Customer Reviews

Bride of Pendorric (Windsor Selections)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a fan of Victoria Holt on and off for years, starting when I was about 13 and continuing to this day (I am 25). They are very easy reading, so if you are expecting Faulkner, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you are in the mood for a good suspenseful book with romantic tendencies, Victora Holt is the perfect author.

Bride of Pendorric is a great example of Holt's work. A young, orphaned heroine marries into a family with a mysterious past, and she soon comes to believe that someone is trying to get rid of her. The similarities to "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier are very striking, right down to Mrs. Danvers at the window convincing the heroine to jump vs. Nurse Grey at the window convincing Favel that she is about to be pushed. (I should note that I am not sure which novel came first). However, the eventual explanation is great, and a real shocker, even if you think you know who did it!

If you are in the mood for a great gothic novel, then "Bride of Pendorric" is a good place to start.

Favel has lived her whole life on an isolated island with her artist father. She falls in love with a man from Cornwall, marries him, and goes to Cornwall with him. Once there, at his estate of Pendorric, she learns of the previous wives of the owners: they have died mysteriously at a young age. She fears, with good reason, she is the next.

This one is different from the other Holt novels for two reasons. The first is that it takes place I modern times, and second, it mentions locations from other Holt novels. This one is probably the most thrilling and suspenseful of all of Victoria Holt's!

This book was recommended to me because I had read Mistress of Mellyn and loved it. This is the best Holt book! The ending is such a surprise. I couldn't put this book down! Don't be scared off because it says it is a romance because I am a huge Mary Higgins Clark fan and this was almost like her books.

Having only been away in a boarding school or on the isle of Capri with her father, Favel Farrington is still innocent in the ways of the world. So when Petroc "Roc" Pendorric shows up, Favel is swept off her feet. It is not long before they are wed. Favel is thrilled to be Roc's wife, but also sad due to the recent death of her father. To help her get passed her father's fatal accident, Roc takes Favel and travels to various romantic cities.

Favel is nervous when she finally arrives at her new home in Cornwall. The Pendorric home is a huge stone mansion with four wings set upon the cliffs of a beautiful beach. Tradition is to keep family members under the same roof, so Favel worries that Roc's family will not like her. Morwenna, Roc's sister, seems to adore Favel immediately. So does Charles, her husband. The couple has preteen twin daughters who are only similar in their outward appearances. Lowella seems bright and hyper. She loves people and is up for challenges. In contrast, Hyson is subdued, reads a lot, and only speaks when she has something meaningful to say. Roc's parents are deceased. His mother, Barbarina, died tragically at a young age. Everyone whispers about an old curse. It is said that the Bride of Pendorric always dies young and then haunts the halls until the next Bride dies and takes over the haunting. The twins totally believe the curse. But everyone else informs Favel that it has simply been a long run of bad luck.

Favel begins to visit their sick and elderly neighbor, Lord Polhorgan. Few actually like Lord Polhorgan, but Favel enjoys his company and their chess games. Visiting the man also lets Favel get away from her new home, where strange accidents have begun to occur. Lately Favel is hearing music and getting glimpses of a lady wearing clothes from a past time. The twins claim it is the ghost of Granny Barbarina. The only time Favel feels safe at home is when Roc is close by her side. But Roc is never around when the accidents and strange events occur. His attitude seems to be changing as well. Often Roc seems to be a total stranger to her. Favel begins to wonder if she really will soon be the next Bride of Pendorric spirit.

**** FOUR STARS! This is a reprint of a Gothic Suspense novel by the legendary author known as Victoria Holt. The story did not hook me instantly. It actually began slow. However, the tension built as the tale progressed and I had no idea if the curse was real or not. Older Gothic stories did not always have happy endings. That fact is what kept me fascinated with the genre when I was a teen. I never knew if the heroine would be okay in the end. The only problem I had with those suspenseful novels was the long-winded narrations. This title is no different in that regard. I found this story to be too slow due to unnecessary explanations, various descriptions with explicit details, and even some reminiscing fluff. But again, this was how Gothic, Romantic Suspense books were written in the past. All-in-all, fans of this talented author and/or of the old, spooky, Gothic tales will be extremely pleased. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

How much of fear is imagination or reality? That's the dilemma Favel Farrington faces in her new life in England. Having grown up poor but happy with her mother and father in an artist's colony on the island of Capri, Favel is overwhelmed when a mysterious visitor arrives and slowly begins to woo her heart. Roc Pendorric loves to gamble and certainly attracts many young women astonished by his good looks and suave manner. Favel wonders if she can find permanent happiness with such a philanderer; but little by little, her heart yields to Roc's love and persuasion.

After the sudden, very sad death of her father, Favel agrees to wed Roc; and after a luxurious honeymoon in Europe, they go "home" to the Cornwall section of England. A magnificent, beautiful yet ghost-ridden castle is to be her new home. Being a practical, down-to-earth woman, Favel attempts to dismiss the tale delivered by the very strange twins, Hyson and Lowella, about the supposed curse of the Brides of Pendorric which promises death at a very young age. The previous Bride of Pendorric cannot rest until the next one dies. As Cornwall is a place abounding in tales and superstitions, Favel sets about dismissing such horrific thoughts and avidly seeks to learn as much about her new family and the grumpy next-door neighbor who has created a duplicate castle of Pendorric.

The plot thickens as Favel realizes there is a looming threat when she comes close to disaster in a situation that is far too threatening and alarming to be more than mere coincidence. Her love for Roc is a mixture of passion and confusion as he attempts to calm her fears and distract her with intimate passion. Little by little, she is forced to face the reality behind the lore and on top of everthing else discovers that she is not quite the orphan she imagined herself to be.

This very old classic mystery that was a notable bestseller back in the 1960's indeed stands the test of time and is just as thrilling, dark and tension-ridden as when this reviewer first read it almost fifty years ago. Its reissue in 2009 promises to introduce a whole new generation to one of the most exciting mysteries that the prolific author, Victoria Holt, wrote for many delighted and hooked readers! A welcome new edition will definitely please both old and new readers galore!

Ms. Holt's legacy deservedly lives on in Bride of Pendorric!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on August 22, 2009

Eking out a living with her widowed father in his art studio on the island of Capri, Favel is swept off her feet by visitor Roc Pendorric and they are married, although her happiness is marred by the sudden death of her father. Upon arrival at Roc's Cornwall estate, Favel learns of the legend of the Brides of Pendorric - married into the family for their money and die mysterious deaths at a young age and then destined to haunt the halls until another bride dies and takes her place. Not surprisingly, things soon begin to go bump in the night - is it possible that the ghost of Roc's mother really does haunt the home? Is Favel destined to be the next Bride of Pendorric to die and haunt the mansion, or is something more sinister involved?

As Favel begins to experience unusual accidents she begins to wonder about her husband Roc. Did he really fall in love with her or was there an ulterior motive? How did he happen to show up at their studio in Capri? Just a coincidence or did he know her father beforehand? What about the three former lovers of Roc? Do they want Favel out of the way? Or is it Favel's sister or one or her two young daughters? Who is the mysterious wealthy old man in the large estate who takes an uncommon interest in Favel?

Packed with plenty of mystery and intrigue, as well as the appropriate gothic spookiness of Cornwall and those ever present mists (let alone getting locked in that old tomb with all those caskets - yikes!), this tale should keep the reader guessing until the very last page. While Holt isn't quite up to the perfection that is Du Maurier, she's still a gifted storyteller and fans of that classic "romantic suspense" genre might want to check this out.

the novel Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier. A young, relatively inexperienced English girl (displaced and orphaned in both situations) falls for a "gentleman" a man of the gentry with a reknowned home that exceeds his own image (Max de Winter of Manderly and Roc Pendorric of Pendorric). In both books, the naive young heroine falls under the shadow of a previous bride (the first Mrs. de Winter and Barbarina Pendorric). Both are ghost stories in their own rights and both involve exceptionally dedicated servants (though more so in one book than the other). Indeed, both are psychological dramas, where the young heroine fancies herself haunted and in danger. Both books also end in the same fashion, with a fire.

Despite the similarities, The Bride of Pendorric does have some little twists (none of which should be mentioned since they enhance the story).

Therefore, if you have had the honor of reading Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, you may well indeed enjoy Victoria Holt's The Bride of Pendorric.

"Bride of Pendorric" definately has similarities to DuMaurier's "Rebecca," but it has elements all its own. I enjoyed the twisting plot and the book's FABULOUS climax...you'll never guess it! It is truly reminisent of the gothic novel. The characters are actually quite complex in this story, something that I don't often see in romance novels. If you liked DuMaurier's "Rebecca" or any other Victoria Holt novel, there is a good chance that you will like this book. I couldn't put it down once I began to read it. It is definately worth a few hours of your time.

I read one Victoria Holt book, and I quite liked it, so I found this one and read it. About half way through I realised that it was exactly the same as the first one I had read, mad a guess on who was the culprit and was correct, because this story was exactly the same as Pride of the Peacock. The trick is, think of all the people who could possible have a motive, eliminate them all and see who you are left with. Works every time, as I've since discovered. i found many VH books in the library in Germany, auf Deutsch of course. I read many of them, because I could concentrate on imprioving my language without having to think about the intricasies of a plot. Then again, you might love predictability, then this is right down your road.

This was the first Victoria Holt gothic romance I ever read and I am currently reading it for the 2nd time and I am enjoying it immensely. It is just a great read full of suspense and mystery and vividly written like all of Miss Holt's books. You must treat yourself to it. Also highly recommended are Mistress of Mellyn, On the Night of the Seventh Moon, Kirkland Revels (EXQUISITE) and Menfreya in the Morning. No one writes like her anymore and these books can be treasured for years to come.