Mary Chase Comstock

Lady Sybil was once a very scandalous lady, but after her death she has been reduced to haunting Harroweby House. But then a coming out ball is thrown for Selinda, her great great granddaughter, and Lady Sybil has more love affairs to arrange and villains to chase off than ever before. Luckily she has the help of Selinda's beloved younger sister Lucy, who has the Second Sight and more than her fair share of intelligence.

This is a wonderfully fun romp in Regency England. There's a good deal of romance, of course, but what struck me most was the humor, from sly quips to full on prat falls. I liked all of the main characters, from romantic Selinda to soft-hearted Lord Waverly, and the side characters are delightfully colorful and foolish. It's a cheerful and kind book, and it quite cheered me up to read it.… (plus d'informations)

Having recently visited Seattle, I decided I should read this book - which has been sitting on my Kindle for a while. Deidre is a well developed character, slightly aloof and shielding herself in her poems, ever aware of the dark secret that she carries. Despite this, I found her easy to relate to. Her best friend, Panda, is quite the opposite, and in some ways feels much like a caricature. Things change for Deidre after a strange encounter in the Pike Place Market and when relationships with a fellow colleague start to reach straining point. Has her secret been discovered? I enjoyed watching her come out of her shell and develop a friendship with Manny, although I did feel the shopping spree was a wee bit OTT. The suspense built nicely, and the climax was suitably dramatic and not entirely predictable. All up, an enticing and enjoyable read.… (plus d'informations)

The book centers on Deidre, who at face value just appears to be a young professor and poet who is working her way up the academic ladder. While her story begins with the celebration of being awarded for her work in poetry it quickly takes a bizarre turn. While shopping and having lunch with her friend Panda, a stranger in the market cuts off a chunk of her hair. And from there the events of her life just keep getting stranger.

After the incident at the market, Deirdre starts to allude that she has some heavy secrets in her past that she does not want to come to light. She seems to suddenly come under attack from both long lost family members as well as members of the academic community where she teaches at, and both could result in her secret coming out.

Thankfully, Deirdre is not alone throughout the story; she has several friends who try to help her along the way, as well as her housekeeper, Rosa, who ends up being a mother-like figure to her. Rosa and her nephew Manny end up being people Deirdre can trust and provide a much-needed sense of relief for her. These two characters are the only ones that Deirdre really lets her guard down around, and it is within those scenes where the reader really gets to know her.

Overall, I think the book starts off a little slow for my taste. There is a lot of build up to finding out what the secret Deirdre has been holding on to is, and about half way through when you find out what it is, it makes her more likable as well as helped make me want to know what was going to happen to her, and ultimately to root for her. There is a little bit of mild romance in the book, although it felt a little bit unfinished. If you are looking for romance this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a quick, enjoyable read with some mystery thrown in then I think you will like this book. Also if you are a poetry lover the book is laced throughout with poetry references and poems, and they are intertwined in the plot quite well. Overall, I liked it.… (plus d'informations)