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    Secrets of a Lady
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    Secrets of a Lady
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    Secrets of a Lady
    Ebook569 pages8 hours

    Secrets of a Lady

    By Tracy Grant

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    In the glittering world of Regency London, where gossip is exchanged—and reputations ruined—with the tilt of a fan, Mélanie Fraser is the perfect wife. Devoted to her husband, Charles, the grandson of a duke, she is acknowledged as society's most charming hostess. But just as the elegant façade of Regency London hides a dark side, Mélanie is not what she seems. She has a secret: one that could destroy her perfect jewel-box life forever . . . and the cost to keep it is an exquisite heirloom ring surrounded by legend and power. The search for it will pull Mélanie and Charles into a gritty underworld of gin-soaked brothels, elegant gaming hells, and debtors' prisons. In this maze of intrigue, deception is second nature and betrayal can come far too easily . . .

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061763519
    Unavailable
    Secrets of a Lady
    Author

    Tracy Grant

    Tracy Grant studied British history at Stanford University and received the Firestone Award for Excellence in Research for her honors thesis on shifting conceptions of honor in late-fifteenth-century England. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her young daughter and three cats. In addition to writing, Tracy works for the Merola Opera Program, a professional training program for opera singers, pianists, and stage directors. Her real life heroine is her daughter Mélanie, who is very cooperative about Mummy's writing time. She is currently at work on her next book chronicling the adventures of Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch. Visit her on the web at www.tracygrant.org

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    Reviews for Secrets of a Lady

    3.5/5

    75 ratings7 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Very interesting series, but the author wrote the books in random order so the three books I have in my hands Vienna Waltz (chronologically first of the three), Daughter of the Game (retitled Secrets of a Lady and the third) and Beneath a Silent Moon (second of the three) are related and I suppose could be read in any order, but my sense of order does not like that idea so much. I would recommend the chronological approach, but the stories and the histories of the characters are pretty convoluted(and fascinating) so it may not matter at all. Just enjoy the ride.
    • 3/5
      Rich, handsome and respected, Charles Fraser survived the Napoleonic Wars and now has it all: two healthy children, the love of his beautiful and intelligent wife Melanie, and a burgeoning political career. But then his son is kidnapped, and Charles can only save him by plunging into society's underbelly and the bloody past he tried to repress.

      Only a few chapters in, a Huge Secret is revealed. Most of the time, Huge Secrets are either the end of a novel or are forgiven/forgotten after a single touching scene. But here, the characters deal with the repercussions for the rest of the novel. I really enjoyed watching them work through the consequences and renegotiate their relationships. Charles and Melanie are a little too anachronistically enlightened to be believable, but I'm glad Grant made the attempt.

      SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT!
      Melanie was a French spy and for the first few years of their marriage, stole papers and info from Charles and their English friends. Moreover, their son is actually Melanie's with her spy master, Raol. AND Raol in in fact Charles's father as well. AND Charles's younger half-brother Edgar is the villain. Why make Raol father Charles? Why have Edgar be evil? Half the twists are unnecessary.
    • 2/5
      Tracy Grant changed publishers and began to write prequels to this book under the name Teresa Grant. She used the same characters, but at the behest of her publisher renamed them Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch. I enjoyed the first book, Vienna Waltz and most of Imperial Scandal. I had read those books before reading this one, and it undoubtedly colors my opinion of this one.I came to hate this book, not for any lack of writing ability or skill in portraying the period, but for how she changed Melanie/Suzanne (M/S) in this book and the end of Imperial Scandal. I don't want to create a spoiler, although this is pretty early in the plot of this book. by M/S's motives for the behavior that she had concealed from Charles/Malcolm (C/M) destroyed virtually all my sympathy for her. This issue is never really dealt with in this plot. They discuss what they did, but never how they come to terms with it. C/M, the least guilty, feels the worst, while M/S, constantly saying how guilty she is, never seems to feel any real remorse. C/M has done so much for his wife, and he is so endlessly forgiving (apparently), and she is never grateful. For someone who has espoused radical ideas, she is certainly happy to enjoy her wealth. They plan to discuss all this, but never do; it just sort of fades out of the picture. Presumably we are supposed to be so distracted by the frenetic plot that we forget it. After reading this, I probably won't continue with the sequel, and I'm not sure that I can face the prequels, either.Again, if I had not read the prequels, I might not have felt so strongly about this book.
    • 5/5
      Intrigue, sharply-drawn characters, unanticipated motivations -- this is a very nice first novel and I look forward to future works by this author.
    • 2/5
      Tracy Grant changed publishers and began to write prequels to this book under the name Teresa Grant. She used the same characters, but at the behest of her publisher renamed them Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch. I enjoyed the first book, Vienna Waltz and most of Imperial Scandal. I had read those books before reading this one, and it undoubtedly colors my opinion of this one.I came to hate this book, not for any lack of writing ability or skill in portraying the period, but for how she changed Melanie/Suzanne (M/S) in this book and the end of Imperial Scandal. I don't want to create a spoiler, although this is pretty early in the plot of this book. by M/S's motives for the behavior that she had concealed from Charles/Malcolm (C/M) destroyed virtually all my sympathy for her. This issue is never really dealt with in this plot. They discuss what they did, but never how they come to terms with it. C/M, the least guilty, feels the worst, while M/S, constantly saying how guilty she is, never seems to feel any real remorse. C/M has done so much for his wife, and he is so endlessly forgiving (apparently), and she is never grateful. For someone who has espoused radical ideas, she is certainly happy to enjoy her wealth. They plan to discuss all this, but never do; it just sort of fades out of the picture. Presumably we are supposed to be so distracted by the frenetic plot that we forget it. After reading this, I probably won't continue with the sequel, and I'm not sure that I can face the prequels, either.Again, if I had not read the prequels, I might not have felt so strongly about this book.
    • 4/5
      Oh, boy, this is my kind of book. I loved it. Fantastic Regency mystery. Fast-paced, intense dialogue, all kinds of twists and turns and lots of surprises.Charles and Mélanie Fraser's son has just been kidnapped from his own home. In the search for a priceless heirloom, which is the key to getting him back, the Frasers have to trample in places that no self respecting member of high society would ever be caught dead in.In their course, the Frasers unearth secrets that have been long buried. The dialogue that ensues is as harsh and honest that you'll ever see between a married couple.The characters are intriguing and you never know who's hiding what. You never know who's around the corner ready to do someone in. People aren't what they appear to be. And there are moments that will just outright shock you.This is the perfect regency, no doubt about it. You can see and just about smell the world you're reading. The descriptions are just right, not overdone.I recommend this to any historical mystery lover.
    • 4/5
      A fun read - I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story as well as the adventure.Very well researched and full of interesting surprises. Very entertaining and highly recommended.