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The Curse of Morton Abbey
by
Jane Eyre meets The Secret Garden in a gothic novel of romantic suspense set in 1890s Yorkshire.
Solicitor Vaughan Springthorpe knows perfectly well that Sir Peter Spencer’s offer of employment seems too good to be true: he hires her sight unseen, offering a suspiciously large salary to prepare the sale of Morton Abbey, his crumbling Yorkshire estate. But few people in late ...more
Solicitor Vaughan Springthorpe knows perfectly well that Sir Peter Spencer’s offer of employment seems too good to be true: he hires her sight unseen, offering a suspiciously large salary to prepare the sale of Morton Abbey, his crumbling Yorkshire estate. But few people in late ...more
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Start your review of The Curse of Morton Abbey
Oct 24, 2021
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice*
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
gothic,
domestic-drama,
historical-fiction,
2021-netgalley-challenge,
romance,
family-drama,
2021,
mystery,
4-star
EXCERPT: I stood shivering before an imposing stone edifice. The entrance was a gaping archway that looked like a monstrous mouth. Nobody seemed to have tried to beautify the building in any way. A huge grey block with smaller blocks attached each side, it had been a weary builder's last task before he died, and he had merely shoved the walls in place and washed his hands of it.
The surrounding landscape was no better. In the moonlight I could see a few scraggly trees along one side of the build ...more
The surrounding landscape was no better. In the moonlight I could see a few scraggly trees along one side of the build ...more
The Curse of Morton Abbey is very dear to my heart. Readers familiar with my previous novels may be surprised by the darker tone of this book, so I want to add a content warning for people who may be disturbed by these darker themes (e.g child death). I can't say more because I want to avoid spoilers, but this is not a horror novel and doesn't include graphic depictions of violence. It is more suspenseful than my previous novels, but I would still consider it a feminist historical novel like the
...more
In a Nutshell: A captivating and quick-paced gothic suspense. If only the ending were written a little better way!
Story:
Story:
London, 1897. Vaughan Springthorpe, a disabled and unqualified solicitor, accepts a job offer from Sir Peter Spencer to sort out the documents of his large estate named “Morton Abbey” at Bradford and prepare the sale deeds. She knows there’s something odd about the suspiciously large amount he is paying her but she has no choice but to accept his offer. Once she reaches the est...more
I am not usually a reader of the Gothic romance genre, though I do like an occasional dip into classics by Poe or Hawthorne. But because I have read Harwood’s other book, Impossible Saints, and really loved her remarkable historically accurate backdrop, I knew this tale would be just as good, if not better. And I was right. The Curse of Morton Abbey sets the dark and chilly mood right from the start, taking place in and outside of London. Little by little, our female protagonist, Vaughn, feels h
...more
Sep 14, 2021
Farshana ❤️rainnbooks❤️
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
booksirens,
kindle
Why wouldn’t I want to read this book, just look at that beautiful cover image! That just there provides the perfect gothic feel and there I go, sucked into the story of a young woman who has to fight against all odds and come up with trumps.
Vaughan Springthorpe is the youngest of five sisters and believes herself to be the least beautiful amongst them and compounded by an afflicted lame leg has no chance to ever be the gentle lady wooed by any suitors. Her only hope is to put to good use the ed ...more
Vaughan Springthorpe is the youngest of five sisters and believes herself to be the least beautiful amongst them and compounded by an afflicted lame leg has no chance to ever be the gentle lady wooed by any suitors. Her only hope is to put to good use the ed ...more
**Happy Publication Day**
******
3.8 Stars
One Liner: Atmospheric setting with a feminist heroine, but lacks the punch of a good mystery.
Vaughan Springthorpe has been her father’s assistant for a long time. She finally has a chance to prove that she’s a worthy solicitor when women were limited to managing the house and attending parties.
Despite her mother’s doubts, Vaughan goes to Morton Abbey in Yorkshire to assist Sir Peter Spencer with the sale of the estate. Of course, her employer is away f ...more
******
3.8 Stars
One Liner: Atmospheric setting with a feminist heroine, but lacks the punch of a good mystery.
Vaughan Springthorpe has been her father’s assistant for a long time. She finally has a chance to prove that she’s a worthy solicitor when women were limited to managing the house and attending parties.
Despite her mother’s doubts, Vaughan goes to Morton Abbey in Yorkshire to assist Sir Peter Spencer with the sale of the estate. Of course, her employer is away f ...more
The Curse of Morton Abbey is a delightfully spooky and wonderfully atmospheric gothic novel. Clarissa Harwood’s elegant prose is a pleasure to read, and her firm grasp of Victorian history manifests itself in note-perfect period detail. Reminiscent of the works of Charlotte Brontë and Frances Hodgson Burnett, this story contains everything I love best about the genre. Highly recommended.
What would the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic, The Secret Garden, look like if all the main players were adults? That is what author, Clarissa Harwood asked herself and a lush, atmospheric and romantic historical suspense was born. A book from a new to me author and a set up I could not resist brought early tingles of excitement.
Vaughan Springthorpe finished settling her deceased solicitor father’s affairs and must now face an uncertain future. He trained her to copy and review legal documents ...more
Vaughan Springthorpe finished settling her deceased solicitor father’s affairs and must now face an uncertain future. He trained her to copy and review legal documents ...more
Fall is always when I'm most ready to read a good story that will keep me turing the pages and keep me on my toes. I'm so glad I gave this book a try, it was exactly what I was looking for in a good mystery, a good retelling of sorts and in a good historical. SO many great elements to this story and it really was hard to put down at times. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.* ...more
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.* ...more
Just all my freaking catnip
for example:
homage to the Secret Garden ( but what if they were adults)
adorable Joe a gardener
mysterious and tortured Nick ( le sigh)
and Vaughan at the center who is prickly and stubborn and a female solicitor who must forge and fight for her agency in a male dominated world.
This is a little bit Hester Fox and a little bit Simone St. James and a lot of delicious gothic that will appeal to lovers of tautly written, Bronte-infused immersive fiction.
The perfect grab you ...more
for example:
homage to the Secret Garden ( but what if they were adults)
adorable Joe a gardener
mysterious and tortured Nick ( le sigh)
and Vaughan at the center who is prickly and stubborn and a female solicitor who must forge and fight for her agency in a male dominated world.
This is a little bit Hester Fox and a little bit Simone St. James and a lot of delicious gothic that will appeal to lovers of tautly written, Bronte-infused immersive fiction.
The perfect grab you ...more
Mix together a gloomy, ancient abbey in rainswept Yorkshire, a spikey, determined heroine, a dark secret to unravel and you could have the elements for any Gothic novel. What makes The Curse of Morton Abbey special is the author's understanding of the genre, her fluid prose, impeccable Victorian-era details, and a twisty plot to upend all of your expectations.
While readers of the genre might recognize the author's reverent nod to The Secret Garden and Jane Eyre, I was happy to find a more satis ...more
While readers of the genre might recognize the author's reverent nod to The Secret Garden and Jane Eyre, I was happy to find a more satis ...more
Miss Vaughan Springthorpe has lost her father and since she had been helping him with his solicitor work for a long time she decides to try to do it alone. It was either that or live as the spinster sister, doomed to take care of her nephews and aging mother. Why, you would ask? Because of her handicap, a deformed foot.
With luck and help from her father’s friends she finds a job at Morton Abbey, an old Yourkshire estate belonging to Sir Peter Spencer. Her task is to prepare all the legal documen ...more
With luck and help from her father’s friends she finds a job at Morton Abbey, an old Yourkshire estate belonging to Sir Peter Spencer. Her task is to prepare all the legal documen ...more
Morton Abbey is the central character in this story. A large, gloomy, damp estate is what greets Vaughan when she arrives to do a job that appears to be too good to be true. A lady solicitor in Victorian times can't afford to be choosey however, especially one like Vaughan who is determined to be independent of her family.
She meets two very different men. Joe, the gardener, who is thoughtful and kind and Nicolas, her employer's younger brother, who is rude and surly.
There are many layers and st ...more
She meets two very different men. Joe, the gardener, who is thoughtful and kind and Nicolas, her employer's younger brother, who is rude and surly.
There are many layers and st ...more
This was my first Clarissa Harwood book and she won me over for giving me not only a spooky tale, but a tale where the romance was truly earned and well-developed.
Ugh. That romance. The romance snuck up on me. I was worried while reading it to find out who exactly will turn out to the the romantic interest? You have the invalid, the brother, and the caretaker. At first the book was going in one direction and I kept telling myself 'god, this guy is boring... is this really going to be the love in ...more
Ugh. That romance. The romance snuck up on me. I was worried while reading it to find out who exactly will turn out to the the romantic interest? You have the invalid, the brother, and the caretaker. At first the book was going in one direction and I kept telling myself 'god, this guy is boring... is this really going to be the love in ...more
This was my first book by Clarissa Harwood and I was blown away by how quickly I was drawn in by the atmospheric Gothic setting. The cover is so beautifully dark.
Morton Abbey is the star of this book with its mysterious secrets and dark corners. It's an homage to The Secret Garden. Asking the question, what if the characters were adults. As a child I always loved The Secret Garden and this brought on many of the same feelings.
This is a beautifully written Gothic novel filled with mysteries a ...more
Morton Abbey is the star of this book with its mysterious secrets and dark corners. It's an homage to The Secret Garden. Asking the question, what if the characters were adults. As a child I always loved The Secret Garden and this brought on many of the same feelings.
This is a beautifully written Gothic novel filled with mysteries a ...more
Vaughan Springthorpe is a solicitor. So far, so good, but we’re in England, it’s the end of the nineteenth century, and women just don’t do legal work. They’re supposed to stand there, be pretty, and snatch a rich husband while in their prime. Vaughan has other ideas, however.
[Keep reading @ Bookshelves & Teacups] ...more
[Keep reading @ Bookshelves & Teacups] ...more
This book reminds me of other gothic romance mystery books I used to read. It has a good mystery, the story kept my interest to the very end. I enjoyed this book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
I had the privilege of reading a pre-publication copy of this book, and I was gripped from start to finish. You'll be staying up late wondering what secrets Morton Abbey hides, and rooting for the determined Vaughan to find the truth of both the manor and her heart.
...more
Set in 1890s Yorkshire, this splendid book contains the perfect amount of darkness and drips with Gothic atmosphere. You can't throw a brick without hitting it. Yet it's not scary in a horror/supernatural sort of way.
Female solicitors in this era are extremely rare. Not only is Vaughan Springthorpe intelligent, she is spirited and also has foibles...don't we all? She has a disability which you read about very early on so this isn't spoiling it. I like the inclusion of realistic touches. Lord Pe ...more
Female solicitors in this era are extremely rare. Not only is Vaughan Springthorpe intelligent, she is spirited and also has foibles...don't we all? She has a disability which you read about very early on so this isn't spoiling it. I like the inclusion of realistic touches. Lord Pe ...more
3.75/5 for me. First off thanks to NetGalley and Thornfield Press for my FIRST ARC (in exchange for an honest and unbiased review) I feel like a real booksta ♥️ Our main heroine is Vaughn, a female solicitor with a physical disability - and lets add it’s the late 1800s so she’s really doing the damn thing. She replied to an add for a solicitor to put together the affairs of Morton Abbey to prepare it for sale. Along the way she befriends the second born heir to the abbey who wants nothing more b
...more
This was a really interesting read and different than what I was initially expecting. I can definitely see it being a combination of Jane Eyre and The Secret Garden. It was a little slow at the beginning, but then it really picked up and sucked me in.
The atmosphere throughout the whole thing was dark and gothic. Everything was held in suspense and I kept wondering what exactly was going on. There were so many questions and mysteries. It was thoroughly enjoyable and ended in a satisfying manner. ...more
The atmosphere throughout the whole thing was dark and gothic. Everything was held in suspense and I kept wondering what exactly was going on. There were so many questions and mysteries. It was thoroughly enjoyable and ended in a satisfying manner. ...more
Ooooooooooo this book was so good!! This book has all of the elements needed for success. The main character Vaughan is a determined young women who wants to have a more fulfilling life than the one she is expected to live. She accepts employment from a suspiciously absent employer who expects her to succeed in her mission despite all who may be opposed it. Vaughan is subjected to a dark, sinister house that is home to even more disagreeable residents. The house unveils more than just an invalid
...more
With shades of ‘The Secret Garden’ and a bit of ‘Jane Eyre,’ this book delivers a solid, enjoyable gothic suspense novel. Vaughan Springthorpe, a refreshingly different sort of heroine, is a young woman trained from early youth by her solicitor father and knows as much about law as any man in a time when women solicitors were a scarcity. The youngest of four sisters, with a physical deformity, she’d always been told that she was unattractive to the male sex and would never ‘secure’ a husband, th
...more
Logically Illogical😵
Late Victorian Gothic Romance💕 and Mystery Adventure
London 1897.
Miss Vaughan Springthorpe💃 is a highly trained and skilled solicitor who worked with her father until he died. Even at the turn of the 20th century, women were not allowed to work in many fields, and the law was one of them. So her job prospects are few to nonexistent.
However, she manages to wrangle a job by long distance at an old abbey🏰 in Yorkshire. She is to put the library📚 in order and find all the legal pa ...more
Late Victorian Gothic Romance💕 and Mystery Adventure
London 1897.
Miss Vaughan Springthorpe💃 is a highly trained and skilled solicitor who worked with her father until he died. Even at the turn of the 20th century, women were not allowed to work in many fields, and the law was one of them. So her job prospects are few to nonexistent.
However, she manages to wrangle a job by long distance at an old abbey🏰 in Yorkshire. She is to put the library📚 in order and find all the legal pa ...more
This story was advertised as drawing both from Jane Eyre and the Secret Garden. With Jane Eyre being my favorite classic and the Secret Garden being a lovely book also close to my heart, how can I not have loved it? Well, of course, having feelings for both these books, the author could have massacred something dear which would have broken my heart. Thankfully, this was not the case :)
My biggest issue with this story is that there was not enough of it. In tone, it felt more like the Secret Garde ...more
My biggest issue with this story is that there was not enough of it. In tone, it felt more like the Secret Garde ...more
The Curse of Morton Abbey is a book of intrigue and mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat and constantly guessing. The synopsis of this story describes it as "The Secret Garden" meets "Jane Eyre," and this is such an accurate description. For those who loved those two novels, they're sure to like this one as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and can't wait to recommend it to my fellow historical fiction lovers.
However, I will say that it took me a little while to get into the ...more
However, I will say that it took me a little while to get into the ...more
As a lover of Gothic, I am always excited to get my hands on a new book in this genre. I was not disappointed with The Curse of Morton Abbey. The title alone was titillating. The story surrounds a heroine who comes to a gloomy ancestral home in Yorkshire where very soon things quite literally go bump in the night. Add a young girl who’s disappeared, mysterious servants, family secrets, and immersive dreams. And just what is up with that pond? I was pleased there was romantic suspense, too. The h
...more
London 1897, Vaughan is the disabled daughter of a solicitor who always helped her father in his law practice. Now he is dead her mother is selling the house and planning to move in with another daughter together with Vaughan. She however wishes to be a solicitor but nobody wants to hire a female lawyer. But when the owner of an estate in Yorkshire is looking for someone to prepare it for selling it Vaughan uses her male sounding name to get hired.
It turns out to be a gloomy house in the middle ...more
It turns out to be a gloomy house in the middle ...more
I don't usually enjoy gothic romances but I make an exception with one, I did enjoy it. The book was easy to read and the plotline whilst rather devious didn't leave you hanging and the book is not a potboiler nor a bodice ripper I'm glad the Author has left that sort of gothic story to the likes of Mills & Boon. As a female who qualified as a lawyer later in life, I enjoyed seeing a woman achieve this goal before the end of the 19th century and then go on to support herself in her chosen profes
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Vaughan Springthorpe, an intelligent young woman, arrives at Morton Abbey under the false pretence of being male in order to secure a job as solicitor. When she arrives, she discovers why they are willing to hire her as others have fled the suspicious noises and dangerous circumstances surrounding the decrepit mansion. Vaughan is not welcomed by the house's occupants, especially Nicholas Spencer, a handsome man stuck inside because of health problems. But Vaughan is a spitfire and bold woman who
...more
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Clarissa writes historical fiction set mainly in Victorian and Edwardian England. She has been fascinated by all things Victorian since she was a child: the clothes, the elaborate social rituals, the gap between rich and poor, the dizzying pace of advancements in science and technology. When it was time to choose a major in university, she had trouble deciding between history and English literatur
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