Still reeling from the death of a friend, Lilly Divine
can't
refuse the offer to be a governess for an orphaned girl.
Her
employer, Gethin Taran, initially seems like a godsend but
strange events at the old mansion have Lilly questioning
his
motivations. Is Gethin what he appears to be or are other
forces at work?
VALLEY OF NIGHTMARES hearkens back the traditional gothic
romance, as we have a heroine in a shivery old mansion
with
a mysterious benefactor. I'm a huge fan of the old gothic
romances and was excited to read VALLEY OF NIGHTMARES. I
love the shadowy depiction of the surrounding mountains
and
the mythology of Wales. I also love the concept of shared
dreams, and wish this could have been explored further.
Atmosphere is crucial to the success of a gothic romance
and VALLEY OF NIGHTMARES has this aplenty. In fact, the
descriptions take over the story as we have far more
depictions of Mount Taran, Taran House, and the
surrounding
area than we do of the actual villains in the story. I
suspect the brevity of VALLEY OF NIGHTMARES is part of
the
reason for this and would look forward to reading a longer
story by Jane Godman where her gift for creating a
haunting
ambience can shine.
With England once again on the brink of war, brainy
burlesque dancer Lilly Devine trades her scant sequins for
tweed skirts to become the new governess to Gethin Taran’s
orphaned niece.
Arriving at Taran House, Lilly discovers her new pupil,
Ceri, bears an uncanny resemblance to a girl she's long
met
in her nightmares. In sleep, Ceri and Lilly flee from the
malevolent figure both call The Hunter. But is he just a
figment of their shared imagination…or a flesh and blood
threat?
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