The Countess is a rewrite of one of Catherine Coulter’s old Regencies. I’ve had a sketchy history with those. The first one I read was too padded. The second one I tried had a rapist hero. Luckily, The Countess avoids those pitfalls because Catherine Coulter does something different with this one. Instead of trying to turn a traditional Regency into a historical, she turns it into what she may have wanted to write all along – a gothic novel. She even writes it in the first person.

Unlike most women her age, Andrea (Andie) Jameson doesn’t want to marry a young, attractive nobleman. Why risk her heart to a man who could turn out to be like her father? So when the elderly Earl of Devbridge offers to marry Andrea, she thinks he is the answer to her prayers. He doesn’t want a physical relationship, and that suits her perfectly. Andie takes her terrier, George, and goes off to Devbridge Manor with her husband in name only.

It’s only after the marriage that Andie starts to have doubts about her marriage. She is drawn to John, her husband’s nephew, though it’s too late to act on her feelings. Other misgivings gnaw at her. Why didn’t Lawrence tell her about the mysterious death of his previous wife? Is Devbridge Manor haunted? Does someone want to kill her?

Some readers might not like a heroine who marries an older man to avoid a real marriage. Yet in this book, it works. We believe in Andie’s fears about men because they are based in her past. Besides, for all of her fears, Andie’s no weakling. She’s not above making her opinion known, not to mention throwing herself into trying to investigate a mystery or two.

Because The Countess is told from the point of view of Andie, we don’t get to know John as well. He must prove himself worthy with his actions. We can tell he’s concerned about Andie from the way he tries to protect her. We know he’s honorable because he refuses to give in to his feelings for her. Besides, George loves him, so we know John can’t be all bad.

Like all classic Gothics, The Countess has a plethora of enigmatic secondary characters. First, there’s Lawrence, the mysterious husband. What were his real reasons for marrying Andie? Let’s not forget Thomas, John’s younger brother – beautiful, yet prone to every ailment – and his doting wife. They’re a cute couple, so that makes them the perfect suspects. This cast is rounded out by shady servants and surprise relatives.

The banter did get too precious, and at times, I wanted to shout, “Get on with the story!” Also, the comedy involving George was often overdone. Was it really necessary to have him relieve himself on a rusty suit of armor? Maybe the comedic element is meant to balance out the suspense, but it tips the scale too far on the cute side for my tastes.

Despite the banter, Gothic lovers will enjoy themselves at Devbridge Manor. It’s filled with mysterious rooms, strange clues, and secrets. The more time Andie spends there, the more she becomes convinced that her life is in danger. Gothic fans will have a fine time trying to work out the mystery, and they probably won’t mind the lack of a physical romance. Readers wanting less banter (and more lust) might want to look elsewhere for their Gothic fix.