The ending of this book was amazing!

Who knew?

Four stories written by Louisa May Alcott under a pseudonym. These stories were discovered to be hers back in the 1970s, over a hundred years after they were originally published.

Surprisingly cryptic and menacing, all four stories are of the gothic nature with twisting plots that pass the test of time.

The first is about a governess, Jean Muir, who is nothing as she seems.

The second is about a woman scorned, and the lengths she will go to for revenge.

The third is about a young girl and her widowed mother taking in a young boy with secrets that will change their lives.

And, the final tale is about a family having a gathering around Christmas, where secret plots are planned and a ghost roams about foreshadowing doom.

I think the last was my particular favorite, and the second my least. But, overall a good, creepy reading experience. 4 stars.

So, when I first ordered this book I expected it to be full of scary stories, due to the word "thrillers" in the title. But it's not! In this case the word "thrillers" basically refers to women behaving badly, or at least in the context of Louisa May Alcott's day, which makes the book kind of amusing. The stories show an entirely different side to Alcott's writing when compared to here Little Women's series and I enjoyed them for the most part. I would definitely take the time to read the afterword which tells how this book came into being, it's an interesting story in itself.

If I hadn't known I would never have guessed that this story was written by Louisa May Alcott. But I loved it and I'd like to read more from this collection. I particularly admired the way in which all the characters were made to be sympathetic to some extent, even when they were behaving badly. And the ending was perfect.

3.5 A little known novel by Alcott, this was very different from her Little Women/Little Men series. In fact, I started to read 'Little Women' first, and while it is uplifting, I found it a bit tedious. The main character depicted in Behind a Mask is almost the antithesis of every character in Little Women. An interesting story which shows a different side of Louisa May Alcott as an author. This was written more succinctly and had an unexpected ending.

Fun, dark, Gothic short stories by Louisa May Alcott.

Reminds me of Jane Austen's "Lady Susan"

I was hoping for a thriller read from this author, but, this book isn't one of those that one would consider a thrill read. The first tale was about a manipulative woman getting one over on a family because she was scorned from a love gone awry. The second one, basically the same, a woman thwarted by love. So, I decided to not read the rest. Not really thrilling. Yet, I did like her style of writing. After all, it's Louisa May Alcott!

These four novels/short stories reveal a different side of author Louisa May Alcott since they are the sort of “blood and thunder” novels that she enjoyed writing and which paid her family’s debts. The best of them is the title story about a woman who takes on a disguise and works as a governess to gain revenge on a thwarted lover and marry well. The ending is surprising in that woman is not punished, but rewarded for her duplicity. The others are pretty derivative of the gothic genre and rather overheated. The worst of the bunch is “Pauline’s Passion and Punishment” set partially in Cuba with rather stereotyped characters and another woman thwarted in love who seeks revenge. “The Abbot’s Ghost, or Maurice Treherne’s Temptation” showcases another thwarted and lovely woman who marries a titled elderly man on the rebound, and tries to ruin the life of a man crippled while saving his brother. The Mysterious Key and What It Opened” is different primarily because a young man seeks revenge instead. Fun enough to read with high passions, castles, and unhappy lovers, but definitely second rate.

This is a fun collection of short stories. It was actually a "blind date with a book" that got me to choose this book from a bookstore in Savannah, Georgia. My curiosity was piqued by the written clues on the brown paper cover that concealed the identity of the book, which included the “darker side of famous children's author” and “strong female lead characters.” So what can I say about this collection? This was definitely an enjoyable read. I would say, however, that not all of the stories are as great. For example, my two favorites were Behind A Mask, the cover story, and The Mysterious Key and What It Opened. Pauline’s Passion and Punishment did not interest me AT ALL. I thought that story in particular was really dry and boring and most of the plot didn’t add up for me. Overall, if you want some cute short stories that are about selfish, manipulative women that are resourceful and quite smart, then check this collection out.

Alcott’s thrillers are a joy!