Even Gothic romance authors deserve a Gothic romance of their own. Lisa Greer gets meta about the genre in her self-published romance novel, The Haunting of Craigmorag Castle, which came out earlier this year. If you’re looking for something fun to read this summer that blends the sweet and silly with the spooky and atmospheric, give this one a shot!
Veronica Lane is determined to make her dream come true of becoming a serious full-time author. She has already published two fairly successful Gothic romances and is about to start the third book in the series when her publisher makes her an offer she can’t refuse: Finn McGrath, an Irish duke and a major investor in the publishing company, has taken an interest in Veronica’s writing and wants her to draft her next novel while living in his castle for the sake of immersing herself in her book’s Irish setting. But once she arrives at Craigmorag Castle, Veronica realizes this isn’t going to be the relaxing writing retreat she’d hoped for. Finn’s wife, Isla, died not so long ago under mysterious circumstances, and Finn is convinced she was murdered. Though Veronica tries to keep her head down and focus on her writing, Finn soon ropes her into investigating his wife’s death. And of course, it doesn’t help that Isla’s ghost keeps appearing at the foot of Veronica’s bed with dire warnings. As Veronica gets pulled in deeper to the tangle of messy relationships between those that live in and around Craigmorag Castle, she realizes two things: 1) If Isla was murdered, that means her murderer is probably still walking free, and 2) that murderer is sure to try to stop Veronica from investigating by any means necessary….
As with anything Gothic, The Haunting of Craigmorag Castle places a lot of emphasis on its setting. The story takes place in the 1970s, mainly in the Irish countryside, which is a bit of an awkward choice for the romance trope of the sexy, eligible duke (knowing Irish history makes this remnant of the British peerage system persisting into the Republic of Ireland fairly meaningless and less than romantic…). I was also a little thrown off by the description of His Grace in bell-bottoms. But while fashion-forward dukes might be a little incongruous in this setting, the Gothic always feels right at home in Ireland. Finn McGrath lives in a looming, gray castle that is repeatedly described as having a personality of its own and being, in some sense, alive. Craigmorag Castle has anything you could want in a Gothic home: a dark family legacy, a disused wing, and secret passageways. The castle’s grounds even include a hedge maze, a private chapel, and the family’s own personal cemetery. But the spookiest part of the estate is the site of Isla’s death: a gorgeous waterfall that she was allegedly pushed from the top of, which also happens to be the site of another gruesome death earlier in the family’s history. Gotta have a good murder spot at your castle!
Speaking of Isla, this book makes prominent use of the First Wife trope, recalling echoes of other Gothic texts like Rebecca. Finn is haunted by the death of his late wife and the unanswered question of her murder. The castle itself is quite literally haunted by Isla’s ghost, which appears to Veronica, Finn, and Finn’s young daughter at night. Apart from being haunted by her literal ghost, Veronica is—like the narrator of Rebecca—fixated on how Finn’s relationship with his dead wife might impede her own relationship with him. Veronica builds up this perfect, loving relationship between Finn and Isla in her mind and convinces herself that Finn’s heart belongs solely to the deceased. But far from the perfect wife, Isla had her own dark secrets that may have even led to her death.
Check out The Haunting of Craigmorag Castle for a fun Gothic romance with a side of murder mystery! You can find it on Amazon or get the paperback from Bookshop.org and support The Gothic Library in the process using this affiliate link. If you read it, be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments!