The House of a Thousand Lanterns

THE HOUSE she had dreamed of since childhood…

THE HOUSE where her worst nightmares were about to come true…

THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS… the spellbinding new novel by Victoria Holt.

Jane Lindsay never dreamed she would be wealthy. Nor that she would fall in love with a man she could not trust. Against the background of 19th century England and Hong Kong, Victoria Holt unfolds the story of a young English woman who finds a strange new world in the HOUSE OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS…

Copyright Victoria Holt 1974. First Fawcett Crest printing July 1975. Cover art Harry Bennett.

I’ve had an email from Jess, who is trying to re-find a favourite gothic romance. She has a vague recollection of the plot but the title eludes her. From her description below, I thought it shared similarities with Victoria Holt’s House of a Thousand Lanterns but I don’t think this is the one.

Here’s what she can remember:

It involved a young girl coming to stay at OR getting involved with a wealthy household in San Francisco. I think I remember specifically either bothers or close cousins and while she originally was attracted to one, she ends up with the other. There is a costume party at one point where she goes as Qwan-Yin, the Chinese goddess, even wearing a wig of blue yarn. I also remember there being some sort of disaster, but cannot recall if it was the great fire or an earthquake. There was definitely an element of horror/mystery though.

Did think I had found it in “The Trembling Hills” by Whitney and ordered an old used copy, but while it had been a book I’d read previously, it was not the one I was looking for.

Any ideas anyone?

 

Published in: on September 9, 2012 at 22:26  Comments (3)  
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  1. On September 10, 2012 at 00:20 Kristi Lyn Glass said:

    I think I, too, have read that book, so it must be somewhere on my “read books” bookshelves. However, after a 5 minute search, I was unable to put my hands on the book. I vaguely recall it might be one of the Zebra gothics that used to come out monthly. The setting was a new one for the author, I think, as I had read her previous gothics set elsewhere and liked them. I prefer gothics set in England or Europe, so it was a departure for me to read one set in San Francisco, but as I liked the author, I took a chance on it. Sorry I cannot be of further help.

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  2. On September 10, 2012 at 05:07 Michelle said:

    I have the book (and read it years ago). I can go check it (kinda speedscan the book and see).

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  3. On September 10, 2012 at 08:40 Sara said:

    Hi Kristi, Hi Michelle
    That’s amazing, thanks! I wasn’t expecting such a speedy reply. Any info you can find about this title would be much appreciated.
    cheers
    sara

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