Books › The Secret Woman
The Secret Woman
First published 1972 · 672 pages
A sweeping, salt-sprayed gothic romance where dangerous secrets and undeniable attraction collide on a voyage to the unknown.
What it feels like
Reading this classic romantic suspense feels like stepping from a drafty, oppressive manor into the bracing, dangerous winds of the open ocean. The narrative unfolds with a steady, atmospheric tension, wrapping you in a world where every lingering glance might be a promise or a threat. It perfectly captures the vintage gothic thrill of a capable but sheltered heroine thrust into a sweeping adventure alongside a brooding, enigmatic hero. The prose is lush and earnest, painting vivid contrasts between bleak English confinement and the vibrant, perilous allure of the South Seas. It is an utterly escapist experience, delighting readers who love their historical romances laced with murder, hidden treasure, and the delicious anxiety of not knowing who to trust.
- Mood
- atmospheric
- ominous
- escapist
- salt-sprayed
- Tone
- suspenseful
- romantic
- earnest
- melodramatic
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- dangerous attraction · hidden pasts · escaping confinement · trust and deception
- The writing
- Descriptive and slightly formal, leaning into the lush, atmospheric conventions of classic mid-century romantic suspense.
- The arc
- Moves from stifled resignation in a bleak setting to a thrilling, perilous awakening on the open ocean.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave vintage gothic romances featuring brooding captains, plucky heroines, and sweeping, dangerous voyages.
Content notes
- murder
- peril
- deception
About the book
Dark Secrets. Lost Treasure. Delicious Scandal.
Anna Brett fears she's doomed to be a governess to an English family for the rest of her life. But when the dashing captain Redvers Stretton struts back into her life, she is whisked away from the bleak English countryside forever. But is that such a good thing?
While the charming blue-eyed captain makes Anna forget her troubled past, he is hiding dark secrets of his own. It's no coincidence that Stretton's ship is named The Secret Woman. During their voyage to the South Seas, with a murder dogging her steps and the mystery of a missing treasure haunting her dreams, Anna is forced to confront the clever captain—a man who may have just as many secrets as she.
"One of the best romantic-suspense novelists."—Associated Press
Description from Open Library.
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