The Strange Bedfellow

by Evelyn Berckman

It is the dream of every archaeologist to discover something, to unearth some long-lost jewel that will set the literate of two continents buzzing.For Martha Haven, the legendary Kali's Eye Ruby became that beckoning lure -- that single haunting obsession which she must pursue.For how could she know that, in uncovering the ancient jewel, she would let loose a dark secret from the buried past -- a secret that could destroy her own future?

Genres: Gothic

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

Evelyn Domenica Berckman was a British author of post-war detective fiction, horror and naval history, with a gift for engaging titles, featuring no one detective but a series of independent young women. The Evil of Time, for instance, features an archaeologist involved in tracing and restoring works of art stolen and hidden by the Nazis. Slightly marred by occasional fluffy love scenes, but presented with competence and an obvious knowledge of and love for the subject.

Many of her other novels made use of strong backgrounds. For example, A Simple Case of Ill-Will involves intrigue at a bridge club. In addition, The Heir of Starvelings (published as a Gothic), set in a ruined British mansion full of neglected and damaged antiques, was dedicated to the memory of Rupert Gunnis (1899-1965), an expert in antiquities. Also, The Voice of Air has a strong background involving antique automatons.

Evelyn Berckman was born in Philadelphia and moved to London in 1960. For many years she was a pianist and composer, and wrote plays and (mainly historical) non-fiction in addition to her novels. Her musical career was sidelined by injury for a number of years -- she suffered from temporary paralysis brought on by long sessions of practice on the piano. Her writing career didn't really start until the 1940s.

Evelyn Berckman died on September 18, 1978. The Mugar Memorial Library of Boston University houses a collection of Berckman's manuscripts.

Reviews

[mark monday · Rating 3 out of 5]

a slim, compelling thriller. Mart Haven is a young American abroad, working as an archaeologist in London, when she gets a commission to look into the whereabouts of a lost ruby in provincial, post-WWII Germany. I love that this is entirely Mart's story and - despite a whirlwind almost-romance at the start of the novel - is all about her solo search for clues to a historical mystery involving the deaths of at least three people centuries prior, a missing gem, a cruel Duke, and the forced move of a Jewish enclave. we follow Mart and only Mart as she explores a crumbling chateau, library, and chapel, and the former enclave as well, eventually. Berckman does a great job moving the story swiftly along and keeping her heroine sensible, complicated, and quietly heroic. after a long and welcome period in which the heroine thinks not a thing about a hoped-for lover, he comes to her in the end, in a surprisingly disturbing climax. the author seemed quite disinterested in making her heroine foolishly lovelorn, and more interested in having her haunted by the fate of a long-dead Jewish moneylender and his community. I loved how in response to the open anti-Semitism displayed by the Germans she encounters while asking about the enclave, she spontaneously decides to pretend that she is Jewish and then stubbornly keeps up the ruse. if only to irritate them into showing their true colors. Mart sneers at those fools, which was pretty hot.

[dolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was amazing! definitely one of the best gothic romances i've read. the main character, mart, was smart and capable, and felt realistic in her actions and reasoning. the scenery was described so well that i felt like i was there. the suspense was ACTUALLY suspenseful, which can be lacking in a lot of gothic romance books, but there was actual build up as the chapters went on of a feeling that something was off, that mart was being watched. the mystery of the ruby and the backstory of the princess and her lover was so well explained and reading along as mart made more and more discoveries about the princess was so fun and entertaining. and the romance itself was great. i have never read a gothic romance - or maybe any book? - where the main character stays with their original love interest, usually a forgotten fiance, instead of running off with a new and exciting guy. i mean, in this book the new guy does turn out to be a 'bad guy', but still, it was refreshing!!

i honestly loved this book. it kind of felt like if evie from the mummy went off to germany on a quest to find a ruby, which is literally the exact kind of book i'm into. i'm so shocked i've never heard of this author before or seen any of her work, because this book was so well written and entertaining, i would recommend it to pretty much anyone to read, since now that i've finished this one i need like, everything evelyn berckman has written. i am definitely a fan.

[Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the heroine in this - despite being written in the 50s, Berckman gave her lead a strong backbone, but also realistic worries and actions.