Carol Goodman’s latest standalone novel, Return to Wyldcliffe Heights, takes the reader into a modern day gothic. Our heroine Agnes Corey works at a small failing publishing company, and is naturally all alone in the world. Knowing she will be let go first, as she was the last hired on as an assistant, Agnes makes a desperate bid to keep her job by writing to the publisher’s most famous author. To the surprise of everyone, perhaps most of all Agnes herself, the author writes back.
Years ago, enigmatic and reclusive Veronica St. Clair wrote a generation defining gothic novel of her own. It launched the publisher and ensnared the hearts of countless teenage girls, but Veronica never wrote anything again. Agnes’ plea for a sequel to The Secret of Wyldcliffe Heights is one of hundreds, if not thousands. But Veronica, who was blinded in a mysterious fire on her massive estate, needs someone to transcribe it for her.
But what seems like a dream job quickly takes on layers. Veronica’s rambling estate is suitably creepy, and there are definitely things about her past she isn’t willing to share. Despite that, the sequel to her novel – which turns out to be more of a prequel – turns out to seem autobiographical in nature. Agnes, who herself has a misted past, is quickly drawn into not only Veronica’s story, but to an even older mystery: that of the ghost said to be haunting the house and everyone in it, Red Bess.
Lovers of Carol Goodman, and especially gothics, will eat this up with a spoon. I raced through this to unravel each and every mystery, and to see if the beleaguered Agnes would make it through to the end. Though dark and atmospheric, this is a fun read I was happy to pick up. — Margaret Agnew