06-14-2007, 08:52 PM
I agree with Attagirl. There have been too many mysteries without the suspense and terror that are classified as Gothic. Also, some of them involve detectives and police officers solving mysteries- as in romantic suspense thrillers. As you stated elsewhere, sometimes it depends on the era it was written in. Some are classified Gothic because of the horrific nature of the work. It's not that I don't enjoy a good story, I just like to relate to a heroine who is caught up in a mystery and is able to see her way through while fighting for her life. Just like in movies, I prefer the eerie feeling you get from a pure gothic novel versus that in straight gore. That's why I prefer the historical romantic suspense with some mystery and the feel of terror.
