Lord of the Far Island: The Classic Novel of Romantic Suspense

I first read Victoria Holt years ago (my mother got me started). More recently, I've taken it up again with enthusiasm and started collecting these paperbacks from Amazon. "Lord of the Far Island" is the sixth book of hers I've read so far. I enjoyed it consistently from start to finish. Will be keeping in my collection!

Love me some Victoria holt!

I believe this book is one of her best! I repurchased it when it came out in paperback because it was one of my favorites. I noticed two things: Ellen, the heroine, is one if the few Victoria Holt heroines to be described as lovely or pretty, and this is the first book in which Holt has a doomed, brotherly character named Phillip. This type of character and the name would appear in future books. This book made me want to visit Cornwall. I hope to set a story of my own their one day. I didn't give it five stars because of a dislike of certain characters who "speak ill of the dead," other characters not there to speak for themselves. Otherwise it's a five star book. You won't be disappointed.

Relaxing reading.

Whatever is is I bought, it's NOT A READABLE COPY OF THIS BOOK!!! If I could give this minus stars, I would. This copy looks like a badly typed manuscript - in that it has been photocopied and slapped sideways into what is supposed to be a Kindle format. Seriously, I keep my kindle with a black background because I read in bed before going to sleep. Imaging my surprise when what I got were white "pages" that looked, as I said, photocopied and in a print so small it couldn't be read should I even want to - which I DON'T! And, no, the size couldn't be changed, nor could the background - or the orientation. I was really looking forward to reading some of Victoria Holt's novels again. Guess I'll hit up some used bookstores in my area for an actual book - that's READABLE!!! Save yourself a headache and a temper tantrum by NOT BUYING THIS RIDICULOUS EXCUSE OF A KINDLE BOOK! What a complete WASTE OF MY HARD EARNED MONEY. I WOULD DEARLY LOVE A REFUND. I'm also angry at having to write such bad review - a thing I try very, very hard to never do. And I never got to give the actual book a glowing review. Having gotten the chance long ago to read this book, yeah, glowing review...

Victoria Holt was one of my first favorite authors. I read most of her books and loved them. It's good to see some of them being reissued so I can enjoy them again. This book is a classic Gothic romance. There are mysteries seemingly around every corner. I loved reading this again and enjoyed it as much as the first time. I hope more of her books will be released soon.

I started reading Victoria Holt novels 35 years ago. I have just now started reading them over again and since I read some of them from the library I decided I wanted to have my own complete set. I love her novels, there is no one else that could write in the style that she does.

This is the story of Ellen Kellaway, who has no family and is therefore brought into the household of a matronly but not always pleasant cousin. When she reaches 18, Ellen's life fills up with romance. Through some unexpected twists and turns, her first "love" falls through and she ends up leaving town to visit Far Island, her family's ancestral home. Stunned to find that this home is a faded but still splendid medieval castle, she sets about unraveling the mystery of her own past. She is somewhat aggressively courted by Jago Kellaway, a distant cousin and current lord of the Island.I do love Victoria Holt and this book was written in her distinctive page-turning style. I can't give it four or five stars because the ending seemed so rushed, like "we need to wrap this up fast." I also found the physical description of her suitor, Jago, to be very off-putting. I think he was described as "the tallest person she had ever seen," very dark, with a hooked nose and heavy-lidded eyes. I perceived him as a Lurch-like character (from the Addams Family) and really hoped through most of the book that he would be dispensed with. And what purpose did the charming character of Michael Hydrock serve? I had to conclude that he was just a device to move the book along. A fun read but not remarkable.

Worth collecting

That's just what it is, with a contrived plot, flimsy clichè situations and characters so flat and devoid of the least sign of life that they are not worthy of being called "characters" at all. The Victoria Holt of her first two or three "gothic romances" seems another person altogether. Waste of time.

Victoria Holt (pen name of Eleanor Hibbert) was a prolific author of romantic mystery and suspense novels with settings in creepy, eerie and freakish locales with people to match. Her books were consistently satisfying as proven by how many were published and now, thirty or forty years later, are being reprinted.Comparing this book to Bride of Pendorric, it has similarities: the heroine's obscure origin and family relationships are gradually revealed, diaries are found which provide essential answers to troublesome questions, and people who are suspected of evil are eventually absolved. Ellen, the heroine, is delightfully assertive. Her analytical bent makes her a detective to her own predicaments. Apprehension rules delightfully throughout. This volume keeps the reader's attention to the very end. Perhaps the perfect conclusion is just a little hurried and forced, but Holt can easily be forgiven by loyal readers. An easy but enjoyable read.

The best thing about this book is it is brand new! I am collecting Victoria Holt Books but most of them are very used and stained. This was as described and at a great price.

To me it is very good