The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart
Mary Grey, a Canadian living in Newcastle, England, visits Hadrian's Wall one fine, sunny day only to be accosted by a man who believes that she is someone else. This stranger, Con Winslow, violently accuses her of being his long-lost cousin, Annabelle. Annabelle is the rightful heir to Whitescar, a nearby estate, which Connor wants for himself. Threatened by his manner, especially since she is standing at the edge of a cliff and he's as good as said that he'd have no problem pitching her over it, Mary quickly disabuses him of his assumptions. She convinces him that she isn't his cousin and goes on her way, but over the next week she notices a woman watching her as she works at her cafe job. The woman, Con's sister Lisa, makes Mary an offer. Annabelle Winslow disappeared from England years ago, after a mysterious fight with Con, who was supposedly her fiancee (they aren't first cousins). She never returned and is generally presumed dead. Con and Lisa want Mary to pose as Annabelle and convince the aging owner of Whitescar, Annabelle's grandfather, that she doesn't want the estate. He still believes that Annabelle is alive and won't cut her out of his will. If Con gets the farm, Mary will get Annabelle's small maternal inheritance, enough money to see her comfortably situated. Despite her trepidations and with secret motives of her own, Mary agrees to the scheme.
Written in 1961, The Ivy Tree remains fresh despite its lack of modern trappings and a decidely old-fashioned approach to suspense. Readers won't find any explosive action here, but there's plenty of drama, supressed violence and gothic twists. As with most Mary Stewart novels, there's a touch of romance as well. I always compare Stewart's novels with old movies like Charade or To Catch a Thief. The story unfolds slowly, teasing the reader with clues over time. A master at blending vivid descriptions with crisp dialog, Stewart populates her Northumberland landscape with memorable characters, from the sinister Con to the fresh-faced ingenue, Julie, another of Annabelle's cousins. Snippets of traditional ballads and poetry from the region preface each chapter, lending a nostalgic air to the novel as a whole. Readers looking for a literary romantic suspense novel won't be disappointed.
Mary Grey, a Canadian living in Newcastle, England, visits Hadrian's Wall one fine, sunny day only to be accosted by a man who believes that she is someone else. This stranger, Con Winslow, violently accuses her of being his long-lost cousin, Annabelle. Annabelle is the rightful heir to Whitescar, a nearby estate, which Connor wants for himself. Threatened by his manner, especially since she is standing at the edge of a cliff and he's as good as said that he'd have no problem pitching her over it, Mary quickly disabuses him of his assumptions. She convinces him that she isn't his cousin and goes on her way, but over the next week she notices a woman watching her as she works at her cafe job. The woman, Con's sister Lisa, makes Mary an offer. Annabelle Winslow disappeared from England years ago, after a mysterious fight with Con, who was supposedly her fiancee (they aren't first cousins). She never returned and is generally presumed dead. Con and Lisa want Mary to pose as Annabelle and convince the aging owner of Whitescar, Annabelle's grandfather, that she doesn't want the estate. He still believes that Annabelle is alive and won't cut her out of his will. If Con gets the farm, Mary will get Annabelle's small maternal inheritance, enough money to see her comfortably situated. Despite her trepidations and with secret motives of her own, Mary agrees to the scheme.
Written in 1961, The Ivy Tree remains fresh despite its lack of modern trappings and a decidely old-fashioned approach to suspense. Readers won't find any explosive action here, but there's plenty of drama, supressed violence and gothic twists. As with most Mary Stewart novels, there's a touch of romance as well. I always compare Stewart's novels with old movies like Charade or To Catch a Thief. The story unfolds slowly, teasing the reader with clues over time. A master at blending vivid descriptions with crisp dialog, Stewart populates her Northumberland landscape with memorable characters, from the sinister Con to the fresh-faced ingenue, Julie, another of Annabelle's cousins. Snippets of traditional ballads and poetry from the region preface each chapter, lending a nostalgic air to the novel as a whole. Readers looking for a literary romantic suspense novel won't be disappointed.
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