''Mistress of Mellyn'' was the first Gothic romance novel written by Eleanor Hibbert under the pen name ''Victoria Holt''.

Plot

A young woman, Martha Leigh, is hired as a governess by Connan TreMellyn, a widower, for his daughter, Alvean. Martha travels to

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

and becomes fascinated by her employer and his dead wife. While struggling with her increasingly romantic feeling towards Connan TreMellyn, Martha also tries to solve the mystery of his wife's death in the haunted mansion while trying to avoid death herself.

Characters

* Martha Leigh: the 24-year-old governess to Alvean TreMellyn * Connan TreMellyn: widower and landowner in

* Alice TreMellyn: Connan TreMellyn's dead wife * Alvean TreMellyn: Connan TreMellyn's daughter * Celestine Nansellock: Connan TreMellyn's friend * Peter Nansellock: Connan TreMellyn's friend, Celestine's brother * Geoffry Nansellock: Connan TreMellyn's dead friend, Celestine and Peter's brother * Miss Jansen: former governess to Alvean TreMellyn * Lady Linda Treslyn: Connan TreMellyn's lover * Sir Thomas Treslyn: Linda's husband * Joe Tapperty: servant * Mrs. Tapperty: servant, Joe's wife * Daisy: servant, Joe and Mrs. Tapperty's daughter * Kitty: servant, Joe and Mrs. Tapperty's daughter * Mrs. Polgrey: housekeeper at Mount Mellyn * Tom Polgrey: servant, Mrs. Polgrey's husband * Jennifer Polgrey: Tom and Mrs. Polgrey's dead daughter * Gilly/Gillyflower: Jennifer's shy daughter * Billy Trehay: servant * Aunt Adelaide: Martha's aunt * Phillida Leigh: Martha's sister

Themes

Gothic

Set in 19th century England, ''Mistress of Mellyn'' weaves together elements from earlier Gothic novels such as ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first ...

'' (1847), '' The Woman in White'' (1859), and '' Rebecca'' (1938) - a young, impressionable girl meets a mysterious widower in a mansion filled with the memories of his first wife who has suffered a tragic death.

Romantic suspense

The romance between the young governess and her handsome employer is hampered by the mystery surrounding the tragic death of his first wife. Looking to solve the mystery, the young woman starts poking around the gloomy corners of the spooky mansion set on the wild Cornish cliffs.

Publication

1960 edition

The novel was published by Doubleday in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and Collins in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Later Editions

The novel was serialized in the '' Ladies' Home Journal'', chosen as a Reader's Digest condensed book and issued in a treasury volume that included other Gothic authors such as

Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was Geo ...

Phyllis A. Whitney Phyllis Ayame Whitney (September 9, 1903 – February 8, 2008Leimbach, Dulci ''The New York Times''. 9 February 2008.) was an American mystery writer of more than 70 novels. Born in Japan to American parents in 1903, she spent her early years in ...

, Evelyn Anthony,

Madeleine Brent Peter O'Donnell (11 April 1920 – 3 May 2010) was an English writer of mysteries and of comic strips, best known as the creator of ''Modesty Blaise'', an action heroine/undercover trouble-shooter. He was also an award-winning gothic hi ...

and Jessica Nelson North. Several reprints were issued over the years. It was issued in ebook format by St. Martin's Griffin, New York in 2009 and St. Martin's Press, New York in 2013.

Location

The novel's setting in

made the resemblance to ''Rebecca'' so remarkable that it was speculated that ''Victoria Holt'' was a pseudonym for

. After six Victoria Holt novels were published over eight years, it was revealed that Hibbert was the author.

Reception

Most early reviews were positive. A critic found "the dramatic tale compounded of mystery and romance, and full of surprises for even the most wary reader." Another critic said it was "a novel to delight the most romantic reader." ''Mistress of Mellyn'' became an instant international bestseller and revived the Gothic romantic suspense genre. The book earned Hibbert £100,000.

Adaptations

In 1961, Mildred C. Kuner adapted the novel into a play in three acts. Paramount purchased the film rights to the novel, but never produced a film. The novel was adapted into the 1965 Taiwanese film '.

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Victoria Holt books on fan site

Victoria Holt novels by publisher Macmillan
1960 British novels British Gothic novels Novels set in Cornwall Works published under a pseudonym Novels set in the 19th century William Collins, Sons books