And Only to Deceive [Hardcover]

Tasha Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 2005

For Emily, accepting Philip’s proposal was an easy way to escape her overbearing mother. And when Philip dies on safari soon after their wedding, she feels little grief; she had barely known him. Now, nearly two years later, she learns that her husband was very different from the man she thought she had married. Eager to find out more, Emily begins to study the priceless Greek statues her husband collected. Her search leads to the British Museum, where she discovers that a ring of forgers is stealing artifacts from the Greco-Roman galleries. Solving the crime will lead to more discoveries about Philip and cause Emily to question the role in Victorian Society to which she, as a woman, is relegated.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this charming late Victorian romantic suspense novel, Emily, a young and beautiful widow, regrets her husband's African hunting expedition death less than is proper. The late Philip, Viscount Ashton, had a passion for classical antiquity, and Emily, in an attempt to get to know her husband postmortem, uses her newfound independence in London to study it. In the process, she forms a friendship with Cecile du Lac, a Parisian of a certain age, and realizes that there was more to Philip than she realized—including his genuine passion and love for her. The charming Colin Hargreaves may have been involved with Philip in art forgeries, and Andrew Palmer proposes to Emily and then offers evidence that Philip is still alive. By this time, Emily and Cecile are a well-practiced team of amateur sleuths: Phillip's secrets begin to emerge, and travel to Greece provides the possibilities of a new life. Alexander makes Emily light but sympathetic, and conveys period flavor without being ponderous. Her knowledge of the ethical dilemmas posed by Victorian etiquette is considerable; sexual chemistry in particular is handled with exquisite delicacy. The archeological background will lure readers who like to dig for their clues. (Oct.)
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From Booklist

Emily Bromley, a Victorian beauty, doesn't really want to marry, but her mother's persistent pressure forces her to accept wealthy Viscount Philip Ashton's proposal. When Philip dies on safari in Africa a few months after the wedding, Emily feels relief more than grief. Now the wealthy widow of a man she hardly knew, she is free to pursue her heart's real passion--reading! Yet once Emily begins to hear stories about Philip's interest in Greek literature and his exquisite collection of antiquities, Emily begins to feel herself falling in love with her mysterious, now-dead husband. But the more she discovers about Philip's extraordinary life, the more she fears that his death may not have been an accident. Compounding her concern are some very mixed messages from Philip's two best friends and the mounting evidence that he may have engaged in some backdoor business dealings. Who can Emily trust? This engaging, witty mix of Victorian cozy and suspense thriller draws its dramatic spark from the endearingly headstrong heroine's growth in life and love. A memorable debut. Misha Stone
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1ST edition (October 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060756713
• ISBN-13: 978-0060756710
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (105 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tasha Alexander grew up in South Bend, Indiana, and attended the University of Notre Dame, where she signed on as an English major in order to have a legitimate excuse for spending all her time reading. She and her husband, novelist Andrew Grant, divide their time between Chicago and the UK.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it -- Read it!, October 26, 2005

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And Only to Deceive (Hardcover)

I started this one evening and could not go to bed until I had finished it. It is the perfect blend of Victorian sociology, art history, romance and mystery. The characters are strong and well-drawn; intelligent, independent Emily, her friend Ivy, domineering mother, vapid acquaintances, grand dame Cecil du Lac, the butler Davis and maid Meg, painter Renoir, two handsome suitors, her late husband Philip, and the list goes on. But rather than feeling overwhelmed by the number of characters, each is so distinct, they make a strong contribution to the story and the growth and character of Emily. You want to personally know these characters, to study Greek antiquities and re-read the Iliad. The romance is appropriate to the period and the mystery compelling. I loved this book and I anxiously await Ms. Alexander's next book.

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Art theft, Greek mythology and Victorian women combine to make a good book, April 25, 2007

By 

Lilly Flora "by Lilo Drandoff" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: And Only to Deceive (Lady Emily) (Paperback)

There's a reviewer quote on the back of this book that says something to the effect of if Jane Austen had written the Da Vinci code it would have come out like this novel. I only noticed this quote when I was halfway through the book but seeing it made me smile because one of the first things I noticed about this book is that the characters sound exactly like the people in a movie version of one Jane Austen's books-but not like the people in the books themselves. They're too cynical and not polite enough for that. Anyway, this author's voice is enjoyable to read because of the familiar similarity to some of my favorite movies and the added sarcasm makes parts of it a hoot.

This book contains three of my favorite things to read about, though I didn't know it at the time I first bought this novel which made this book a delightful surprise. These things are: Greek mythology, intrigue/crime and love in Victorian England. This is the story of Emily Ashton, whose recent husband Phillip Ashton has just died on a safari in Africa. This doesn't bother her much because she only really married him to get away from her mother and didn't know him well enough to morn him in any way. His death leaves her wealthy, but with two years of mourning to get through; she has a great deal of time on her hands.

So she spends this time learning all about one of Phillip's main interests, the story of the battle of Troy in the Iliad, by Homer and Greek antiques. Most of Phillips finds were donated to the British museum and as Emily studied and learns more about her late husband and his world she learns through his journals how much he loved her and she begins to fall in love with her dead husband (tragic really.) At the same time two men appear on the horizon, both friends of Phillips, Colin and Andrew competing for her affection.

But Emily is discovering that some of the pieces in the British museum, pieces donated by her now beloved dead husband, are forgeries, and Phillip may have been a thief. Even worse, Colin or Andrew may be involved in these thefts. And then come the news that Phillip may still be alive....

This was a good book. As I said previously I really enjoyed the authors writing style and the dialog was all very cute (if you've seen "Emma" you'll just hear the words in your head.) Emily is a great heroine, she's smart, has actual self esteem for a women of her time and real ideas about how women should function in society, and the whole falling in love with a dead person thing is just a wonderful literary device because it makes for an unspeakable tragic situation-always mourning the time you lost with a person you now love. Aside from that the book is romantic, suspenseful and just all around good.

But it doesn't have that special spark that makes a book great, so, four stars.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put it down!, October 18, 2005

By 

Miz Turi (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And Only to Deceive (Hardcover)

I love to read, but when it comes to mysteries I only read really good ones. I learned about Tasha Alexander's book from a list I'm on, and went to her website to read the first chapter. It was so delightful, I decided I'd splurge and buy the hardback. I'm totally glad I did. When I got the book, I couldn't put it down; I read it from cover to cover. Ms. Alexander has created a wonderful world filled with the most charming, fascinating people.
This is one book I know I'm going to re-read. Some of the other reviews say Ms. Alexander is going to write a sequel, I sure hope they're right.
(I like Elizabeth Peters, Anne Perry, and Elizabeth George.)