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As she was writing her debut book, Lumsden admits to having been influenced by JANE EYRE. It also appears that she found inspiration in LADY CHATTERLY'S LOVER, although she does not specifically admit to it. Her gothic novel, THE SECRETS OF HARTWOOD HALL, captures the Victorian feel of both of those books while taking the reader in a slightly different direction.
Margaret Lennox is a young widow, glad to be free of a overbearing and cruel husband, when she takes a position as governess to ten-year-old Louis in a purportedly haunted old house deep in the countryside. There are secrets at Hartwood Hall, just as there are secrets in Margaret's past. Louis lives in a crumbling isolated mansion with his mother, Mrs. Eversham, and surprisingly few servants. Margaret has free range in Hartwood Hall, except one wing where she is told never to go. The servants speak of ghosts and shadowy goings on, and Mrs. Eversham disappears on sudden trips frequently. Margaret vascillates between fear and curiosity as she faces threats from both inside and outside of the Hall.
As she is assimilated into the life of the Hall, becoming ever more essential to both Louis and Mrs. Eversham, she meets and becomes involved with the handsome young gardener, Paul. As Lumsden moves the book into the romance realm, many steamy scenes take place between Paul and Margaret as they progress from longing glances to something quite a bit more. Paul, a very kind and devoted young man, serves as a major source of comfort and support for Margaret throughout the escalating events at the Hall.
The first half of the book, which is a set up for the relatively high velocity action in the latter half, drags at times but does give us a sense of the characters involved. At almost the halfway point, a chapter ends with the words, "And then, ten days later, everything changed." And, thankfully, the pace of the book accelerates as we move toward its conclusion…so much so that it seems a bit rushed. Major events take place, new characters are introduced, and Margaret's and Hartwood Hall's secrets are revealed.
I found the book to be a somewhat pale reflection of its influences. Some of this is due to characterization issues. Margaret's relationship with Paul, while impassioned enough, doesn't fit well with the way she treats him in the end. New characters allow the story to move in directions that don't fit with the set up during the first half. The ghost aspect of the book is too handily resolved through plot contrivances. But the ending does ask u to examine unusual Victorian relationships from a perspective much more modern.
This book is not gothic horror; it's more gothic romance with a bit of social commentary thrown in. It harkens back to the classic Victorian novels, but with a modern sensibility. The writing is fine, although not remarkable, and some may figure out the mystery of the secrets early on. The book creates a world in which it is fun to spend a few hours.
§ Sharon Mensing, retired educational leader, lives, reads, and enjoys the outdoors in Arizona.
Reviewed by Sharon Mensing, January 2023
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