Customer Reviews

The Riddle of the Deplorable Dandy: A Novel of Georgian England

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Elspeth Clayton and Gervaise Valerian share an inauspicious beginning with harsh words and embarrassment hot between them. Elspeth assumes Gervaise to be nothing but a quick-tempered dandy, little suspecting mutual need will sharply change her perceptions. But her determination to save her brother from the French gaol after his arrest for service to Madame Pompadour leads to her desperate plight. In exchange for aid to her brother, Elspeth volunteers to aid Gervaise.

Gervaise's father, a fugitive from justice, must escape the country undetected. When his accomplice his injured, Gervaise forces Elspeth to take her place. Despite their mutual dislike, their common desire to aid loved ones leads to a rousing adventure on both sides of the Channel as unknown assassins pursue them. Of course, their plight draws this unlikely duo together in an emotional entanglement that will please romance devotees.

Patricia Veryan pens a dazzling romantic intrigue in THE RIDDLE OF THE DEPLORABLE DANDY. On one hand, Elspeth's determination to save her brother despite the risks to her life and reputation results in a strong willed heroine who is the perfect match for Gervaise. On the other hand, Gervaise carefully conceals his truth worth behind a dandified exterior. Fraught with danger, betrayals, false identities, and near calamities, THE RIDDLE OF THE DEPLORABLE DANDY comes highly recommended.

When her brother is taken captive by the French, Elspeth Clayton knows she must rescue him--even if she must risk being 'ruined' to society and take up with Gervaise Valerian, a dandy who may even be involved in treason against the Hanover King of England. Pursued by British agents, French soldiers, and an assortment of cut-throats and assassins, Elspeth and Valerian set off across France on a rescue mission--for Elspeth's brother and for Valerian's 'aunt.'

Author Patricia Veryan keeps the action moving, with adventure and swordfighting on almost every page. She also does a fine job developing the growing awareness and attraction between the two characters allowing Elspeth's initial unfavorable reaction to gradually transform itself as Valerian reveals his true qualities.

Fans of historical fiction are likely to be jarred, however, by the numerous anachronisms that Veryan introduces into her story. The frequent references to the 'Guillotine' make no sense in a novel set in 1749, decades before Dr. Guillotine earned his fame at the start of the French Revolution. Elspeth's maid's reference to 'germs' seems prescient given that Louis Pasteur was in his 20s at the time and had not yet made his famous discoveries--prescient or simply a mistake. The finding of coffee, then a luxury beverage, in the cheapest taverns and Valerian's references to himself as a 'Milquetoast' after a figure of the early 20th century also work to pull the reader out of the history. Indeed, after finding these, I started looking for more--and found that I was paying more attention to historical errors than to the plot.

Despite its research defects, THE RIDDLE OF THE DEPLORABLE DANDY is an enjoyable adventure with engaging characters and romance.

As already mentioned, there are a few "errors" in this book: words or concepts used in 1749 which didn't exist at that time (guillotine, clothing sizes). [As for "milquetoast," isn't it possible that the term milktoast or milquetoast was used in those days, and centuries later the character of Caspar Milquetoast created based upon it??] However, while noting this, I still profess that this is a pretty good book. All of Veryan's "usual" elements are included: plucky heroine, hero who is tremendously brave and honorable, a seemingly impossible mission, a cast of unusual characters (timid cousin, faux gypsy), and of course the obligatory favored animal/pet (Pixie). I was a bit disconcerted at the end, however, to learn about Vance's surprising inheritance, as it seemed a bit too handy and contrived, and we were never told anything about the benefactor, as if his name was of no consequence to us.

On the whole, this is one of the better, if not best so far, of the "Riddle" series. I confess to being quite disappointed in the first few Riddle books, since they didn't have the same impact as the Jewelled Men books, and I wasn't drawn to the characters as I have been w/ other Veryan books. But the Deplorable Dandy shows a return toward the style of her earlier books (IMHO) and, while not one of her best, is a very enjoyable read.

This book is certainly not up to Patricia Veryan's standards. As an avid reader of her books, I was quite disappointed. Usually, the name Patricia Veryan on the cover is a guarantee of a wonderful read. Not so in this book. The plot is muddled and implausible. Our heroine, Elspeth, is dimwitted and silly. She gives us absolutely no reason to like her. Our hero, Gervaise, is rude and unkind. It is unclear why these two fall for each other. However, they deserve each other! Steer clear of this book.

England and France -- March, 1749

Because of their family's straightened finances, the Clayton siblings go their separate ways. Elspeth goes to live with her godmother in London while Vance heads for Paris to become a soldier of fortune. When Vance becomes a courier for the Marquise de Pompadour, the French king's mistress, he is accused of being a spy and imprisoned in a private chateau.

Back in London, Elspeth has become the toast of the town and is very popular with all the gentlemen save for one, Gervaise Valerian. Elspeth's two encounters with the dandy give her the impression he cares more for the cut of his coat than anything else. When she receives word of Vance's capture from his best friend, Nicholas, Elspeth enlists his help to plan a rescue mission to France. However, on the eve of their departure, Nicholas is attacked and injured and Elspeth is forced to proceed alone, only to cross paths with a certain hateful dandy.

Gervaise Valerian has been living a lie for a long time. A very public estrangement with his father is a ruse developed to protect Sir Simon Valerian from those who would arrest him for helping the Jacobites. But it is no longer safe for Sir Simon to stay in England, and Gervaise is desperate to get him to France and on to safety. Concocting an elaborate masquerade, Gervaise's plans almost unravel when his carriage collides with another and the woman he hired is injured. Desperate for another to take her place, Gervaise turns to the other carriage and finds his nemesis, Elspeth Clayton, on board. Out of necessity, the pair agrees to work together to smuggle Sir Simon out of England, then rescue Vance.

Patricia Veryan is a genius at transporting readers back to the eighteenth century. Georgian England and the French countryside come to life in this grand adventure, the latest installment in her Riddle series. Elspeth comes across as a lady to the core, but she doesn't flinch from doing whatever is necessary to save those she loves. Gervaise, on the other hand, hides his truly heroic character behind a superficial veneer. Slowly, as the story progresses, Elspeth (and the reader) comes to know the man behind the dandy. Throw in a cast of secondary characters, all worthy of having their own stories told, and the result is pure magic.

TheSchemer

This is never going to be my favorite Veryan book--that's a tie between several of the Golden Chronicles and Jewelled Men series--but I think it's the best of the recent ones. I've been reading her books since I was in junior high, but I hadn't read either of the two "Riddle" Georgians until recently. The Shipwrecked Spinster was disappointing--really only of interest because it wrapped up the Cranfords, gave us a glimpse of what's going on with Roly and Fiona, and answered the question of Florian's heritage. This book--though it doesn't involve any of the familiar Georgian characters (except Gervaise, who first appeared in "Spinster" and Fitz Boudreaux, who is only involved briefly) stands on its own as an engaging story of adventure and intrigue. Yes, I wish there'd been a bit more development of the romance; yes, I would've squealed with delight if Elspeth had been friends with one of the ladies from the other books. Those things aside, it was an excellent read.

I adore Patricia Veryan's books. Her exciting plots and well-developed, likeable characters have made her the only author of Regency romances after Georgette Heyer that I've truly liked. That being the case, I was exceedingly puzzled after reading both this horrible book and the glowing reviews on Amazon. Only one other reviewer has accurately said that this book is a real stinker? Unbelievable.

So, I have come up with a theory which explains these discrepancies. Patricia Veryan was kidnapped by aliens, who substituted a clone with no writing talent who wrote this book. The aliens used their super-secret ultimate mind-ray weapon to brainwash the readers of the book into thinking that the book was good.

Everything which usually makes a Veryan book enjoyable was missing from this book. As another reviewer said, this book reads like a poor imitation of Veryan. The heroine was stupid and annoying. I could not give even slight credence to the idea that anyone would fall in love with her. The sparkling banter which is so much a part of Veryan's usual style fell abominably flat. She was trying, but it just wasn't there. And as for the climax scene, when they attempted to rescue the young English soldier who was being held prisoner... I was hoping they would be caught by the bad guys, because anyone who comes up with a plan that stupid deserves to be caught.

A word to the aliens - Please send Ms. Veryan back to us! Or if you won't, at least don't let the clone produce any more books! Do you want ransom? We'll pay it!

While I rather enjoyed "The Riddle of the Deplorable Dandy" -- Patricia Veryan is one of my favourite Georgian/Regency romance authours, and I've loved most of her novels -- honesty compels to admit that with this latest "Riddle" installment, the adventure-intrigue subplot has been developed at the expense of the romance subplot.

The novel begins, excitingly enough, with the capture of Vance Clayton, a soldier of fortune and a courier, by the French authorities. Because of his family's reduced financial circumstances, Vance has been forced to become a soldier of fortune (so that he can support his mother and sister), and his current assignment is to act as courier to Madame de Pompadour (the French king's mistress). Madame has a penchant for interring in matters of state, and her enemies at court and the government would give anything in order to obtain proof of her interference. And because the English government is reluctant to interfere in this matter, it is beginning to look as if Vance will be executed as a foreign spy. Not however if his sister, Elspeth and his friend, Nicholas Evans, have anything to do with it. Together, they begin to plan a rescue operation in order to liberate Vance from the French. However things go spectacularly wrong when first, Nicholas is injured thus rendering useless for the rescue mission, and when Elspeth has another disasterous run-in with Gervaise Valerian that almost curtails her rescue attempt!

Elspeth and Gervaise have already met and run afoul of each other, and neither have a really good impression (nor are they too keen) of each other (in fact it is Elspeth who labels Gervaise as the 'Deplorable Dandy'). Imagine their shock then when each discovers that their reasons for making the trip to France are actually tied together, and that they actually need each other in order to ensure the success of their missions. Readers who are fans of the "Riddle" series will remember Gervaise from "The Riddle of the Shipwrecked Spinster" and know why Gervaise is so keen to get to France. However, for the sake of maintaining the suspense, I'll leave out what Gervaise's mission is so that readers who have not yet read that installment will still be able to enjoy this novel -- all is explained after a couple of chapters anyway. Now, Gervaise and Elspeth must put aside their private opinions of each other and join forces in order to ensure the success of their missions. Will they be able to do so? Or will the Deplorable Dandy's autocratic actions prove too much for Elspeth?

Story-wise, "The Riddle of the Deplorable Dandy" was quite the read -- esp if you enjoy swashbuckling Georgian novels. Patricia Veryan did her usual masterful job in allowing for the 'action' and the story to develop at an even and swift pace, mainataining the supsense, and in allowing for her characters to evolve and come to life. Only two things marred the overall pleasure my enjoyment of this novel. 1) that the romance subplot did indeed suffer because of the adventure subplot. From not thinking very much of each other, Gervaise and Elspeth were suddenly quite taken with each other, exchanging many surreptitious glances and always concerned for each other's welfare. Not that I wanted any heavy scenes. To the contrary. But I would have liked it if the romance subplot had been more developed. And 2) that Elspeth suddenly behaves in a naive and foolish way towards the end of the book, trusting a couple of people who suddenly turn up in France, even when every instinct in her body should have been screaming at her to be more careful! (I cannot explain in more detail without giving away things!)

On the whole though, I'd say that this latest "Riddle" novel is a winner, and one that anyone (romance addict or not) would enjoy immensely.

The two times that Elspeth Clayton and Gervaise Valerian meet, they exchange heated words. The Georgian miss thinks he is nothing but a dandy who is interested in fine clothes and society gossip. She is more absorbed in finding a way to save her brother Vance who is arrested in France while work for Madame la Pompadour, the king's mistress. The lord holding Vance demands he hand over the incriminating letter that, if revealed, will force the king to break off with his mistress.

Elspeth appeals to a childhood friend for help and he arranges for a certain gentleman of quality to help them. On the night they are to leave for France, Elspeth arranges to meet her champion only to shockingly learn it is Gervaise. He is smuggling his father out of England before he is arrested as a Jacobite sympathizer and if she helps him, Gervaise swears he will free her brother. While in France their lives are constantly threatened and the danger comes from a third partly neither Elspeth nor Gervaise knows about.

Patricia Veryan is the queen of romantic intrigue and her latest Riddle book is jam packed with just that wrapped inside plenty of action. The heroine refuses to let society's conventions interfere with saving her brother. The hero is a complex individual on the order of the Pimpernel as he is quite adept at hiding his inner self from a world that judges only on appearances. He and the heroine make a perfect match.

Harriet Klausner

Another reader mentioned several anachronisms that jar the reader out of the suspension of disbelief. One of the worst was the heroine referring to a garment "two sizes too small." Standard clothing sizes in 1749? Yeah, right. Does anyone really think that the gifted, intelligent writer who brought us quality work in the Sanguinet series and the Golden Chronicles could possibly have written this book? It reads like a poor imitation of Veryan. The humor here seems forced, the romance contrived, and the main characters just not very interesting. And it hurts my feelings to say these things in regard to an author whose work I have treasured for years. The quality of the work began eroding -- IMHO -- with the first of the Riddle series (although the first two books were ok; not great but ok) and has declined with each successive book. It's very disheartening.