The Robineau Look by Kathleen Moore Knight, 1955

 

About the author:  Kathleen Moore Knight (1890-1984) is one of my absolute favorite authors. She wrote 34 mystery novels, most set on fictional Penberthy Island off Massachusetts, all published by the Crime Club; with a few under the pseudonym of Alan Amos. See my post All I Know about Kathleen Moore Knight, as well as this Wikipedia article and her booklist  on Fantastic Fiction.   

Major characters:

• Cynthia Robineau, our protagonist
• William H. Thorne, her employer
• Bertram "Bert" Robineau, her uncle 
• Florence Robineau, her aunt
• Earle Robineau, her cousin (son of Bert and Florence)

Locale: three locations in rural Alabama: 

• the modest bayou home of Bert, Florence, and Earle
• Avallon Church, a remote, deteriorating chapel and grounds
• Avallon Hall, a plantation-style mansion

Synopsis: New York City-dwelling Cynthia Robineau is executive secretary to Willam H. Thorne, president of Thorne Construction Company. Cynthia is surprised when Thorne expresses his love for her and proposes marriage. Cynthia is taken aback, and realizes she would have to choose between him and her career. Thorne suggests she take some time off to think it over. 

Cynthia receives an invitation from her cousin, Earle Robineau, to a big annual family reunion in Alabama. She accepts, taking advantage of the offer of time off. She has never met any of her family from there. She arrives at the modest bayou home of Uncle Bert and Aunt Florence Robineau (Earle's parents) to find they never sent the invitation and it must be a fake. As the relations gather, others find they also received the fake invitations.

The reunion begins, then murder stalks the family.

Review:

We have a big cast of characters so it is good to take notes as you go along. There are lots of Robineaus. A good read with slowly building suspense. 

I always find the stock "Gothic" cover illustrations (yes, on both editions!) amusing, always having the same trope-y ingredients: a young woman in a somewhat-revealing diaphanous gown, fleeing through unkempt grass at night from a creepy mansion in which only one window (always upstairs) is illuminated, while looking back over her shoulder.