Pubblicato in Italia con il titolo La cugina Kate. Sola al mondo, la giovane Kate accetta l’invito della zia Minerva di passare l’estate con la sua famiglia, ma niente è come sembra a Staplewood Manor.
So far, my reading of Georgette Heyer’s novels is going great. I am on my third novel and, even though Venetia remains my favourite so far, I am really enjoying all of them.
The third novel, Cousin Kate, is a gripping story which, in some parts, reminded me of my childhood favourite book, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, but with more gothic elements. The protagonist, Kate Malvern, is twenty-four years old, recently out of work after leaving a job as a governess, and with no family in the world except for her former nanny, until her aunt, Lady Minerva Broome, who she’s never met before, comes to the rescue and brings her to her home, Staplewood. Here she meets her cousin Torquil, who may be a bit weird, but seems to like Kate; her uncle Sir Timothy, a bit distant, but gentle; and Philip, Sir Timothy’s nephew, with whom she doesn’t get along. Kate thinks she’s finally found a family, but there are secrets in Staplewood and Lady Minerva’s reasons for taking on Kate may not have been so honourable.
Though there is romance and entertainment, this novel is a bit darker than I expected with a few moments of suspense and a few twists. The characters are complex and I really liked the character of Kate who is strong-willed and sensible. This is another fantastic story from Georgette Heyer!
