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50th out of 738 books
—
1,609 voters
A Poisoned Season (Lady Emily #2)
by
Tasha Alexander (Goodreads Author)
London's social season is in full swing, and Victorian aristocracy is atwitter over a certain gentleman who claims to be the direct descendant of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Adding to their fascination with all things French, an audacious cat burglar is systematically stealing valuable items that once belonged to the ill-fated queen.
But things take a dark turn. The own...more
But things take a dark turn. The own...more
Hardcover, 308 pages
Published
April 10th 2007
by William Morrow
(first published January 1st 2007)
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One of my favorite paintings, “Marie Antoinette with the Rose,” by Louise-Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun (female prodigy and a favorite of the queen). The rose is the symbolic flower of Austria.
★★★★ ½ Oh, I think I liked this one even more than the first in the Lady Emily Mysteries. It has plenty of intrigue, witty dialogue, and plot twists. There is a cat burglar stealing mementos of Marie Antoinette; there is a man claiming to be her heir; there is a ‘overzealous suitor’ stalking Lady Emily; and there...more
★★★★ ½ Oh, I think I liked this one even more than the first in the Lady Emily Mysteries. It has plenty of intrigue, witty dialogue, and plot twists. There is a cat burglar stealing mementos of Marie Antoinette; there is a man claiming to be her heir; there is a ‘overzealous suitor’ stalking Lady Emily; and there...more
A POISONED SEASON (Amateur Sleuth-Emily Ashton-England-Victorian) – VG
Alexander, Tasha – 2nd in series
Wm. Morrow, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780061174148
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 Charle...more
Alexander, Tasha – 2nd in series
Wm. Morrow, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780061174148
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 Charle...more
I'm a sucker for this genre: 19th Century England/high society/mystery/historical fiction/romance.
Truth be told, it's not THAT great of a book, but like I said, I'm a sucker for the genre. The reason it is not THAT great is because I don't automatically find myself making the same leaps of judgement about some of the 'suspects' as the main character, Emily Ashton, does. So, I suppose that if the author made the motives more clear or the descriptions more detailed, I may make the same conclusions...more
Truth be told, it's not THAT great of a book, but like I said, I'm a sucker for the genre. The reason it is not THAT great is because I don't automatically find myself making the same leaps of judgement about some of the 'suspects' as the main character, Emily Ashton, does. So, I suppose that if the author made the motives more clear or the descriptions more detailed, I may make the same conclusions...more
Ok, Tasha Alexander has redeemed herself with this one. I was unsure of her after her first. But this one definitely has a better groove and was much easier to read. I liked the tension between she and Colin the whole way through and the mystery was much easier to follow and was interesting as well!
Review before I really had a crack at the book:
I am now in full realization of just how much of a punishment glutton I am. I seem to feast on the fact that I loathe sharks, unfortunate looking sharks at that, with every fiber of my being. And yet, the shark exhibits at the Monterey Bay Aquarium are my favorites. Shark meat, shark teeth, shark fin (whoops, that last one was a tad bit un-humanitarian). And yet, I have revolting scenarios where I fall in the tank, tide pool, etc.
And not surprisi...more
I am now in full realization of just how much of a punishment glutton I am. I seem to feast on the fact that I loathe sharks, unfortunate looking sharks at that, with every fiber of my being. And yet, the shark exhibits at the Monterey Bay Aquarium are my favorites. Shark meat, shark teeth, shark fin (whoops, that last one was a tad bit un-humanitarian). And yet, I have revolting scenarios where I fall in the tank, tide pool, etc.
And not surprisi...more
This second installment in the Lady Emily Ashton mystery series definitely exceeded my expectations. I ended up rather underwhelmed by the first book. Nevertheless, I was willing to move forward, hoping things would pick up substantially in the second. And by "things" I mean plotline, character development, chemistry between principals...pretty much the whole shebang. Good news is--they did. Quite a bit, in fact. And I'm still trying to decide whether I adjusted to the world and writing style or...more
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We join Lady Emily Ashton in the midst another one of London's social seasons. This season the ton is obsessed with the possible heir to the French throne. He is the envy of every hostess and mother trying to get her daughter married off. The season is not very promising for Emily as she is the butt of many rumors. When one of the few people that she socializes ends up dead after she suggested police involvement with a theft, Emily is determined to find out exactly what is going on, even if her...more
The Lady Emily Books are well done popcorn books - which is how I tend to describe a fun, quick read. Tasha Alexander takes care with her history. She tweaks what is necessary for the story, of course, but it's obvious she's done her homework. I adore the characters of Lady Emily and Colin and their growing relationship. And, while it occasionally make Emily a frustrating character, I truly appreciate that Alexander has taken pains not to just make Lady Emily a 21st century woman in a Victorian...more
I loved this one also. The plot just keeps getting thicker and thicker....who is after Lady Emily and why. I kept guessing but the twists and turns were throwing me off so much. I don't know if I ever guessed correctly. I loved how it all revolved around Marie Antoinette's offspring and jewels. Will she ever give up and say yes to Colin? This guy can only propose so many times. He does refuse to kiss her etc. until she becomes his betrothed. I enjoyed the roles each have. Emily definitely wants...more
1 like · like · see review
Observations while reading: The author seems to be feeling more at ease with an English setting in this book than she did in the previous one. The narrative, at any rate, certainly feels more British than that of And Only to Deceive.
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I enjoyed this second book in the series more than I enjoyed the first. I devoured all that I could of it in an evening and found myself up again before 6 this morning to finish off the last 70 pages. That's me being sucked in a lot more than with AOtD.
I felt that...more
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I enjoyed this second book in the series more than I enjoyed the first. I devoured all that I could of it in an evening and found myself up again before 6 this morning to finish off the last 70 pages. That's me being sucked in a lot more than with AOtD.
I felt that...more
The second in the Lady Emily Ashton series. A man claiming to be Louis-Charles great-grandson is making his way in society. After meeting him Emily hopes he is not really the heir to the royal family. At the same time items belonging to Marie Antoinette are being stolen. And David Francis, a many of her aquaintance, is murdered. Lady Ashton begins to investigate the murder, but soon has other mysteries to solve. I liked this book much better than the first one. I find myself liking Lady Ashton m...more
Those who enjoyed Tasha Alexander previous installment – And Only to Deceive – will certainly like this one as well. I must say that Lady Emily Ashton’s series is getting better and better. I can hardly wait to get my hands in Fatal Waltz.
Emily is an intelligent woman. She loves Greek culture, is interested in antiquities and she spends most of her time learning the most she can about both subjects. If And Only To Deceive is mostly focused on her failed relationship with her deceased husband and...more
Emily is an intelligent woman. She loves Greek culture, is interested in antiquities and she spends most of her time learning the most she can about both subjects. If And Only To Deceive is mostly focused on her failed relationship with her deceased husband and...more
I liked this second book in a series much more than I liked the first one. The first one was good enough that I looked for the next two books at the library the next time I went there.
At this point Emily knows that she missed the opportunity to be married to a man she loved, and has decided to figure out who she is, and what she wants before she accepts Colin's offer of marriage. And that is basically what one part of the plot is about. The other part is the mysteries surrounding the offspring o...more
At this point Emily knows that she missed the opportunity to be married to a man she loved, and has decided to figure out who she is, and what she wants before she accepts Colin's offer of marriage. And that is basically what one part of the plot is about. The other part is the mysteries surrounding the offspring o...more
Well, thanks to Ms Alexander, I stayed up WAY too late last night because I had to see what was going to happen to my friend Emily! This book kept me tightly in its grasp, so much so that I fear I was rude to my guests during the day--I really wanted them to leave so that I could read! It was bad enough that I spent all day Saturday, when I should have been cleaning, reading And Only To Deceive, I spent time last night when I should have been sleeping making sure all ended well for someone who h...more
I just don't like mysteries.
I mean, I like mysterious events, unknown motives, and shady actions, but I don't enjoy mystery novels. It feels like... I don't know... like the author is always trying so very hard to mask her villain, that she ends up with a big mess. Motives become convoluted, alliances end up looking like coincidences (which really ought to be the opposite, no?), and by the time The Explanation is revealed, I have a difficult time caring at all.
Anyway.
If you like period pieces...more
I mean, I like mysterious events, unknown motives, and shady actions, but I don't enjoy mystery novels. It feels like... I don't know... like the author is always trying so very hard to mask her villain, that she ends up with a big mess. Motives become convoluted, alliances end up looking like coincidences (which really ought to be the opposite, no?), and by the time The Explanation is revealed, I have a difficult time caring at all.
Anyway.
If you like period pieces...more
There is a lot happening in London this season -
Lady Ashton has earned the questionable esteem of society's own jewel thief who has been targeting treasures that once belonged to Marie Antoinette. When one of the victims of burglary turns up dead, however, Emily finds herself drawn into the investigation - and not always as discreetly as she might hope.
In addition, heaps of condemnation are being heaped on Emily Ashton's head for dallying with two of the ton's most eligible gentlemen: Colin Harg...more
Lady Ashton has earned the questionable esteem of society's own jewel thief who has been targeting treasures that once belonged to Marie Antoinette. When one of the victims of burglary turns up dead, however, Emily finds herself drawn into the investigation - and not always as discreetly as she might hope.
In addition, heaps of condemnation are being heaped on Emily Ashton's head for dallying with two of the ton's most eligible gentlemen: Colin Harg...more
I really enjoyed this book. The protagonist is a widowed young woman living in Victorian era London. She fiercely enjoys her independence, despite all of society pushing her to remarry. The plot of the story revolves around a murder mystery that Emily ends up solving.
Despite a rather slow start, the rest of the book moved smoothly and enjoyably. It was all well-written, especially for a historical novel, and I had no trouble believing the time period or the characters.
Despite a rather slow start, the rest of the book moved smoothly and enjoyably. It was all well-written, especially for a historical novel, and I had no trouble believing the time period or the characters.
I had quite a few qualms about this installment, but those had more to do with how Victorian society was at the time than with Alexander's portrayal of it per se. Lady Emily has come out of mourning, and all society is talking about a man who claims to be the descendant of Marie Antoinette. Incidentally, a series of thefts take place involving items once belonging to the queen, and when a murder occurs, Lady Emily gets involved.
The most impressive part was the diction and the skill with which T...more
The most impressive part was the diction and the skill with which T...more
You can tell how well I like a book by the speed in which I read it. :) I really, really like these books - this is the second in the series of the Lady Emily books. This one continues where the first one left off - Lady Emily is still pursuing her Greek studies and Colin is still in the picture along with Cecile, Ivy and Robert (and of course, Lady Emily's mother!). New characters enter the stage - a man that claims to be the descendent of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and therefore the heir t...more
This book is much easier to follow than the first, And Only To Deceive, and features many of the same characters.
At the start of the London Season, Lady Emily Ashton finds herself once again involved in mystery and intrigue. Someone is breaking into houses to steal items belonging to Marie Antoinette. Soon after Emily convinces an acquaintance to report the theft of one such item, he ends up dead from nicotine poisoning. The two events are obviously related, but what is the connection? And does...more
At the start of the London Season, Lady Emily Ashton finds herself once again involved in mystery and intrigue. Someone is breaking into houses to steal items belonging to Marie Antoinette. Soon after Emily convinces an acquaintance to report the theft of one such item, he ends up dead from nicotine poisoning. The two events are obviously related, but what is the connection? And does...more
I wouldn't know how to shelve this book if I were the one making those decisions. The subtitle is "A Book of Suspense", which it is, there is a mystery to be solved and there is a romance. Lady Emily Ashton, a few years into her widowhood, returns to London society and becomes embroiled in a plot to return the French monarch to the throne. There are wonderful twists and turns to the plot, great characters and a surprise ending that I did not anticipate in the least. The romance part was a bit mu...more
There is an interesting pattern that I've noticed with quite a few novel series that I've read thus far: for some odd reason, the second book in the series rarely ever is as good as the first. While there are exceptions - Iain M. Banks's Culture series, or Naomi Novik's Temeraire books, for example - the above pattern seems to hold true. This was the case with A Monstrous Regiment of Women, the second book in the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King, and it is again the case with A Poisoned Sea...more
I enjoy almost anything that takes me to the London Season during the Victorian or Regency period as long as the writing is tolerable and it is clean. I am convinced I was born in the wrong time and should have had my season, married a devastatingly witty and handsome Duke or Earl,(exactly like my Alex) and then simply enjoyed society for the rest of my days in between my periods of confinement where I would make an heir and a house full of spares. Never would I have to drive carpool, deal with...more
1 like · like · see review
Oct 17, 2011
Lori McD
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
cozy-mystery,
easy-read,
favorite-author,
historical-fiction,
mystery,
regency,
romance,
series,
british-lit,
2011_read
LOVE the Lady Emily series! Great characters and events that aren't contrived but move the plot along and keep you turning pages. In this book, some pieces of the mystery are well-hidden with twists and turns, so that even I didn't know all behind the whodunnit this time! (And that's saying something, because I'm never fooled!)
Lady Emily is now officially out of mourning for her late husband and back in London for the Season. She's not so keen to be part of the whirl of all the teas, parties, an...more
Lady Emily is now officially out of mourning for her late husband and back in London for the Season. She's not so keen to be part of the whirl of all the teas, parties, an...more
May 06, 2011
Kate Maxwell
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Victorian Mysteries
This was a well-written story about Lady Emily Ashton set in Victorian England and the supposed heir to the French throne...not that the throne was available to this proclaimant. As all mysteries start, there was a murder and the wrong person was arrested. After an accusation of adultery by the murder victim’s widow, Lady Ashton turns the tables on the grieving widow and offers to help solve the murder. While the murder has taken place, there have been several thefts of items that once belonged...more
Ms. Alexander has a gift for beautiful language. Certain passages were filled with the restrained passion of the speakers, yet this book is not at all tawdry. There are some authors I simply cannot read because their sentence structure is so disconcerting. Likewise, there are authors whose prose is so beautiful at times, that I consume the book. Yet, i pause to re-read those lines that are truly lovely compositions, in meaning & style. This is one of those cases. I dislike series that keep t...more
It's the London season and Emily is now out of mourning. Her suitor Colin Hargreaves becomes more imperative in his marriage proposals, yet she hesitates to give up her freedom. The bon ton is enamored of a new heir to the House of Bourbon, a contender to the throne in France. Emily finds Mr. Berry to be something of a mystery, a cad, who pursues her to become his mistress.
Emily flaunts to rules of society to some degree and ugly rumors start about her and she's being excluded and cut out of soc...more
Emily flaunts to rules of society to some degree and ugly rumors start about her and she's being excluded and cut out of soc...more
A Poisoned Season starts where And Only to Deceive left off: Lady Emily Ashford is continuing to study her beloved Greek myths and patronize museums specializing in ancient artifacts, her friends and mother are still nudging (read: violently shoving in a nonetheless ladylike manner) her towards the altar, Colin is still being an insufferably frustrating and attractive bastard, and she still can't seem to keep herself from getting into trouble.
This time, however, Emily herself isn't the epicenter...more
This time, however, Emily herself isn't the epicenter...more
I had some expectations regarding book 2 of Lady Emily Ashton’s mysteries and I am happy to say that they were fulfilled.
After her love story with her husband in the first book, Lady Emily is now a widow whose main interest is to pursue her Greek studies, to help the British Museum to enlarge their collection of works of art, to spend some time with her chosen friends and to continue her relationship with Colin Hargreaves. I liked this Emily even more than the one in the first book. She is more...more
After her love story with her husband in the first book, Lady Emily is now a widow whose main interest is to pursue her Greek studies, to help the British Museum to enlarge their collection of works of art, to spend some time with her chosen friends and to continue her relationship with Colin Hargreaves. I liked this Emily even more than the one in the first book. She is more...more
What can I say but I'm in love with these books!
Typically I'm all for regency, not so interested in Victorian. Also, not big on mysteries. There are a couple of authors I read but....
These are suspense - so maybe a little lighter on the mystery and more of the rest of their life - but still the mystery exists.
Book two - the saga continues - Emily and her guy (who I won't name because if you haven't read the first book, you don't know who he is) are proceeding in their courtship, there is an int...more
Typically I'm all for regency, not so interested in Victorian. Also, not big on mysteries. There are a couple of authors I read but....
These are suspense - so maybe a little lighter on the mystery and more of the rest of their life - but still the mystery exists.
Book two - the saga continues - Emily and her guy (who I won't name because if you haven't read the first book, you don't know who he is) are proceeding in their courtship, there is an int...more
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| Nothing but Readi...: Alexander, Tasha: A Poisoned Season "Buddy Read" Start Date: June 17, 2012 | 59 | 27 | Jun 21, 2012 01:09pm |
Tasha Alexander is the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Emily series and the novel ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE. She attended the University of Notre Dame, where she studied English and Medieval History. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards and has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She and her husband, novelist Andrew Grant, divide their time between Chicago an...more
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