Beneath a Silent Moon by Tracy Grant  (14)
$11.86
|
Secrets of a Lady by Tracy Grant  (5)
$11.86
|
Shadows of the Heart by Tracy Grant (1)
|
Silent In The Grave by Deanna Raybourn  (85)
$6.99
|
Rightfully His by Tracy Grant  (4)
|
This item is not eligible for Amazon Prime, but millions of other items are. Join Amazon Prime today. Already a member? Sign in.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Brit history maven Grant's debut novel aspires to be a historical thriller, an incisive study of the "spy game" and a revisionist, feminist take on pre-Victorian England, all rolled into one breathlessly paced 500-page package. Unfortunately, Grant's skills as historian exceed her talents as writer, and her graceful intentions are shanghaied by a welter of stale characterizations, unsurprising plot twists and clunky prose. (It's never encouraging when a book opens with a sentence like "It was the sort of night that cloaks a multitude of sins.") Centering upon M‚lanie and Charles Fraser, an upper-crust 1810s London power couple he's a member of parliament and the grandson of a duke; she's a flawlessly coifed social diva the novel kicks into gear when their beloved son, Colin, is kidnapped by thugs in the employ of a sinister Spanish antiroyalist. As the Frasers frantically investigate Colin's disappearance, they discover that the kidnappers are after the Carevalo Ring, a legendary object with Tolkienesque symbolic power, which may be in the possession of Helen Trevennen, a sly, erstwhile actress. The Frasers pursue the elusive Trevennen amid a barrage of revelations, most notably the less-than-shocking admission that M‚lanie is actually a former French spy. For the rest of the novel, the reader is plunged into a morass of uninspired action set pieces and maddeningly repetitive dialogues on betrayal, dishonor and forgiveness. Despite its many flaws, Grant's tale is at least swift-moving and fairly involving, leaving room for hope that her next endeavor will be more satisfying. Agent, Nancy Yost.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Grant masterfully weaves personal and political deceptions into a taut fabric of historical intrigue in 1819 England. When Charles and M‚lanie Fraser's young son is kidnapped, the motive seems to be ransom or political chicanery. However, the man behind the kidnapping wants a ring that has legendary powers to protect its wearer and rally support in a contested region of Spain. He is convinced that the Frasers know its location because of their part in the Spanish war against Napoleon seven years earlier. With only days to find the ring and save their son, Charles and M‚lanie reveal secrets about their pasts that tear through years of lies. Most notably, M‚lanie had worked as a French spy, an admission that devastates her husband. But as they unravel clues, he reevaluates his own military intelligence work and realizes that "honor" cannot be an all-encompassing guide. Grant reveals the heady nature of espionage that leads people to deceive themselves and others. Again and again she twists the plot to make the Frasers, and readers, look at actions and motives in new ways. Historical fiction fans will race through this impressive debut. Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ., Mankato
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
Brit history maven Grant's debut novel aspires to be a historical thriller, an incisive study of the "spy game" and a revisionist, feminist take on pre-Victorian England, all rolled into one breathlessly paced 500-page package. Unfortunately, Grant's skills as historian exceed her talents as writer, and her graceful intentions are shanghaied by a welter of stale characterizations, unsurprising plot twists and clunky prose. (It's never encouraging when a book opens with a sentence like "It was the sort of night that cloaks a multitude of sins.") Centering upon M‚lanie and Charles Fraser, an upper-crust 1810s London power couple he's a member of parliament and the grandson of a duke; she's a flawlessly coifed social diva the novel kicks into gear when their beloved son, Colin, is kidnapped by thugs in the employ of a sinister Spanish antiroyalist. As the Frasers frantically investigate Colin's disappearance, they discover that the kidnappers are after the Carevalo Ring, a legendary object with Tolkienesque symbolic power, which may be in the possession of Helen Trevennen, a sly, erstwhile actress. The Frasers pursue the elusive Trevennen amid a barrage of revelations, most notably the less-than-shocking admission that M‚lanie is actually a former French spy. For the rest of the novel, the reader is plunged into a morass of uninspired action set pieces and maddeningly repetitive dialogues on betrayal, dishonor and forgiveness. Despite its many flaws, Grant's tale is at least swift-moving and fairly involving, leaving room for hope that her next endeavor will be more satisfying. Agent, Nancy Yost.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Grant masterfully weaves personal and political deceptions into a taut fabric of historical intrigue in 1819 England. When Charles and M‚lanie Fraser's young son is kidnapped, the motive seems to be ransom or political chicanery. However, the man behind the kidnapping wants a ring that has legendary powers to protect its wearer and rally support in a contested region of Spain. He is convinced that the Frasers know its location because of their part in the Spanish war against Napoleon seven years earlier. With only days to find the ring and save their son, Charles and M‚lanie reveal secrets about their pasts that tear through years of lies. Most notably, M‚lanie had worked as a French spy, an admission that devastates her husband. But as they unravel clues, he reevaluates his own military intelligence work and realizes that "honor" cannot be an all-encompassing guide. Grant reveals the heady nature of espionage that leads people to deceive themselves and others. Again and again she twists the plot to make the Frasers, and readers, look at actions and motives in new ways. Historical fiction fans will race through this impressive debut. Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ., Mankato
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Look Inside This Book
Citations
(learn more)