Mist of Midnight by Sandra Byrd is a “novel of Victorian Romantic Suspense.” Rebecca Ravenshaw is English but has lived most of her life in India with missionary parents. However, they died in the Indian Uprising of 1857, and Rebecca escaped just with the clothes on her back. She is interred with other refugees until passage for England can be arranged. She looks forward to the safety and peace of her family’s home in Hampshire.

When she arrives, however, she discovers that someone claiming to be her had come some months before her, and died, apparently by her own hand. The servants all seem to think Rebecca is the imposter.

The house is occupied by a Captain Luke Whitefield, a distantly-related cousin. He insists on Rebecca staying in the house while he moves to the guest house until all is sorted out. The family solicitor is called in, but he didn’t know Rebecca or her parents–he is taking over for his deceased father. He’ll have to contact the mission agency in India, but with the upset after the uprising, it may take months to hear from them.

Captain Whitefield generously allows Rebecca funds for clothing and a ladies’ maid and anything else she might need. Rebecca promises to pay him back when her claim is verified. If it’s not, she doesn’t know what she’ll do.

In the meantime, they just wait. Whitefield had some social events already on the calendar, which he invites Rebecca to. Most of the townspeople have never known Rebecca and look at her with suspicion. But they seem standoffish with Whitefield, too.

The more Rebecca learns of her imposter’s death, the more suspicious it sounds. Several people seem to have ulterior motives–Whitefield, her maid, the servants.

I had missed the description of this book as romantic suspense. I was confused at first wondering what type of book it was. Then I reread the description on Amazon and saw mention of Gothic themes. I did get Jane Eyre vibes–not from the imposter and the time in India, but the mysterious master of the house, the odd things going on, the wing of the house she wasn’t supposed to go down. The mists arising from the grounds each night added to the mysterious Gothic feel. I felt the author went a little overboard in telling us the mists were a metaphor for Rebecca’s life–I got that without her having to state it obviously.

There were a few things that didn’t make sense to me. Rebecca questions her sanity at several points, but there doesn’t seem to be a reason to. Something will happen, and she’ll immediately question, “Did that just happen, or did I imagine it?” Of course, she’s undergone several layers of trauma, so maybe that accounts for it. But that didn’t seem to arise organically from the story–it seemed tossed in to make it more Gothic-ish.

Then there are situations like some red flags about her maid. Yet when her maid prepares laudanum for Rebecca one night without being asked, Rebecca wonders if it is safe, but takes it anyway.

The plot is kind of a slow burn, but I liked how it ended up. I appreciated that Scripture and faith elements were brought in naturally, as you’d think would be normal for a daughter of missionaries, though I thought one verse was misapplied. All the questions and mysteries that arise through the story are satisfactorily settled.

I didn’t like that one character seemed to be a supernatural visitor after she left.

I’ve not read Sandra Byrd before. I saw the audiobook was free at Audible at the time (very nicely read by Elizabeth Sastre), so I decided to try it. The audiobook doesn’t include any author notes, but I found this interview with her. I was surprised to read that she had not been to India. This book is the first in a series of three. But I am not that into Gothic novels, so I probably will not read any more.