Customer Reviews

The Dark Opals of Harrow Island (Zebra books)

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

 

 

The mystery itself was difficult to figure out and even though at the end I developed an inkling of what was going on before it was revealed, I never guessed everything. You had to figure out not only who the killer was, but what the big family secret stood as. The atmosphere was nicely gothic, and I enjoyed seeing how the 'ghosts' aspect was handled by the heroine. The small town worked with the story, intertwining the atmosphere with how the large estate hung on a cliff over the sea, and even I got into the rumors and gossip with the local, big-mouthed postmaster.

For the romantic angle, it turned out sweet as always, and again devoid of much sexual tension. Sighs. At least the two 'in love' were around each other enough. In the previous books the main characters really only interacted in the second half of the book and beyond. Here it's from the get go.

Hmmm I like reviewing longer on books but sometimes there's not more to say. If the book has bad points, I can't really think of one except that a wee more action wouldn't have harmed the book. Also, it's a bit far fetched how quickly and conveniently Megan guessed the true nature of a major obstacle at the end. I'm slapping it with a 4 star rating just because it wasn't so enthralling it held me captive enough to be labeled as a 5. Characters are interesting and make sense, the atmosphere is charmingly gothic, mystery well drawn together, ending rewarding, romance endearing without being sappy, and that's all she wrote, folks.

"Shy Megan Cooper was bld enough to answer the advertisement for a secretary in a London newspaper, but no sooner had she arrived on remote Harrow Island than her courage began to falter. Lord Ambrose Hawkins ruled his fogbound domain with a stern and unsmiling demeanor; the dark secrets of his mystery-enshrouded mansion were whispered in the village and in the echoing corridors of his vast estate.

Not once but many times, Megan was warned that she should leave. Then the strange occurences began...Terrified now, Megan had been drawn so deeply into the web of evil intrigue that there was no one she could trust...no place she dared to hide...no way to escape the stormswept island that had become her prison!"

Excerpt from inside the front cover:
"As the wind curled in and out of the cave, I was sure it was calling my name. Megan seemed to moan and cry on a high wind. Then, "Megan... up here!" Finally I looked up. There he was, arms akimbo, feet planted firmly apart. The wind was whipping his black hair into a frenzy. He lifted his arm and pointed a finger toward the sea, then began to motion to me to come up to him. I began to climb the stone steps. 'You're a very foolish young woman, Miss Cooper,' he said as he reached down and grabbed my shoulders. 'Can't you see the tide is coming in" you could have been caught down there, and drowned.' His grip on my shoulders loosened. He crooked his forefinger, placed it under my chin, then lifted my face to his. When he pushed back the stray tresses of my hair, the wind immediately whipped them out of place again. 'Turn around,' he whispered. I obeyed. He untied the ribbon at the nape of my neck, and my hair blew a stream behind me. 'You look beautiful with your hair like that,' he murmured. Without warning , he pulled me against the length of him, one arm about my waist, the other around my shoulders. His mouth came down on mine, and I melted against him."

This is a great Zebra Gothic!! I highly recommend it!!