Jill Tattersall: The Shadows of Castle Fosse

This novel by Jill Tattersall, published in 1976 was one I had high hopes for, especially after reading two others by her that I loved and have reviewed on this blog. Also, the cover is pretty gothic. Check it out: there are two undead looking dudes on there and a scary skull with a castle in the background. In front of all that spooky stuff, a blond woman with her bust threatening to pop out is holding a candle, looking terrified.











Despite the promising cover, the novel leaves much to be desired. 25+ pages in, I was done. When Phoebe Kennington, the first woman in the Castle Fosse story, states that she would love to marry an old man like her grandfather, I howled. The first chapter was confusing anyway, and after that statement and others that came, I couldn't bear it. I didn't finish this novel by Tattersall. I recommend The Wild Hunt or Lady Ingram's Room any day over this one.

Jill Tattersall: Lady Ingram's Room

 From Sebastian Quinn's wonderful flickr page

I love the cover of this one, published in 1972; it is spooky and creative with the cobwebs and brightly colored dresses.

In the novel, Arabel Murray is an orphan with only Bridie, the housekeeper, for a friend. She must move out of the vicarage she was in with her mother, sister and grandfather (all of whom are now dead) and live with an uncle who is known to be tyrannical. In so doing, she leaves her childhood love, Giles, and her loved home.

The novel follows a few threads in a Dickensian style; for example, ne'er do wells Jason and Zelda make an appearance in chapter two and play a role in the novel.

Arabel is a likable heroine-- sprightly and spunky; she also has a stammer which is an interesting and unusual touch that makes her seem real. On her way to her uncle's house, her plans change, and she and Solomon, her cat, end up going to Ingledale Manor to be a governess temporarily for Sir Luke.  Mysterious things happen, and Arabel finds herself trying to solve the secret of Lady Ingram's room and of her death.

Characterization: 4/5 [The characters are clearly drawn. I picture Arabel portrayed by a young Diane Keaton, and Sir Luke as Javier Bardem. Scott Scott-Ingram (What a name!), another potential love interest, I pictured as Adrian Brody. Both the hero and heroine are likable, and I was quite taken with the hero which is always a good sign for a Gothic Novel in my book.]

Plot: 4/5 [The start is a bit slow, but I like the interesting narrative style and points of view in the novel.]

Atmosphere/spooky elements: 4/5 [Arabel herself looks like a witch with her black cat. Superstition is referred to in the novel, and the description of the windows at Ingledale Manor actually gave me the creeps. The secret room is inventive and different in its treatment in the novel, and that element along with tunnels and a ghoulish tapestry add to the spooky thrills.]

Literary elements: 4/5 [This one is written in a sophisticated way in terms of multiple narrators/points of view and stands out for that, much like the other The Wild Hunt that I reviewed a week or so ago, though Hunt is more sophisticated overall. I think that might be because of the two years between these novels; it is nice to see that this author honed her craft as she went. Another thing I like about her writing is that the dialogue is also believable.]


Rating: 4 stars ****

I recommend this one for its inventiveness and lovable heroine as well as the secret room aspect. I like it when authors in the genre do something new or inventive.

Lady Ingram's Room

Improved Blog Commenting and Jill Tattersall: The Wild Hunt

Just a note: I have made blog commenting easier by removing moderation and verification; this might lead to other issues down the road, but I will stay on it to keep the blog from getting spammed. Please let me know if you are still experiencing trouble with commenting. If not, comment away (and enter the current 48 hour contest please. Your chances will be good, as you would be... well... first). Now, on to the book review...



The Charles Geer cover of The Wild Hunt is the main blog photograph right now. I think his illustration captures the feeling in the novel of Holly Wood and its dark elements well.

Tattersall has been recommended to me several times now. Curiously, her novels are tough to find even in the gothic section of the secondhand store. I found this one published in 1974, The Wild Hunt, in my local library. By page five, I was hooked. Tattersall is a skilled author, and her plotting is deft and original for the genre. She also has a playful and confident narrative voice throughout the novel.

The previously orphaned heroine, Chantal Fabian (what a romantic name!), is 18 and still at a finishing school, thanks to a secret benefactor. One day, she is summoned to a meeting with Lord Mortmain who chooses her to be governess for his nephew. The Earl's scar and maimed leg immediately catch her attention, but his face stirs feelings of fear and almost recognition in her.

From there, the story takes place at the ancestral estate, Holy Mote, and Lady Perowne, Mr. Perowne, Hugh Perowne, and assorted servants play key roles in the story. Are there witches in the house and the woods, or is something else going on? And what exactly does go on in the wild hunt? Does Chantal's childhood friend Rowley have something to do with all of this?

Characterization: 5/5 [The characters are skillfully drawn. I picture Chantal Fabian portrayed by Kirsten Dunst, and Lord Mortmain (love the symbolism of that name) acted by Joaquin Phoenix. Mr. Perowne could be played by Adrian Grenier (the curly hair and good looks).]

Plot: 5/5 [The plot is intriguing from the start, and it never lets up with intrigue, twists, and spooky/Gothic elements mixed with sly humor.]

Atmosphere/spooky elements: 4/5 [The Gothic Novel elements run deeply in this one: witches, masks, drugs, moats, family portraits, maimed anti-heroes and all; however, the novel rarely made me get a chill up my spine. It does entertain, though, and the Gothic elements are well used. I have to say that Jill Tattersall's writing reminds me a bit of Barbara Michaels' writing, though this novel is not one that really chills me as Michaels can. I think it is the humor that is similar.]

Literary: 4/5 [Yes, references are made to various battles and to mythology, and the author's intelligence crackles between the pages, if that makes sense. Some authors are just like that.]

Romance? Yes. This novel has another dark, brooding hero, Lord Mortmain, that I fell in love with. For me, that is the mark of a good Gothic Novel. :)

Rating: 4+ stars   ****+

I highly recommend this novel, and I'll be searching now for Tattersall's other works.

THE WILD HUNT