Mary Stewart is one of the best known writers of modern gothic suspense, but I’ve only read a couple of her books. I was a much more voracious reader of one of her peers, Barbara Michaels (a.k.a. Elizabeth Peters) but it’s been years since I’ve read anything from either of them. That changed when I came across a copy of The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart in the stacks the other day. (I feel a little guilty as I’ve been ignoring all the books scattered throughout my house lately in favor of surprises at the library – one of the hazards of the job, I suppose!)

The book was originally written in 1961 but has not lost its luster with the passage of time. The story opens with Mary Grey, a young woman sitting upon a hill in the northern English countryside. She is confronted by Connor, a man who claims she is his runaway cousin, a girl named Annabel who abandoned him and their family several years ago. After convincing him that it is just a peculiar coincidence, Connor and his sister, Lisa, convince Mary to take on Annabel’s identity, returning to the family estate so that she may claim Annabel’s inheritance and give it to them. What follows is an enthralling story that is as atmospheric as the Northumberland countryside in which it takes place.

Mary/Annabel is a wounded heroine, sympathetic and endearing even as she deceives all those around her. Connor is the Heathcliff-like villain, one you can’t help but be a little charmed by despite his brutish ways. The other characters are just as interesting, and Stewart has the ability to convey in just a few words the various layers of their personalities. This is a story that begs to be savored and read again, with the knowledge gained by the end of the book giving each scene, each word, each glance an entirely different insight and nuance. Another great addition to my RIP Challenge effort as well as checking off one more entry in the What’s in a Name? Challenge.