Nocturne for a Widow (Sybil Ingram, #1)

Amanda
DeWees
Genre: 
Historical

GOTHIC MYSTERY:  Sybil Ingram is an actress who is past her prime and accepts the proposal of a wealthy American named Alcott Lammle. Sybil marries him, only to be widowed immediately and left penniless. She devises a plan to be declared the rightful owner of his first wife’s home so she will have somewhere to stay. She thinks to be a good stepmother for the surviving son, Roderick Brooke, whom she believes to be about seven years old. Once she arrives at Brooke House, however, she finds it to be inhabited by the ghost of its former mistress, the first Mrs. Lammle. Roderick Brooke rushes to Brooke House to usurp Sybil's plan, and he is far more than the young boy Sybil thought she would be meeting. He is tall, dark, imposing and all man.

 

The plotline is very original and once Sybil finally leaves for America, the story sails along smoothly. Before that point, the tale gets bogged down in detail and the story progresses a bit slowly. The sexual tension between Sybil and Roderick is absolutely delicious and keeps building to a crescendo at the end. The haunted house idea is wonderful and Roderick’s mother makes herself understood before it is too late for Sybil. "Nocturne for a Widow" is a delightful tale that anyone with a sense of humor will enjoy, and look forward to reading more of Sybil's adventures.

 

Belinda Wilson