β Scribed by Max Pierce
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
It is 1899, and young Andrew Wyndham has accepted a position tutoring the unruly son of wealthy industrialist Duncan Stewart in the hopes that the work will be brief yet provide an avenue to pay for his passage to France to study art. But Seacliff is a dark mansion enshrouded in near-eternal fog, dark mystery and suspicionβperhaps a reflection of the houseβs brooding 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, for Stewart may have murdered his own father to gain control of his business.And his home, in which Andrew Wyndham must now reside, holds terrible secretsβsecrets 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.
Five Stars ... A finely wrought Gothic thriller with a contemporary twist ... Max Pierce 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! 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. -- *Grady Harp, Author, War Songs, Art Essayist and Curator *
In the tradition of Charlotte BrontΓ«'s Jane Eyre, Emily BrontΓ«'s Wuthering Heights, Vincent Virga's Gaywyck, and the classic TV show Dark Shadows, Max Pierce's delightful suspense novel gives us all the rich and romantic elements of the gothic, but with a welcome queer twist. Here are a mysterious mansion above the sea, an innocent tutor, a troubled child, and a series of unsolved murders. And, in the dark character of brooding Duncan Stewart, Pierce gives us the sort of handsome, hirsute, tormented Byronic hero that gay male fans of the gothic either will want to become or will want to ravish -- *Jeff Mann, MA, Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, English Department, Virginia Tech *
Max Pierce has reinvigorated the Gothic novel. Everything you'd expect is there-the handsome, brooding, lord of the manor; the isolated seafront mansion, haunted by tragedy; the naΓ―ve young tutor who is determined to solve the mysteries that surround him. Yet by giving this old story a gay twist, Pierce has created something totally new and fascinating. Filled with extravagant writing, dark secrets, and deep passions, The Master of Seacliff is a great read. -- Neil Plakcy, author of Mahu
Max Pierce skillfully walks a difficult tightrope of tone in this delightfully sexy gothic pastiche. He's able to both honor the wildly romantic 19th century novel as well as bringing it up to date with its nod to contemporary sexual honesty. He mixes into his stew dashes of Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Turn of The Screw and comes up with a surprisingly original and wholly entertaining work of his own -- Charles Busch is author of the play The Tale of the Allergist's Wife
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. . . . Pierce's ensuing tale offers undercurrents of dominance, discipline and longing as the central characters find ample opportunities to unravel mysteries as well as explore their own destinies, desires and sexual appetites -- Buzz (Andrew Clarke)
Max Pierce's love of mystery and horror began with a childhood subscription to Famous Monsters of Filmland and watching countless hours of late-night movies without adult supervision. He explored the world of the vampire as a contributor to the 2005 anthology Blood Lust. As a journalist, he writes on Hollywood history and pop culture. An active member of PEN West, Max led a writing group based out of the landmark A Different Light bookstore.
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