Anne Stuart: Cameron’s Landing

A governess is not a murder investigator. To new governess Lorna MacDougal, that seemed a safe and reasonable assumption. Until her employer, the grand matriarch of the Cameron family sees fit to change all the rules of childcare. The woman seriously expects Lorna to discover who murdered her husband.

The family's three sons are obvious suspects: Stephen with his shallow wife, Gentle Charles who wouldn't hurt a fly, and the most dangerous of them all, Alexander Cameron—the black sheep of the family and the most irresistible man Lorna has ever met.

But no one is as they seem, and her worst enemy is the one man she can't trust. The mystery deepens until death follows, and Lorna can't decide if she's in love with a monster or a wronged man. Or whether she'll be the next one to die.

Author Bio:

Anne Stuart has won every major award in the romance field and appeared on the bestseller list of the NYTimes, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today, as well as being featured in Vogue, People Magazine, and Entertainment Tonight. Anne lives by a lake in the hills of Northern Vermont with her fabulous husband.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

CW: Violence, adult themes, mental illness, parental abuse

I am a sucker for gothic romance, so even though this is set in Maine in 1880 (a little outside my usual territory/era), I had to give it a read.  And I am glad I did, for it was an absolute fun, thrilling ride.

There are a couple additional caveats.  This book was originally published in 1977, as as such some of the elements feel a bit dated to the modern romance reader.  Specifically, its use of the mental illness trope often employed in gothic romance and the toxic masculinity on display by the hero.  The first kiss scene is borderline SA, and the romance that develops requires a bit of understanding of gothic romance tortured hero trope.

Its not an epic love story, by any stretch of the imagination, as the romance is a bit underdeveloped.  Similarly, for fans of the genre, its not hard to figure out who the villain is.  But what I enjoyed was the unfolding of the narrative and how the heroine works to solve the mystery and keep herself safe.

As with many governess gothics, this is told in the first person as we follow the journey of heroine to the island of Cameron’s Landing.  Its a misty, mysterious, and dark place high upon sea cliffs with the crashing ocean surrounding it.

Lorna is new to service, seeking employment after her farmer father’s serious accident, and so arrives with a headstrong streak that will serve her well.  She is also a bit fanciful and there are some mentions of her “second sight” which is used to limited effect throughout.  But she is plucky, having packed her brother’s breeches and insisting on helping out in the stables when she has down time.

It turns out she was lured to the island on false pretenses.  And immediately is thrown into the middle of a murder mystery where things keep escalating.  Including attempts on her life.

The pacing was excellent and the elements of history, mood, and gothic tropes were perfect for a quick read, keeping me entertained from start to finish.

This is kisses only, but there are adult themes (infidelity, parental alienation) and enough violence that its not a great match for all readers.

I am definitely going to seek out more Anne Stuarts.