Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart

“When lovely Linda Martin first arrives at Château Valmy as an English governess to the nine-year-old Count Philippe de Valmy, the opulence and history surrounding her seems like a wondrous, ecstatic dream. But a palpable terror is crouching in the shadows. Philippe's uncle, Leon de Valmy, is the epitome of charm, yet dynamic and arrogant—his paralysis little hindrance as he moves noiselessly in his wheelchair from room to room. Only his son Raoul, a handsome, sardonic man who drives himself and his car with equally reckless abandon, seems able to stand up to him. To Linda, Raoul is an enigma—though irresistibly attracted to him, she senses some dark twist in his nature. When an accident deep in the woods nearly kills Linda's innocent charge, she begins to wonder if someone has deadly plans for the young count.”

As I started reading this book I wondered “when is it going to suck me in?” and before I knew it I was already sucked in and couldn’t put it down. In fact, I almost missed a friend’s baby shower just so I could stay home and read it! Linda is a great heroine, she is smart, kind, clever, cautious, and a bit whimsical. She was very easy to relate to and you were on her side from the very beginning. I kept thinking throughout how the book reminded me so much of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte with a mix of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Linda is a young governess, raised in an orphanage for most of her life, and seizes the opportunity to flee the life she has known to escape to the beautiful Valmy estate. Once there she starts to fall for the mysterious Raoul. You’re never quite sure what Raoul’s motives are, but you can’t help but fall for him anyway. What a great lead, he totally gave me chills and I was rooting for the two of them to figure things out the whole time. The young Philippe is a sad little character, who you can’t help but love. He soon falls for Linda, as I’m sure everyone does, and it’s a sweet relationship of love and trust. I stayed up late into the night to finish the story and was pleased with how everything turned out. It’s a fun, clean mystery with a perfect touch of romance.