A modern American Jane Eyre…Marcott’s reworking of this Gothic classic holds its own.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This imaginative take on Charlotte Brontë’s Gothic novel has several satisfying nods to the source material, but veers away just enough to create a refreshing new experience. Marcott’s Jane is a formidable protagonist…Fans of Jane Eyre who enjoyed Rachel Hawkins’s The Wife Upstairs will appreciate this equally enjoyable retelling from Marcott.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“[A] clever, lively update of Jane Eyre…[a] twisty tale of madness and desire…” —Publishers Weekly
“What’s more delicious than a novel with so many twists and turns that you don’t know who’s telling the truth until it’s over—and even then you’re not so sure? Lindsay Marcott’s Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost is just that book. A contemporary Gothic novel haunted by the ghosts of du Maurier and Henry James that is impossible to put down. Go for it.” —B. A. Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of The Collector’s Apprentice
“Gothic and elegant, Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost captivated me from the first page and kept me reading all night. Lindsay Marcott has created a seductive Big Sur landscape; peopled it with brilliant, complicated characters; and set in motion a thriller both terrifying and emotionally satisfying. I loved it.” —Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author of Last Day
“Smart, thrilling, and completely unexpected, Lindsay Marcott delivers the goods in the brilliant Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost. Highly recommended for readers who like incandescent prose and deep deceptions.” —Gregg Olsen, #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of If You Tell
05/17/2021
When Jane , the narrator of this clever, lively update of Jane Eyre from Marcott (The Producer’s Daughter), loses her job writing for a small cable network show and otherwise finds her life falling apart in Brooklyn, she seizes the opportunity to tutor the teenage daughter of widowed tech entrepreneur Evan Rochester at Thorn Bluffs, his estate in Big Sur, Calif. Despite rumors that Evan murdered his wife, Beatrice, who he claims drowned, Jane is drawn to her smart, enigmatic employer. As Jane seeks the truth about what happened between Evan and Beatrice, she must also deal with a ghostly figure stalking Thorn Bluffs. Frequent references to art history—a Modigliani painting plays a crucial role in the action—elevate this above garden-variety romantic thrillers. At times, though, the narrative voice strains for effect (“My eyes a lucid shade of gray that tends to blab everything I’m feeling”), and the gothic plot builds to an ending that some readers may find a tad sappy. This twisty tale of madness and desire should satisfy most Charlotte Brontë fans. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary. (July)
Carly Robins and Eva Kaminsky faithfully narrate this updated retelling of JANE EYRE. Jane’s friend, Otis, is a chef at Thorn Bluffs, an estate owned by Evan Rochester, a man rumored to have murdered his unstable wife, Beatrice. After Jane undergoes several personal misfortunes, Otis invites her to spend the summer at Thorn Bluffs, tutoring Sophia, a teenager who lives on the estate. Kaminsky, as Jane, sounds young, savvy, and appropriately consumed by the mystery surrounding Beatrice’s disappearance. However, even with her strong misgivings, Jane falls for Rochester. As Beatrice, Robins sounds truly deranged, especially during her psychotic episodes and horrific self-mutilations. Despite cell phones, motorcycles, and computers, this contemporary Gothic works, thanks to clever writing and two exceptionally talented narrators. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
2021-04-14
A modern American Jane Eyre won’t rest until she learns the fate of her employer’s wife.
When Jane arrives at Thorn Bluffs, a former artists colony on the very edge of Big Sur, she’s leaving behind a failed career as a scriptwriter, a romantic betrayal, and her mother’s recent death. Almost at once she thinks she’s made a mistake in letting her friend Otis Fairfax, Thorn Bluffs’ chef, talk her into coming there to tutor a motherless teenage girl. The estate is isolated; Jane’s cottage, though it’s rent-free, is bleak; and the absent owner, Evan Rochester, is rumored to have murdered his wife, the lovely but mentally unstable Beatrice. Jane has always had a taste for the macabre, but even she’s unsettled on her first night, when she thinks she sees a ghost. She’s almost ready to quit when Evan and a motorcycle emerge from the mist. Despite his rudeness, arrogance, and unwillingness to talk about his wife, who supposedly drowned herself in the surf on their wedding anniversary, Jane can’t help falling for him. Stolen garments, a mysterious medallion, a red stain on the rug, a deteriorating tower with a slashed portrait, Evan’s beautiful business associate, and Beatrice’s vengeful brother keep Jane guessing about Beatrice and doubting whether she can trust Evan—even after they become lovers.
Despite its emojis, mojitos, Range Rovers, and Beechcrafts, Marcott’s reworking of this Gothic classic holds its own.
