Product Description

Seacliffe is a dark and brooding mansion enshrouded in near-eternal fog, dark mystery and suspicion - perhaps a reflection of the house's master. An imposing Blackbeard of a man, Duncan Stewart is both feared and admired by his business associates as well as the people he calls friends. And his home, in which young tutor and aspiring artists Andrew Wyndham must now reside, holds terrible secrets - secrets that could destroy everyone within its walls. For pure gothic escapism with a decidedly masculine point of view, "The Master of Seacliff" is an enthralling and satisfying read.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #611629 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 201 pages

Review
"Sweat-Soaked Bodies and Rippling Pecs Replace Heaving Bodices in The Master of Seacliff, Max Pierce's Well-Written twist on gothic romance novels. . . . Uses the genre's signature concepts as foundation for this Skilled Homage to Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Victoria Holt novels, and cinematic camp classics."

Customer Reviews

A Finely Wrought Gothic Thriller with a Contemporary Twist
Max Pierce seems to be a writer to watch. He understands the fine art of mystery storytelling, finding that magic of the past great writers who doted on dark old mansions that held their secrets of murder and mayhem much like an old spinster creaking in her attic rocking chair. But Pierce introduces a taboo subject of the time in which he sets this intriguing tale (1899 in America) and in doing so refreshes his story for a new audience of Romance aficionados. He populates his engrossing yarn with handsome men (yes, and women) most of whom appear connected by their closeted sexuality!

Seacliff, the name of the elegant but darkly invested mansion somewhere along the coast above New York City, hides secrets of two significant murders that happened some eight years before the story begins. The narrator is a young artist Andrew who timidly accepts the role as tutor for the son of the wealthy Duncan Stewart, the virile and powerful scion of the estate whose wife has died without an heir for Duncan (a situation remedied by a quick trip to a gypsy in Paris), replacing a young pianist who left the estate under mysterious circumstances. Gossip and secrets suggest that the murders of Duncan's father and one Albert may have been at the hand of Duncan himself, but other mysteries cloud the mansion: the daughter of the housekeepers apparently committed suicide in a leap off the cliffs when she learned of her beloved's suspicious death; her mute son remains in the household tied to cemetery visits; the butler is inordinately dour and suspicious; the neighboring estate is owned by a brother and sister - the brother being gay and the sister a bit too compassionate. Pierce slowly unveils the fact that gay relationships existed between the murdered men, the neighbor and the pianist with Duncan, and that similar forces are at work to bring the new tutor Andrew into the murky trysts. And simultaneously the true stories of the many deaths that hang in the past gradually are uncovered. It is a lot of story to condense but Pierce writes with such uncanny attention to detail and to keeping the language and atmosphere of 1899 in place that he creates a page-turning thriller that keeps the reader guessing up to the final page.

Gothic horror, interrelated murders and suicides, past and present gay relationships, and exploration of a time when a staff of servants underlined the intrigue of the old mansions all make THE MASTER OF SEACLIFF and absorbing new novel. Pierce's elegant prose puts it all into perspective, keeping the sensual aspects alive but related in the tenor of the times. By the end of the novel, closing the covers, the reader satisfyingly reflects on the forbidden love affairs the walls of Seacliff had seen and how those gay trysts opened such strange events that made the discoveries of perpetrators so fascinating. Grady Harp, December 06

Beautifully Gothic
It's not going to be a surprise to anyone that I enjoyed this book. First it's an American gay gothic with a fab innovative cover. I was positively drooling when I got the book in my hands and excited when I opened it.

If you are looking for an erotic romance, then you'll be dissapointed by TMOS, but if you want a solid, multi-layered mystery chock full of quirky characters, death and over-arching gothic D00M, red-herrings and a surprise denouement, then you'll like this as much as I did. (Oh and a lovely romance too...)

From the outset, the plot is familiar to those who have already read books such as Jane Eyre and Gaywyck. Young and innocent (not-quite-yet-aware-of-his-sexuality) Andrew gets a job as tutor to Stewart and we can already see where the story is going. However Pierce isn't going to let us off that lightly and he throws so many obstacles in our protagonists way that you begin to wonder if they are ever going to get together.

It's a refreshing change to see so many secondary characters; Pierce doesn't stint with them, and each one is fully rounded, different and has his or her own story to tell. Also, in the tradition of the Golden Age of Agatha Christie, nearly every single one has a motive in the dark secret that overhangs the house of Seacliff. There are flashes of Rebecca here, with an obsessed and creepy faithful retainer, touches of Jane Eyre but never so much so to annoy, it was always its own story.

I was impressed also, as to the many threads of the mystery that were woven together, one after another until I was thoroughly convinced of the guilt of the person that everyone else thought it was. Bravo, Mr Pierce. There's nothing I like more it's being led by the nose to the throroughly wrong conclusion!

Andrew might be young, but he's not a shrinking and fainting heroine type. He's a little sensitive; he tends to hug-a-lot, and he cries from time to time but he can stand his own ground too, which was something I appreciated. He has a lot to stand up against, too, as Duncan is a difficult, prickly (and very hairy!) man and he tries to push Andrew away more than once. I liked Duncan's persistence and his wanting to do the right thing, even when he had the opportunity to get away from a frankly difficult and dangerous position.

There's the inevitable OK Homo, I'm afraid, not only that, you begin to wonder if anyone in the world is straight at one point - but that didn't spoil this book when the same thing had spoiled other books for me. In this twisted, remote and decadent world that Pierce paints it doesn't seem unusual and the reasoning behind the homosexual relationships are believable.

The editing wasn't 100 percent, as there were a few typo's I spotted (lightening instead of lightning for example), which is a shame. It's also a shame that this book is under the Howarth's Harrington Press imprint - so its future is in the balance. If you want a copy, particularly with the delicious double cover than another printer might not go for - I'd advise you get one now, while it's still available and still reasonably priced. You won't regret it, as if you enjoy a really good gothic romance with all the trimmings - perfect for curling up with on a foggy night - then you'll love this. I certainly did.

GAY GOTHIC
Whilst reading this novel I kept at times thinking of Daphne Du Maurier and Edgar Alan Poe in regards to a novel and a poem about a sinister mansion on top of a cliff overlooking the sea. The only difference with the other two was that this one was gay!

I had read another gay gothic novel before in 'Gaywyck' which also had a young man, 19, as its main character. The Master of Seacliff has a 20 year old and although it was interesting and I enjoyed it, I found that the action between past and present sometimes was much more than I really wanted. I kept wondering at times whether 'he' did it or 'she' did it and lost track of the murdered characters. I also knew that the main female character would have to have an evil side to her nature as she seemed 'to good to be true'.

He is a talented author and I hope the novel does well enough for him again to put pen to paper.