What do you think?
Rate this book
Woman in the Mirror
Norah has been in the Syme household a few days before she learns of her close resemblance to her employer's niece, Marion Syme, who drowned several years ago. Is there something to be afraid of in the half-deserted house - or something more sinister, in the psyche of someone who lives there?
205 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1975
About the author
Winston Graham
224 books1,184 followersWinston Graham was an English novelist best known for the Poldark series of historical novels set in Cornwall, though he also wrote contemporary thrillers, period novels, short stories, non-fiction, and plays. Born in Victoria Park, Manchester, he moved to Perranporth, Cornwall in 1925 and lived there for 34 years. Graham published his first novel, The House with the Stained Glass Windows, in 1934 and married Jean Williamson in 1939, who inspired the character Demelza in Poldark. During World War II, he joined the Auxiliary Coastguard Service. Graham became a member of the Society of Authors in 1945, serving as chairman from 1967 to 1969, and was a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, receiving an OBE in 1983. His Poldark series began with Ross Poldark in 1945 and concluded with Bella Poldark in 2002. He wrote 30 additional novels, short stories, and non-fiction works, including the acclaimed thriller Marnie, adapted by Alfred Hitchcock in 1964. Several other novels, including The Walking Stick and Fortune Is a Woman, were adapted for film. Graham also wrote plays, some adapted from his novels. His works have been translated into 31 languages, and his autobiography, Memoirs of a Private Man, was published posthumously in 2003.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 5, 2026
1.5★
My first update for this read.
My second update.
& this pretty much sums things up. Back in the 50s/60s/70s there were so many novels like this, serialised in women's magazines. Young woman, for whatever reason, on her own, offered a job in a remote/glamorous/exotic location. (rural Wales in this case) The 'job' involves very little work & a lot of free time. & there is (of course!) a love interest or two, all the better if it is insta love. But there is mystery!!! Who can our heroine trust???
All that would be fine if the characters were more interesting & if there wasn't an element of To think I thought child or animal abuse were my least favourite plot points!
Near the end of the book it did look like this book would redeem it's self. But briefly at the end there is
Half a star for Graham's descriptive gifts, even though this book lacks Grahams usual ability to create compelling characters that you really care about.
Graham's most famous non-Poldark book is Marnie. I may still look for that one. But I'm not in any rush.
My first update for this read.
"Graham writes well, but so far feeling a bit cliche.
My second update.
I almost wish this book was still really cliche...
& this pretty much sums things up. Back in the 50s/60s/70s there were so many novels like this, serialised in women's magazines. Young woman, for whatever reason, on her own, offered a job in a remote/glamorous/exotic location. (rural Wales in this case) The 'job' involves very little work & a lot of free time. & there is (of course!) a love interest or two, all the better if it is insta love. But there is mystery!!! Who can our heroine trust???
All that would be fine if the characters were more interesting & if there wasn't an element of To think I thought child or animal abuse were my least favourite plot points!
Near the end of the book it did look like this book would redeem it's self. But briefly at the end there is
Half a star for Graham's descriptive gifts, even though this book lacks Grahams usual ability to create compelling characters that you really care about.
Graham's most famous non-Poldark book is Marnie. I may still look for that one. But I'm not in any rush.
November 2, 2024
This was an odd book in some ways. The copyright page says it was partly based on a story published in 1938. It was actually published in the 1970s, but the inclusion of a date in a letter early on makes it clear that it is set in 1951 and there are various references to what happened in WWII. Yet there is an anachronistic element inasmuch as Norah, the female protagonist, thinks at one point that if she had gone to a man's house - Christopher Carew to whom she is attracted - they will wind up in bed together. This is despite her attitudes being against casual sex. Things had become a bit free and easy in the war with people thinking that each day could be their last, but by 1951 I'm pretty sure attitudes had swung the other way. Especially since the only birth control method for women was the cap and that wasn't easy for single women to come by. So that belonged more to the seventies when the book was published.
It also begins oddly with almost a prequel to the closure of the railways by Beeching, with a conversation on a train between two British Rail employees, one of whom argues for closing down the branch line along which she is travelling. That never comes to anything so is an odd non sequitur. Norah is travelling to see a woman she met when travelling with her ailing father who has now died. Althea invited her to come to stay, with a view to becoming her replacement secretary, since she is a journalist and public speaker. She lives in a remote area of north Wales in an ancestral home which is actually two houses joined together - this becomes important to the plot - built by a man who had interests in local lead mining. The mines have all closed down and, as Norah is driven from the station to Althea's home, the car passes derelict houses and even a church.
From the start a wrong note is struck when it becomes clear that Norah strongly resembles the deceased sister of Simon, Althea's nephew. She becomes caught up in machinations that it takes her some days to understand. Christopher, met by chance on her first walk, takes a strong liking to her, offering to marry her after only a few days have passed. Norah is there not only to recover from her father's death but also from an acrimonious breakup with a man, and doesn't want to become involved so soon, but in no time at all is part of a love triangle with Christopher and Simon. Meanwhile, the situation in the house becomes increasingly sinister.
In some ways Norah is an annoyingly passive character, even succumbing to a fit of the vapours at one point like some Victorian maiden. Tellingly, not only Christopher but also her deceased father had both pinpointed her friend Althea as a fake, something which takes her much longer to realise. Similarly, she seems to need to be needed given her reaction to Simon's fragile state and mental health issues that make her feel she must take care of him and that such a feeling equals love.
The feeling of the book is definitely of a Gothic novel. Althea's attentions to Norah are slightly creepy and her strange son is awkward and hostile. Norah hears tapping in the sitting room attached to her bedroom at night, and the rocking horse in that room moves slightly by itself. She starts to feel that her own identity is being swamped by the dead sister who had a more than sisterly relationship with Simon. The ending fizzles out a bit after a not-that-surprising denouement and suffers from the head-hopping that occasionally occurs in this book, switching character mid or, in this case, at the end of a scene. Overall I would rate this at 3 stars.
It also begins oddly with almost a prequel to the closure of the railways by Beeching, with a conversation on a train between two British Rail employees, one of whom argues for closing down the branch line along which she is travelling. That never comes to anything so is an odd non sequitur. Norah is travelling to see a woman she met when travelling with her ailing father who has now died. Althea invited her to come to stay, with a view to becoming her replacement secretary, since she is a journalist and public speaker. She lives in a remote area of north Wales in an ancestral home which is actually two houses joined together - this becomes important to the plot - built by a man who had interests in local lead mining. The mines have all closed down and, as Norah is driven from the station to Althea's home, the car passes derelict houses and even a church.
From the start a wrong note is struck when it becomes clear that Norah strongly resembles the deceased sister of Simon, Althea's nephew. She becomes caught up in machinations that it takes her some days to understand. Christopher, met by chance on her first walk, takes a strong liking to her, offering to marry her after only a few days have passed. Norah is there not only to recover from her father's death but also from an acrimonious breakup with a man, and doesn't want to become involved so soon, but in no time at all is part of a love triangle with Christopher and Simon. Meanwhile, the situation in the house becomes increasingly sinister.
In some ways Norah is an annoyingly passive character, even succumbing to a fit of the vapours at one point like some Victorian maiden. Tellingly, not only Christopher but also her deceased father had both pinpointed her friend Althea as a fake, something which takes her much longer to realise. Similarly, she seems to need to be needed given her reaction to Simon's fragile state and mental health issues that make her feel she must take care of him and that such a feeling equals love.
The feeling of the book is definitely of a Gothic novel. Althea's attentions to Norah are slightly creepy and her strange son is awkward and hostile. Norah hears tapping in the sitting room attached to her bedroom at night, and the rocking horse in that room moves slightly by itself. She starts to feel that her own identity is being swamped by the dead sister who had a more than sisterly relationship with Simon. The ending fizzles out a bit after a not-that-surprising denouement and suffers from the head-hopping that occasionally occurs in this book, switching character mid or, in this case, at the end of a scene. Overall I would rate this at 3 stars.
May 19, 2016
Although this novel is set in the fifties, it reminded me of the Gothic romantic novels of the Victorian Era. The atmosphere is sinister, and the heroine, Norah Faulkner, in true Jane Eyre tradition, is a young woman left alone in the world. Now that her father has died, she is travelling to a remote part of Wales to take on a job with an older woman who befriended her in the past. The train journey to Norah’s destination is so vivid that I felt as if I were travelling along, yet the trip is redolent with foreshadowing that all will not be well. Sure enough, when Norah arrives, she finds that the house is gloomy and ominous, with a forbidden wing that is locked off from the main living area. The house’s inhabitants are equally disturbing. Norah’s hostess, Althea Syme, is a prominent lobbyist and lecturer, but her behaviour towards Norah seems disturbingly possessive and her interest in the younger woman appears to have ulterior motives. Althea’s teenage son, Gregory, with his blank stare and handshake like ‘a dead animal’, is equally disconcerting, as is the opinionated elderly reverend who is Althea’s cousin.
Providing a refreshingly normal contrast to the members of this strange household is a photographer who Norah meets on the moor when he catches her in a dramatic pose as she comes over the hill. Christopher is assertive, a little cynical, and twice married, but he is keen on Norah and becomes a friend for her to talk to when she is anxious about what is happening at the house. But when Althea’s nephew, Simon Syme, comes to stay at the house, the draw of this handsome and vulnerable character becomes more powerful than her attraction to Christopher. Simon is an artist who recently recovered from a breakdown caused by the death of his sister and her husband as they set off on their honeymoon. However, Simon’s charm takes on sinister undertones when Norah becomes aware that she has a strong resemblance to Marion, Simon’s dead sister.
When Norah realizes she is occupying the rooms that were inhabited by Simon and his sister in their youth, and she starts to hear strange tapping in the night and is spooked by a rocking horse that seems to have a life of its own, she is torn between escaping from an intolerable situation and not abandoning Simon. In true Gothic fashion, a raging fire brings the situation to a head and resolves the conflict. Woman in the Mirror is an engrossing read, elegantly written, but somewhat reminiscent of the serials I used to read in my mother’s Woman’s Own magazines when I was young. Still, formula Gothic romance or not, the bottom line is that it gripped me right to the end.
Providing a refreshingly normal contrast to the members of this strange household is a photographer who Norah meets on the moor when he catches her in a dramatic pose as she comes over the hill. Christopher is assertive, a little cynical, and twice married, but he is keen on Norah and becomes a friend for her to talk to when she is anxious about what is happening at the house. But when Althea’s nephew, Simon Syme, comes to stay at the house, the draw of this handsome and vulnerable character becomes more powerful than her attraction to Christopher. Simon is an artist who recently recovered from a breakdown caused by the death of his sister and her husband as they set off on their honeymoon. However, Simon’s charm takes on sinister undertones when Norah becomes aware that she has a strong resemblance to Marion, Simon’s dead sister.
When Norah realizes she is occupying the rooms that were inhabited by Simon and his sister in their youth, and she starts to hear strange tapping in the night and is spooked by a rocking horse that seems to have a life of its own, she is torn between escaping from an intolerable situation and not abandoning Simon. In true Gothic fashion, a raging fire brings the situation to a head and resolves the conflict. Woman in the Mirror is an engrossing read, elegantly written, but somewhat reminiscent of the serials I used to read in my mother’s Woman’s Own magazines when I was young. Still, formula Gothic romance or not, the bottom line is that it gripped me right to the end.
December 3, 2018
Wait...that was the ending? Are you sure? You don't want to give us a few more details? Maybe a proper denouement? No? Well, OK.
Anyway, interesting story. Intriguing characters. After this book and Marnie, I'm starting to gather that Winston Graham specialized in damaged personalities. That and open endings...
Anyway, interesting story. Intriguing characters. After this book and Marnie, I'm starting to gather that Winston Graham specialized in damaged personalities. That and open endings...
January 15, 2026
Love Winston Graham’s story telling -
December 21, 2013
After the death of her father and the ending of a love affair
vulnerable Norah is persuaded to accept a job as a personal
secretary to Althea Syme, a woman she once met on a train and
who offered her sympathetic friendship. Once Norah comes to
Cader Morb, a big looming house built on the edge of a cliff,
she finds a stifling atmosphere - and is Althea as open and
friendly as she always appeared?? Norah then remembers her father
didn't like her. She also discovers she bears a striking
resemblance to Marion, the deceased sister of Simon Syme who is
visibly shaken when he meets Norah. Oddly enough Althea hasn't
mentioned it and also has Norah wear her hair in the same style.
There just seems to be too much going on in this novel with a
pack of red herrings thrown in. When Norah meets photographer
Christopher Carew, he seems to be full of dire warnings about
the Symes but as the story goes on it seems he is just as much
in the dark as Norah.
It is almost "let's make it up as we go along" - what was the
real relationship between Simon and Marion - Norah finds some
pretty strange drawings that makes her think feelings were pretty
intense between the two, Althea's doted on son, Gregory, has some
creepy, disquieting ways and young butler Doole seems to have a
hold over the entire household. There are quite a few holes in the
plot. No one seems to like Althea much but Norah is never definitely
told why and readers are supposed to believe that Norah, who is
Miss Sensible, suddenly makes up her mind that she is going to
spend the rest of her life helping Simon recover from his trauma.
Because, as the story gets going, it is obvious there is a conspiracy
by persons unknown to drive Simon back to the mental hospital where
he has been residing until recently. Recordings of Marion that
just accidently happen to come on whenever Simon is in the room,
his vital medication being switched to say nothing of Norah's
employment that begins the same week of Simon's visit!!
The book started off exciting enough then the implausibilities took
over and the end left a few loose ends!!
vulnerable Norah is persuaded to accept a job as a personal
secretary to Althea Syme, a woman she once met on a train and
who offered her sympathetic friendship. Once Norah comes to
Cader Morb, a big looming house built on the edge of a cliff,
she finds a stifling atmosphere - and is Althea as open and
friendly as she always appeared?? Norah then remembers her father
didn't like her. She also discovers she bears a striking
resemblance to Marion, the deceased sister of Simon Syme who is
visibly shaken when he meets Norah. Oddly enough Althea hasn't
mentioned it and also has Norah wear her hair in the same style.
There just seems to be too much going on in this novel with a
pack of red herrings thrown in. When Norah meets photographer
Christopher Carew, he seems to be full of dire warnings about
the Symes but as the story goes on it seems he is just as much
in the dark as Norah.
It is almost "let's make it up as we go along" - what was the
real relationship between Simon and Marion - Norah finds some
pretty strange drawings that makes her think feelings were pretty
intense between the two, Althea's doted on son, Gregory, has some
creepy, disquieting ways and young butler Doole seems to have a
hold over the entire household. There are quite a few holes in the
plot. No one seems to like Althea much but Norah is never definitely
told why and readers are supposed to believe that Norah, who is
Miss Sensible, suddenly makes up her mind that she is going to
spend the rest of her life helping Simon recover from his trauma.
Because, as the story gets going, it is obvious there is a conspiracy
by persons unknown to drive Simon back to the mental hospital where
he has been residing until recently. Recordings of Marion that
just accidently happen to come on whenever Simon is in the room,
his vital medication being switched to say nothing of Norah's
employment that begins the same week of Simon's visit!!
The book started off exciting enough then the implausibilities took
over and the end left a few loose ends!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2023
Quite a strange one this. It’s 1951 and 23 year old Norah has taken up the offer of being secretary and companion to an older female friend, Althea Symes who lives in a big house above abandoned lead mine workings between Llanidloes and Aberystwyth. Norah bears a resemblance to Althea’s niece, Marion, who died in mysterious circumstances a few years ago coincidentally aged 23. Marion’s brother, Simon, an artist and WW2 navigator suffering PTSD also come to stay and Norah begins to realise that the sibling relationship was disturbingly close and that she may be being lined up as some form of replacement. The other occupants of the house are decidedly odd and Norah’s sole opportunity for rational conversation and counsel results from her catching the eye of a photographer who has a cottage a few miles away.
The writing is never less than engaging and the strained thundery atmosphere is as oppressive as the creaking and mystifying house.
On a more prosaic note I don’t believe there ever was a direct railway from Brecon to Machynlleth but would be delighted to be corrected on this.
The writing is never less than engaging and the strained thundery atmosphere is as oppressive as the creaking and mystifying house.
On a more prosaic note I don’t believe there ever was a direct railway from Brecon to Machynlleth but would be delighted to be corrected on this.
November 14, 2023
While on a trip to Bristol this summer, I found an interesting book by an unknown author in a local antiquarian bookshop. It was a beautiful day, and I took a walk in Castle Park, Bristol, where I sat on a lovely green meadow with a book in hand, and my literary journey began.
The Woman in the Mirror is a romantic suspense novel about Nora, a young woman left alone after her father dies. Nora travels to distant Wales, where she begins to work as an old lady's secretary in her mysterious house. The house is dark and oppressive, with a locked forbidden wing. The book reminds me of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca with its eerie setting and hidden secrets. The story turns sinister when the old lady's nephew arrives at the house, and Nora reveals family secrets.
Written in a beautiful style, this is an engaging read that keeps the reader in suspense until the last page.
The Woman in the Mirror is a romantic suspense novel about Nora, a young woman left alone after her father dies. Nora travels to distant Wales, where she begins to work as an old lady's secretary in her mysterious house. The house is dark and oppressive, with a locked forbidden wing. The book reminds me of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca with its eerie setting and hidden secrets. The story turns sinister when the old lady's nephew arrives at the house, and Nora reveals family secrets.
Written in a beautiful style, this is an engaging read that keeps the reader in suspense until the last page.
July 14, 2018
A grieving and recently heartbroken Norah arrives at Morb House to accept Althea Syme's offer to act as her secretary. While recuperating from her loss, she gets entangled into the affairs of the Syme household, including a brother's obsession with his long-dead sister, questions of inheritance, an older woman's attraction to a much younger one, and ghostly tappings at night. An atmosphere of menace is present as Norah gets deeper into the heart of the mystery and into complicated relationships, but in the end it failed to deliver for me. The ending felt flat and rushed hence the three stars.
May 9, 2024
What I liked: Well what I liked was Norah's relationship with the neighbour Christopher. I also liked that the book wasn't to long was a pretty quick read. I also liked the atmosphere of the story.
What I didn't like: Well I can't really think of anything I didn't like about it.
Overall: It was a good read it is only 240 pages so you could pretty much finish in a day if you wanted.
What I didn't like: Well I can't really think of anything I didn't like about it.
Overall: It was a good read it is only 240 pages so you could pretty much finish in a day if you wanted.
October 20, 2016
A good old suspense story
September 9, 2016
I found this book on the "free" rack at the library and I chose it because I know the author, Winston Graham is a good writer and I enjoy his "Poldark" series. On the front of the book it says: "a novel of romantic suspense" and it is packaged to look like a Victoria Holt novel of the same time period: mid-seventies. Well, in its scant 200 pages, Mr. Graham covers the ground pretty thoroughly with: latent lesbiansm, incest, schizophrenia, murder, a possessed rocking horse and other supernatural phenomena, as well as financial hanky-panky, a house fire, and a love triangle that develops among complete strangers who have known each other less than a week! Whew!
I think I'll return it to that "free" shelf and let someone else have a joy ride through the wilds of 1950's Wales!
I think I'll return it to that "free" shelf and let someone else have a joy ride through the wilds of 1950's Wales!
June 7, 2012
Anyone who is a fan of Winston Graham would love this book. I couldn't stop reading it. It was full of excitement, suspense, romance.It kind of reminded me of an old fashioned melodrama. Of all the male authors I've read Winston Graham is probably the best at writing for female characters.
Offbeat Love Stories and More
Offbeat Love Stories and More
March 2, 2013
Love Winston Graham. Not as good as Marnie or The Walking Stick but still an enjoyable read.
May 21, 2015
A yawn has more suspense. Seven years bad luck if you read this book, much less finish it.
Read
June 25, 2016Well written but bit melodramatic, Author of 'Poldark'
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews