The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation) [Paperback]

Lauren Willig (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 4, 2007 | Series: Pink Carnation (Book 3)

Eloise Kelly has gotten into quite a bit of trouble since she started spying on the Pink Carnation and the Black Tulip-two of the deadliest spies to saunter the streets of nineteenth-century England and France.

Not only has she unearthed secrets that will rearrange history, she's dallied with Colin Selwick and sought out a romantic adventure all her own. Little does she know that she's about to uncover another fierce heroine running headlong into history.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Harvard Ph.D. candidate Eloise Kelly continues her research of early 19th-century spies in the smart third book of the Pink Carnation series, following the well-received The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and The Masque of the Black Tulip. This installment focuses on 19-year-old Letty Alsworthy, who, after a comedy of errors, quickly weds Lord Geoffrey Pinchingdale-Snipe, her older sister's intended. Geoffrey, an officer in the League of the Purple Gentian, flees to Ireland the night of his elopement. Unbeknownst to Letty, his plan isn't to abandon her; it's to quash the impending Irish Rebellion. When Letty tracks down her prodigal husband in Dublin, not only does she learn of his secret life as a spy, she's sucked into it with hilarious results. Willig—like Eloise, a Ph.D. candidate in history—draws on her knowledge of the period, filling the fast-paced narrative with mistaken identities, double agents and high stakes espionage. Every few chapters, the reader is brought back to contemporary London, where Eloise gets out of the archives long enough to nurse her continuing crush on Colin Selwick. The Eloise and Colin plot distracts from the main attraction, but the historic action is taut and twisting. Fans of the series will clamor for more. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Willig turns in the third in her clever series combining historical and contemporary romance and featuring scholar Eloise Kelly (The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, 2005;The Masque of the Black Tulip, 2006). Eloise's research into a group of English spies during the Napoleonic Wars has led to an infatuation with Colin Selwick, a descendant of one of her subjects, and immersions in the adventurous stories she uncovers. The reader shares Eloise's fascination with the past as Willig fleshes out each romantic tale, here telling the story of Geoff, Viscount of Pinghingdale, and his exploits with the celebrated spy known as the Pink Carnation. Geoff is attempting to run off with the woman of his dreams only to end up mistakenly abducting her sister, Letty. Her reputation compromised, they hastily marry. The bridegroom then takes off for Ireland at the behest of the English government, and the bride promptly follows under an assumed name, never imagining the dangers they'll encounter. Willig's latest is riveting, providing a great diversion and lots of fun. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade; Reprint edition (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451222210
• ISBN-13: 978-0451222213
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #382,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lauren Willig is the New York Times bestselling author of eleven works of historical fiction. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages, awarded the RITA, Booksellers Best and Golden Leaf awards, and chosen for the American Library Association's annual list of the best genre fiction. After graduating from Yale University, she embarked on a PhD in English History at Harvard before leaving academia to acquire a JD at Harvard Law while authoring her "Pink Carnation" series of Napoleonic-set novels. She lives in New York City, where she now writes full time.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine Read December 26, 2006

By G. Greene

Format:Hardcover

The books in this series (this is the third) just keep getting better. To summarize briefly, the story alternates from the present, in which Eloise is researching English spies in the Napoleonic era for her Ph.D. thesis, to Regency England and the story of Letty, who becomes involved with one of these spies. Both are having trouble with the male species (and it's not surprising that despite the century, the contretemps in which men and women find themselves have not changed all that much). The author switches between stories with an amazing dexterity that keeps the reader turning the pages as rapidly as possible.

The book is full of dry wit, the characters are delightful, and the plot engaging.

My advice to the author: Do quit the day job and focus on writing entirely -- and give us more of these books, SOON!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I love these books January 16, 2007

By S. Goewey

Format:Hardcover

Eloise Kelly is in England researching 19th century spies for her Ph.D thesis and trying her best not to obsess over Colin Selwick, a decendant of one of her Napoleonic spies, the Purple Gentian (Richard), and one good looking Brit. She comes across Letty Alsworthy, also known as Mrs. Alsdale, who has found herself in a rather unpleasant situation with a friend of the Purple Gentian, Geoffrey Pinchingdale. They wind up in Ireland with the British spy the Pink Carnation, trying to stop an Irish uprising with possible French aid and the even more confusing and deadly French spy the Black Tulip.

Letty is an unlikely heroine who you can't help but root for. She says what she thinks and every emotion plays out on her freckled face. She has good intentions but things don't always turn out the way she plans. Geoff isn't your typical knight in shining armor. He's someone who prefers to think about things and to strategize. But he is charming and romantic (he writes poems) and you're glad he comes to his senses and realizes the beauty that is the second Alsworthy daughter.

This book was just as good as the first two. I suggest reading the books in order, but Willig explains enough so that you don't have to. I love how easily she switches point of view between her couples (Letty/Geoff, Amy/Richard, and Hen/Miles) in her books. Eloise's story doesn't interupt the other story and the other story doesn't interupt Eloise's story. Maybe a tiny bit predictable, but still very fun, very enjoyable, and worth whatever you pay for them. If you like historical fiction and a bit of romance and to laugh, you'll love the Deception of the Emerald Ring, along with the first two Pink Carnation books. Book four better hurry up and come out soon. :-)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars terrific amusing historical romance November 17, 2006

By Harriet Klausner #1 HALL OF FAME

Format:Hardcover

Harvard Ph.D. aspirant Eloise Kelly researches her third potential nineteenth century female spy (see THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION and THE MASQUE OF THE BLACK TULIP) as she begins to find information on nineteen years old Letty Alsworthy. Apparently, Letty married Lord Geoffrey Pinchingdale-Snipe, her older sister Mary's fiancé. This happened because she, the younger sibling, tried to prevent Mary from making a mistake that ironically ended with Letty making a mistake; alas the consequence turned out to be her hurried marriage to Geoffrey.

The League of the Purple Gentian sends Geoffrey to Ireland to prevent a rebellion. Letty assumes he is fleeing her so she investigates where he may have run off to after they ran off and married. She cleverly traces him to Dublin where she concludes her new spouse is a spymaster. Believing in supporting one's husband, Letty is active in his secret vocation though her bumbling amateur ways causes Geoffrey much consternation as she keeps trying to don his black cloak.

This is a terrific amusing historical romance that is at its best when the story line remains in the nineteenth century. When Eloise periodically takes center stage, the plot feels disrupted. Still this is a superb tale filled with warm characters in dangerous situations turned ironically humorous. Now if Eloise can be kept to pre and post game commentary, Lauren Willig's colorful female spy series would be perfect.

Harriet Klausner