The Third Wife of Faraday House: A Novel

by B. R. Myers

Overview

“A deliciously chilling gothic mystery with a smart and resourceful heroine . . . What more could fans of Jane Eyre and Rebecca want?” — Carol Goodman, two-time Mary Higgins Clark Award winner

Two brides band together to unravel the secrets at the heart of a crumbling island manor in this delicious love letter to gothic fiction from the award-winning author of A Dreadful Splendor

'Til death do us part...

November 1816: Restless but naive Emeline Fitzpatrick is desperate to escape her stifling life in foggy Halifax. Her guardian is lining up repugnant suitors, but Emeline has her eyes set on a lieutenant in the British Navy. She just needs to persuade him to propose, or her one chance at happiness will be gone forever.

But when Emeline’s hopes end in scandal, she finds herself with only one suitor left: the wealthy and enigmatic Captain Graves. Having already lost two wives to tragic circumstances, the widower is seeking a new companion in his cloistered seaside manor, Faraday House. Or at least that is what Emeline has been told, because when she arrives, she is horrified to discover that the second Mrs. Graves, Georgina, is still alive—though fading fast.

Emeline is only certain of two things: something ghastly is afoot at Faraday House, and no one is going to save her. She will have to rely on her own courage, her burgeoning bond with Georgina, and the aid of a handsome reverend with a mysterious past to shed light on a ghostly truth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063209879
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/20/2024
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	85,205
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Always in the mood for a good scare, B. R. MYERS spent most of her teen years behind the covers of Lois Duncan, Ray Bradbury, and Stephen King. She is the author of the international bestseller, A Dreadful Splendor, winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award, as well as numerous YA books. When not putting her characters in precarious situations, B. R. Myers works as a registered nurse. A member of the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, she lives in Halifax with her family—and there is still a stack of books on her bedside table.

Editorial Reviews

05/27/2024

Myers (A Dreadful Splendor) delivers a classic Regency gothic with all the trimmings. Beautiful Emeline, the orphaned ward of a Halifax, Nova Scotia, judge and his wife, is old enough to make some rich and powerful man a lovely bride. Her sights are set on the dashing Lieutenant Fletcher of the British Navy, but before she can escape with him to his house in Bermuda, their affair is discovered. Emeline is promptly promised to the suitor least likely to have heard about the scandal, Captain Graves, and shipped off to Faraday House, his run-down, isolated manor on a private island, to become his third wife. Except his second wife, Georgina, is not yet dead, only very seriously ill. Emeline hatches a plan to keep Georgina alive, and herself therefore unmarried, until Lieutenant Fletcher can arrive to rescue her. But the more she learns about the two young wives whose place she is fated to take, the more it becomes clear that something terrible lurks in Faraday House—and if Emeline can’t save Georgina, she herself will be the next victim. Rural Nova Scotia delivers all the requisite atmospheric grimness, and Myers ensures that absolutely nobody can be trusted. This pushes all the right buttons. Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

A deliciously chilling gothic mystery with a smart and resourceful heroine, storm-swept island setting, and several broody men to choose from. What more could fans of Jane Eyre and Rebecca want? B.R. Myers will have you hanging on by your fingernails until the hair-raising and deeply satisfying end.” — Carol Goodman, Two-time Mary Higgins Clark Award winner

"From the book’s compelling first-person narration to its wonderfully wrought plot that neatly walks the line between suspense and romance, Myers’ latest impeccably written book is a marvelous take on the classic gothic. Throw in a spooky old house, a hint of the supernatural, and a spunky heroine faced with two seemingly disparate romantic choices, and you have a bewitching novel that cleverly conjures up the literary spirit of Victoria Holt at her best." — Booklist

“Myers delivers a classic Regency gothic with all the trimmings. . . . Rural Nova Scotia delivers all the requisite atmospheric grimness, and Myers ensures that absolutely nobody can be trusted. This pushes all the right buttons.” — Publishers Weekly

“A spooky gothic romance with impeccable vibes. I loved this! Beatrix Greene fans, you will love it, too!” — Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, on Dreadful Splendor

"A delightful mix of gothic, mystery, and romance, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Sherry Thomas. . . . I had such fun reading this book." — Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Not Your Average Hot Guy, on Dreadful Splendor

“This gem of a book sparkles with wit and originality. . . . There is no shortage of tricks and feints in this excellent novel . . . Delightful.”  — The Globe and Mail on Dreadful Splendor

"An intriguing whodunit . . . Myers nicely couples an unlikely and unethical sleuth with an atmospheric puzzle. Fans of roguish investigators will be delighted." — Publishers Weekly on Dreadful Splendor

"A perfectly splendid novel . . It is an attention grabbing, vividly imagined, suspenseful Victorian gothic mystery romance which this reader found impossible to put down! . . . The writing is fresh, original, full of surprises and features a captivating heroine . . . It’s a gem!" — Booktrib on Dreadful Splendor

“Breathtaking, puzzling and spine-chilling all at once. A spectacular, haunting mystery with a touch of romance and twists galore. Absolutely brilliant!” — T.A. Willberg, author of the Marion Lane Mysteries, on Dreadful Splendor

From the Publisher