The Shadow of the Lynx [Hardcover]

Victoria Holt (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Doubldeay; First edition. edition (1961)
• ASIN: B0023X3K4U
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two versions of this book, December 4, 2001

By 

Lynn (CANADA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shadow of the Lynx (Hardcover)

I purchased a copy of Shadow of the Lynx in England some 30 years ago. I really enjoyed reading it. Unfortunately I misplaced my copy. Years later I purchased a copy of it at a flea market in Australia. Unfortunately I was disapointed as this copy was the original version. The version I enjoyed was the rewritten version and is a far superior story than the original. I purchased a copy in Canada second hand and again it was the original version also. If you every chance upon the rewritten version and have read the original buy it as it is really worth the read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best VH books, February 24, 2008

By 

Inga (EU) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow of the Lynx (Mass Market Paperback)

I have red many of VH books (not all yet) but this one stands out! I was positively surprised - the characters were complex and interesting, turn of events surprising and not very traditional for VH books... I liked the sparkling dialogs and main heroine Nora. Some people in their reviews was critical, especially because of complicated love relations in the book, the comments was that it was unconvincing. But I find that on contrary - more close to the real life were very rarely true love comes as "I met, I fell in love and lived happily ever after..." I enjoyed the book very much.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Eh, well every author has an off-book day don't they?, June 8, 2009

By 

Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Shadow of the Lynx (Paperback)

Thomas Tamasin spends his life chasing rainbows and leaves his daughter Nora firmly ensconced at school as he chases the biggest one of all and heads for the gold fields of Australia. He soon dies and leaves Nora in the care partner/employer Charles Herrick - also known as The Lynx for his dominating personality. Charles's son Stirling arrives in England to escort Nora to Australia, but they make a curious stop at a country estate called The Whiteladies (named for the nunnery it had been at one time) and Stirling seems to have a strange interest in the estate and it's inhabitants. Stranger still, when Nora arrives in Australia the Herrick home is a copy of Whiteladies.

Nora soon discovers that The Lynx has a mysterious past of his own, falsely accused of theft in England and deported to Australia as a criminal. As the Herrick family's fortune increases it leads them ever closer to the obsession of Charles - enacting financial havoc on those he blames for his false conviction. Nora and Stirling return to England with Stirling bent on completing his father's plans for revenge. They soon insert themselves into the lives of the residents of Whiteladies as Nora fights to stop Stirling before his lust for revenge destroys all their lives.

Whew, that's more plot description than I care to give but there's not much on the product page. I found this book a bit slow paced at times and a tad too predictable, especially the murder attempts on Minta. I also found the alternating POV's between Sara and Minta in the latter part of the book quite distracting. A nice comfort read for a rainy day - it's a good book, just not a great one. 3/5 stars.