author's solution was what I figured would be the only way to bring a happy ending out of this mess, but I did not expect the method she used to pull it off.