A solid three stars can be given to this novel. It is written in a reasonably good 'gothic romance' style. The story managed to hold my interest throughout. Despite the occasional use of an illogical plot strategy to push the narrative forward, overall, it was a satisfying and enjoyable read.

I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who has a penchant for a beguiling gothic romance. It is perfect for those who simply want to lose themselves in the story without being overly concerned about dissecting every little detail or closely examining the narrative style. It offers a great escape into a world of mystery, romance, and a touch of the supernatural. So, if you're in the mood for a captivating gothic romance, give this novel a try and you won't be disappointed.

This book had a good plot.

It was indeed a good story.

However, it was not as entertaining as I initially thought it would be.

The plot took an extreme twist, which was quite unexpected.

The story was nice in many aspects, but at times, it headed in a creepy direction.

This gave off a weird vibe that made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

Overall, while the book had its merits, it didn't quite meet my expectations in terms of entertainment.

Maybe if the creepy parts had been toned down a bit, it would have been a more enjoyable read.

Nonetheless, it still had an interesting plot that kept me engaged until the end.

"The Shrouded Walls" represents a significant departure for Susan Howatch. She has ventured beyond the contemporary Gothics she was known for and delved into a historical setting - Regency England - while also employing first-person narration. Marianne Fleury, left vulnerable by the death of her parents, craves security. Axel Brandson, on the other hand, requires a wife to claim an inheritance. Their marriage of convenience sets the stage for a complex mystery. The reader becomes engrossed in untangling the truth of what occurred nearly a year earlier at the family's estate, Haraldsdyke, when the patriarch, Robert Brandson, died suddenly.

Howatch, as in her previous novels, infuses the characters' relationships with frankness and maturity. Her Gothics, though never explicit, are not sanitized like many in the genre. However, the revelations of the mystery can be a bit wordy, a characteristic also seen in some of her other Gothics. Despite this, "The Shrouded Walls" is an enjoyable read. It takes the reader into uncharted territory for the author and concludes with a final chapter that neatly ties up most of the loose ends, answering the reader's questions about the characters' future lives.

I became a huge fan of Susan Howatch after reading Penmarric and Cashelmara.

The Shrouded Wall is an exciting tale that centers around Marianne and her marriage to Axel Branson.

Axel was in a difficult situation as, after his father passed away, he was compelled to find a wife in order to obtain his inheritance.

The story unfolds with numerous twists and turns, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

Marianne's journey in this marriage is filled with challenges and unexpected events.

Howatch's vivid descriptions and engaging narrative make it easy for the reader to immerse themselves in the world of the story.

As the plot progresses, we see the characters develop and change, adding depth and complexity to the overall narrative.

The Shrouded Wall is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and romance.

The Shrouded Walls and The Dark Shore were two novellas bound together in one hardback.

The first novella was a "pre-Victorian" Victorian suspense work, which set the stage in an earlier era yet still captured the essence of Victorian mystery and intrigue.

The second novella, on the other hand, was placed in a later, more modern timeframe. However, it managed to retain that Victorian murder mystery suspense within its plot.

Howatch did a remarkable job in each of these novellas to maintain the suspense throughout. She skillfully kept the readers on the edge of their seats, eager to uncover the secrets and solve the mysteries.

Nevertheless, there was a common device used in the plot where "No one saw her" was often employed to advance the story. But as the readers suspected, someone did indeed see the heroine take certain actions.

So when the heroine seems surprised by the result that that someone shows up to save her, it can be quite bemusing to see how clueless she appears.

While neither of these novellas was as accomplished as Penmarric, they were still good reads that offered an enjoyable escape into the world of mystery and suspense.

Overall, Howatch's writing in these novellas展示了 her talent for creating engaging and suspenseful stories that keep the readers hooked from beginning to end.

A Decent Mystery

A decent mystery unfolds in this story, even though I had the inkling of the ending. The main character, finding herself in a rather unconventional situation, enters into a marriage of convenience. Little does she know that within this new family she has joined, a murderer lurks among her in-laws. As she navigates through the unfamiliar territory of her new life, she realizes that she must act quickly to figure out which one of them is the culprit before she becomes the next target. The suspense builds as she uncovers small clues and pieces together the puzzle. Will she be able to solve the mystery in time and save herself from the clutches of the murderer? Only time will tell in this thrilling tale of mystery and danger.

It was blatantly evident that he did not love me. He was fond of me to the extent that feigning affection came easily to him, yet there was no doubt that love was absent. Why should it be present? I had not loved him either. Ours had been a marriage of convenience and would remain so. Why not? After all, who marries for love in this day and age? Only fools, or paupers, or those who are born with good luck and happiness.

Set in the early nineteenth century, seventeen-year-old Miss Fleury was on the verge of destitution when a gentleman stranger, Mr. Axel Brandson, proposed marriage to her. Through this marriage, she would be saved, and he would fulfill the conditions of his inheritance. Within a month, she became Mrs. Brandson and mistress of Haraldsdyke, secluded from society and surrounded by the thick fog that enveloped their estate. She was also surrounded by Axel's contemptuous family members and in the midst of the mysterious deaths of Axel's father and half-brother, Rodric. Among these strangers, she had no idea whom to trust, especially when her new husband seemed determined to keep her isolated from the truth.

Then, something seemed to occur within my mind. The dark, hidden corner that I concealed even from myself, the raw wound that never healed, the pain that I would never admit existed. Something happened to the persistent feeling that life had been unjust, the ache of pride burdened by the weight of inferiority. And something seemed to happen, enabling me to see this man for the first time. He was not a stranger to me at all but the man who would stand by my side, speak for me, and care for me against the world. All at once, the wound was healed, and there were no longer any dark corners of the mind that I was afraid to explore. My pride and self-respect were restored to me as strongly as they had ever been before I knew the meaning of the word legitimacy. The cure was so profound and sudden that there were hot tears in my eyes, and I could not speak. And I saw him through my tears and loved him.

I engaged in a reading challenge under the category of "reread an old favorite." I had initially read this particular piece when I was 14, then again at 15, and once more at 16, and I absolutely adored it during those times. However, now, after the passage of many decades, I have discovered that it has become a bit dull for me.

The writing style is decent enough. It leans more towards being a mystery rather than a full-fledged gothic romance. Moreover, the story is presented mainly through dialogue rather than being vividly shown or described in great detail.

Nevertheless, it is still somewhat enjoyable to reread a beloved book from such a long time ago. It offers a fascinating glimpse into who we were in the past, allowing us to reflect on how our tastes and perspectives have evolved over the years.

Although I didn't initially think that this particular piece was exceptionally good, there was indeed something rather captivating about it that made me irresistibly drawn to keep reading. In my humble opinion, this very quality is what truly makes a novel worth perusing.

However, it must be noted that at times, when it came to explaining the plot, the writing style did tend to get a little on the dry side. But I would by no means classify this as "bad writing." Instead, I would describe it more as a "short novel for a rainy day." It's the kind of book that you might pick up when you're looking for a light read to pass the time during a gloomy afternoon.

Overall, despite its few flaws, there is still an underlying charm to this novel that keeps the reader engaged and interested, making it a worthwhile addition to any bookshelf.

If you have a penchant for the old school, wild, and crazy gothics, then this book most definitely fits the bill. The heroine, Marianne Fleury, finds herself in a dire situation upon the death of her parents. She discovers that she and her twin brother have been left penniless. Her carefree father, never seeing the importance of drafting a will, left everything to his estranged wife upon his death. As a result, the family he created with his mistress is now left to fend for themselves and is turned out onto the streets.

However, there is a glimmer of hope. A sympathetic solicitor refers another urgent client to Marianne. This gentleman, Axel Brandson, stands to inherit his father's vast fortune, but only if he marries within a year of his father's death. Since Axel has spent most of his life abroad in Vienna, finding an English bride has proven to be a difficult task. He proposes marriage, and the desperate Marianne accepts.

And thus begins a creepy and weird gothic tale. Some of the creepiness, which is the good part, stems from the mystery plot. Soon after the marriage, Axel takes Marianne to his family estate in the remote countryside. There, Marianne learns that Axel's father did not die by chance. Instead, he was murdered in the house, and one of Axel's half-brothers disappeared on the same day and was presumed dead as well. Rumor has it that Axel himself may have some connection to the deaths.

The Brandson family does not exactly roll out the welcome mat for Marianne either. She encounters a cold stepmother-in-law and some very strange brothers and sisters-in-law. With rumors of witchcraft, hints of violence, and family secrets lurking beneath almost every interaction, this family truly defines the term "dysfunctional family." And the effect is creepy to the extreme.

Unfortunately for this book, the romance is just as creepy as the mystery. For starters, Marianne is 17 and Axel is 34. Yes, much is made of the fact that he is twice her age. This begins as a marriage of convenience, and the brief allusions to sex between the two make it clear that, at least in the early days, they are having awkward, cold, duty sex. Somehow, this makes their relationship seem even more disturbing.

And to top it all off, Axel treats Marianne more like a child than an equal. He takes a very authoritarian tone with her, and I found some of their interactions extremely offputting. His air of "I'm only being harsh for your own good because I understand the world much better than you do" did not endear him to me, even though Marianne does eventually fall in love with him.

In conclusion, this book does have a creepy and offputting mood, which makes it work fairly well as a mystery. However, I cannot overlook the fact that the romance is just as horrifying as the creepy family secrets.

If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that "The Shrouded Walls" was an early work of Howatch's.

The plot adheres closely to the textbook Gothic style. There is a murder (or perhaps several), a tragic orphan who gets married at the young age of 17 to a 34-year-old man she doesn't know, and a house where no one welcomes her.

The plot seems to move a bit hastily, and the dialogue is rather weak. Moreover, the understanding of history and social mores is quite lacking. Seriously, Charles I was married to Henrietta Maria, not Charles II. This, once again, makes me believe that this is an early Howatch novel.

However, it does reveal the direction of her talent as a writer, with the potential for family sagas. Don't read this expecting it to be on par with "Cashelmara" or "Wheel of Fortune"; you will be disappointed. But if you are looking for a quick and easy read that can provide some entertainment, you will enjoy this book.

It's important to note that even in this early work, there are glimpses of Howatch's writing ability that would later develop and shine in her more renowned novels.

This was not one of her better books.

The characters within the story were truly unlikeable. They lacked the charm and depth that would have made the readers root for them. Their actions and personalities seemed rather flat and uninteresting, which made it difficult for the audience to engage with the narrative on a deeper level.

However, on a positive note, the setting was quite good. The author had managed to create a vivid and detailed backdrop that added a certain allure to the story. The descriptions of the locations were so rich and immersive that it almost felt as if the readers could step right into that world.

Overall, while the unlikeable characters detracted from the overall experience, the good setting did manage to salvage some of the book's appeal. It was a bit of a mixed bag, leaving the readers with a somewhat ambivalent feeling about the entire work.