Daphne du Maurier

The Loving Spirit

I'll Never Be Young Again

Julius

Gerald

Jamaica Inn

The Du Mauriers

25 Best Psychological Thriller and Suspense Books to Read This Summer

Best Thrillers of All Time | Penguin Random House

The protagonist, unnamed, and her spouse, Maxim de Winter, are moving from one European hotel to another, cherishing the memories of a beautiful dwelling called Manderley, which was devastated by fire. Reminiscing about the past, the protagonist remembers how she and Maxim met in Monte Carlo. During this period, she was employed as a travel companion for a wealthy American, Mrs. Van Hopper. Maxim was staying in the same hotel and after a short acquaintance, he proposed. Following their marriage, they moved to Manderley, his ancestral home. However, their life was overshadowed by the untimely demise of Maxim's previous wife, Rebecca, who had drowned near the estate. The presence of Rebecca's loyal housekeeper, the eerie Mrs. Danvers, combined with the constant reminders of Rebecca's perfection, fueled the protagonist's feeling of inferiority and her suspicion that Maxim was still attached to Rebecca.

Every year, a fancy-dress ball was organized at Manderley, and as the event approached, the protagonist found herself enthusiastic. However, the celebration ended poorly when Mrs. Danvers tricked her into wearing the same outfit Rebecca had worn at the previous ball. This had a profound effect on Maxim, and the protagonist became convinced that Maxim was still devoted to his deceased wife. The following day, a shipwreck was discovered near the mansion, and divers found Rebecca's sailboat, with her body inside. This led Maxim to confess to his new wife that Rebecca was a manipulative woman, embroiled in numerous affairs and planning to bear another man's child. In a fit of rage, Maxim had shot her and then sunk her boat with her body inside.

The protagonist's knowledge about Rebecca's true character rejuvenates her marriage, although Maxim soon finds himself facing legal issues. The discovery that Rebecca's boat had been tampered with raised suspicions of murder. Rebecca's cousin, Jack Favell, accused Maxim of the crime, leading to an investigation by Colonel Julyan. A visit to a Doctor Baker in London, whom Rebecca had seen on the day of her death, uncovered that Rebecca had been terminally ill with cancer and was infertile, contradicting her claim of pregnancy and providing a possible reason for suicide. As they returned to Manderley after being cleared of the murder charges, they found the mansion ablaze with Mrs. Danvers missing.

Rebecca

Castle D'or

Come wind, come weather,

Frenchman's Creek

Hungry Hill

The King's General

The Parasites

My Cousin Rachel

A Short Novel And Some Stories

The Apple Tree

And Other Stories

The Birds

The Young George Du Maurier

Happy Christmas

Kiss Me Again, Stranger

Early Stories

Mary Anne

The Scapegoat

The Blue Lenses

The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte

The Treasury of Du Maurier Short Stories

The Glass-Blowers

The Flight of the Falcon

Vanishing Cornwall

The House on the Strand

Don't Look Now

Echoes From the Macabre

Rule Britannia

Selected Stories

Sir Francis Bacon, Anthony Bacon, and Their Friends

Golden Lads

The Shaping of a Writer

Myself When Young

Francis Bacon, His Rise and Fall

The Winding Stair

Short Stories

The Rendezvous

Split Second and Other Stories

And Other Memories

The Rebecca Notebook

Daphne du Maurier's Classics of the Macabre

Her Pictorial Memoir

Enchanted Cornwall

The Lost Short Stories

The Doll

Daphne du Maurier Books in Order (42 Book Series)

The Loving Spirit

I'll Never Be Young Again

Julius

Gerald

Jamaica Inn

The Du Mauriers

Rebecca

Castle D'or

Come wind, come weather,

Frenchman's Creek

Hungry Hill

The King's General

The Parasites

My Cousin Rachel

The Apple Tree

A Short Novel And Some Stories

The Birds

And Other Stories

The Young George Du Maurier

Happy Christmas

Kiss Me Again, Stranger

Early Stories

Mary Anne

The Scapegoat

The Blue Lenses

And Other Stories

The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte

The Treasury of Du Maurier Short Stories

The Glass-Blowers

The Flight of the Falcon

Vanishing Cornwall

The House on the Strand

Don't Look Now

Echoes From the Macabre

Rule Britannia

Don't Look Now

Selected Stories

Golden Lads

Sir Francis Bacon, Anthony Bacon, and Their Friends

Myself When Young

The Shaping of a Writer

The Winding Stair

Francis Bacon, His Rise and Fall

The Rendezvous

Short Stories

Split Second and Other Stories

The Rebecca Notebook

And Other Memories

Daphne du Maurier's Classics of the Macabre

Enchanted Cornwall

Her Pictorial Memoir

The Doll

The Lost Short Stories

What To Read Next

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