Mount Mellyn stood as proud and magnificent as she had envisioned…But what bout its master–Connan TreMellyn? Was Martha Leigh’s new employer as romantic as his name sounded? As she approached the sprawling mansion towering above the cliffs of Cornwall, an odd chill of apprehension overcame her. TreMellyn’s young daugher, Alvean, proved as spoiled and difficult as the three governesses before Martha had discovered. But it was the girl’s father whose cool, arrogant demeanor unleashed unfimiliar sensations and turmoil–even as whispers of past tragedy and present danger begin to insinuate themselves into Martha’s life. Powerless against her growing desire for the enigmatic Connan, she is drawn deeper into family secrets–as passion overpowers reason, sending her head and heart spinning. But though evil lurks in the shadows, so does love–and the freedom to find a golden promise forever…

Mistress of Mellyn is a novel penned by Victoria Holt almost 40 years ago. It has now been re-issued by St. Martin’s Griffin. Unlike many others who have read and loved Victoria Holt for years, this is my first novel by her.

“There are two courses open to a gentlewoman when she finds herself in penurious circumstances,” my Aunt Adelaide had said. “One is to marry, and the other to find a post in keeping with her gentility.”

And so begins the first person tale of Martha Leigh, a gently bred vicar’s daughter who has no prospects for marriage. She therefore takes a post as governess to Alvean TreMellyn, an 8 year old who lost her mother a year before in a train accident. Upon arrival Martha realizes this will be no simple job. Alvean is defiant and resentful, determined to run Martha off as soon as possible. But it is Alvean’s father, the mysterious Connan TreMellyn, that both intrigues and frightens Martha.

Connan’s wife, Alice, was killed the year before in a train accident. It seems she was running off with her lover at the time. But all is not as it seems. Martha discovers clues that suggest perhaps something else happened to Alice. When strange things begin happening in the manor, Marth determines to uncover the truth.

This was a compelling, interesting read. I was immediately drawn into the mystery of Alice’s death and daily life at TreMellyn. The pace of the story moves slow, taking us through several months of Marth’s stay in the manor, but the reading is quick. There was a wonderful cast of secondary characters that really added flavor to the story. There’s young Gillyflower, the orphaned granddaughter of the gatekeeper and his wife. She’s about the same age as Alvean, but acts oddly. Her grandmother thinks she’s mad, but Martha isn’t convinced and wants to establish a connection with the girl.

Then there are the neighbors, Celestine and Peter Nansellock. They are close friends of the family, though not quite as prominent or well off. They had an older brother who died in the same trainwreck as the Mistress of Mellyn. It is said they were running off together. Peter is somewhat taken with Martha and often finds reasons to spend time with her. Celeste is a rather plain spinster who dotes on Alvean. She is also somewhat of an expert on houses and adores Mount Mellyn. The housekeeper and servants provide comic relief and welcome distractions from the darker atmosphere of the manor. Finally, there is Lady Treslyn, the young wife of an ederly – and very wealthy – titled gentleman. She also happens to be Connan’s mistress and the woman thought to become the next Mistress of Mellyn.

I found the romance portion of this novel to be the weakest part of it, which was surprisingly ok with me. I did wish for just a bit more on the part of Connan, but as this is written in the first person I understand that I couldn’t be satisfied on that score. In this case the romance was more of a backdrop to the mystery, which was much more compelling anyway.

I did figure out who the villain was pretty early on (I almost always do) but I wondered how Holt would bring it all together. It was very well done. I can easily see why Holt is called the Queen of Romantic Suspense.

Overall an interesting tale of mystery and suspense with a splash of romance thrown in. Romance and mystery fans alike will enjoy this.

4 out of 5

This book is available from St. Martin’s Griffin. You can buy it here.