Mary Stewart-both her Merlin trilogy, and her contemporary fiction.
Victoria Holt
Elizabeth Jane Howard
Belva Plain
Anya Seton

if by any chance you find one that takes place in a CHATEAU that is haunted by the MONK,please let me know thw name.My aunt read these authors when I was young and that one scared me-but I cant find itnow.

I think that is a Victoria Holt-check the link to read synopses

Here is a link that might be useful: Victoria Holt bibliography

Must recommend a recent 'based on real events' novel about Daphne Du Maurier set in the 1950's when she herself was at a difficult time in her life. Simply called 'Daphne' by author Justine Picardie.

Here is a link that might be useful: Excerpt -Daphne, A Novel

Victoria Holt also wrote (writes?) under Philippa Carr. I think "Miracle at St. Brunos" is the first in that series. I remember first reading Victoria's "Legend of the Seventh Virgin" in junior high thinking it might be racy-lol! My mom always liked her more historical novels written under Jean Plaidy. I liked some of them. What a trip down memory lane-now I'll have to go home & reread some! Thanks! Oh, back to subject-loved some of Daphne's books but not all.
Susan

Well silly me! If I had looked under ccrdmrbks link to Victoria Holt I would have known Victoria Holt was also a pseudonym-and much, much more. Off to peruse that site.
Susan

I've been collecting and reading (in some cases re-reading) some of DduM's books this year. I loved The King's General, might even have to rate that quite highly against her other works.

But I wanted to ask about Hungry Hill. Has anyone here read it? I am haunted by this book, tend to think of it as one of her forgotten, underrated books. Anyone care to share their impressions?

georgia, I tried reading Hungry Hill not long ago after finding an ancient paperback in a charity shop. I really struggled with it and found the story, Cornwall/Ireland copper mining family history, very hard going and the 1940's style terrible dated. Perhaps I'm too old to enjoy 'family sagas' anymore. :-(

Chickenpea,

That wouldn't be one of the original, 18th century 'Gothic' novels, would it? Such as The Mystery of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe and The Monk by Monk Lewis? The Castle of Otranto by (?). Lots of Chateaux, ghosts, Monks and ladies in peril. Udolpho was satirised by Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey.

Dido

Georgia, The King's General is my #2 favorite of DduM's books. Isn't Honor a marvelous heroine? I've always had a soft spot for scoundrel Sir Richard, and ooh! Gartred: what a splendid comeuppance she got at the hands of Ambrose Manaton. My favorite scene is the one with Honor and Gartred playing cards and exchanging repartee as Menabilly is sacked. But what happened (supposedly) to young Dick will always break my heart, every time I read it.

I've read Hungry Hill a couple of times, but I can't say it left a profound impression. It seems too diffuse to me, all the characters and happenings spread out over the generations; but as with anything DduM wrote I'd rate it a notch above other writers' similarly-styled sagas. My mother, however, rates HH in her top tier of DduM's stories. She says it came just at the right time for her, during World War II, when she needed to read and get thoroughly enmeshed in another time and place. Mother is now 87. She says she has read HH at least forty times.

My favorite DuMaurier is "My Cousin Rachel", FWIW.

Honor is a great heroine, I think one of duM's most memorable. She paints an interesting character study of Richard. I've worked with a few difficult personalities like Richard, and I must say I thought duM nailed his personality type. So bull-headed! He could be reasonable, given time to think on it, with people he respected and completely ruthless to those he didn't. I thought it was sad and tragic about both his sons (and so many other things in that novel as well). I personally love the scene where Honor meets Richard -- unforgettable. The card scene with Gartred is great too!

I think part of my fascination with HH is how well duM writes unsympathetic characters, yet manages to make you feel their pain. I can see where that book wouldn't appeal to just anyone, but I think it's quite unusual in how she handles the characters and the way their lives unravel before your very eyes. I was reminded a little bit of "Captains and the Kings" in the way that the family curse plays out and how their wealth doesn't bring them happiness (damns them in fact).

"My Cousin Rachel" is one the great examples of an unreliable narrator, I think. I found Philip to be very disturbing.

Also read "The Glassblowers" and really enjoyed that one too.

One I loved but never see mentioned is "Scapegoat". It's been a while - I think I need to find a copy and read it again.
mc

I've got The Scapegoat and Julius in the TBR, both of which I haven't read before.

georgia, have you read The House on the Strand? Sent shivers down my spine.

The House on the Strand is my #1 favorite DduM. Talk about suspension of disbelief and ambiguity...I've worried those threads so many times! But I haven't managed to unravel them and I expect I never will -- maybe I never want to.

I enjoy The Scapegoat every time I read it. It's another where there has to be suspension of disbelief. I can't for the life of me figure out how DduM could persuade the reader so effectively that something could be possible while her imitators (those I've read) can't sustain my acceptance...heck, they can't even set it up believably in the first place.

Georgia, I'll be interested to know what you think of Julius (my very worn edition is titled The Progress of Julius).

Another that doesn't get mentioned very often is The Flight of the Falcon, the one set in modern-at-the-time Italy (with motor scooter gangs and all). It's also another of her male POV novels.

I don't rank Rebecca as DduM's best book, just her most popular. It's about #5 on my list.