The Death of Mrs. Westaway

While there were points at which this novel stretched credibility, it certainly did have all the requisite components of a good Gothic mystery: a young, innocent leading character--Harriet, or Hal as she prefers to be called--and a cast of shadowy figures, including a few who were downright malevolent. The latter includes a loan-shark's henchman, who preys upon orphaned teenager Hal, and Mrs. Warren, the housekeeper at the appropriately gloomy house of which Hal is the surprised inheritor. Hal's newly discovered family members provide enough suspense to keep the reader guessing. A willing suspension of rational thinking was occasional required of the reader, for instance, on Hal's second return to the house why didn't she choose one of the empty rooms vacated by her departed relatives rather than return to the attic room where a suspected attempt had been made on her life. A bit sophomoric, but good fun nonetheless.