For a book labeled “Gothic Romance,” The Legacy of Croft Castle is a little different than some readers might expect. There’s not a brooding hero or vulnerable heroine anywhere in sight. Instead, two very contemporary characters venture into the title abode to solve a mystery. This is one to enjoy for its pitch-perfect setting.

Meredith Allen is a psychologist looking to prove the existence of paranormal phenomena. This has put her at odds with Jackson Hawke, a private investigator who specializes in debunking claims of the supernatural. More than once he has swooped in and discredited one of her cases before she could investigate. They meet again in London, where Meredith is preparing to give a series of lectures and Jackson recently relocated to open a branch of his family’s P.I. firm. Meredith wants nothing to do with him. Then they’re both summoned to Croft Castle on a small island off the Cornish coast.

The castle has always had a resident ghost, a harmless spirit responsible for the occasional prank. But recent events at the castle have been anything but harmless, driving away the tourist business the villagers on the island depend on to survive. Lord Danely, the castle’s owner, doesn’t believe in ghosts; his wife does. They want Jackson and Meredith to both investigate to get to the truth about what’s really happening. Jackson has always found Meredith appealing despite their adversarial relationship, so the plan works for him. Meredith is less enthused, but she has reasons of her own for wanting to get to the bottom of the situation. With much bickering and banter, they join forces and delve into the castle’s ancient history to find the truth.

Croft Castle is a great locale for this type of story, shrouded in mystery and secrets. Barrett’s writing is very detailed, really bringing the castle and the island setting to life. Books in this line seldom venture out of the United States, so this was a welcome change of pace. The English setting is well-used and allows the story to venture into territory an American-set book couldn’t. For instance, the ghost is supposedly that of a “lost” king of England, and the book’s secrets go back almost a thousand years. It’s great, juicy stuff.

The author delivers a strong sense of atmosphere and mood. I loved every minute of Jackson and Meredith creeping through hidden passages, having a stakeout in an abandoned part of the castle and discovering ancient chambers. It’s just so much fun. The revelation about midway through of what the villain is really after in the castle was so gloriously over the top I ate it up.

The story is well-plotted, as modern day murder enters the picture. It’s definitely more mystery-driven than romance. The love story is decent, developed in a reasonable way, but nothing special. The author attempts to develop the characters by giving them the usual issues related to their pasts, but they’re both a little bland and there’s little to them for the reader to get invested in. Then there’s the Big Misunderstanding that crops up late in the book; it’s a similar misunderstanding (used precisely for the same reason) as the one that occurred in the last Eclipse book. I understand the narrative purpose it serves – but that didn’t stop me from groaning out loud when it happened.

Ultimately, what the book lacked in romance was more than made up for by the rest of the story. The setting is cool, the atmosphere is strong and the plot is interesting. The Legacy of Croft Castle may not be much of a gothic romance, but it is a nifty gothic mystery.