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Rating:  -
Tasha Alexander's series is quite simply charming. Historical mysteries can easily become too precious. Mystery series run the risk of becoming too much about the recurring characters, not enough about the mystery. Alexander avoids both traps. The characters are well-drawn, the mystery is enjoyably twisty, and the period details accurate without feeling overdone. Heroine Emily Ashton struggles with the limitations of being a woman in Victorian England but she feels like a woman of her times, not a 21st Century woman stuck in a Victorian novel. Her romance with Colin Hargreaves hints all the right notes - they are clearly equals and see each other as such. The resolution of the mystery, always the test for me, was enough of surprise without coming out of left field.
Some readers may note similarities to Deanna Raybourn's Silent series. It's undeniable that they share a young widowed noblewoman and a handsome suitor/detective. Having only read one of each series,I like both but Alexander shows a smoother hand at plot and characterization. The comparison may not fair, though, as I read the first in the Silent series and the second in Alexander's.
This is a fun, diverting read. If you enjoy the Silent series or the Jane Austen series, for example, or just a good mystery you'll find much to enjoy here too.
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I love reading historical fiction and this fit the bill. I was disappointed, however, that I read this before reading others in the series. The characters and plot were personable and entertaining.
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I found A Poisoned Season to be a good read, and have much the same opinion of it that I did of And Only to Deceive. It was a good read, as much and maybe more of a historical fiction novel as a mystery and also probably better to read when you have the time to read it straight through and not over a long period of time. That is not to say that I didn't like the book by any means. I quite enjoyed it actually, and look forward to the next installment. There were parts that I found I liked so much I didn't want to put the book down, but then there were parts that I had to coax myself through that made me give it an overall 4/5. If you liked the first book in the Emily Ashton series, I would recommend reading this next installment.
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When an author is passionate about a particular subject or time, it comes through in their work. Tasha Alexander's 'A Poisoned Season' is my first venture into Victorian Suspense, and I'm glad it was. She captures the time period so perfectly, that one must wonder if she lived during that time and is merely recording her experiences. At the heart of the novel is the 'curse of Marie Antoinette', and the theft of her belongings that have been spread throughout since her imprisonment and death. Each page was an effortless read, with each conversation building from the last making for a real page-turner. I am an avid horror/thriller reader, so this was a real detour for me, however I was so impressed, that I would recommend 'A Poisoned Season' to fans of any genre who is aching for a good, smooth, passionate read.
- Dan.
Rating: -
When I find a new author that I like, and especially when their first novel is very good, I tend to get a bit wary when the second novel is released. It's not very often that I enjoy the next effort, it's usually that there is a bit of the joy of discovery isn't there. And when it involves continuing characters, there's a good chance that the story is going to slip somewhere, badly.
Imagine my surprise when Tasha Alexander's follow-up to And Only to Deceive turned out to be just as entertaining as the first.
Some time has passed since Emily, the widowed Lady Ashton, has met the dashing and handsome Colin Hargreaves. She certainly has feelings for him, but she also is enjoying her freedom that only a wealthy widow in late Victorian London can have. She can indulge her passion for the study of Greek and ancient antiquities without some pesky husband overshadowing her and while her mother remains just as pushy as ever, insisting that Emily remarry, Emily can always retreat to the comfort of her books, cigars and port when it all becomes too much. A widow can do pretty much as she pleases as long as she remains discreet...
But sometimes discretion isn't enough, as we see in this one. Emily's two best friends, Ivy who is married to a government official, and Margaret, a brash American who longs to study at Oxford, both come to Emily with problems to be solved, and Emily does her loyal best to help them. Ivy is quietly crumbling under Society's eye and the expectations that she provide and heir and soon -- but she's afraid that her beloved husband Robert is already straying, and her in-laws are pressing her to become not as daring as her friend. Margaret is chafing under the demands of her parents to find a titled husband for herself, and isn't at all interested -- so she asks Emily to help arrange a supposed romance for her -- and it's one that may seriously backfire.
Mixed in with all of this is a mystery about a cat-burglar and a claimant for the French throne. True, France is a republic, and seemingly has no intention of restoring a monarchy, but that isn't stopping Charles Berry from pressing his extravagant claims as a descendant of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. The fact that he seems to have settled on Emily as a potential royal mistress and his social skills are less than proper makes our widow very nervous indeed. When a prominent member of Society and a fellow collector turns up poisoned, Emily is determined to find out what is really going on -- even if it means that she has to get closer than she would like to Mr. Berry.
And it seems that Colin has not one, but two rivals in this story for Emily's affections. One is the Duke of Bainbridge, who is helping along Margaret's charade, and the other a very dangerous, very mysterious man who seems to know everything about her, but is very adept at keeping himself hidden from view.
How it all becomes resolved along with a few good witticisms and some biting commentary is what makes this story work. I was kept up through the night, wanting to find out what happens next, and not being disappointed in the slightest by this story of intrigue and romance.
What I do like about Ms. Alexander's work is that she does research into the time and place, and knows how to work in the subtle details and gossip of the period and still keep the story and action moving briskly along. I recognized quite a few little tidbits of actual goings-on that slip into the story, but it's so subtly handled by the author that I found myself chuckling and grinning over it, thinking Nicely done! to myself.
While most mystery series have ongoing characters that provide the momentum and narration to a story, this one involves quite a bit about Emily and Colin themselves, not to mention all of the secondary characters. It's pretty easy to dip into a novel into the series, and not find a lot of changing going on with the sleuthing team. This time, however, there is a great deal of backstory that will be missed if the reader skips over Alexander's first novel. While Colin isn't as prominent in this one, neither does the author give a lot of details about why he and Emily are so close. Besides the first book was so much fun, that I would hate to have anyone skip it over -- it's worth the effort to take in.
As well as the mystery itself, the author kindly includes some sources for further reading for those who want to know more about the Society and their ways. There are several notes that explore the history behind the story of the son of Louis XVI and the various claims made by adventurers over the last two centuries, as well as why Charles Worth was so important. An excerpt from Tasha Alexander's next book, A Fatal Waltz, is also included, and looks to be just as exciting as this one.
All in all, a happy thumbs up from me, and four stars overall.
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