The Uninvited – Dorothy Macardle

A gothic novel about a grown brother and sister who move into their dream house on the cliffs of Devonshire, in spite of warnings that the house is haunted by its previous occupants. 1941.

Tregaron’s Daughter – Madeleine Brent

A historical novel about a woman who lives a quiet life in Cornwall with her fisherman father, until a series of strangers and events lead her to Venice and a possible inheritance. 1971.

The Corner Shop – Elizabeth Cadell

A novel about a woman who helps a grumbling professor catalogue his late mother’s possessions, and in doing so manages to change the trajectory of her own life. 1966. 

Blake’s Reach – Catherine Gaskin

A Regency historical novel about a young woman who sets out to restore her family’s crumbling coastal estate, and in the process must throw her lot in with smugglers. 1958. 

Come Out of the Kitchen! – Alice Duer Miller

A novel about a man who rents a house for the season and keeps having problems with the servants, especially the particularly pretty cook. 1916.

Fortune is a Woman – Winston Graham

A novel about a claims adjuster who falls for a married woman who may or may not be involved in an insurance fraud. 1953. 

A Horseman Riding By

A historical saga about an Englishman who buys an estate and finds fulfillment in looking after the land and its tenants during the first half of the 20th century. 1966. 

A Meaningful Life – L.J. Davis

A novel about a failed writer who wakes up one day and realizes his life has no meaning, so he goes in search of some. 1971.  

A Shower of Summer Days – May Sarton

A novel about an aging couple who return to their country estate in Ireland, and the American niece who comes to spend the summer with them. 1952. 

The House on the Cliff – D. E. Stevenson

A novel about an orphaned actress who inherits a house in Devonshire and instead of selling it makes the less practical decision to move in. 1966.Continue reading →