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Love and Danger
Classic & Modern Gothic Romance and Romantic Suspense
“What ties all these groups together under the common title “Gothic” is, I believe, their use of several, if not all of the following which I consider the “elements” of a Gothic tale: 1) the supernatural; 2) a quest or a wrong to be righted; 3) a setting that includes an old dwelling, traditionally a castle; 4) a fantasy of weath suddenly acquired, or inheritance; 5) mystery, suspense and intrigue; 6) a fantasy of romantic love in some form, often including a love-hate, trust-fear ambivalence between men and women; 7) romanticism of the past and an historical setting — no longer necessarily medieval, but of a generation past or more; and 8) confrontations between the Forces of Good and Evil.
Although none of the individual elements are absolutely essential, the closer one comes to having all eight, the “purer” the Gothic. Using the eighteenth-century prototype, one must see that Gothic literature is a much broader field that simplly the “damsel-in-distress” tale, popular and appealing thought that still may be. The horror story, the ghost story, the tales of the occult, are all part of the Gothic tradition and are all viable forms in the 20th century.”
— Elsa J. Radcliffe, Gothic Novels of the Twentieth Century
“The world of the gothic novel offers vicarious danger and romantic fantasy of a type that is particularly appealing to female readers. Women are cast as victims in a man’s world, but through the demonstration of feminine virtues, the victim proves herself worthy of salvation through the love of the hero, who becomes her deliverer from the terrors that beset her. The gothic villain, on the other hand, is capable of manipulating terrifying props and producing fear and danger, but he or she is defeated by true love. The gothic world view is supported by a highly particular set of conventions. Most stories are set in a remote place or time that lends itself to the complete intertwining of a terrifying mystery with a successful love story. Unlike the detective story, the gothic novel does not provide a logical solution to the mystery. On the contrary, the mystery and the love story are so coincidentally interconnected that it is virtually impossible to separate them. The solution of the mystery and unmasking of the villain usually remove the impediments to the romance. Women in these books are double victimized: by their feminine powerlessness and by their location in a place (castle, monastery, crumbling mansion, remote island) where a gothic villain can threaten them. The novels depend upon a setting in which the social order is heirarchical; the conventions of gothic fiction, such as mysterious inheritances, hidden identities, lost wills, family secrets, inherited curses, incest and illegitimacy, require a world in which social mobility occurs through family identity and marriage rather than through individual success. They also depend upon the audience’s belief that the culmination of courtship in the marriage of the main characters is the most satisfactory conclusion for the plot, thus elevating the place of family formation through love to supremacy.”
— Kay Mussell, Women’s Gothic and Romantic Fiction
We’ve included a number of titles in this list which are not currently owned by the Lincoln City Libraries. These appear here for the sake of providing complete series listings, or to identify classic gothic romances which are long out-of-print. All books owned by Lincoln City Libraries are hotlinked to their entries in our library catalog, so that you may check on their current availability. If you see a title on this list that is not hotlinked to our collection, please consider ordering it through our Interlibrary Loan department.
Joan Aiken (1924-2004)
Castle Barebane – A Cluster of Separate Sparks – The Five-Minute Marriage – The Girl From Paris – The Haunting of Lamb House – If I Were You – Morningquest – Nightfall – The Silence of Herondale – The Smile of the Stranger – Voices in an Empty House
Dorothy P. Ansle
The Abbot’s House – Heiress Apparent – Take Heed of Loving Me
Evelyn Anthony (1928- )
Avenue of the Dead – The Company of Saints – The Silver Falcon
Helen Argers
Noblesse Oblige
Meg Elizabeth Atkins
By the North Door – Palimpsest – Samain
Margaret Atwood (1939- )
Jane Austen (1775-1817)
Evelyn Berckman
A Finger to Her Lips – The Heir of Starvelings
Laura Black
Falls of Gard – Ravenburn – Wild Cat
L.L. Blackmur
Love Lies Slain
Sarah Blake (1960- )
Barbara Bonham
Sweet and Bitter Fancy (Heritage Room copy only)
Clare Boylan
Rebecca Brandewyne
Across a Starlit Sea – Upon a Moon-Dark Moor
Beatrice Brandon (1919-1980)
The Cliffs of Night – Court of Silver Shadows
Madeline Brent
Golden Urchin – A Heritage of Shadows – Merlin’s Keep – Moonraker’s Bride – Stormswift – Stranger at Wildings – Tregaron’s Daughter
Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855)
Emily Bronte (1818-1848)
Gwendoline Butler
Michael Butterworth (1924-1986) – (as by Carola Salisbury)
An Autumn in Araby – Count Vronsky’s Daughter – Dark Inheritance – Dolphin Summer – Flowers for a Dead Witch – The Winter Bride
Dorothy Cannell
Sara Cardiff
Fool’s Apple – The Severing Line
Diane Carey
Sudden Storm
Robyn Carr
By Right of Arms
Annie Carter
A Fire in Heaven
Hester Chapman (1899-1976)
Limmerston Hall
Mary Higgins Clark (1930- )
Stillwatch – Weep No More, My Lady
Virginia Coffman (1914-2005)
Dark Winds – The House at Sandalwood – Moura – The Orchid Tree
Catherine Cookson (1906-1998)
Feathers in the Fire – The Girl
Catherine Coulter
The Heiress Bride – The Nightingale Legacy – Teresa Crane – The Italian House
Cecily Crowe
Abbeygate – Bloodrose House – Northwater – The Talisman
Charlotte Douglas
Jacaranda Bend
Daphne DuMaurier (1907-1989)
Flight of the Falcon – Frenchman’s Creek – Hungry Hill – Jamaica Inn – The King’s General – Loving Spirit – My Cousin Rachel – Rebecca
Mignon Eberhart (1899-1996)
The Bayou Road – Death in the Fog – Family Fortune – Two Little Rich Girls – With This Ring
Dorothy Eden (1912-1982)
An Afternoon Walk – Darkwater – Lady of Mallow – Listen to Danger – Ravenscroft – The Shadow Wife – The Storrington Papers – The Voice of the Dolls – Waiting for Willa – Winterwood
Barbara Erskine
House of Echoes – Midnight is a Lonely Place
Katherine Wigmore Eyre (1901-1970)
Juliet Fitzgerald
Rae Foley (1900-1978)
Suffer a Witch
Hilary Ford
Sarnia
Marius Gabriel
Patricia Gaffney
Catherine Gaskin
Edge of Glass – A Falcon for a Queen – The Lynmara Legacy – The Property of a Gentleman – The Tilsit Inheritance
Anna Gilbert
A Family Likeness – Flowers for Lillian – A Hint of Witchcraft – Images of Rose – The Long Shadow – A Walk in the Wood
Rumer Godden (1907-1998)
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita – Black Narcissus
Ethel E. Gordon
Freer’s Cove – The French Husband
Kate Hawks
Watch by Moonlight
Georgette Heyer (1902-1974)
Eleanor Hibbert (1906-1993)
(as Philippa Carr)
The Cornwall Series (19 volumes)
(as Victoria Holt)
Black Opal – The Captive – Daughter of Deceit – The Demon Lover – The Devil on Horseback – The House of a Thousand Lanterns – The Judas Kiss – Kirkland Revels – The Landower Legacy – Legend of the Seventh Virgin – Lord of the Far Island – The Mask of the Enchantress – Menfreya in the Morning – Mistress of Mellyn – On the Night of the Seventh Moon – The Pride of the Peacock – The Road to Paradise Island – Secret for a Nightingale – Seven for a Secret – The Shadow of the Lynx – The Shivering Sands – The Silk Vendetta – A Snare of Serpents – The Spring of the Tiger – The Time of the Hunter’s Moon
Naomi Hintze
Aloha Means Goodbye – The Stone Carnation
Jane Aiken Hodge (1917- )
Caterina – Leading Lady – The Lost Garden – Marry in Haste – Maulever Hall – One Way to Venice – Polonaise – Red Sky at Night, Lover’s Delight? – Secret Island – Strangers in Company – Watch the Wall, My Darling – Whispering – The Winding Stair
Isabelle Holland (1920-2002)
Darcourt – The deMaury Papers – Flight of the Archangel – The Island – Kilgaren – Moncrieff – Trelawny
Fiona Hood-Stewart
The Journey Home
Kay Hooper
After Caroline – Finding Laura
Susan Howatch
Cashelmara – The Devil on Lammas Night – Penmarric – The Shrouded Walls
T.E. Huff
Meet a Dark Stranger
Ayn Hunt
Unwilling Killers
Sara Hylton
Caprice – The Crimson Falcon – The Hills are Eternal – Jacintha – The Talisman of Set
Shirley Jackson (1916-1965)
Henry James (1843-1916)
Rebecca James
The House is Dark – Storm’s End
Velda Johnston (1911-1997)
The Crystal Cat – Deveron Hall – Flight to Yesterday – The Hour Before Midnight – The House on the Left Bank – A Howling in the Woods – I Came to the Highlands – The Late Mrs. Fonsell – The Light in the Swamp – The Man at Windmere – Masquerade in Venice – The Mourning Trees – The People on the Hill – Shadow Behind the Curtain – The Silver Dolphin – The Underground Stream – Voice in the Night
Brenda Joyce
Andrea Kane
Dream Castle
Rebecca Kavaler
Doubting Castle
M(ary).M(argaret). Kaye (1911-2004)
Death in Berlin – Death in Cyprus – Death in Kashmir – Death in Kenya – Death in the Andamans – Death in Zanzibar
Mandalyn Kaye
Priceless
Katheryn Kimbrough
Saga of the Phenwick Women
Elizabeth Knox
Billie’s Kiss
Charlotte Lamb (1937- )
Vampire Lover
Jill Marie Landis
Elsie Lee
Mistress of Mount Fair – Silence is Golden – Wingarden
Phyllis G. Leonard
Prey of the Eagle
Susan Leslie
Norah Lofts (1904-1983)
Lady Living Alone – The Little Wax Doll – The Old Priory
Ann-Marie MacDonald (1958- )
Helen MacInnes (1907-1985)
Friends and Lovers – Hidden Target – I and My True Love
Alexandra Manners
Ann Marlowe (1958- )
The Red Rockingbird
Edwina Marlowe
Master of Phoenix Hill
Anne Maybury (1900-1992)
The Brides of Bellenmore – Dark Star – The Jeweled Daughter – The Minerva Stone – The Terracotta Palace – Walk in the Paradise Garden – Whispers in the Dark
Margaret Mayhew (1936- )
Master of Aysgarth
Anne McCaffrey (1926- )
The Kilternan Legacy – The Mark of Merlin – Ring of Fear – Three Gothic Novels
Patricia McGerr (1917-1985)
Megan McKinney
The Shrouded Walls
Jennie Melville
Nun’s Castle – Tarot’s Tower
Elizabeth Michaels
Of Sapphire Dreams
Kasey Michaels
Legacy of the Rose
Teresa Michaels
A Corner of Heaven
Marlys Millhiser
Jeanne Montague
The Clock Tower – Midnight Moon
Natasha Mostert
Windwalker
Andre Norton (1912-2005)
Joyce Carol Oates (1938- )
Elizabeth Ogilvie (1917-2006)
Bellwood – When the Music Stopped – Where the Lost Aprils Are
Leslie O’Grady
The Artist’s Daughter – Lady Jade – Lord Raven’s Widow – The Second Sister
Rachel Cosgroves Payes
The Black Swan
Deborah Perlberg
Cliff House
Ellis Peters (as Elizabeth Pargeter) (1913-1995)
Elizabeth Peters (1927- ) – (also as Barbara Mertz)
The Camelot Caper – The Copenhagen Connection – The Dead Sea Cipher – Devil-May-Care – Seeing a Large Cat – (as Barbara Michaels) – Ammie Come Home – Be Buried in the Rain – Black Rainbow – Greygallows – Here I Stay – House of Many Shadows – The Master of Blacktower – Shattered Silk – Smoke and Mirrors – Witch – The Wizard’s Daughter
Marilyn Prather
Rebenspire
Amanda Quick
Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823)
Rona Randall
Dragonmede – Watchman’s Stone
Patricia Rice (1949- )
Janet Louise Roberts
Black Horse Tavern – Devil’s Own – Lord Satan
Michele Roberts
Daughters of the House
Mary Linn Roby
The White Peacock
Marilyn Ross (1912- )
Carola Salisbury
Mary Ryan (1945- )
Anya Seton (1904-1990)
Dragonwyck – Green Darkness – The Winthrop Woman
Diane Setterfield
Barbara Dawson Smith
Fire on the Wind
Sarah Smith (1947- )
Linda Sole
A Cornish Rose – The Rose Arch – The Shadow Players
Katherine St. Clair
A Heart Possessed
Jennifer St. Giles</p>
The Mistress of Trevelyan
Francesca Stanfil
Wakefield Hall
Anne Stevenson
Coil of Serpents – The French Inheritance – A Relative Stranger – Turkish Rondo
Mary Stewart (1916- )
Airs Above the Ground – The Gabriel Hounds – Madam, Will You Talk? – The Moon-Spinners – My Brother Michael – Nine Coaches Waiting – The Storm Petrel – This Rough Magic – Thornyhold – Thunder on the Right – Touch Not the Cat – Wildfire at Midnight
Jill Tattersall
Damnation Reef – Dark at Noon – Lady Ingram’s Room – Lyonesse Abbey – Midsummer Masque – The Shadows of Castle Fosse – The Wild Hunt
Marcella Thum
Abbey Court – Fernwood
Jane Toombs
The Emerald Shadows of the Sea
Horace Walpole (1717-1797)
Hillary Waugh
Blackbourne Hall – A Bride for Hampton House – The Secret Room of Morgate House – The Shadow Guest – The Summer at Raven’s Roost
Jean Francis Webb (1910-1991)
Roses From a Haunted Garden – Somewhere Within This House
Phyllis A. Whitney (1903-2008)
Amethyst Dreams – Black Amber – Daughter of the Stars – Domino – A Dream of Orchids – The Ebony Swan – Emerald – Feather on the Moon – Flaming Tree – The Glass Flame – The Golden Unicorn – Hunter’s Green – Lost Island – Poinciana – Rainbow in the Mist – Rainsong – Sea Jade – Seven Tears for Apollo – Silverhill – Silversword – The Singing Stones – Spindrift – Star Flight – The Stone Bull – Thunder Heights – The Turquoise Mask – Vermilion – Window on the Square – Woman Without a Past
Margaret Widdemer (1890-1978)
The Red Castle Women
Marianne Willman
The Mermaid’s Song
Helen York
Malverne Manor – Tremorra Towers
SOME RELATED NON-FICTION TITLES
813.08 Bro – Victoria A. Brownworth – Night Shade: Gothic Tales by Women
813.08 Mor – Bradford Morrow – The New Gothic: A Collection of Contemporary Gothic Fiction
813.08 Oxf – Oxford University Press – The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales
823.016 Sum 1964 – Montague Summers – A Gothic Bibliography
823.09 B53t – Edith Birkhead – The Tale of Terror: A Study of the Gothic Romance
823.09 Sum – Montague Summers – The Gothic Quest: A History of the Gothic Novel
R 813.016 Rad – Elsa J. Radcliffe – Gothic Novels of the Twentieth Century: An Annotated Bibliograpy
R 813 Mus – Kay Mussell – Women’s Gothic and Romantic Fiction: A Reference Guide
Original printed list February 1993 bwc
Updated and expanded for the Web January 2006 sdc