The Dark Secrets of Greystone Manor

by F. Jacquelyn Hallquist

"It's just something to help you sleep, Victoria. Don't let your imagination play you tricks." — Raised within the ancient, crumbling walls of Greystone Manor, motherless Victoria Garth spent a lonely childhood daydreaming and wandering the dark corridors of the vast mansion. When her stepbrother, Adam, became first her friend, then her suitor, Victoria was delighted. But her joy was short-lived, for Adam suddenly brought a strange new bride to Greystone Manor--shadowy, unsmiling Helaine. Suddenly, Victoria's home became a house of terror. A shower of stones from a high parapet nearly crushed her, a strange smell of incense filled the drawing room; the afternoon tea was much too sweet. And when curiosity led her to the boarded-up north tower and the ghastly secret it contained, Victoria realized...too late to flee...that she was marked for a fate too hideous to imagine.

Genres: Gothic

287 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Sarah Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behold that rarest of creatures in the wilds of Goodreads: the seldom-glimpsed-but-oft-sought Quality Zebra Gothic! 😱 This one offers competent prose, an intriguing story, some unexpected twists, & a nicely classic setting, which adds up to a solid+ read in this line where mediocrity is the rule & 4/5 star efforts are scarce. I liked the dream aspect paired alongside the ghost/haunting angle, both of which are so woven together that neither the narrator nor the reader is entirely certain which is which. Are drugs involved? Hallucinations? Waking dreams? Ghosts? Familial memories in an extra-sensitive bloodline? Perhaps all of these. (Sidenote: I loved the part where Victoria sees the creepy guy in the library. That scene alone earns goodwill in my rating. 😈)

Anyhoo. It must be said that the romance isn’t as well-drawn as the ghost plotline. Victoria ultimately makes the right choice, but the transition between love interests is a bit too abrupt, & Thomas suffers from a lack of pagetime compared to Adam. But even so, this was a fun read…def one of the better Zeeb gothics I’ve tried. (Bonus points for the bird motif sprinkled throughout. 🐦‍⬛)

Solid 4 stars for old skool entertainment value.

[Taylor - Muse Ignited Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars - this one was a little tough for me to review because the Gothic/Mystery elements were good but the romance flubbed. There was a suitably Gothic setting with our once stately home now somewhat worse for wear after a “cursed” generation and some buried family secrets (there is a kind of weirdly complicated side plot here too, more families with secrets that seemed unnecessary, but was maybe just added to muddy the waters?), and an attempt at “gaslighting” our heroine - plus a perfectly creepy and evil villainess (its no secret she is, its the why that matters) and her equally creepy henchwoman.

But the Romance, well it truly becomes hindered beyond repair, and once you realize that ship has sunk its too late and all the emotional ties are wrapped up in the wrong guy... so while it had a “happy ending” it didn’t quite feel that way to me (and im probably in the minority here, but I can’t help it, im never a fan of the goody-goody guy). So it was a solid four stars for me until the romantic conclusion at the end...But bonus points for the cage in the cave...and its contents;-)

[Bobbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this gothic mystery in our library book shop and really enjoyed it. I did guess some of what was going on with the protagonist but still had some things I could not figure out until it was revealed near the end so it certainly held my interest. I had never heard of this author but I will be keeping an eye out for more by her.