Dangerous to Know (2010) Tasha Alexander Set in ~1892 Recovering from the events of the previous book, Emily and Colin go to Normandy, to his mother’s house. Which turns out to be far more problematic than either expected. I’m done with this series for now. The stories are intersting, the mysteries are good, and I […]
Tears of Pearl (2009) Tasha Alexander Set in Europe in 1892 There are many problematic things with this story. I liked the historical bits, but the way Lady Emily was let into the Harem etc just seemed a bit far fetched, and I also had difficulty believing Emily actions regarding the harem. Yes, she rebels […]
A Fatal Waltz (2008) Tasha Alexander Set in 1891 This finds Lady Emily, Ivy, and others at a political house party–a party where the host is making it quite clear he will do everything in his powers to break Emily’s engagement to Colin. That was my least favorite part of the story–the whole Emily isn’t […]
A Poisoned Season (2007) Tasha Alexander Set in London ~1890 The mystery here involves the supposed son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and a thief who seems to specialize in articles once owned by the former queen. I do enjoy the dialog in this series. “And, Emily”—he grew serious—“if you ever…if Hargreaves doesn’t…if you […]
And Only to Deceive (2005) Tasha Alexander Set in England (and Paris) ~1889 The first time I read this book (soon after its publication) I didn’t like it. I felt it was more romance than mystery, and I wasn’t interested in reading a kissing book. Upon later reading, knowing what I was going to be […]
A Fatal Waltz (2008) Tasha Alexander The third Lady Emily book finds Emily engaged to Colin Hargreaves, however, his work has caused their wedding to be put off, and now Lord Fortescue is doing everything he can to break their engagement for he doesn’t like Emily, and believes Colin’s work is too important for him […]
A Poisoned Season (2007) Tasha Alexander The second Lady Emily mystery finds Lady Emily Ashton still trying to find her place in society as a widow, and battling her mother’s domineering attempts to get Emily remarried. Emily is still refusing Colin Hargreaves offer of marriage, but not because she doesn’t love him, but because she […]
And Only to Deceive (2005) Tasha Alexander I read And Only to Deceive back in 2007 and found it a disappointment–I wanted a straight up mystery, but instead god a romance with elements of mystery. So how did I feel upon a re-read? I still very much liked the arc of Lady Emily discovering who […]
A Fatal Waltz (2008) Tasha Alexander Lady Emily’s marriage to Colin Hargreaves was put off when Lord Fortescue arranged to have Hargreaves sent overseas on a mission. Fortescue opposes Emily’s marriage to Colin and will do everything possible to end their engagement. Thus it is with some surprise that Lady Emily finds herself invited to […]
A Poisoned Season (2007) Tasha Alexander I read the first book in this series several years ago, and was singularly unimpressed. Not the the writing or the characters, but because it was (like this book) subtitled: A Novel of Suspense. I still disagree with that subtitle, but after enough time had passed, I decided to […]
Silent in the Grave (2007) Deanna Raybourn To say that Silent in the Grave annoyed me would be a vast understatement. This book had tons of high recommendations, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. First, the heroine, who is supposed to be intelligent, tends towards sheer idiocy. Sure, she’s well […]
And Only to Deceive (2005) Tasha Alexander The deception in this book? The text, “A Novel of Suspense.” I’ve been in the mood for historical mysteries, and so when this one came up recommend on Amazon–and on sale–I decided to try it. My feelings when reading this book kept swinging between annoyance and hopeful interest. […]