Dallas Lawson is a 28-year-old woman with a fierce passion for art preservation and restoration; a passion matched only by her independence and unrelenting curiosity.

"...heard myself referred to as 'an old maid' and 'on the shelf.' This had irritated me with its implication that the main reason for a woman‘s existing was dedication to the service of some man..."

Taught by her father, who reluctantly acknowledged his daughter's talent in her college years, Dallas decides to continue his work after his death -- much to the shock and suspicion of Comte de la Talle, the man who commissioned "D. Lawson" as in Daniel Lawson, not Dallas Lawson. A loophole Dallas coyly exploits to escape certain doom: life in service as a lady's companion, governess, or worst of all, servant to her horrible Aunt.

What follows is a fun and suspenseful, if not mildly melodramatic, quest for Dallas to show her chops as a woman and an artist, uncover the de la Talle secrets, and quite possibly recover a treasure long believed lost during the Revolution.

The plot bears similarities to other works by this author, hence certain elements are predictable, but there’re still enough surprises and suspense to compensate for this.

Ms Holt doesn’t always create characters worth caring about, but in “The King of the Castle” she creates several for whom I felt sympathy for.

My favourite character is the Comte, as I like his aloofness, and the “bad man who's good deep down” element to his nature.

Genevieve is the best character in terms of believability and, on the author’s part, originality. I can really see and hear Genevieve, thanks to the Ms Holt’s skill at depicting her.

A very good read. ( )

Victoria Holt is one of my favorite authors. Her novels never seem to disappoint me. I'm anxious in seeking out her other out of print novels to read and enjoy them. ( )

Will Dallas show the Comte that she is just as competent an art restorer as her father? Will she survive the nasty tricks of Comte's strange, wilful daughter? Will Dallas be scared off the job by ghosts, danger and the hanging mystery of the Comte's dead wife? Will she and the Comte eventually totally fall into passion with each other, a fire sparked by their striking opinions?ALL SIGNS POINT TO YES. ( )

Libreria 2º piso al fondo
Estanteria superior ( )