In 1960, at the suggestion of her agent, Patricia Schartle Myrer, she wrote her first Gothic romance, "Mistress of Mellyn", under the name "Victoria Holt". The pseudonym was created by choosing the name "Victoria" for its regal, romantic ring while the name "Holt" was taken from the military bank of Holt & Company where Hibbert had an account. Published by Doubleday in the United States and Collins in the United Kingdom, "Mistress of Mellyn" became an instant international bestseller and revived the Gothic romantic suspense genre.