It does seem that gothic novels are alive and well even in the new Millennium, and as usual Ms Knight’s work is highly enjoyable for many reasons.  Rose makes for a sensible and interesting protagonist, a world away from the type of heroines normally associated with this type of fiction.  Ms Knight knows how to pace her work, which is laced with plenty of surprises and a teasing plot as well as the usual excellent sense of location.  As this is a Victorian novel, Rose’s voice seemed suitable for the period, as did the over-sentimentality of the suspected spectral dog Thane.  19th century readers would have loved this Lassie of the 1890s as he tirelessly performs good deeds, but I can’t say that I do!  It is perhaps a true sign of how good these books are that I eagerly read them, dog and all.