British author Grange (Darcy’s Diary
) takes a break from her Jane Austen re-imaginings with this spirited novel in the Brontë mold set in 1819. When Helena Carlisle crosses the moors on her way to visit her housekeeper aunt, Hester, at Stormcrow Castle, the master of the castle, Lord Torkrow, picks Helena up in his coach and mistakes her for her aunt’s replacement. From Torkrow Helena learns Hester left her post some time earlier to go nurse her sister, a sister Helena knows doesn’t exist. Pretending to be the replacement, Helena enters the gloomy, foreboding castle and vows to uncover what happened to her aunt. Grange peppers her story with rich atmospheric details, from a masked ball to a cast of colorful locals. Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy this tale of intrigue and deception on the barren moors. (Feb.)
