Michael Barnes
In my local public library this is a very popular novel even with numerous copies I only recall seeing on the selves once and so I took the opportunity to borrow it and I can well understand the appeal. The author herself in the book's notes cites Georgette Heyer as an inspiration (an author I haven't read but my partner has enthusiastically devoured and I respect her judgement) is the story of two sisters who well accommodated and independent as characters in such a Regency novel as you could wish.
So far on behalf of the women in their circle they have foiled a blackmail plot, rescued young girls kidnapped to provide the virgin cure, freed a married woman being drugged to death by her husband because she could not bear an heir and closed an asylum conducted with all the terrible darkness and evil of handling the mentally ill or inconvenient women.
Throw in a dashing noble highwayman (with a touch of the sentenced to NSW and absconded) a dastardly plot to reveal from 20 years ago for the romance and guest mentions of Ann Lister, Beau Brummell.
But it was the incorporation of details such as the very minor character Madame d'Arblay who was introduced by the protagonist Lady Augusta ‘Gus’ Colebrook to her twin sister Julia, who is suffering from cancer of the breast, an all too common affliction in their family, to explain the surgery which was performed on her to save her life from breast cancer. The author acknowledges these six pages we drawn from the letter sent by Fanny Burney to her sister detailing he own experience is when I realised just how much I wanted to read more of Alison Goodman's work.
In my local public library this is a very popular novel even with numerous copies I only recall seeing on the selves once and so I took the opportunity to borrow it and I can well understand the appeal. The author herself in the book's notes cites Georgette Heyer as an inspiration (an author I haven't read but my partner has enthusiastically devoured and I respect her judgement) is the story of two sisters who well accommodated and independent as characters in such a Regency novel as you could wish.
So far on behalf of the women in their circle they have foiled a blackmail plot, rescued young girls kidnapped to provide the virgin cure, freed a married woman being drugged to death by her husband because she could not bear an heir and closed an asylum conducted with all the terrible darkness and evil of handling the mentally ill or inconvenient women.
Throw in a dashing noble highwayman (with a touch of the sentenced to NSW and absconded) a dastardly plot to reveal from 20 years ago for the romance and guest mentions of Ann Lister, Beau Brummell.
But it was the incorporation of details such as the very minor character Madame d'Arblay who was introduced by the protagonist Lady Augusta ‘Gus’ Colebrook to her twin sister Julia, who is suffering from cancer of the breast, an all too common affliction in their family, to explain the surgery which was performed on her to save her life from breast cancer. The author acknowledges these six pages we drawn from the letter sent by Fanny Burney to her sister detailing he own experience is when I realised just how much I wanted to read more of Alison Goodman's work.