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Sarah Tolerance #1
Point of Honour
On the mean streets of Regency London, a truly different adventure-with an unforgettable heroineIn a Regency London that isn't quite the one we know, young women of family whose reputations have been ruined are known as the Fallen. Young Sarah Tolerance is one a daughter of the nobility who ran away with her brother's fencing-master. Now that the fencing-master has died, everyone expects her to earn her living as a whore.But Sarah is unwilling. Instead, she invents a new role for herself, and a new "investigative agent." For Sarah, with her equivocal position in society, is able to float between social layers, unearth secrets, find things that were lost, and lose things too dangerous to be kept. Her stock in trade is her wits, her discretion, and her expertise with the smallsword -- for her fencing-master taught her that as well.She will need all her skills soon, when she is approached by an agent of the Count Verseillon, for a task that seems reclaim an antique fan he once gave to "a lady with brown eyes." The fan, he tells her, is an heirloom; the lady, his first love. But as Sarah Tolerance unravels the mystery that surrounds the fan, she discovers that she--and the Count--are not the only ones seeking it, and that nothing about this task is what it seems.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
30 people are currently reading
2735 people want to read
About the author
Madeleine E. Robins
44 books124 followersWriting gives Madeleine Robins the chance to focus on many of her ruling passions: cities, history, swordplay, the history of disease, and the future of mankind–with a side order of historical costuming and infrastructure (urban plumbing is far more interesting than you’d think).
Born in New York City, the Author has been, in no particular order, a nanny, a teacher, an actor and stage-combatant, an administrator, a comic book editor, a baker, typist-clerk for Thos. Cook’s Houses of Parliament office, a repairer-of-hurt-books, an editorial consultant, and a writer. She holds a degree in Theatre Studies from Connecticut College, and attended the Clarion Science Fiction Workshop in 1981. She is a founding member of Book View Cafe (http://bookviewcafe.com) where most of her short fiction is available for free!
Born in New York City, the Author has been, in no particular order, a nanny, a teacher, an actor and stage-combatant, an administrator, a comic book editor, a baker, typist-clerk for Thos. Cook’s Houses of Parliament office, a repairer-of-hurt-books, an editorial consultant, and a writer. She holds a degree in Theatre Studies from Connecticut College, and attended the Clarion Science Fiction Workshop in 1981. She is a founding member of Book View Cafe (http://bookviewcafe.com) where most of her short fiction is available for free!
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March 24, 2012
"I lost my virginity. I lost my innocence. The world seems to regard this as the same thing as honor, but I do not." --Sarah Tolerance, Point of Honour
For most serious readers, any mention of the Regency period immediately conjures the thought of Jane Austen, who introduced so many of us to it, and directly or indirectly influenced just about every later writer who employed that setting. Robins is one of them; she calls her predecessor "one of the sharpest, funniest writers in the English language," and tips a hat to her with the opening sentence here: "It is a truth universally acknowledged...." But the rest of the sentence, like the Goodreads description above, lets us know immediately that her picture of the Regency world encompasses a much broader and darker canvas than Austen's: this is not only a world of aristocrats and landed gentry, but of harlots and bawds, pickpockets and Bow Street Runners, and a world where sinister things can go on. And where Austen's heroines might push the envelope of social conventions a bit (Lizzie Bennett, for instance, is smarter and more outspoken than many males then --or now-- are really comfortable with), Robins' Sarah Tolerance will outright defy them. The typical Austen heroine doesn't pack (and use) weapons, wear male-style breeches and ride a horse astride rather than side-saddle, nor live in a cottage out back of her aunt's high-end brothel and have a male prostitute for a friend. :-) (Though I like to think that if Lizzie and Sarah ever sat down and got really acquainted over a pot of tea, they'd wind up as fast friends!)
This book is a bit of a challenge to classify, as suggested by the several shelves I put it on. It's definitely a mystery (and, before long, a murder mystery); and one with an indebtedness to Dashiel Hammet that I recognized even before reading Robins' mention of him in the same sentence with Austen --which has to be the first time in history that pair was juxtaposed! But it also has a claim to be science fiction (if you classify alternate-world yarns as SF), because this is a slightly alternate Regency England, where the regent is Queen Charlotte. (Robins explains the few other minor differences in her "Note on History, and of Thanks.") This isn't, as some other reviewers have supposed, a pointless quirk; it plays into the fabric of Tory vs. Whig political infighting that's crucial to the plot. (In keeping with both quantum theory and literary common sense, in writing alternate-world fiction, the diverging premise has to be something that could plausibly have happened; that test is met here, since in this world, Prince George's marriage to a Roman Catholic wasn't kept secret and was wildly unpopular with commoners and ruling class alike, and there was ample precedent in other countries for royal women to hold regencies, while England itself had had a few ruling Queens.) It brings to life a setting so nearly like real-world Regency England, though, that it qualifies in my book as historical fiction. And some people have apparently classified it as a romance --though, if it is, it's one of a distinctly different sort than the ones you'll find on the "Romance" shelves!
If classifying it could be a challenge, though, rating it wasn't! I really like this period of history, perhaps because I'm a Janeite. To me, the more formal (compared to ours) manners and speech of the upper and middle classes, the slower pace of a world attuned to horses and written messages rather than cars and cell phones, the grace of a lifestyle that's not yet complicated and coarsened by high technology, all have an appeal. (Yes, I know, it was a world with serious flaws --the modern world has plenty of those, too!-- and if I'd lived there, my reaction to the injustices of the day would probably have landed me in Bedlam, or Newgate; but I still find it a pretty cool place to visit at times through the time machine of a book.) Added to the appeal of the setting is that of the central character. Sarah is a wonderful, well-realized creation: not perfect, but principled; kind, generous, honest, smart, brave, capable; no bully, but well able to hold her own in a fight --in short, just about everything I admire in a heroine. Robins delivers a page-turning plot, spiced with some action scenes, centering around a mystery that's really challenging (I figured out most of it slightly ahead of the big reveal, but not all of it!), and does a good job of tying one plot strand, that might have seemed pointless to some readers, to the main plot in a brilliant way. Her style is pitch-perfect for the setting, with a bit of a 19th-century flavor that's not exactly like the original, but still lets you know you aren't reading something dumbed down to the lowest common denominator, nor limited to a 200-word vocabulary. She captures a lot of the authentic idioms and flavor of actual Regency speech, and provides enough description to give the writing a "you are there" quality. Obviously, her treatment of sexual matters is franker than Austen's, not shying away from the fact that this was a period with a gender-based double standard that stinks as badly as the manure and sewage in the streets, where just one of the king's sons had no less than 10 out-of-wedlock kids and London alone had some 50,000 prostitutes (by the century's end, it would be 100,000). But there's no explicit sex here, and despite Sarah's "fallen woman" status and sexual choices we might disagree with, she definitely comes across as a woman who takes sex seriously, who respects herself and others, and doesn't stoop to exploitative or lewd behavior; nothing she's done or does here makes us disrespect her as a lady. As far as bad language goes, there's some, as there actually was in the speech of that day; not a plethora of it, and I'd guess mostly not too rough, though I can't tell. This copy was bought used, and it turns out a previous owner used a dark pen to blot out most of the cuss words. (Sigh! As a writer myself, though I personally feel that usually the less bad language a book has, the better, if a writer chooses to put it in, I think his/her choice should be respected enough to let readers read it as it was intended to be, and make their own evaluations of it.)
Every time I read in this book, I was glued to the page; I'd have read it non-stop if I could have, and as it was finished it in just a bit over two weeks, which for me is a pretty quick read, indicative both of its interest level and its smooth flow. I'd love to see it adapted as a movie, provided it was done faithfully (though for Hollywood, that would be a stretch :-( ). Your reaction and tastes might differ from mine; but if what I've written here sounds intriguing, I'd highly recommend you give it a try!
For most serious readers, any mention of the Regency period immediately conjures the thought of Jane Austen, who introduced so many of us to it, and directly or indirectly influenced just about every later writer who employed that setting. Robins is one of them; she calls her predecessor "one of the sharpest, funniest writers in the English language," and tips a hat to her with the opening sentence here: "It is a truth universally acknowledged...." But the rest of the sentence, like the Goodreads description above, lets us know immediately that her picture of the Regency world encompasses a much broader and darker canvas than Austen's: this is not only a world of aristocrats and landed gentry, but of harlots and bawds, pickpockets and Bow Street Runners, and a world where sinister things can go on. And where Austen's heroines might push the envelope of social conventions a bit (Lizzie Bennett, for instance, is smarter and more outspoken than many males then --or now-- are really comfortable with), Robins' Sarah Tolerance will outright defy them. The typical Austen heroine doesn't pack (and use) weapons, wear male-style breeches and ride a horse astride rather than side-saddle, nor live in a cottage out back of her aunt's high-end brothel and have a male prostitute for a friend. :-) (Though I like to think that if Lizzie and Sarah ever sat down and got really acquainted over a pot of tea, they'd wind up as fast friends!)
This book is a bit of a challenge to classify, as suggested by the several shelves I put it on. It's definitely a mystery (and, before long, a murder mystery); and one with an indebtedness to Dashiel Hammet that I recognized even before reading Robins' mention of him in the same sentence with Austen --which has to be the first time in history that pair was juxtaposed! But it also has a claim to be science fiction (if you classify alternate-world yarns as SF), because this is a slightly alternate Regency England, where the regent is Queen Charlotte. (Robins explains the few other minor differences in her "Note on History, and of Thanks.") This isn't, as some other reviewers have supposed, a pointless quirk; it plays into the fabric of Tory vs. Whig political infighting that's crucial to the plot. (In keeping with both quantum theory and literary common sense, in writing alternate-world fiction, the diverging premise has to be something that could plausibly have happened; that test is met here, since in this world, Prince George's marriage to a Roman Catholic wasn't kept secret and was wildly unpopular with commoners and ruling class alike, and there was ample precedent in other countries for royal women to hold regencies, while England itself had had a few ruling Queens.) It brings to life a setting so nearly like real-world Regency England, though, that it qualifies in my book as historical fiction. And some people have apparently classified it as a romance --though, if it is, it's one of a distinctly different sort than the ones you'll find on the "Romance" shelves!
If classifying it could be a challenge, though, rating it wasn't! I really like this period of history, perhaps because I'm a Janeite. To me, the more formal (compared to ours) manners and speech of the upper and middle classes, the slower pace of a world attuned to horses and written messages rather than cars and cell phones, the grace of a lifestyle that's not yet complicated and coarsened by high technology, all have an appeal. (Yes, I know, it was a world with serious flaws --the modern world has plenty of those, too!-- and if I'd lived there, my reaction to the injustices of the day would probably have landed me in Bedlam, or Newgate; but I still find it a pretty cool place to visit at times through the time machine of a book.) Added to the appeal of the setting is that of the central character. Sarah is a wonderful, well-realized creation: not perfect, but principled; kind, generous, honest, smart, brave, capable; no bully, but well able to hold her own in a fight --in short, just about everything I admire in a heroine. Robins delivers a page-turning plot, spiced with some action scenes, centering around a mystery that's really challenging (I figured out most of it slightly ahead of the big reveal, but not all of it!), and does a good job of tying one plot strand, that might have seemed pointless to some readers, to the main plot in a brilliant way. Her style is pitch-perfect for the setting, with a bit of a 19th-century flavor that's not exactly like the original, but still lets you know you aren't reading something dumbed down to the lowest common denominator, nor limited to a 200-word vocabulary. She captures a lot of the authentic idioms and flavor of actual Regency speech, and provides enough description to give the writing a "you are there" quality. Obviously, her treatment of sexual matters is franker than Austen's, not shying away from the fact that this was a period with a gender-based double standard that stinks as badly as the manure and sewage in the streets, where just one of the king's sons had no less than 10 out-of-wedlock kids and London alone had some 50,000 prostitutes (by the century's end, it would be 100,000). But there's no explicit sex here, and despite Sarah's "fallen woman" status and sexual choices we might disagree with, she definitely comes across as a woman who takes sex seriously, who respects herself and others, and doesn't stoop to exploitative or lewd behavior; nothing she's done or does here makes us disrespect her as a lady. As far as bad language goes, there's some, as there actually was in the speech of that day; not a plethora of it, and I'd guess mostly not too rough, though I can't tell. This copy was bought used, and it turns out a previous owner used a dark pen to blot out most of the cuss words. (Sigh! As a writer myself, though I personally feel that usually the less bad language a book has, the better, if a writer chooses to put it in, I think his/her choice should be respected enough to let readers read it as it was intended to be, and make their own evaluations of it.)
Every time I read in this book, I was glued to the page; I'd have read it non-stop if I could have, and as it was finished it in just a bit over two weeks, which for me is a pretty quick read, indicative both of its interest level and its smooth flow. I'd love to see it adapted as a movie, provided it was done faithfully (though for Hollywood, that would be a stretch :-( ). Your reaction and tastes might differ from mine; but if what I've written here sounds intriguing, I'd highly recommend you give it a try!
March 23, 2012
This was a fun mystery romp that has alt-history twist to it. Fallen woman turned into detective heroine. I have mixed but generally positive feelings about this book. There were some really fun parts for sure, and the mystery was definitely interesting, but I couldn't buy into it 100% all the time.
I want to warn you, this is NOT A VAGINAL MYSTERY in that...I can't spoil it, but it's just not. So beware, because the ending really threw me for a loop and I kinda liked it but not really. Also, referring to the heroine as "Miss Temperance" all the time was for some reason irritating, even though that is her name. I just read a book where the main character was Shasta or something, I and every time I would get into it, the name would come up and I would blanche. Naming is important. Anywhoooooo....I give this three stars, but it might be more of a 4-star depending on what else you like. It reminded me of Sebatian St. Cyr, and the autopsy historical series I'm forgetting now, and I did like it.
I would recommend this book for someone who enjoys a light mystery read with a strong lady protagonist, doesn't really care about historical accuracies persay, but likes a dash of period flare with their escapism.
I want to warn you, this is NOT A VAGINAL MYSTERY in that...I can't spoil it, but it's just not. So beware, because the ending really threw me for a loop and I kinda liked it but not really. Also, referring to the heroine as "Miss Temperance" all the time was for some reason irritating, even though that is her name. I just read a book where the main character was Shasta or something, I and every time I would get into it, the name would come up and I would blanche. Naming is important. Anywhoooooo....I give this three stars, but it might be more of a 4-star depending on what else you like. It reminded me of Sebatian St. Cyr, and the autopsy historical series I'm forgetting now, and I did like it.
I would recommend this book for someone who enjoys a light mystery read with a strong lady protagonist, doesn't really care about historical accuracies persay, but likes a dash of period flare with their escapism.
October 11, 2018
Re-read and 4 1/2 this time!
I'm not much of a "Regency" fan, but Point of Honour grabbed me from the start and kept me in till the end.
Imagine a character from one of Jane Austen's novels who falls for the wrong man and.. well doesn't quite get married.
Her lover now dead and her family has forsaken her, Sarah Tolerance is on her own.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Fallen Woman of good family, must soon or late, descend to whoredom".
So is Sarah's future, but she will not accept such as this.
Then to support herself she "creates" herself a job.
A "person of inquiry"..discreetly of course.
This is the first of the Sarah Tolerance mysteries.
I really enjoyed this book!
If anything Sarah the leading character, was what kept me reading.
Not your ordinary kind of woman, she is smart, resourceful and tough.
She'll wear men's breeches, wield a sword and is able to float between social layers to unearth secrets.
A good mystery with humour and a touch of romance.
It is also chock full of of political intrigue, with an interesting historical backdrop giving some insight to what it would have been like as a woman on your own in England in the early 1800's.
A not to miss book for fans of a "Jane Austen style" with a dash of romance, mystery and suspense. It also had an ending I wasn't expecting, but glad it turned out that way as Sarah is a Heroine you wont forget.
I haven't yet read the next two, and now I am looking forward to doing so!
I'm not much of a "Regency" fan, but Point of Honour grabbed me from the start and kept me in till the end.
Imagine a character from one of Jane Austen's novels who falls for the wrong man and.. well doesn't quite get married.
Her lover now dead and her family has forsaken her, Sarah Tolerance is on her own.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Fallen Woman of good family, must soon or late, descend to whoredom".
So is Sarah's future, but she will not accept such as this.
Then to support herself she "creates" herself a job.
A "person of inquiry"..discreetly of course.
This is the first of the Sarah Tolerance mysteries.
I really enjoyed this book!
If anything Sarah the leading character, was what kept me reading.
Not your ordinary kind of woman, she is smart, resourceful and tough.
She'll wear men's breeches, wield a sword and is able to float between social layers to unearth secrets.
A good mystery with humour and a touch of romance.
It is also chock full of of political intrigue, with an interesting historical backdrop giving some insight to what it would have been like as a woman on your own in England in the early 1800's.
A not to miss book for fans of a "Jane Austen style" with a dash of romance, mystery and suspense. It also had an ending I wasn't expecting, but glad it turned out that way as Sarah is a Heroine you wont forget.
I haven't yet read the next two, and now I am looking forward to doing so!
May 4, 2018
This is not Heyer's Regency England. Or Jane Austen's. But then, the author makes her distinctive flavor clear from the start and does so with a firm hand born of confidence with her material. Indeed, categorizing the book is difficult because at heart it is a mystery novel but with an alternate-historical twist. Some of the historical changes allow the heroine more freedom than a woman of the time period might reasonably have had.
But some of it seems simply arbitrary in order to explore interesting "what if..." scenarios. What if the Prince of Wales had openly married his catholic love and found himself removed from the line of succession? What if George III never recovered from his first bout of madness and Charlotte had been regent since 1788? These details influence the plot in important ways (which has heavy political overtones based on reinstating the Prince of Wales—something he wouldn't have needed in our historical timeline), but also lend a sense of surreality to the story that, I think, ended up enhancing my enjoyment of it (but may be a deterrent to others).
The heroine, Sarah Tolerance—a name chosen by her after returning from the disgrace of having run off with a man—has decided not to pursue the occupation believed to be the sole choice for fallen women (uh, that'd be courtesan and/or whore). Given her inquisitive nature and training with smallsword (she fell in love with her swordmaster after arranging private lessons for herself) she has carved out a niche as an agent of inquiry. The book begins with her career just starting to gain enough momentum to feel like she may make a success of it, after all. If she can avoid being coopted by the dashing Count Verseillon or killed by his adversaries.
The book has a good pace and enough action to invoke more Magnum P.I. than Hercule Poirot or Ms. Marple. I like Miss Temperance quite a lot and her determination to live with what she can't quite bring herself to call the mistakes of her past. She's realistic rather than bitter with the hand she has been dealt and while she struggles with the culture she's also not above manipulating it to her own ends.
So I liked it as a fair mystery novel in a setting I enjoy. Now if only someone would explain to the illustrator that a smallsword is a variant on the French rapier and not at all the same as a shortsword...
But some of it seems simply arbitrary in order to explore interesting "what if..." scenarios. What if the Prince of Wales had openly married his catholic love and found himself removed from the line of succession? What if George III never recovered from his first bout of madness and Charlotte had been regent since 1788? These details influence the plot in important ways (which has heavy political overtones based on reinstating the Prince of Wales—something he wouldn't have needed in our historical timeline), but also lend a sense of surreality to the story that, I think, ended up enhancing my enjoyment of it (but may be a deterrent to others).
The heroine, Sarah Tolerance—a name chosen by her after returning from the disgrace of having run off with a man—has decided not to pursue the occupation believed to be the sole choice for fallen women (uh, that'd be courtesan and/or whore). Given her inquisitive nature and training with smallsword (she fell in love with her swordmaster after arranging private lessons for herself) she has carved out a niche as an agent of inquiry. The book begins with her career just starting to gain enough momentum to feel like she may make a success of it, after all. If she can avoid being coopted by the dashing Count Verseillon or killed by his adversaries.
The book has a good pace and enough action to invoke more Magnum P.I. than Hercule Poirot or Ms. Marple. I like Miss Temperance quite a lot and her determination to live with what she can't quite bring herself to call the mistakes of her past. She's realistic rather than bitter with the hand she has been dealt and while she struggles with the culture she's also not above manipulating it to her own ends.
So I liked it as a fair mystery novel in a setting I enjoy. Now if only someone would explain to the illustrator that a smallsword is a variant on the French rapier and not at all the same as a shortsword...
Read
February 10, 2017Robins skillfully lets the reader know right away that this is not quite the Regency England we know (and has become such a cliche in the romance novel world); 'Prinny' is not the Regent for Mad King George, his wife is. And in this London, ladies can belong to clubs, where they can sit and read and drink tea, or meet and talk, or just sit and relax. Thus those of us who read a lot in the period can disengage the custom and language filters that we can't help forming over the years. So she uses 'about' to mean 'concerning' and not 'physically bounding something'—and 'bespoke' to mean 'observed' instead of 'ordered or requested'. In this parallel world, little variations like that are convincing, not distracting; meanwhile, the writing is tough, strong, supple, and blessedly free of unthinking Heyer idiom.
The story itself? Miss Sarah Tolerance is a fallen woman, who ran off with her fencing master. He died—and she's back, but Society, of course, will not condone one widowed only by the heart. Instead of taking up prostitution, as had her aunt, who gives her a home, Sarah becomes an agent of inquiry, and has a modest business going when a young, supercilious lord comes to her with the prospect of a job, on behalf of someone else.
The job is to recover a fan that a lady of ill repute was given by the mystery client's father…not, one would think, a job that would trigger off a series of murders—and attacks on Miss Tolerance, who is quite adept with a sword, thank you. Highwaymen, whores, lords, dashing battles, and of course the Prince Regent all occur in this wonderfully paced, wryly and well told tale. And oh yes, there is a very handsome lord…but I defy anyone to guess the ending.
The story itself? Miss Sarah Tolerance is a fallen woman, who ran off with her fencing master. He died—and she's back, but Society, of course, will not condone one widowed only by the heart. Instead of taking up prostitution, as had her aunt, who gives her a home, Sarah becomes an agent of inquiry, and has a modest business going when a young, supercilious lord comes to her with the prospect of a job, on behalf of someone else.
The job is to recover a fan that a lady of ill repute was given by the mystery client's father…not, one would think, a job that would trigger off a series of murders—and attacks on Miss Tolerance, who is quite adept with a sword, thank you. Highwaymen, whores, lords, dashing battles, and of course the Prince Regent all occur in this wonderfully paced, wryly and well told tale. And oh yes, there is a very handsome lord…but I defy anyone to guess the ending.
January 18, 2019
Do you like reading about heroines carving out life on their own terms? Then you will likely enjoy this novel. The author does a fantastic job of walking that fine line between creating a character that modern day readers will admire and yet fitting her into the strictures of her time and place in history.
Sarah Tolerance inhabits a corner of the Regency world that those of us who came into the Regency via Romlandia rarely see. As a teenager, she eloped to the Continent with her brother's fencing instructor. The two were apparently happy together but after her lover's death, Sarah has returned to England, where she now lives in a cottage behind her aunt's high-end(and very successful) brothel. Needless to say, both Sarah and her aunt have been completely cast out of the family.
Sarah ekes out her living as a private investigator of sorts, with clients who are primarily women in search of discreet inquiries. However, Sarah is good at what she does and as this book opens, her talents draw a different sort of client. A gentleman acting on behalf of a mysterious employer wants for Sarah to recover a certain fan once gifted by an earl to his mistress.
The mystery of the fan and the many twists and turns that Sarah follows through various layers of English society take the reader on a fascinating journey. Not much is what it seems with regard to the mystery plot, and I loved the constant revelations that slipped out little by little throughout the story.
However, best of all is the worldbuilding in this story. The author has definitely done her homework, and while she takes liberties with the actual history of the time period (1810s), she knows enough to explain to readers where her version of history varies from the actual record. Through Sarah, we get glimpses into many corners of Regency society. The darker side of what happened to women who lost their reputation for chaste behavior was particularly sobering. It would be hard to read a book like this and then dive into a Regency romp featuring a heroine who wants to have a fling just for fun(or rebellion.) Sarah's life as a fallen woman in this society is not easy, but the ways in which she maneuvers through the rules of her world garners respect.
While I wish Sarah had spent less time reminding everyone she encounters of her fallen status, I otherwise greatly enjoyed this book. It's a fascinating read, and I will definitely be searching out the sequel.
Sarah Tolerance inhabits a corner of the Regency world that those of us who came into the Regency via Romlandia rarely see. As a teenager, she eloped to the Continent with her brother's fencing instructor. The two were apparently happy together but after her lover's death, Sarah has returned to England, where she now lives in a cottage behind her aunt's high-end(and very successful) brothel. Needless to say, both Sarah and her aunt have been completely cast out of the family.
Sarah ekes out her living as a private investigator of sorts, with clients who are primarily women in search of discreet inquiries. However, Sarah is good at what she does and as this book opens, her talents draw a different sort of client. A gentleman acting on behalf of a mysterious employer wants for Sarah to recover a certain fan once gifted by an earl to his mistress.
The mystery of the fan and the many twists and turns that Sarah follows through various layers of English society take the reader on a fascinating journey. Not much is what it seems with regard to the mystery plot, and I loved the constant revelations that slipped out little by little throughout the story.
However, best of all is the worldbuilding in this story. The author has definitely done her homework, and while she takes liberties with the actual history of the time period (1810s), she knows enough to explain to readers where her version of history varies from the actual record. Through Sarah, we get glimpses into many corners of Regency society. The darker side of what happened to women who lost their reputation for chaste behavior was particularly sobering. It would be hard to read a book like this and then dive into a Regency romp featuring a heroine who wants to have a fling just for fun(or rebellion.) Sarah's life as a fallen woman in this society is not easy, but the ways in which she maneuvers through the rules of her world garners respect.
While I wish Sarah had spent less time reminding everyone she encounters of her fallen status, I otherwise greatly enjoyed this book. It's a fascinating read, and I will definitely be searching out the sequel.
August 13, 2007
I've been looking for a copy of this book since I first read a preview chapter online, several years ago. After such a long delay, the risk of disappointment is high, but this book met my expectations. Point of Honour is a period piece set in a period that never existed: Regency England where Queen Charlotte, not the Prince, was Regent.
Our Heroine is Sarah Tolerance, called Miss Tolerance throughout the book, a woman whose reputation has been ruined, and is therefore fit, according to society, for nothing but exchanging sex for money and a man's protection. Miss Tolerance, however, sets herself up as an 'investigative agent', relying on her wits, her discretion, and her short-sword to earn her living in the world, even though she faces pressure from everyone, men and women, to succumb to the pull of society's expectations.
The book is an enjoyable read. Miss Tolerance is a compelling character, smart, but shaped by the attitudes of her time period, even those attitudes she struggles against. The mystery intrigued me, and Robins played fair with it, leaving me with the same clues she gave Miss Tolerance (who solved it before me.) There was a romantic sub-plot which I enjoyed because it was presented as a complex, and far from idyllic interlude; I especially liked that becoming involved with a man in a higher social class did not simplify Miss Tolerance's situation, but rather complicated it. Most readers are probably familiar with the tendency for romantic involvement with a rich man to be both the heroine's aim, and the solution to her problems. Without spoiling the novel, I will say that that was not this case in this book. I also liked watching Miss Tolerance come up against her prejudices. She doesn't reform herself for the education of the reader, but she's capable of critical self-reflection.
My one problem with this book is not a problem with the book per se, but its contribution to a trend. While I was pleased to see fully realized gay characters in this book, and acknowledgement of the existence of and dangers faced by gay men and women in Regency England, I would have been happier still if Robins had not ended up reinforced the pattern of gay characters ending up either evil, or dead.
Our Heroine is Sarah Tolerance, called Miss Tolerance throughout the book, a woman whose reputation has been ruined, and is therefore fit, according to society, for nothing but exchanging sex for money and a man's protection. Miss Tolerance, however, sets herself up as an 'investigative agent', relying on her wits, her discretion, and her short-sword to earn her living in the world, even though she faces pressure from everyone, men and women, to succumb to the pull of society's expectations.
The book is an enjoyable read. Miss Tolerance is a compelling character, smart, but shaped by the attitudes of her time period, even those attitudes she struggles against. The mystery intrigued me, and Robins played fair with it, leaving me with the same clues she gave Miss Tolerance (who solved it before me.) There was a romantic sub-plot which I enjoyed because it was presented as a complex, and far from idyllic interlude; I especially liked that becoming involved with a man in a higher social class did not simplify Miss Tolerance's situation, but rather complicated it. Most readers are probably familiar with the tendency for romantic involvement with a rich man to be both the heroine's aim, and the solution to her problems. Without spoiling the novel, I will say that that was not this case in this book. I also liked watching Miss Tolerance come up against her prejudices. She doesn't reform herself for the education of the reader, but she's capable of critical self-reflection.
My one problem with this book is not a problem with the book per se, but its contribution to a trend. While I was pleased to see fully realized gay characters in this book, and acknowledgement of the existence of and dangers faced by gay men and women in Regency England, I would have been happier still if Robins had not ended up reinforced the pattern of gay characters ending up either evil, or dead.
April 12, 2012
4.5/5; 5 stars; A
This book was recommended to me by my GR friend, Werner, who manages one of the groups I belong to, Action Heroine Fans. I loved the protagonist in this story, Sarah Tolerance, and she is definitely a worthy character for the Action Heroine Fans to admire! I really enjoyed this book, even despite that fact that I've been resistant to reading historical fiction in recent months. Once I got going on the story, the characters really pulled me and kept me there, for the duration.
Many other reviewers have talked about the plot and story line so I won't say much there. I will just mention, in passing, the mystery and intrigue were engaging throughout the book and comprised a solid regency era detective story. What impacted me more in the book was the people and the sense of 'the time', from a female perspective. I felt a great deal of admiration for the fortitude and character displayed by Sarah Tolerance, in making her way in a world that was completely hostile to any female falling outside the accepted roles for females (limited as they were to married woman, respectable daughter, tradesperson/apprentice/servant/, or whore). The other characters were well drawn and seemed realistic.
This heroine has her share of courage, ingenuity, humility and kindness.
I am definitely going to read the other two books in this series.
This book was recommended to me by my GR friend, Werner, who manages one of the groups I belong to, Action Heroine Fans. I loved the protagonist in this story, Sarah Tolerance, and she is definitely a worthy character for the Action Heroine Fans to admire! I really enjoyed this book, even despite that fact that I've been resistant to reading historical fiction in recent months. Once I got going on the story, the characters really pulled me and kept me there, for the duration.
Many other reviewers have talked about the plot and story line so I won't say much there. I will just mention, in passing, the mystery and intrigue were engaging throughout the book and comprised a solid regency era detective story. What impacted me more in the book was the people and the sense of 'the time', from a female perspective. I felt a great deal of admiration for the fortitude and character displayed by Sarah Tolerance, in making her way in a world that was completely hostile to any female falling outside the accepted roles for females (limited as they were to married woman, respectable daughter, tradesperson/apprentice/servant/, or whore). The other characters were well drawn and seemed realistic.
This heroine has her share of courage, ingenuity, humility and kindness.
I am definitely going to read the other two books in this series.
November 20, 2009
Oh, this was great fun.
Imagine a Regency detective novel. Imagine a Regency detective novel with a 'fallen woman' (Think Lydia Bennet if they hadn't paid Wickham to marry her.) as the private investigator. Imagine a Regency detective novel, with a 'fallen woman' private investigator who is physically courageous and well trained with a sword!
Of course this has to be an alternate history Regency period. Queen Charlotte is the regent here; the heroine's penchant for dressing as a man, sword and all, is merely frowned upon and much of the action takes place in or around houses of prostitution. There's a clever murder mystery, political intrigue, appealing characters, high-born and low, and a dash of romance to spice it all.
Very clever! Here's the opening paragraph.
Imagine a Regency detective novel. Imagine a Regency detective novel with a 'fallen woman' (Think Lydia Bennet if they hadn't paid Wickham to marry her.) as the private investigator. Imagine a Regency detective novel, with a 'fallen woman' private investigator who is physically courageous and well trained with a sword!
Of course this has to be an alternate history Regency period. Queen Charlotte is the regent here; the heroine's penchant for dressing as a man, sword and all, is merely frowned upon and much of the action takes place in or around houses of prostitution. There's a clever murder mystery, political intrigue, appealing characters, high-born and low, and a dash of romance to spice it all.
Very clever! Here's the opening paragraph.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Fallen Woman of good family must, soon or late, descend to whoredom. Indeed, a maidservant or seamstress might eke out her wages with casual prostitution, but a gentlewoman of damaged virtue is often so lacking in resources that dedicated harlotry is her necessary fate. The lower classes certainly provide the greatest numbers, but it is from the ranks of the gentle and nobly born that such courtesans come as understand not only the coarse principles of pleasure, but the nicer distinctions of rank and precedent, and the proper service of tea. The brothel is the lone institution in which persons of every rank mix, and there is no doubt a particular frisson for men in consorting with women better born than they, defiling the edifice of class in the pursuit of pleasure.
July 30, 2017
This is a mild Regency mystery novel, not enlivened very much even by the prostitution and murder around which the plot revolves.
I like a Regency setting, and I don’t even mind if the history has been altered a little; for instance, in this story Queen Charlotte is serving as regent for her husband the mad king, rather than the Prince of Wales. I’m not sure why the author bothered, though, as the alterations add little except confusion to the story. Nothing happens in this novel that couldn’t have happened in the true historical setting.
I liked the protagonist, Miss Tolerance well enough, but she seems emotionally distant. Not much fazes her: not the shenanigans at the brothel she lives behind; not the dead bodies she finds in the course of solving this mystery; and not the reveals at the end regarding people close to her.
I was unconvinced by her proficiency with the sword. The action scenes in general are weak - for instance, I can see Miss Tolerance holding a thug at knifepoint, but I cannot see her managing to swiftly tie him up in this situation.
I like a Regency setting, and I don’t even mind if the history has been altered a little; for instance, in this story Queen Charlotte is serving as regent for her husband the mad king, rather than the Prince of Wales. I’m not sure why the author bothered, though, as the alterations add little except confusion to the story. Nothing happens in this novel that couldn’t have happened in the true historical setting.
I liked the protagonist, Miss Tolerance well enough, but she seems emotionally distant. Not much fazes her: not the shenanigans at the brothel she lives behind; not the dead bodies she finds in the course of solving this mystery; and not the reveals at the end regarding people close to her.
I was unconvinced by her proficiency with the sword. The action scenes in general are weak - for instance, I can see Miss Tolerance holding a thug at knifepoint, but I cannot see her managing to swiftly tie him up in this situation.
Want to read
May 4, 2020Enthusiastic reco by Dana Stabenow, at her website:
"Miss Sarah Tolerance elopes with her brother’s fencing instructor from Regency England to the continent, and when he dies returns home. Cast off by her family, she determines to make her way in the world without falling into prostitution, the usual fallback of the Fallen Woman, and instead sets herself up as an Agent of Inquiry. Setting, plot and especially character are all excellent. Trust me, you will believe a woman can be a PI in England in 1810.
[N.B.: she gave a much more lengthy review of the third in series here on Goodreads]
It annoys me beyond expression (in civil terms, at least) that this series has not received more attention and a larger readership. Point of Honor, Petty Treason, and The Sleeping Partner are all available on Kindle, and you won’t find better company anywhere in crime fiction. "
"Miss Sarah Tolerance elopes with her brother’s fencing instructor from Regency England to the continent, and when he dies returns home. Cast off by her family, she determines to make her way in the world without falling into prostitution, the usual fallback of the Fallen Woman, and instead sets herself up as an Agent of Inquiry. Setting, plot and especially character are all excellent. Trust me, you will believe a woman can be a PI in England in 1810.
[N.B.: she gave a much more lengthy review of the third in series here on Goodreads]
It annoys me beyond expression (in civil terms, at least) that this series has not received more attention and a larger readership. Point of Honor, Petty Treason, and The Sleeping Partner are all available on Kindle, and you won’t find better company anywhere in crime fiction. "
January 22, 2012
3 ¾ Stars
Yeah!! What a fun, kick-butt heroine. For full disclosure, I feel that I should admit that part of the reason I've fallen so hard for this series and this character is that, when I started reading it ,I had just come off of plowing through Perdido Street Station. Diving into something that seemed so sweetly genre driven and straight forward was a welcome relief. Even still, Sarah Tolerance is a great character that is mature, accessible, and best of all.... wait for it..... has mad, mad sword fighting skills.
I did call this a “genre” novel, and sometimes, that can imply (unfairly) that the book is a guilty pleasure – trashy writing for the lowest common denominator. Not really so with this book. If anything, I would call this book an incredibly well thought out and well written potpourri of several different styles. There is the romancey element. But it's not trashy or graphic – really – it's thoughtful, tasteful, grownup romance. The heroine, refreshingly, is not a wide eyed innocent with whom we have to endure the obligatory, unrealistic, soft porn, loss of the maiden head scene. Sarah is not a virgin – the horror – she is already a ruined woman when the novel opens who has found a unique way to earn her keep in Regency England without having to become a prostitute or a penitent spinster. She is basically a private detective. I wish Robins would have given more background about Sarah's relationship with her deceased lover who basically became her common law husband for 7 years – maybe in the next book.
There is also a little alternate history going on here. The author cleverly twitches British history a bit to create a Regency style world where a woman like Sarah Tolerance could realistically exist and operate outside the bounds of polite society.
There is also murder mystery and a lot of action adventure going on. I like how Robins gives Sarah a practical and realistic survival skill set with which to be a murder-solving, action loving, adventuress. Sarah uses her intelligence and her skills as a fencer to save her butt. The detail with which Robins describes Sarah's fencing aptitude and Sherlock Holmes knack for deduction makes it seem at least plausible that Sarah would be able to travel through the seedier parts of 19th century London without getting the pea soup kicked out of her. She is a heroine you would definitely not want to misjudge on a darkened street corner, but there was no over reliance on coincidence, fate, male/ supernatural intervention, magic, or psychic abilities – just a woman real handy with a sword.
I was ¾ of the way through this book and the book seemed to me a solid 3 stars. The book was hitting all the usual, perfunctory notes for this type of book. There was a romance with the slightly bad boy politician. - check. There was a relationship with an older, maternal figure type aunt (who also just happens to be the madame of a high priced brothel) who gives unwanted advice and unconditional support – check. There was the “I'm really a good girl” smugness and preachiness from our main character who, despite her ruined status, is always loudly proclaiming the fact that she is not a prostitute (this is to make sure we know that she is a woman ahead of her time – she is experienced but not slutty) – check. All the right notes are hit so that the reader stays with the heroine – everything falls quite nicely into the well worn grooves of convention. But Robins does a couple of unexpected things with the plot and the romance and the relationships – just nudges things a couple of degrees off course – so that the whole novel is shaken loose from the well worn ruts of genre. Things don't turn out how you think they should – or how the rules of the genre would necessarily dictate. The characters prove to be much more complex and – well – realistic then you would expect – and this was a very welcome surprise (hence the extra ¾ of a star).
I won't go into too much of the unexpected turn of events of the romance or the aunt relationship – I don't want to reveal any spoilers. But the whole thing with the prostitution....it appears ,at first, that Sarah and her vehement protests that she is not a prostitute is just doing the same vaguely hypocritical thing that all of the conventional, sexually active, historical romance heroines who are all just societally misrepresented goody good girls would do in a similar situation. Right at the ¾ mark of the book I was starting to get a little perturbed with our heroine – I felt she was protesting too much – coming off as slightly snooty and judgmental with regards to the women she lived with and called friends (her home and offices were on the grounds of her aunt's brothel). Just as I was starting to severely unlike my new favorite action, adventuress, a turn of events reveals to the reader the real reasons behind Sarah's emphatic protests. Sarah's ire and indignation are not because she sees herself as being better than or more virtuous than a whore, but that she is so frustrated at the lack of choices in her life as a functioning and participating member of society – and yes, a sexually active member of her society. In the Regency period, the sexual life of a man, for the most part, was his own business and up to his own discretion. His sexual life had very little effect on his business or social life. For a woman, it was the age old extremes of Madonna, whore, or spinster. Your sexual life spoke to everything about your life in society. Sarah isn't railing against the sting of the gossip about her sexual promiscuity; she is railing against the fact that she can not live her sexual life separate from her professional or social life– well – like a man can.
Even today, there is no real male equivalent for spinster or whore – those very undesirable incarnations of womanhood. An unmarried man has the very flattering moniker of bachelor. And a promiscuous man is tolerated with a smile and a wink Even today, a promiscuous man may be called a male whore or a slut but it is more of a teasing remark and lacks the sting and derision of the same comment to a woman. And Sarah understands just how tenuous her little sliver of off the beaten path social acceptance really is– this little corner of ruined adventuress that she has cleaved out for herself. Her position is really very fragile despite the strength of choices that it allows her to make .
A fun, and in the end, a very thoughtful read. I'm definitely going to hunt down the rest in the series.
Yeah!! What a fun, kick-butt heroine. For full disclosure, I feel that I should admit that part of the reason I've fallen so hard for this series and this character is that, when I started reading it ,I had just come off of plowing through Perdido Street Station. Diving into something that seemed so sweetly genre driven and straight forward was a welcome relief. Even still, Sarah Tolerance is a great character that is mature, accessible, and best of all.... wait for it..... has mad, mad sword fighting skills.
I did call this a “genre” novel, and sometimes, that can imply (unfairly) that the book is a guilty pleasure – trashy writing for the lowest common denominator. Not really so with this book. If anything, I would call this book an incredibly well thought out and well written potpourri of several different styles. There is the romancey element. But it's not trashy or graphic – really – it's thoughtful, tasteful, grownup romance. The heroine, refreshingly, is not a wide eyed innocent with whom we have to endure the obligatory, unrealistic, soft porn, loss of the maiden head scene. Sarah is not a virgin – the horror – she is already a ruined woman when the novel opens who has found a unique way to earn her keep in Regency England without having to become a prostitute or a penitent spinster. She is basically a private detective. I wish Robins would have given more background about Sarah's relationship with her deceased lover who basically became her common law husband for 7 years – maybe in the next book.
There is also a little alternate history going on here. The author cleverly twitches British history a bit to create a Regency style world where a woman like Sarah Tolerance could realistically exist and operate outside the bounds of polite society.
There is also murder mystery and a lot of action adventure going on. I like how Robins gives Sarah a practical and realistic survival skill set with which to be a murder-solving, action loving, adventuress. Sarah uses her intelligence and her skills as a fencer to save her butt. The detail with which Robins describes Sarah's fencing aptitude and Sherlock Holmes knack for deduction makes it seem at least plausible that Sarah would be able to travel through the seedier parts of 19th century London without getting the pea soup kicked out of her. She is a heroine you would definitely not want to misjudge on a darkened street corner, but there was no over reliance on coincidence, fate, male/ supernatural intervention, magic, or psychic abilities – just a woman real handy with a sword.
I was ¾ of the way through this book and the book seemed to me a solid 3 stars. The book was hitting all the usual, perfunctory notes for this type of book. There was a romance with the slightly bad boy politician. - check. There was a relationship with an older, maternal figure type aunt (who also just happens to be the madame of a high priced brothel) who gives unwanted advice and unconditional support – check. There was the “I'm really a good girl” smugness and preachiness from our main character who, despite her ruined status, is always loudly proclaiming the fact that she is not a prostitute (this is to make sure we know that she is a woman ahead of her time – she is experienced but not slutty) – check. All the right notes are hit so that the reader stays with the heroine – everything falls quite nicely into the well worn grooves of convention. But Robins does a couple of unexpected things with the plot and the romance and the relationships – just nudges things a couple of degrees off course – so that the whole novel is shaken loose from the well worn ruts of genre. Things don't turn out how you think they should – or how the rules of the genre would necessarily dictate. The characters prove to be much more complex and – well – realistic then you would expect – and this was a very welcome surprise (hence the extra ¾ of a star).
I won't go into too much of the unexpected turn of events of the romance or the aunt relationship – I don't want to reveal any spoilers. But the whole thing with the prostitution....it appears ,at first, that Sarah and her vehement protests that she is not a prostitute is just doing the same vaguely hypocritical thing that all of the conventional, sexually active, historical romance heroines who are all just societally misrepresented goody good girls would do in a similar situation. Right at the ¾ mark of the book I was starting to get a little perturbed with our heroine – I felt she was protesting too much – coming off as slightly snooty and judgmental with regards to the women she lived with and called friends (her home and offices were on the grounds of her aunt's brothel). Just as I was starting to severely unlike my new favorite action, adventuress, a turn of events reveals to the reader the real reasons behind Sarah's emphatic protests. Sarah's ire and indignation are not because she sees herself as being better than or more virtuous than a whore, but that she is so frustrated at the lack of choices in her life as a functioning and participating member of society – and yes, a sexually active member of her society. In the Regency period, the sexual life of a man, for the most part, was his own business and up to his own discretion. His sexual life had very little effect on his business or social life. For a woman, it was the age old extremes of Madonna, whore, or spinster. Your sexual life spoke to everything about your life in society. Sarah isn't railing against the sting of the gossip about her sexual promiscuity; she is railing against the fact that she can not live her sexual life separate from her professional or social life– well – like a man can.
Even today, there is no real male equivalent for spinster or whore – those very undesirable incarnations of womanhood. An unmarried man has the very flattering moniker of bachelor. And a promiscuous man is tolerated with a smile and a wink Even today, a promiscuous man may be called a male whore or a slut but it is more of a teasing remark and lacks the sting and derision of the same comment to a woman. And Sarah understands just how tenuous her little sliver of off the beaten path social acceptance really is– this little corner of ruined adventuress that she has cleaved out for herself. Her position is really very fragile despite the strength of choices that it allows her to make .
A fun, and in the end, a very thoughtful read. I'm definitely going to hunt down the rest in the series.
August 7, 2011
My mother sent me to the library on her behalf to find some books she'd been wanting to read, and while browsing the shelves, this one caught my eye. So I checked it out for myself.
This book is not one that can be easily classified. It has romantic elements, but it's not a romance. And while it is a historical novel--set in Regency Era London--it's not quite the same Regency that happened historically, so then you have to add in a touch of fantasy as well. It's also reminiscent of a hardboiled crime novel, so toss in a dash of Noir. Oh...and don't forget the pinch of swashbuckling adventure and the lightest sprinkling of political thriller. Mix these all up with a compelling mystery and you have quite the fun romp. I quite thoroughly enjoyed it.
Sarah Tolerance is one of The Fallen, a gently bred woman whose reputation had been ruined. As a young woman she fell in love with and then ran away with her brother's (and in secret, her own) fencing instructor. Returning to London many years later after the death of her lover, it was assumed by practically everyone that Sarah--disowned by her family--would naturally take up the only profession left available to gently bred women who found themselves 'ruined'...that of prostitution.
Oh, but no...not so fast. Sarah eschews societies' conventions and refuses to become a prostitute...much to the chagrin of her Aunt, a notorious madam whose brothel Sarah resides behind. Instead she sets herself up as a rather successful 'agent of inquiry,' or what we call a private detective. As we come into the story, Sarah has been at her current occupation for some time now.
She is hired by the Earl of Versellion to track down and retrieve a fan his father gave to a paramour many years ago. What seems to be a simple job soon becomes something much bigger and much more complicated than Sarah ever could have imagined.
Before I go further, I mentioned above that this novel is set in a Regency Era that is similar to, but not the same as the real life historical Regency. For one, Queen Charlotte and not the Prince of Wales has been named Regent for the ailing King George. This alternate Regency allows the author to play a little fast and loose with history while keeping most of the social mores and strictures of the time in tact. So...if you're unable to overlook the historical inaccuracies, this may not be the book for you.
Moving on...I found Sarah to be quite a refreshing Regency heroine. She's tough, yet vulnerable; genteel, yet can flip the switch to kick-ass at a moment's notice; due to her love affair with a fencing master, she's quite handy with a sword. For the most part she did not need a man to rush in and save her. In fact she pulled Versellion's bacon out of the fire more than once.
This book does have romantic elements as I mentioned above, but it does not have what could be termed as a standard HEA. For this I am glad because...
That being said...I do believe the author has planted the seeds for something to happen on the romantic front for Sarah later down the road.
I was also quite enchanted by the writing style.
I'm so glad I checked out the second book in the series when I got this one. I can't wait to dive into it. If I like it as much as I liked this one, I will add both to my home collection.
I'm also glad to find out that--according to the author's website--there is to be a third book in this series released later this year.
This book is not one that can be easily classified. It has romantic elements, but it's not a romance. And while it is a historical novel--set in Regency Era London--it's not quite the same Regency that happened historically, so then you have to add in a touch of fantasy as well. It's also reminiscent of a hardboiled crime novel, so toss in a dash of Noir. Oh...and don't forget the pinch of swashbuckling adventure and the lightest sprinkling of political thriller. Mix these all up with a compelling mystery and you have quite the fun romp. I quite thoroughly enjoyed it.
Sarah Tolerance is one of The Fallen, a gently bred woman whose reputation had been ruined. As a young woman she fell in love with and then ran away with her brother's (and in secret, her own) fencing instructor. Returning to London many years later after the death of her lover, it was assumed by practically everyone that Sarah--disowned by her family--would naturally take up the only profession left available to gently bred women who found themselves 'ruined'...that of prostitution.
Oh, but no...not so fast. Sarah eschews societies' conventions and refuses to become a prostitute...much to the chagrin of her Aunt, a notorious madam whose brothel Sarah resides behind. Instead she sets herself up as a rather successful 'agent of inquiry,' or what we call a private detective. As we come into the story, Sarah has been at her current occupation for some time now.
She is hired by the Earl of Versellion to track down and retrieve a fan his father gave to a paramour many years ago. What seems to be a simple job soon becomes something much bigger and much more complicated than Sarah ever could have imagined.
Before I go further, I mentioned above that this novel is set in a Regency Era that is similar to, but not the same as the real life historical Regency. For one, Queen Charlotte and not the Prince of Wales has been named Regent for the ailing King George. This alternate Regency allows the author to play a little fast and loose with history while keeping most of the social mores and strictures of the time in tact. So...if you're unable to overlook the historical inaccuracies, this may not be the book for you.
Moving on...I found Sarah to be quite a refreshing Regency heroine. She's tough, yet vulnerable; genteel, yet can flip the switch to kick-ass at a moment's notice; due to her love affair with a fencing master, she's quite handy with a sword. For the most part she did not need a man to rush in and save her. In fact she pulled Versellion's bacon out of the fire more than once.
This book does have romantic elements as I mentioned above, but it does not have what could be termed as a standard HEA. For this I am glad because...
That being said...I do believe the author has planted the seeds for something to happen on the romantic front for Sarah later down the road.
I was also quite enchanted by the writing style.
I'm so glad I checked out the second book in the series when I got this one. I can't wait to dive into it. If I like it as much as I liked this one, I will add both to my home collection.
I'm also glad to find out that--according to the author's website--there is to be a third book in this series released later this year.
November 7, 2011
This is a historical mystery novel set in a Regency London that isn't quite our own. I suppose technically this is fantasy, because the history is a slightly altered one (Queen Charlotte is Regent, rather than Prince George), but it contains no magical or fantastical elements other than that. The mystery is intriguing, with a nicely unexpected twist at the end, and the language and milieu are convincing, as is the main character, a fallen woman named Sarah Tolerance who chose to become a private investigator (or "inquiry agent") rather than a prostitute. Quite enjoyable, and I hope it will turn into a series (ETA: yes, there is a sequel, Petty Treason).
January 30, 2017
A fabulous mix of real-history and alternative-history. This is a mystery set in Regency england but it's not a romance and isn't all balls and dukes. Wow - what a great character the author has created.
I've just re-read this after a couple of years and loved it just as much this time. Our heroine, Sarah, is a fallen woman attempting to live with scruples and make her way in a world that believes she has no honour, but her honour is more than her virginity even if no one else believes it.
Recommended.
I've just re-read this after a couple of years and loved it just as much this time. Our heroine, Sarah, is a fallen woman attempting to live with scruples and make her way in a world that believes she has no honour, but her honour is more than her virginity even if no one else believes it.
Recommended.
December 3, 2016
Loved the characters (particularly the secondary characters), interesting plot, and some cool surprise twists in this book.
The AU historical details pulled me out of the story and were distracting. I think it would have been much better to just use the actually historical timeline and facts or change the history significantly. The small changes just came across as wrong and didn't add anything to the plot.
I plan to try the next book in the series though.
The AU historical details pulled me out of the story and were distracting. I think it would have been much better to just use the actually historical timeline and facts or change the history significantly. The small changes just came across as wrong and didn't add anything to the plot.
I plan to try the next book in the series though.
April 11, 2008
A hard-boiled Regency. A marvelous swashbuckling heroine, Sarah Tolerance. Yes, there is a slightly altered British history, but the language is fresh and tart, the manners exquisite. The author lays gratitude at the feet of both Jane Austen and Dashiell Hammett. Brava.
December 19, 2013
Gosh, what a fun ride! A Regency adventure novel, in a very slightly different England. All the surprises and hairpin turns of plot are built in at the end, which means you should not read this book in bed. I had to stay up way too late to finish it.
August 1, 2016
Excellent. This had an unpredictable mystery and a truly intriguing heroine that I wouldn't mind reading about again.
July 1, 2017
An enjoyable cross between a (not quite) Regency Romance and detective novel. In this alt-Regency, Queen Charlotte - by all accounts an extremely well-read and intelligent lady - was given the regency instead of Wales who has been removed from the succession on account of marrying a Catholic and having children with her. Other than that the main trappings of 18th/19th C London remain the same, with a similar fate awaiting any girl 'ruined' before marriage.
Sarah eloped with her brother's sword master, returning to London upon his death older, wiser, and very proficient with the sword and unarmed combat. Unwilling to seek a protector she ekes out a living performing small acts of inquiry whilst living in a mews cottage at her aunt's brothel.
I liked Sarah as a character and her determination to have a career outside of prostitution, exposing the hypocrisy of regency attitudes towards women. The hunt for the Italian Fan is also quite engrossing. 3.5 stars.
Sarah eloped with her brother's sword master, returning to London upon his death older, wiser, and very proficient with the sword and unarmed combat. Unwilling to seek a protector she ekes out a living performing small acts of inquiry whilst living in a mews cottage at her aunt's brothel.
I liked Sarah as a character and her determination to have a career outside of prostitution, exposing the hypocrisy of regency attitudes towards women. The hunt for the Italian Fan is also quite engrossing. 3.5 stars.
March 17, 2018
I *thoroughly* enjoyed this. Sarah is an engaging and practical heroine, not infallible, beautifully human, and the world created around her is fascinating. Alternate history Regency period with a Queen Regent and set firmly in the world of Fallen Women, allowed insight into more Respectable Society by Sarah's investigative work, and Sarah gets to have friends, be good at fighting, wear clothing of her choice and make her own choices to make her own place in the world. (And there are times when the reader is allowed to have a greater understanding of the mystery than Sarah does, always with good reasons why Sarah wouldn't get that understanding.)
August 8, 2017
Fab alternative-regency, unusual crime with a brilliant heroine and great twist. Sadly there's only three in the series so I will have to restrain myself and not glom all three straight away.
November 15, 2018
I wasn't really into this, or the stiff main character, and guessed one of the mysteries (which I can never normally do)
February 27, 2017
Good fun, but I didn't really see the point of the historical changes. Also the frequent mentions of "warm and humid" and even "hot" made me wonder whether this London wasn't in Florida. I like the character, Sarah.
August 19, 2012
I'm giving this four stars because of how much I like the idea of this book, how all the parts of it are things that I adore and have sought so much in other books like this. I just wish I'd, I don't know, enjoyed the book more? It was three stars' worth of enjoyment, not four. For as much as I really like the heroine, I wasn't particularly engaged by her.
I mean, so much is right. This is a slight AU of Regency England (the king goes mad a bit earlier, the queen is made regent, etc etc fallout etc etc), and it's about a woman of gentle birth who runs away with a swordmaster, lives In Sin with him for many years, and when he dies, she returns to live with her equally fallen aunt, who is a classy madame. Our Heroine, though, establishes herself instead as, well. A consulting detective. Private eye. What have you.
And, oh, there is detecting and politics and lots and lots of thoughts and feelings about women in this society (I don't think there's a single Respectable Woman onscreen for the entire book, a remarkable change), and nothing ever feels guaranteed, and so many of the practical little details that are often skimmed over in novels like this are taken care of, not necessarily made a big deal of, but there. And all the little things that will often make me pause or feel uncomfortable or have to be brushed aside to enjoy the fluffy mystery aren't here, and the mystery is pleasingly involved, and the heroine does not twist herself around and suddenly become someone else just for the sake of romance, and there are so many things I can point to and go, "yes! that thing! I love that thing!"
And it's just. I'm left cold, a little bit. There's very little levity here, and I'm beginning to realize how very much I value laughing, or at least snickering a little bit, or being amused at some point during the course of a story. There are a couple of lighter characters, but their lightness doesn't seem to touch the heart of the story, especially when one of them ends up dead. I just. For as much as this book gave me, I wanted more.
Still, I'm more than willing to pick up the next one. What it did give me was very, very good. Just a little dour.
I mean, so much is right. This is a slight AU of Regency England (the king goes mad a bit earlier, the queen is made regent, etc etc fallout etc etc), and it's about a woman of gentle birth who runs away with a swordmaster, lives In Sin with him for many years, and when he dies, she returns to live with her equally fallen aunt, who is a classy madame. Our Heroine, though, establishes herself instead as, well. A consulting detective. Private eye. What have you.
And, oh, there is detecting and politics and lots and lots of thoughts and feelings about women in this society (I don't think there's a single Respectable Woman onscreen for the entire book, a remarkable change), and nothing ever feels guaranteed, and so many of the practical little details that are often skimmed over in novels like this are taken care of, not necessarily made a big deal of, but there. And all the little things that will often make me pause or feel uncomfortable or have to be brushed aside to enjoy the fluffy mystery aren't here, and the mystery is pleasingly involved, and the heroine does not twist herself around and suddenly become someone else just for the sake of romance, and there are so many things I can point to and go, "yes! that thing! I love that thing!"
And it's just. I'm left cold, a little bit. There's very little levity here, and I'm beginning to realize how very much I value laughing, or at least snickering a little bit, or being amused at some point during the course of a story. There are a couple of lighter characters, but their lightness doesn't seem to touch the heart of the story, especially when one of them ends up dead. I just. For as much as this book gave me, I wanted more.
Still, I'm more than willing to pick up the next one. What it did give me was very, very good. Just a little dour.
June 30, 2011
Recommended for people thirsting for a Regency Noir.
This is an alternative world fantasy, for although it’s during the Regency period of England, it’s Queen Charlotte who is the Regent, not her eldest son – and her poor health leads to a lot of scheming, back stabbing and in-fighting amongst the princes for the role of the next regent.
Officially, our heroine, Sarah Tolerance, deals little with royals. She is a Fallen Woman (and in this history, that’s all most people care about her. She should go be a whore and get out of the sight of decent folk.) What would Elizabeth Barrett have done if she’d fallen in love with a man, left with him – and for reasons both religious and otherwise, they never married? Sarah has no desire to be a whore (even with an aunt who runs a high-class bordello) and seeks another path. She is an agent of inquiry, the only one in London. Lost trinkets, misplaced spouses, adult children needing shepherding? Miss Tolerance can oblige. She is shrewd, intelligent, and quite good with a blade (her paramour was a fencing instructor.) In a strange no-man’s land, Miss Tolerance has carved out a tiny world for herself, and hangs onto her rung with vigor.
This book is truly a mystery, a Regency Noir, if you will. The book is written in a lovely, formal manner that reflects the thought processes of its heroine. The details and depth of this London intrigue give us a much seamier side than Georgette Heyer or Jane Austen ever shared with us. There is romance found and then lost, for Miss Tolerance cannot live, or conceal, a lie. Politics tars each character with the underbelly of life – and the secrets Miss Tolerance seeks, and eventually uncovers, were secrets possibly better left buried.
We are given a very interesting heroine, but one who may be doomed to never again find happiness in this life. Don’t mistake this for a romance, but if you are looking for a mystery of a Regency England that might have been? Ah, then you’ve come to the right place.
This is an alternative world fantasy, for although it’s during the Regency period of England, it’s Queen Charlotte who is the Regent, not her eldest son – and her poor health leads to a lot of scheming, back stabbing and in-fighting amongst the princes for the role of the next regent.
Officially, our heroine, Sarah Tolerance, deals little with royals. She is a Fallen Woman (and in this history, that’s all most people care about her. She should go be a whore and get out of the sight of decent folk.) What would Elizabeth Barrett have done if she’d fallen in love with a man, left with him – and for reasons both religious and otherwise, they never married? Sarah has no desire to be a whore (even with an aunt who runs a high-class bordello) and seeks another path. She is an agent of inquiry, the only one in London. Lost trinkets, misplaced spouses, adult children needing shepherding? Miss Tolerance can oblige. She is shrewd, intelligent, and quite good with a blade (her paramour was a fencing instructor.) In a strange no-man’s land, Miss Tolerance has carved out a tiny world for herself, and hangs onto her rung with vigor.
This book is truly a mystery, a Regency Noir, if you will. The book is written in a lovely, formal manner that reflects the thought processes of its heroine. The details and depth of this London intrigue give us a much seamier side than Georgette Heyer or Jane Austen ever shared with us. There is romance found and then lost, for Miss Tolerance cannot live, or conceal, a lie. Politics tars each character with the underbelly of life – and the secrets Miss Tolerance seeks, and eventually uncovers, were secrets possibly better left buried.
We are given a very interesting heroine, but one who may be doomed to never again find happiness in this life. Don’t mistake this for a romance, but if you are looking for a mystery of a Regency England that might have been? Ah, then you’ve come to the right place.
January 16, 2019
I really loved this book. The author thanks both Jane Austen and Dashiell Hammett in her acknowledgements and you can see how this book is the child of both.
Sarah Tolerance is a great character to bring us through the story. She's smart, tough, and yet not-hard-boiled. She allows herself to feel. And that's a mix we don't get to read about often. The writing plunges you into a sensory feel for Sarah's world, an alternative Regency period. Strong characterizations, a good mystery, and an intriguing man to give Sarah moments of introspection and growth, and this book is a real winner.
Sarah Tolerance is a great character to bring us through the story. She's smart, tough, and yet not-hard-boiled. She allows herself to feel. And that's a mix we don't get to read about often. The writing plunges you into a sensory feel for Sarah's world, an alternative Regency period. Strong characterizations, a good mystery, and an intriguing man to give Sarah moments of introspection and growth, and this book is a real winner.
December 4, 2008
POINT OF HONOR (Hist Mys-Sarah Tolerance-England-1810/Georgian) – Good
Robins, Madeleine E. – 1st in series
Forge, 2003, US Hardcover – ISBN: 031287202X
First Sentence: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Fallen Woman of good family must, soon or late, descend to whoredom.
Sarah Tolerance is a disowned daughter of nobility who now lives in a cottage behind a high-class brothel and who acts as a private inquiry agent. She is hired by Count Verseillon to locate and retrieve an antique fan he’s given to a lady when he was younger. What should be a relatively simple undertaking becomes less so when Sarah is attacked and others die.
For a purely fictional story, this was enjoyable. However, as historical fiction, this is definitely not the book for the historical purist and I was disappointed. The author plays fast and loose with historical facts and social details. Although she acknowledges it, I still found it disruptive.
The story, itself, was quite enjoyable and well plotted. It was a good mystery and there were things I did enjoy about it. There was one incident toward the end I felt was handled in an unlikely way and the romance felt superfluous.
I probably will read another, but more because I already have it rather than because I would now intentionally seek it out and there are other authors I would recommend instead.
Robins, Madeleine E. – 1st in series
Forge, 2003, US Hardcover – ISBN: 031287202X
First Sentence: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Fallen Woman of good family must, soon or late, descend to whoredom.
Sarah Tolerance is a disowned daughter of nobility who now lives in a cottage behind a high-class brothel and who acts as a private inquiry agent. She is hired by Count Verseillon to locate and retrieve an antique fan he’s given to a lady when he was younger. What should be a relatively simple undertaking becomes less so when Sarah is attacked and others die.
For a purely fictional story, this was enjoyable. However, as historical fiction, this is definitely not the book for the historical purist and I was disappointed. The author plays fast and loose with historical facts and social details. Although she acknowledges it, I still found it disruptive.
The story, itself, was quite enjoyable and well plotted. It was a good mystery and there were things I did enjoy about it. There was one incident toward the end I felt was handled in an unlikely way and the romance felt superfluous.
I probably will read another, but more because I already have it rather than because I would now intentionally seek it out and there are other authors I would recommend instead.
March 13, 2016
This book was a bit all over the place for me. Point of Honour is an alternate-history mystery which takes place in an alternate England in 1810. Miss Sarah Tolerance is a "Fallen" woman who was born into elite society but had fallen from high society many years ago. She is now living on her own, making a living as England's only female detective. She is attempting to keep her professional reputation in tact despite society often assuming she is a courtesan or without any morals. An aristocratic client hires Sarah in what initially appears to be a simple case of attaining a lost item but soon layers of the mystery begin to revel a much more complicated story.
This book sounded like such my cup of tea but it ended up being a bit of a mixed bag. At first it started off slow as the writing came off a bit stilted and the alternate history parts felt somewhat strangely thrown in. Despite the writing I began to really like the main character and her voice and the story started to pick up. Then it slowed down some and I began to skim a lot of the book. But then towards the end it picked up again and the ending came out of nowhere and I liked it again. I enjoyed the book I think as a whole but it was difficult to get through.
This book sounded like such my cup of tea but it ended up being a bit of a mixed bag. At first it started off slow as the writing came off a bit stilted and the alternate history parts felt somewhat strangely thrown in. Despite the writing I began to really like the main character and her voice and the story started to pick up. Then it slowed down some and I began to skim a lot of the book. But then towards the end it picked up again and the ending came out of nowhere and I liked it again. I enjoyed the book I think as a whole but it was difficult to get through.
February 11, 2017
It was a Goodreads recommendation that caused me to finally start Point of Honour, the first in the Sarah Tolerance mysteries. It was an obvious choice for me since it was about a woman who knew how to use a sword. I can't resist books about swordswomen. I began reading it on Thanksgiving as a holiday treat that I knew I would enjoy.
The case that Sarah is hired to investigate in this first novel doesn't sound very interesting. She is expected to find a fancy jeweled fan that an Earl had in the past given to his mistress. The case turns out to be far more complicated and dangerous than Sarah had ever imagined. There are a number of swordfighting scenes for readers who are swordplay fans.
Sarah Tolerance is a wonderful character. Her skills, her loyalties and her principles are all tested in this book, but she is spirited, resilient and always a woman of integrity.
Even though there are only two more books to read in the Sarah Tolerance series, I think that this protagonist is going to be a new favorite of mine. Perhaps in the later installments, she will become more respected and recognized.
For my complete review see http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2015/...
The case that Sarah is hired to investigate in this first novel doesn't sound very interesting. She is expected to find a fancy jeweled fan that an Earl had in the past given to his mistress. The case turns out to be far more complicated and dangerous than Sarah had ever imagined. There are a number of swordfighting scenes for readers who are swordplay fans.
Sarah Tolerance is a wonderful character. Her skills, her loyalties and her principles are all tested in this book, but she is spirited, resilient and always a woman of integrity.
Even though there are only two more books to read in the Sarah Tolerance series, I think that this protagonist is going to be a new favorite of mine. Perhaps in the later installments, she will become more respected and recognized.
For my complete review see http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2015/...
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