A Poisoned Season (Lady Emily Ashton) (Lady Emily Mysteries, 2)

I seen to be going through a mystery phase lately. When I was about nine years old I was all about mystery novels-Nancy Drew (of course) some Mary Higgins Clarke (I was precocious) even a little Lawrence Block. It was something I had common with my father, whose bookshelves are filled with nothing but mysteries and books on music. But like any evolving young reader I went through stages, mystery to old fashioned books, like Anne of Green Gables, to fantasy, to contemporary fiction (chick lit mostly) and then to historical fiction. Now, with the recent publishing boom of historical mysteries, I seem to have come full circle. "A Poisoned Season" is the sequel to "And only to Deceive", in which we met the recently widowed Emily Ashton, who lives in London in the late Victorian age. Emily fell into the business of solving mysteries as she languished in mourning, and took the time to learn more about her deceased husband, who she barely knew in their short marriage. While reading his journal she stumbled across possibly stolen art ring and eventually, the truth of her husband's death. Along the way she found a love of Greek, especially the Iliad and ancient Greek art and began to know-and perhaps love-her husband's best friend Colin Hargreaves. She also develops an attitude towards society that could be described as unconventional at best, given the times. In "A Poisoned Season" Emily returns, back from her villa in Greece, accompanied by her new friend Cecile de Lac to face the London society season. This season has some spice added to it not only with the introduction of Charles Berry, who claims (and is believed by society) to be the heir of Marie Antoinette, and if the monarchy still existed in France, the rightful king. With the appearance of Berry, who is a drunk, a womanizer, and a cruel and arrogant person, comes a cat burglar who only steals items that were once the possessions of the long dead queen of France. Emily's home is burgled but things don't get alarming until one of the men an item was stolen from is murdered-poisoned. Emily winds up investigating this death in order to keep the police's prime suspect in the murder, a maid who the grieving widow insists is innocent, from being hanged. But as she investigates Emily discovers she is being followed; the Marie Antoinette thief leaves her love notes in Greek, things begin to disappear from her home and mysterious accidents start to happen. This, coupled with an attack on her reputation, makes for an increasingly treacherous society season... I really, really enjoyed this book, much more than the first one in fact. While its predecessor had an excellent element of a tragic love story (Emily and her now dead husband), this novel has a romance with a breathing person-Coin Hargreaves, who is, in a sense, the perfect man. Charming, Handsome, a spy for the queen, and patient about Emily's reluctance to marry again (though not too patient-he refuses to kiss Emily until they are engage

I love mysteries, and especially romantic mysteries, but I usually can figure them out before the ending. This one was so interwound, that I wasn't even close. Also met the author, who was very entertaining as well as interesting in her explanation as to how she evolves a plot and her characters. I always thought a book started with a story, and perhaps the main characters, but Ms. Alexander explained her books start with the main character, then the characters around her, and then finally the plot. Well recommended read.

First Sentence: There are several things one can depend upon during the London Season: an overwhelming barrage of invitations, friends whose loyalties turn suspect, and at least one overzealous suitor. Lady Emily Ashton is through the period of mourning for her husband in time to join London's social season. A new face on the scene is Charles Berry who claims to be heir to the French throne in this post-revolutionary time. Although he is courting a friend of Emily's to be his future Queen, he wants Emily as his mistress. Is he the one sending Emily anonymous poems written in Greek? And who is stealing treasures of the late Marie-Antoinette? But most important, who poisoned society member David Francis? Although her maid has been arrested, Mrs. Francis asks Emily to prove her maid innocent. Ms Alexander combines history, society and a dash of romance into a first-rate read. She has taken three threads; who committed the murder, who is the thief and who is trying to ruin Emily's reputation, and combines them into one very interesting, intriguing story. Emily is a great character; smart, independent and resourceful. There is a romance, but she doesn't depend on him to save her. Her depiction of Victorian England is delightful, while very much the upper class. It does show the intrigues and intricacies of live among the social elite. The plot kept me going and I didn't expect the ending at all. While it didn't have the emotional pull of her first book, "And Only to Deceive." this was a very good read.

An absolute delight of a late Victorian mystery with Lady Emily Ashton as the beautiful, young widowed heroine who divides her time between collecting rare Greek artifacts for the British Museum, warding off suitors so that she can live an independent life (though one man is so alluring the reader hopes she will tell him yes), and helping her friends with their problems. Quite unexpectedly, she becomes involved in a plot of stolen jewelry and letters belonging to the long dead Marie Antoinette and is introduced to the dislikable man who claims to be the heir to the French throne. In the midst of trying to solve a double murder, the intelligent and resourceful Emily is brought by her domineering mother to tea with the ancient queen Victoria who urges Emily towards marriage. The plot is delightfully complex with a cast of upper and lower class characters and the sudden appearance of one particularly captivating blue-eyed stranger at a masked ball who has his own secrets to reveal.--STEPHANIE COWELL, author of MARRYING MOZART

Tasha Alexander's second book, A Poisoned Season, in her series about Lady Emily Ashton is as charming as the first installment, And Only To Deceive. Lady Emily Ashton is a woman with sensibilities ahead of her time, with interests in antiquities and learning Greek. She is also a young widow with fortune and means to pursue her interests despite societal pressures otherwise. Fortunately, her love interest, Colin Hargreaves, is also ahead of his time, with less interest in taming her than capturing her heart and working beside her in their mutual interests. This time the mystery centers around the descendants of the French monarchy with plenty of twists and turns to keep mystery readers entertained. With nods to the Ton and the Season, Queen Victoria and other standards of the era, this series is light enough for a pleasure read, but still has some intellectual 'oomph', including references to Greek texts. It reflects Lady Ashton's own tastes for reading popular fiction as well as Homer in Greek. The cast of supporting characters is also appealing with the butler Dixon becoming a personal favorite. Especially recommended for fans of historical mysteries and historical romances, the book should appeal to fans of Victoria Thompson, Anne Perry and Georgette Heyer. It's rated PG, although there is sufficient sexual tension to please romance fans. Emily and Colin's relationship is also moving along at a pleasingly brisk--but not too fast!--pace for a mystery series instead of the tendency of other historicals to leave obvious attraction in a holding pattern for countless books before hinting at any progression.