Virginia Coffman

[Terri Edwards]

Re: atmosphere. This aspect of a story -- perhaps more than characterization, I admit -- is one of the primary reasons I read novels. It's an underrated commodity in today's literary market, which seems preoccupied with dysfunction. The mood I look for in a good gothic is hard to describe -- sinister and yet soothing somehow -- and it's equally hard to find. Not all gothics are created equal. Coffman definitely had atsmophere down, and it's good to hear that she knew her strengths.

I agree, for a gothic to work atmosphere is everything. For me the setting is as important as the people and in a well written gothic, the buildings and locations take on a life of their own which enriches the story rather than detracts from it.

I know this thread is very old, but I wanted to thank you for getting straight the order of the Moura series! Another website that I check frequently (before I found this one!) had the order wrong, listing by the later reprints and not the original publishing dates. I began reading what actually turned out being the third in the series, instead of the second, because of the error. I could tell the story didn't flow and sure enough, after finding this thread, my suspicions were confirmed.

Thanks again! Loving Coffman, by the way. I had never heard of her until recently, and I love her atmospheric writing and the plot twists at the end, at least in the books I've read by her so far.

What are all the books in the Moura series? I have Moura and The Vicar of Moura. The Vampyre of Moura, and The Dark Beyond Moura are on order. I know there's a Return to Moura. Is that all?

From what I can make out, these are the books that make the Moura series but it’s a bit confusing as some were re-issued with different titles:

1. Moura (New York, Crown 1959)
2. The Beckoning (New York, Ace 1965 and as The Beckoning from Moura 1977)
3. The Devil Vicar (New York, Ace, 1966; revised edition as Vicar of Moura 1972.)
4. The Dark Gondola (New York, Ace, 1968; and as The Dark Beyond Moura , 1977)
5. The Vampyre of Moura (New York, Ace 1970)
6. Return to Moura (1999)

[Danceswithbunnies]

I discovered Virginia Coffman about a year ago when I received a Kindle as a gift and went searching for Gothics available in e-form.  I ran across her Moura books listed on Kindle but a lot of people complained that the ebooks were awful with complete pages missing and tons of typos (this seemed to be the case with a lot of the older books available on Kindle) so I decided to search out the hard copies to read.  I have to say I found 'Moura' to be one of the best, if not the best Gothic I have ever read.  I thought the entire series was fabulous but the first book stood out the most for me.  I have since read many of her books and am currently about half way through 'The Mist at Darkness' which I am enjoying very much.  I have been a fan of Phyllis Whitney for many years but I agree that Coffman is better. 

It should be noted that if you are buying the entire Moura series, 'The Devil Vicar' and 'Return to Moura' are the same book.

[evilscientist42]

I really enjoyed Moura. Solid, atmospheric writing, a main heroine who is pretty pro-active... The twist at the end was not particularly surprising, but it was alright! I'm definitely going to read more of Coffman's works.

[KennyKelsch]

I am glad to find a place where I can pay tribute to Virginia Coffman's Moura. I read it as a teenager -- many years ago. In my 30s I searched for it so I could read it again. I think it is a fine modern gothic novel -- one of the finest.

Looking for books by Virginia Coffman? See all books authored by Virginia Coffman, including The Dark Palazzo, and The Beach House, and more on ThriftBooks.com.