Do you like Bath? Do you like stories about adventurers and adventuresses? You do? This book might be perfect for you. Matthew Walsingham, a man-about-town, has just been disowned by his uncle for a minor prank. Since he inherited virtually nothing from his father and he had run up debts based on his expectations, he now needs to make his fortune and/or find an heiress. Making his fortune - he is an amateur architect - will take time. Finding an heiress is more promising, as long as word does not get out about his disinheritance. So off goes Matthew to nearby Bath - with the aid and advice of his aunt (his crotchedy uncle's sister). He finds charming Miss Jessica Franklin, the sister of a wealthy North-Country baronet.

We know what Matthew does not - Jessica is down in Bath looking for a rich husband herself. She and her brother are in desperate need of immediate cash. Her family leased the estate they have lived on for generations, from an ancient noble family (the Vanes, Earls of Darlington, later Dukes of Cleveland). Lord Darlington has had to sell some land, including their estate, and the new owner wants them off the land. He has an alternative. Jessica can marry him. She does not like him - he is nouveau riche and incredibly vulgar - and she prefers to try her marital luck in Bath (London is too dear). Her long-absent brother returns from the American campaign (War of 1812) and agrees to do a little wife-hunting on his own. Jessica puts up a good show, with their eccentric Roman-mad governess pretending to be their aunt.

Enter a decidedly nouveau-riche (Cit) heiress whom Jessica takes in hand and shows how to dress properly. Enter a smarmy lord who takes an unexpected fancy to Jessica herself. Enter an old family friend, a client of Matthew (in his architectural practice) who is very troubled by Matthew's deception and who seems attracted to Jessica as well. What are Matthew and Jessica to do? And will they confess the truth to each other, and when?

This was a delightful novel. The twists and turns kept me entertained, and I wondered seriously how the couple would get out of the tangles they had embroiled themselves in. Would Matthew's friend spill the beans? Would Jessica's brother, also troubled by the deception, confess all and too early or to the wrong person? There are three or so secondary romances (including one stealth romance) that entertain but do not detract from the romance between the hero and heroine. This book is highly recommended for those bored with the usual straight romance.

Rated = 4.5 (A-)
No breakdown provided, since I read this book some months back.

Although I think it is difficult to write a good short love story for an anthology, because the lack of length in a novella makes it difficult to develop plot and characters adequately, this anthology is an exception. "Miss Delafield Disposes" is not a novella to be taken as a straight-forward romance, but rather to be enjoyed with much laughter! The heroine is being bamboozled by a slick artist, and the hero rushes in to save the day, even though at first he isn't really sure what is going on. There is a lot of "tongue-in-cheek" description and dialogue,and the author has a wicked sense of humor. Her descriptions are priceless. One example is when she describes the elderly Lady R--"dressed in rusty brown, she looked for all the world like a potted shrub in dire need of watering!" The second novella, by Carola Dunn, also was very satisfying. "The Frost Fair" tells not only of the fun people had when the Thames froze over, but also of the peril when the ice started to melt. It is a delightfully sweet tale of love in the upper working class, and it will be re-read many times by me. The third story, "Cupid's Arrow," was ok, but my least favorite. The author used the "love at first sight" ploy to explain the romance, and I don't care for it as much as I do when an author shows why the couple grows to care for each other(as in the "Frost Fair," where they learn about each other while having fun at a fair). I found the third story to be kind of boring, and probably wouldn't re-read it, while the first and second stories make the book worth buying. If the third story had been better, it would have been a 5 star book. As it is, it is still a good read.

Cordelia Courtenay's mother had died after years of going from country to country, lover to lover, dragging her daughter with her. When her mother's Turkish pasha lover wants Cordelia as a replacement, Cordelia knows she must flee. She sells her mother's jewelry to Aaron ben Joseph who helps her with the escape plans. He also sends his cousin, James Preston, to accompany Cordelia. Preston needs to leave Turkey immediately.

This is not your typical Regency romance, nor is it a "sheikh" story as noted in an auction listing. It is a tale of adventure, not manners, no "wham-bam" romance, just a gradual "getting to know you". If you like multilayered storytelling, adventure and travel, wonderful characterization, this is the book for you. The characterization of the various cultures is fair and complete. There are good guys and bad guys amongst all types of people. If you want a bit of fluff, filled with fashion, dances and witty repartee, SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER isn't for you. Instead, read some of Dunn's earlier works. This is fine writing at its best. Enjoy!

If you don't like farces or promiscuous heroes, avoid this book. To tell the truth, the hero is not particularly promiscuous, although he has difficulty clearly with women. First, there is his mother and his sisters (including a married sister who is always fleeing to him with minor complaints about her husband). Secondly, there are those would-be fiancees his mother and sisters invite home. Then, there is the little problem of two mistresses too many. [Can a man really have a mistress for a different mood?]. Not to mention, there is the vicar's sister back home, an old childhood friend who has become so much more than a friend.

You can imagine the confusion generated in the life of Adam, Viscount Cheverell when he finds himself engaged to three women all during one excursion - and discovers that all three of his mistresses have come down to his family seat looking for him. What is a man to do? Beg his old friend Miss Sarah Meade to help him naturally? And what is a vicar's daughter and sister to do when her old friend asks her to shelter and calm down three Fashionable Impures who were unknown to each other (and who get into catfights, naturally)?

I have to say that I fell in love with this book when I read about the vicar (brother of the heroine) snitching the gingerbread men hot from the oven. Do I like gingerbread? Nope. But I love the idea of a vicar casually snitching his sister's efforts and naming them after Biblical characters. Adam is a bit much at times, his engagements not being his fault (you have to read the book to believe this!) but he definitely had too many mistresses. Yet his explanations almost had me believing in him.

My only regret was that the vicar was disposed of by the end of this book. I would have loved to have read a book in which he featured as the hero. [Not to mention that I felt he deserved a different partner in life!].

Rating - 4.3 (B+)
No breakdowns provided, since I read this book a while back.

I am an ardent reader of British mysteries. I was first drawn to this genre by reading a series of cozies. Over the years my tastes have changed, though, and I now much prefer a British psychological thriller or police procedural. However, I still read a cozy now and then for a change of pace.

"Death at Wentwater Court" is the first book in a series featuring The Honourable Daisy Dalrymple and Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard. Take a weekend gathering at a country estate in the 1920's, one of the guests who is the unfortunate victim, suspects galore, a promising romantic story line, more red herrings than clues and you have the makings of the ultimate cozy.

Most of the sleuthing is done by Daisy, a member of the British aristocracy who, being rather down on her luck, is supporting herself by working as a journalist. Alec seems to be along for the ride providing her with bits of information that set her off in her pursuit to solve the murder. Oh, he also serves a very important role as a possible suitor for Daisy.

I am giving this book three stars because I found it to be a bit too one-dimensional for my tastes. However, if you like an old fashioned very British mystery, this just might be your cuppa.

So you've read the entire Christie and Sayer's catalogue? And you're still hungry for mysteries set in the 1920's. This book is probably worth an evening. It's not a mesmerizing as the greats but is still a solid cozy with a likeable,'liberated' (for that era) heroine. The pacing is pretty slow.

Also, after reading Airth's "River of Darkness" which is also set in post-WWI England, this story seems a little shallow. It's one thing for a book written in those times not to include modern concepts. It seems somewhat strange to see a 1990's book without a touch of psychology.

Daisy Dalrymple is striking out on her own. Using her wealthy background, she gets a job for a magazine photographing and writing about the famous Wentwater Manor. Not too long after she arrives, one of her fellow guests is found dead in a hole in the ice. At first, it's thought to be an accident, but soon Daisy is convinced it's murder. Aiding the handsome Scotland Yard detective assigned to the case, she does her best to find the truth while keeping the family out of scandal.

This is a fun mystery set in 1923 England. I was drawn into Daisy's world and was quite curious about what was really going on. Having said that, the plotting did seem a bit uneven. Still, it moved along nicely and reached a conclusion that was surprising and satisfying at the same time. The characters are almost all English aristocracy, and it was interesting getting a glimpse into their world at a less then ideal time. The dialog was so good that I could hear the accents most of the time.

I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this fun, historical series.

Daisy's latest is fun, but a little too light.

This latest Daisy Dalrymple mystery novel is not that much of a murder mystery at all, and more of an adventure abroad novel. However it is also the most light hearted of the Daisy Dalrymple mystery novels to date, and quite a bit of fun.

For Daisy and her husband Alec (a DCI with Scotland Yard), this visit to the United States of America is supposed to be a honeymoon trip. The reality is that Alec is in America in order to advise the Americans (J. Edgar Hoover in particular) on how to clean up and set up their Investigation Bureau of the Justice Department. So while Alec is stuck in Washington, Daisy is in New York, gathering material for her magazine articles and meeting her American editor. After one such meeting, while on their way to lunch, Daisy and her editor hear a gunshot and witness a man plummet to his death down an elevator shaft. Daisy quickly recognizes the murdered man as a fellow resident of the Chelsea Hotel. She then discovers that he is/was the journalist, Otis Carmody, an investigative reporter, also known as a 'muckraker.' It soon becomes apparent that Daisy, her editor, and a federal agent that had been shadowing Daisy (Alec's superior at the Scotland Yard had apparently warned Hoover that it would be wise to provide a watchdog for her as Daisy has the habit of getting involved in all kinds of unsavory goings-on) are the only credible witnesses to the Carmody's death (which of course turns out to be murder). Why was Carmody murdered and who committed the crime? Striking up friendships with other guests (and workers) at the Chelsea, Daisy discovers that Carmody was quite the crusading journalist, and that he had angered more than his fair share of dangerous and powerful men. Could one of them have commissioned Carmody's murder? And then there is the tantalising information about Carmody's estranged wife and her shady lover... Before long Daisy discovers that New York is not England, and that she could be in danger herself because she witnessed Carmody's murderer escaping. Never before has Daisy missed Alec so much or wished that she did not have this propensity to fall over a murder wherever she went.

"The Case of the Murdered Muckraker" is strictly for Daisy Dalrymple fans. It is a lighthearted read full of eccentric and quirky characters, and funny moments when Daisy ponders over the differences between the English that the British speak and the English that the American speak -- how this brought back memories of my first few years in the US -- and the differences between the manner in which Scotland Yard would have run things and the manner in which the New York detectives carry out an investigation. And while there some gathering of information and sounding out of theories, this mystery novel is still not much of a murder mystery like the previous Daisy Dalrymple mystery novels -- no red herrings, twists and turns in plot development, etc. However it is a charming and humourous book, that is bound to entertain and lighten the mood. And Carola Dunn does a wonderful job of bringing to life Prohibition-era New York, as well as certain character types. So read it for fun and entertainment and a bit of a laugh, and read something else if you're in the mood for a wicked murder mystery.

Set in 1923 England, this series follows the adventures of the Honorable Daisy Dalrymple, a young woman who has defied convention by choosing to make her own living (as a journalist) rather than let her aristocratic family support her.

When Phillip Petrie's American fiancé is kidnapped and held for ransom, Phillip turns to his good friend Daisy for help. Daisy's penchant for crime-solving insures her willingness to help her old friend, but she finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place when Phillip asks her not to involve the police. Daisy's romance with Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, a widower with a young daughter, certainly makes this dictate difficult to follow.

This is the fifth of the series (preceded by 'Murder on the Flying Scotsman' and followed by 'Dead in the Water'), and although the characters and setting remain as charming as ever, there is not much mystery solving to be had. The perpetrator of the kidnapping is obvious very early on, but the plot revolves more around rescuing the fiancé than solving a crime. The story is best described as a 'caper,' with lots of following of suspects, traveling around the countryside, and a climactic shoot-out. Readers who like to decipher clues and try to solve the mystery themselves will be disappointed.

Daisy agrees to help introduce Philip Petrie's new love to his family. She is rich and American and he doesn't know how they will react. Daisy decides to kill two birds with one stone and invites Alec Fletcher to meet her mother. The week before the eventful weekend, Gloria is kidnapped. The villians will kill her if her father calls the police, so Petrie asks Daisy to help him find her.

This was an incredibly quick read (under three hours). I just couldn't put it down. It was nice to see all of the usual characters in a different setting. The author lets us get to know them a little better. Lucy is in every book, but very little time is given to her for example. I am looking forward to the next one.

In 1923 just outside London, Phillip Petrie, the son of an English Lord, stops his car on the side of the road to see what is causing a terrible knocking sound. Gloria Arbuckle, the daughter of an American industrial giant, stops to offer her assistance. The pair begins to see each other and Phillip quickly falls in love with Gloria. Phillip courts Gloria and her poppa as he plans to win them both over and marry her.

One day, while Phillip and Gloria were driving together, the car breaks down. Phillip tries to fix it, but they are set upon by some thugs. He is tied up and she is abducted. The kidnappers instruct poppa to raise a ransom without involving the police if he wants his beloved daughter back alive. Phillip turns to his childhood chum, Daisy Dalyrmple, to save the life of his beloved.

DAMSEL IN DISTRESS is a fun to read, who-done-it that ironically laughs at itself as well as high society. Daisy and the support cast (both the recurring and new characters) are all wonderful in a zany way, making this a series worth reading.

Harriet Klausner

If you have always wondered what life could be like - realistically - for the dependents of the men who gamed and womanized their lives away in London, try this book. Thea's Marquis is the third and last book in a trilogy - A Lord For Miss Larkin, The Road to Gretna, and Thea's Marquis.

The heroine of this book - Thea - is the daughter and sister of two men who have wasted their small estate's income in London, leaving the mother and sisters to scrounge for a living as best they can. At the start of the trilogy, the father is long dead but the son Jason, Lord Kilmore(Thea's brother) has followed in his footsteps. It is not until his attempted abduction/ seduction of an heiress falls through that he begins to mend his ways. He is still not completely reformed in Bk 2 (The Road to Gretna) when he is eloping to Gretna with an old friend, but switches brides on the journey. By the end of Bk 2, he has visited his family estate and been completely shocked by the lifestyle of his mother and sisters. Bk 3 - Thea's Marquis - is the story of his sister Thea Kilmore who falls for a Marquis (actually a Marquess - Roderick, Marquess of Hazelwood). She is convinced that her family's wretched financial condition and the ambitions of her relatives prevent her from accepting his offer. Furthermore, she herself is not interesting enough to keep his interest.

I have to say, in the interests of truth, that I was far more interested in the ongoing character development of Thea's brother Jason than in Thea herself. Even in Bk 3, Jason's marriage is not running smoothly (so good to see that "happily ever afters" need a lot of work). I read this trilogy some months back, and while I liked Thea, her romance was not that much of a standout. I did enjoy the trilogy as a whole, and I though Jason (Lord Kilmore) one of Dunn's more memorable characters - along with Miriam Jacobsen (in another trilogy).

This was a competent Regency, ruined slightly by a melodramatic ending (with the villain of Bk 2 back). For stronger books by Carola Dunn, I recommend the following in this order - Miss Jacobsen's Journey (Bk 1 of another trilogy), His Lordship's Reward (Bk 2 of this trilogy; set partly in Waterloo-time Brussels); The Fortune Hunters, Crossed Quills (a politically-oriented book), and A Susceptible Gentleman (a farce about a hero with three mistresses and too many fiancees).

Rating for Thea's Marquis = 3.3 (C+)
Trilogy rated slightly higher = 3.7 (B-)

I would go further than the other reviewer and call it stupid. Not much substance and poor story lines.

I give this book only 3 stars because, although the story line of all 3 stories are interesting, sometimes they gave me this-is-kind-of-silly feeling. The frist story, Firebird, is about Reynata, an orphan girl who had big secret of shape shifting to a red fox on the full moon. As long as she's not a 'whole' human, she couldn't get married...specially to Lord Drake, the only man of her dream. The beginning of this story is quite interesting when each character was introduced. However, feeling between two main characters developed in such an extremely short period of time..too short for even a novellas and a bit quite not-impressive ending. The second one, The dancing shoes, this is my most favorite in all three. The plot came from familiar fairy tale telling about a group of young girls who found a secret passage way in their finishing school to the prince music room and a young headmistress who followed these girl into the passage way and ended up finding the love she always longed for.. This story is cute and funny, in my opinion although I think, it's kind of too short and ended while I was wishing for more, It's the best of all three. The last story, King Thrushbead, is the most silly one. However, it's very funny. The story is about a young Lord Elias who tried to court his dream lady, Lady Artemis. However, after 10 long years, Lady Artemis was not as sweet as she used to be. And our hero suspected that much that she was brainwashed or under some kind of spell. So being a descendant to a good wizard, Elias tried to performed a spell to transform his beloved lady back to her sweetself.. Unfortunately, he's not a talented wizard as he thought he was... While Elias'mother tried to undo all trouble our hero made, both Artemis and Elias learned to care for each other... and finally, 'They all live happily ever after'... So if you think you can tolerate a bit of sillyness and don't mind fairy tale based romance, you are good to go with this book. But don't expect, very romantic, very passionate stories from this book. The good point of this book in my opinion is, it's stress free!! Although not 'really really good' one. I think, I enjoy it in some degree..

This book is a great deal of fun. It consists of new fairy tales, written in the Regency period. The stories are clearly taken from familiar tales, but changed with many fun twists. Light but charming stories. The rewrite of fairy tales gives this book a sophistication that many regency books lack. I've shared this book with several friends and no one wanted to put it down before finishing it. Well worth your time to read.

I buy romance books for romance between two PEOPLE not sickly, sentimental, cutsey animal stoies. I wish Zebra would stop with the kitten books already.

I think the Kittens series are a lot of fun. After all how many times can you read boy meets girl, boy doesn't get girl till the last pages. The Kitten series adds a fun new twist to this tired old genre. I suggest if you are tired of the kitten books you stop buying them, but please don't insist that those of us who like them, not be allowed to get them.