Catherine Coulter and Mary Jo Putney have both rewritten their old Regencies as longer historical romances, but The Scottish Legacy is the first rewritten Regency I’ve read that is still a Regency. Originally published in 1981 as The Covington Inheritance, the book now has somewhat different characters, a different ending, and is told from the first person point of view of the heroine. Having never read the original story, I can’t comment on its merits. But I definitely enjoyed this rewrite, which has a diverting house party setting and eerie Gothic undertones.

When Lady Cecily Douglas summons all her young relatives for a house party in Scotland, no one dares to refuse the invitation. Although Lady Cecily is eccentric and reclusive (think Miss Haversham from Great Expectations) she is also rich, and she tells everyone that she will announce her heir at the close of the party.

Lila Douglas doesn’t really have much interest in her great-aunt’s fortune, but she is eager to attend the party so that she can spend time with her second cousin Allistair, whom she has been admiring from afar. When Lila and the other relations arrive, it’s obvious that the house party will be an ordeal. They are served poor food, and the house is barely heated, even though it’s January. Almost immediately, “accidents” begin to happen; one of the potential heirs is clearly trying to eliminate some of the competition. Meanwhile, Lila’s feelings for Allistair begin to change as she spends more time with him. Suddenly he starts looking like a mean-spirited dandy, while another of her second cousins, Grant St. Williams, is looking better and better. Lila and Grant work together to find out who is behind all the dangerous incidents, but can they discover the culprit before it’s too late?

The Scottish Legacy is really a fun read, especially if you enjoy Gothic romances. From the poorly heated, antiquated Scottish castle to the swirling blizzard outside, the book just oozes spooky atmosphere. The mystery dominates the plot, and it is handled well. I felt pretty sure I had guessed the villain, but I ended up half wrong.

In some ways, this is a very traditional Regency. The relationship between the hero and heroine develops in a believable way, but it is not what you would call sensual. On the other hand, the first person point of view is definitely out of the norm. It really suits the story, and Lila’s thoughts add to the mood. Obviously, if you’re not a fan of first person point of view, you may not enjoy Lila’s perspective as much as I did.

You also may need to wait until you’re in a “Gothic mood” to read this, because the ending is unabashedly melodramatic – so much so that it almost verges on corny. However, since the whole plot leads up to such a denouement, the ending seems fairly appropriate. You may have to suspend your disbelief a little bit, but it’s worth it. All in all, The Scottish Legacy is the perfect book to read in front of a fireplace – especially if there’s a storm raging outside.