Black Rainbow

By: Barbara Michaels

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

A troubled Byronic hero, a young governess blinded by her romantic obsession, a beautiful but forbidding manor, and a secret as ominous as the black rainbow that frames the huddled towers of the manor in the moonlight are the romantic elements of this Gothic mystery.©1982 Barbara Michaels (P)1991 Recorded Books,LLC

How things aren’t what they seem.

Entertaining, clever, unexpected. I love her as Elizabeth Peters, but as Barbara she dwells on the depths of the human mind and heart.

A seemingly happy family begins to spiral...

Performance is great! Strong characters, particularly the women. Characters of good and characters of bad intentions in contention.

Jane Eyre with a twist!

A very enjoyable dark story written in four parts in the perspective of the Megan O'Neil who is a governess enamoured with her master Edmund Mandeville, and his sister Jane. The moral of the story seems to be, 'be careful what you wish for'. As always, Barbara Rosenblat brings the story to glorious life. Thoroughly recommended.

Great storytelling

It’s an interesting story. Not sure where the supernatural element was, but it was still a good story.

I'll buy a book if Barbara Rosen,blat reads it

I've read all of Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series and hope Barbara Mertz is in a
better place after a long seige with illness. Her stand-alone books are usually written under the name of Barbara Michaels. This is a good one, if a little predictable, with an interesting protagonist. Jane is an exceptionally petite woman who runs the very efficiently mill in her brother's, Edmund's, absence. He comes home from the war, apparently changed. He wants to marry up in society and his almost-fiancee has family titles but no money. Edmund spends lavishly and shuts Jane, half-owner, out of all decisions about the mill. He builds cheap hovels for the workers and starts using child labor. He is unmoved by a cholera epidemic likely caused by the unsanitary, overcrowded living conditions of his workers. When he learns his future bride disrespects him, he cuts ties temporarily and marries Megan, the governess, who came to the estate at his suggestion and possibly because of a prior involvement. Megan loves him and gets her wish to marry him - as the old adage says: be careful what you wish for. Edmund becomes more and more sarcastic, nasty, and dangerous. He is a sociopath who considers only what he wants without caring about consequences to others -- in fact, he blames his victims, saying they bring it on themselves. When Jane finally sees her brother for what he really is, she rises to almost supernatural heights (no pun intended!) to protect Megan. You can see some of the action coming, but that doesn't stop you from getting chills up your spine.