Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
In the bitter November wind, Mary Yellan crosses Bodmin Moor to Jamaica Inn. Her mother’s dying wish was that she take refuge there with her Aunt Patience. But when Mary arrives, the warning of the coachman echoes in her mind. Jamaica Inn has a desolate power and behind its crumbling walls, Patience is a changed woman, cowering before her brooding, violent husband.
When Mary discovers the inn’s dark secrets, the truth is more terrifying than anything she could possibly imagine and she is forced to collude in her uncle’s murderous schemes. Against her will, she finds herself powerfully attracted to her uncle’s brother, a man she dares not trust.
GUIDE
THEMES
A tale of smugglers on the Cornish coast.
SETTING
Set in Cornwall, England.
SERIES
Not part of a series.
Review
Daphne du Maurier was inspired to write Jamaica Inn after staying at the real Jamaica Inn and hearing the colourful tales of its smuggling past. The real star of this novel is the highly charged atmosphere that du Maurier manages to create which means the tension never quite dissipates as Mary doesn’t know who to trust. Du Maurier is so good at presenting her characters in such a doubtful light, we are never quite sure whether we should trust them or not and Mary certainly ends up placing her trust in the wrong people, mainly down to her preconceived notions.
Regardless, Mary is a feisty character who does stand up to her uncle, and others who threaten her, even when she is afraid for her life, but her curiosity does get her into a lot of precarious situations and her decisions often leave a lot to be desired. Mary also has a love interest, in her uncle’s younger brother, Jem Merlyn, but she is initially wary of him as his reputation as a horse thief precedes him. I wouldn’t say there was a great deal of chemistry between the two and Mary seems to fall in love with him rather quickly but this isn’t a love story so there isn’t much development in the relationship.
The story builds to a satisfying climax as the secrets of Jamaica Inn begin to unravel and malicious deeds are exposed to the cost of more than one life.
