Mistress of Mellyn

By: Victoria Holt

Narrated by: Henrietta Meire

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Mount Mellyn stood as proud and magnificent as she had envisioned . . . But what about its master—Connan TreMellyn? Was Martha Leigh's new employer as romantic as his name sounded? As she approached the sprawling mansion towering above the cliffs of Cornwall, an odd chill of apprehension overcame her.

TreMellyn's young daugher, Alvean, proved as spoiled and difficult as the three governesses before Martha had discovered. But it was the girl's father whose cool, arrogant demeanor unleashed unfamiliar sensations and turmoil—even as whispers of past tragedy and present danger begin to insinuate themselves into Martha's life.

Powerless against her growing desire for the enigmatic Connan, she is drawn deeper into family secrets—as passion overpowers reason, sending her head and heart spinning. But though evil lurks in the shadows, so does love—and the freedom to find a golden promise forever . . .

©1960, 1988 Victoria Holt (P)2023 Tantor

Old book with new life

I love that Victoria Holt books are being re-recoded. One of my favorites of hers.

Perfect!

I have loved this book for years, and the performance of it is perfect. Highly recommend for a quick, gothic romantic fix!

Pure and Enduring Romantic Love encased in a tale of loss, intrigue, suspicion, fear and possible murder.

Ms. Holt wrote this first book (1960) at a time when anything more than a kiss on the mouth was considered “almost” scandalous. I first read it in the late 1960’s when as a young girl it evoked thoughts and dreams of the perfect man and enduring love.

The book is written from the perspective of her heroine, Miss Leigh, Marty, Martha or as the Master of Mellyn calls her: “My Dear Miss Leigh. Through her eyes we see the world, as most of us would, as we leave the comfort of our homes. Journey to an unknown destination and job in an exotic locale. Scared, hopeful, longing, anxious, excited, eager, and determined. But most of all desperately seeking “love”.

Ms. Holt became a master of romantic intrigue. All her novels were thoroughly researched as to locale and historic influences. To this day, I can envision Cornwall, it’s people, history, cities, architecture. I can taste the pasties she writes of and be very happy that I now have a smart phone to translate those Cornish words.

To those of you who enjoy the steamy novels that have become so popular, take a break and reawaken those feelings that do not need explicit scenes to make you remember what it’s like to be a young girl again. In that you’ll look at the world a new and long for the next Audiobook of Ms. Holt’s.

Great story, bad narrator

The story was wonderful but the narrator was awful. I almost stopped listening in the first 15 mins because her voice was awful

Pleasant

I enjoyed this story. I typically read heavier works, and this was a wonderful and much needed break.

Thoroughly enjoyed!

Exactly the kind of book that I love! This book is aching to become a movie staring Mia Wasikowska and Tom Hiddleston! If you liked the movie Crimson Peak, then you’ll like this book.

Fantastic Story!

I enjoyed this story so much, having already read “On the Night of the Seventh Moon” by Victoria Holt (Eleanor Alice Hibbert). I liked this one as a suspenseful romance, the mystery continued until the end. There were hints of “Jane Eyre”, “Cinderella”, and Edgar Allen Poe’s writings in this story. The Cornish setting was like another character in the book itself. So dramatic and beautiful! There were significant horses included in the story which I really enjoyed, much like in “Airs Above the Ground” by Mary Stewart (another favorite author of mine). Henrietta Meire was a wonderful narrator, her voice carried the fears and unease of the characters. She did such a great job with the voices! I hope you enjoy it as well!

More! More! More!

Victoria Holt is a phenomenal writer, mixing mystery and romance. The setting is England before electronics ruled the world. The characters are well-developed. I have loved her stories for years. Please bring more of them to Audible USA. ( UK has had them.)

Good book, Bad Narrator

Victoria Holt writes a great gothic romance. The narrator is terrible. Her voice is screechy. The voices she uses for the male characters are terrible. Her voice for the heroine is irritating. The name of the house is Mellyn. She pronounces it "melon". MELON! If it wasn't such a great gothic romance I would have turned the book off.

❤️ Victoria Holt !

I read this years ago; it my introduction to Victoria Holt and her unique way of building a suspenseful story. Loved the book then, and loved it again this time around, even with the distance of 50 years in between. Please, Audible, more of these classic gothic stories 💕