Major Characters:
- Michael Rogers, narrator
- Fenella "Ellie" Guteman, a.k.a. Ellie Goodman
- Cora Van Stuyvesant, her stepmother
- Andrew Lippincott, an attorney, her uncle
- Frank Barton, her uncle
- Greta Andersen, Ellie's companion and assistant
- Claudia Hardcastle, a neighbor
- Rudolf Santonix, architect, brother to Claudia Hardcastle
- Mrs. Esther Lee, a fortune-telling gypsy
- Major Phillpot
Synopsis: Michael Rogers, our narrator, is a wanderer who picks up odd jobs, mostly driving wealthy people in Europe. He is curious about an estate auction of an abandoned, run down property and runs into "Ellie" Guteman on the property. They fantasize about buying it. They marry and do so, despite warnings of a curse by gypsy Esther Lee. It turns out Ellie is quite wealthy.
They commission their dream house from ailing architect Rudolf Santonix, who hopes to complete it before his death. Michael and Ellie move in and try to keep the grasping relations at bay.
Ellie is found dead from an apparent riding accident. More tragedies quickly follow. Are they the result of the curse?
Review: A slow start to this novel as much time is spent with organizing and placating the relatives. Ellie is found dead, and everything unravels from there. There is a startling twist to the plot as additional deaths follow quickly. I did not see the twist coming, and it completely turns the plot on end. An exciting read.
Also see these reviews on The Passing Tramp and My Reader's Block
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