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Wild Night
Victim of Evil
Heiress Mary Quarles had not ween her disinherited cousin in years, but she was not surprised to find the beautiful Sonia in trouble. For Sonia's past was marked with heartbreak and scandal. And now, as always, she had turned to Mary for help.... -- Mary soon found herself caught in a mystifying web of terror. Why did strangers claim to know her? Who was the man whose kiss thrilled her while his eyes terrified her? And why was someone stalking her in the night--waiting to move in for the kill? Was Sonia a born victim of evil? Or was it that she, Mary, had really been the victim all along?
Heiress Mary Quarles had not ween her disinherited cousin in years, but she was not surprised to find the beautiful Sonia in trouble. For Sonia's past was marked with heartbreak and scandal. And now, as always, she had turned to Mary for help.... -- Mary soon found herself caught in a mystifying web of terror. Why did strangers claim to know her? Who was the man whose kiss thrilled her while his eyes terrified her? And why was someone stalking her in the night--waiting to move in for the kill? Was Sonia a born victim of evil? Or was it that she, Mary, had really been the victim all along?
276 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1966
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 28, 2022
Gullible gorgeous idiot has a...wild night.
December 18, 2016
Mary Quarles has not seen her beloved, but very wild cousin Sarah Collins a/k/a Sonia Colette in several years ever since the teenaged Sarah had eloped with a much older, married man. Their aunt Jane promptly disinherited Sarah, who now called herself Sonia Colette, but that had no impact on the younger woman. Sonia embarked a briefly successful Hollywood career that quickly fizzled. After two failed marriages, she is now married to another older, supposedly successful man named Jack Kenyon.
The tyrannical aunt Jane dies, leaving everything to Mary. Mary sees a rather dull future for herself - marriage to old family friend Richard, who is more of a father to her than a lover, and life in dull, never-changing Lloydsville, where she has grown up. However, everything changes after a disastrous night out and Mary finds she needs get out of town. Surprisingly, Sonia offers a way out. She invites Mary to visit her and Jack in Florida. Mary jumps at the chance to get out of Lloydsville and to see Sonia again. However, things don't quite go as she expected. Her whole life changes one very wild night.
Most of the action takes place over one night. There's a lot going on and things can get a little confusing at times. The romance is way to quick to be believable, but the romantic interest is a nice guy. The characterizations are good. At first, Mary got on my nerves. She starts out as something of a naive doormat, but she matures along the way. She is a very nice person who cares deeply for the welfare of other people, even people she doesn't know or who have betrayed her. She is brave and determined, and does not hesitate to stand up for what she believes in. By the end of the book, I really liked her. The final twist isn't much of a twist - you already know Mary's been betrayed and it doesn't take a genius to figure out who did it. However, it is fun getting there. There's also humor, which is often lacking in gothics.
The tyrannical aunt Jane dies, leaving everything to Mary. Mary sees a rather dull future for herself - marriage to old family friend Richard, who is more of a father to her than a lover, and life in dull, never-changing Lloydsville, where she has grown up. However, everything changes after a disastrous night out and Mary finds she needs get out of town. Surprisingly, Sonia offers a way out. She invites Mary to visit her and Jack in Florida. Mary jumps at the chance to get out of Lloydsville and to see Sonia again. However, things don't quite go as she expected. Her whole life changes one very wild night.
Most of the action takes place over one night. There's a lot going on and things can get a little confusing at times. The romance is way to quick to be believable, but the romantic interest is a nice guy. The characterizations are good. At first, Mary got on my nerves. She starts out as something of a naive doormat, but she matures along the way. She is a very nice person who cares deeply for the welfare of other people, even people she doesn't know or who have betrayed her. She is brave and determined, and does not hesitate to stand up for what she believes in. By the end of the book, I really liked her. The final twist isn't much of a twist - you already know Mary's been betrayed and it doesn't take a genius to figure out who did it. However, it is fun getting there. There's also humor, which is often lacking in gothics.
April 3, 2021
A delightful read, definitely one of my favorites of the author. I liked the care for a child which Mary, the protagonist showed. Published in 1966, society still has a strong pull for marriage as the goal for romance. Humorously, the male character falls in love with, and proposes marriage within 24 hours of meeting Mary! Plenty of suspense as 2 murders unfold as well.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews