Publisher: Charles River Editors
Maria Edgeworth was a prolific Irish writer and is considered to be a significant figure in the evolution of modern novels. Edgeworth’s works are known for moral and social themes. This edition of Patronage includes a table of contents.
Queensland Literary Award WinnerTo lose one husband may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like murder.In New South Wales in 1888, Louisa Collins was sentenced to hang after being tried multiple times for the alleged murders of her two husbands. The testimony of her young daughter helped to decide her fate.This clever and compelling novel recreates Louisa’s time in her Darlinghurst prison cell as she reflects on her life and on the grief and loss that delivered her to this place. Despite difficult marriages, financial hardship and the deaths of several children, she remains resilient and determined to have her own identity.But as she faces her final days, will Louisa confess to her crimes? Or is an innocent woman about to be hanged?Show book
A mysterious woman is suspected of murder at the 1889 Paris Expo in this historical novel of “gorgeous prose” by the author of The Chess Garden (Kirkus Reviews). Paris, 1889. When the body of an unknown woman appears on the banks of the Seine, it is put on display at the morgue behind Notre Dame, according to protocol. Though the woman is never identified, her eerie beauty is so captivating that a death mask is made of her face. The mask would become one of the most famous curios of the twentieth century. Set during the final days of 1889’s Exposition Universelle, Brooks Hansen’s fascinating novel speculates on who this mysterious woman was. Disgraced former Gendarme Henri Brassard is returning to Paris, determined to reclaim his place in La Force. When he crosses paths with a suspicious woman in a gypsy wagon, he suspects her of a brutal crime. Tracking her through the city, Brassard observes from the shadows as she winds her way into the orbit of several savory and unsavory characters—an artist, an impresario, a madame, a countess—each of whom sees in her a chance for profit or redemption; any one of whom may therefore be responsible for her sudden and unexplained disappearance. Brassard’s chase will lead him on a grand tour of nineteenth-century Paris, from its highest spires to its darkest catacombs. By the end, he will learn the stunning truth of the unknown woman’s identity, but not before unearthing the equally disturbing truth about himself.Show book
A woman used to swashbuckling adventure is blindsided by love in this breathtaking Victorian romance from the New York Times–bestselling author. Courageous and resourceful Lady Tess Collier is at home in the world’s wildest places. But when her explorer father, the Earl of Morrow, dies, she reluctantly agrees to honor his final wish: to return to England with Gryphon Meridon as her guide and protector, and to seek a good marriage there. A dashing and mysterious sea captain, Gryf has been charged with guarding Tess from unworthy and unscrupulous suitors. But resisting his own heart’s fevered yearning for the brave and beautiful woman is his greatest challenge. For a dark secret he can share with no one prevents the bold adventurer from freely giving his love. But in a perilous, unsure world, perhaps only love can truly save them both. Praise for Laura Kinsale “No one—repeat, no one—writes historical romance better.” —Mary Jo Putney, New York Times–bestselling author “Laura Kinsale is one of the romance genre’s brightest stars.” —Loretta Chase, New York Times–bestselling author “Laura Kinsale creates magic.” —Lisa Kleypas, New York Times–bestselling authorShow book
It is the early days of The Great War. As the curtain rises, Sara Lee is sitting by the fire in her aunt and uncle’s home, knitting a baby afghan. Her beau’s name is Harvey. He has his eye on a little house that is just perfect for two and he will soon propose to Sara Lee. But in this play, the mise en scène is about to change. A fairyland transformation will take place and Sara Lee will step into a new and different story, where she is the princess in a forest of adventure. There is a prince, too, whose name is Henri. He is as strange as the forest itself. And then just as suddenly, the scene changes back and Sara Lee is once again sitting alone by the fire, knitting socks for the soldiers this time, and with a memory and a new stirring in her heart. This is the story of Sara Lee’s amazing interlude. (Summary by MaryAnn)Show book
Fifteen years before Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published A Study in Scarlet, Anna Katharine Green began writing The Leavenworth Case, inspiring the creation of detectives like Sherlock, Poirot, and Wimsey, as well as almost every device and convention we now recognize as standard in detective mystery fiction. When her father's client is found murdered, Anna takes up the call to prove innocent the young girl accused of the murder. The investigation inspires many of the events, characters, and descriptions that would later be published in her debut novel. A love letter to mystery and writing itself, A Deed of Dreadful Note is an homage and reintroduction to an author who was the Agatha Christie of her time but a forgotten female today. This book is a fictionalized account of how Anna Katharine Green’s first novel may have come to be… A Deed of Dreadful Note is Book One in the Anna Katharine Green Mysteries, the only historical fiction series featuring the Mother of Detective Fiction.Show book
Since the Battle of Little Bighorn, George Armstrong Custer (1839-1876) possessed one of the most unique places in American history. Although he was a capable cavalry officer who served honorably during the Civil War, he remains one of the most instantly identifiable and famous military men in American history due to the fact he was killed during one of the country’s most well known and ignominious defeats, the Battle of Little Bighorn. And yet, this one relatively insignificant battle during America’s Indian Wars has become one of the country’s most mythologized events and continues to fascinate Americans nearly 140 years later. Though he’s now best remembered for “Custer’s Last Stand”, Custer mastered the art of public relations, dressing impeccably and having newspaper correspondents accompany him on the campaign, all in an effort to help cultivate and enhance his legacy. For nearly 58 years, Elizabeth Bacon Custer was probably the most famous widow in the world. In this lively, fascinating, loving portrait of life on the plains with her already-famous husband, Libbie tells a civilized audience of the excitement, fun, and perils endured at a remote frontier post. Intelligent and beautiful, Libbie was a partner, confidant, and booster to the general, as well as an important figure in the social life of the posts he commanded. This book has been used as source material on the general's life as well as the frontier army for well over a century. Celebrated among the prominent people of her day, Libbie never remarried after Custer's death at the Little Bighorn in 1876. She spent the rest of her life writing and lecturing about him, burnishing his reputation and keeping his memory alive. Long a jewel of western Americana, this book continues to find and entertain new audiences in the 21st century.Show book
