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Riddle Saga #5
The Riddle of the Deplorable Dandy
Elspeth Clayton's family has been living in considerably reduced circumstances, and to improve their finances, her brother Vance becomes a soldier of fortune. His assignments take him to France, where he is caught up in political intrigues. Injured in an attempt to escape a troop of dragoons, he is arrested and held in a French gaol for questioning and probable execution.
In an effort to save her beloved brother, Elspeth turns first to his best friend and then to her most devoted suitor, but both are prevented from coming to her aid. Meanwhile, she has unintentionally antagonized Gervaise Valerian, a quick-tempered dandy, much admired in Town, but whom she finds far from enchanting. Valerian has devised a daring plan to smuggle his father, a fugitive from justice, out of England. When his accomplice in the scheme is rendered helpless, he blames Elspeth.
Despite their mutual antipathy, they are each desperate to aid their loved ones, and with considerable reluctance they eventually decide to work together. Hunted by authorities on both sides of the Channel and pursued by unknown assassins, their efforts are fraught with danger but they persist with their struggle, in the course of which their feelings for each other undergo a marked change.
In an effort to save her beloved brother, Elspeth turns first to his best friend and then to her most devoted suitor, but both are prevented from coming to her aid. Meanwhile, she has unintentionally antagonized Gervaise Valerian, a quick-tempered dandy, much admired in Town, but whom she finds far from enchanting. Valerian has devised a daring plan to smuggle his father, a fugitive from justice, out of England. When his accomplice in the scheme is rendered helpless, he blames Elspeth.
Despite their mutual antipathy, they are each desperate to aid their loved ones, and with considerable reluctance they eventually decide to work together. Hunted by authorities on both sides of the Channel and pursued by unknown assassins, their efforts are fraught with danger but they persist with their struggle, in the course of which their feelings for each other undergo a marked change.
309 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2002
12 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Veryan
75 books100 followersPatricia Valeria Bannister was born in London. After World War II, she married Allan Louis Berg and moved to the United States; she lived on the West Coast and was the author of many historical novels from 1978 until 2002, using the pen names Patricia Veryan and Gwyneth Moore.
At the time of her death, she was living in Bellevue, Washington, USA.
At the time of her death, she was living in Bellevue, Washington, USA.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 12, 2017
You get what you would expect from a novel entitled The Riddle of the Deplorable Dandy. This isn't Shakespeare. At the same time, it is fluffy and fun and extravagant.
I had three issues:
1. There is NOTHING sexy about "leering suggestively." The hero does it at least twice. That's what I call gross, not attractive. Don't have your hero do it, ever, please.
2. The author bangs you over the head with this "deplorable dandy" business. Like, once and it is maybe excusable because that is the title. Twice is annoying. Three plus times? Inexcusable. We get it. The hero is a deplorable dandy.
3. The proposal scene at the end was so freaking over the top I think my eyes got stuck in the back of my head because I rolled them so hard. Puleasseeee.
I had three issues:
1. There is NOTHING sexy about "leering suggestively." The hero does it at least twice. That's what I call gross, not attractive. Don't have your hero do it, ever, please.
2. The author bangs you over the head with this "deplorable dandy" business. Like, once and it is maybe excusable because that is the title. Twice is annoying. Three plus times? Inexcusable. We get it. The hero is a deplorable dandy.
3. The proposal scene at the end was so freaking over the top I think my eyes got stuck in the back of my head because I rolled them so hard. Puleasseeee.
May 14, 2018
This was the last book Veryan ever wrote, and I find it very difficult to grade.
While Gervaise is a likable character, I have a hard time seeing him as a convincing romantic hero. Exactly as in the book before this one, he often acts recklessly and in a headless manner that I do not appreciate.
I much preferred Elsbeth‘s other suitors. Both Joel Skye and Nicholas Drew are wonderful hero material, and it is super sad for them that they will never get their own books and happily ever afters.
The interactions between Gervaise and his cousin, who has advanced from halfwit (how he was introduced in the Riddle of the Shipwrecked Spinster) to a slightly clumsy young man, have their moments - but pale when compared to other such pairings Veryan has written.
The adventure part of the book was quite entertaining, sometimes even nerve wrecking. I was very much relieved when they finally made it back to England.
Elsbeth‘s chaperone is even worse than the lazy lady who does the job for Katharina Falcon!
While Gervaise is a likable character, I have a hard time seeing him as a convincing romantic hero. Exactly as in the book before this one, he often acts recklessly and in a headless manner that I do not appreciate.
I much preferred Elsbeth‘s other suitors. Both Joel Skye and Nicholas Drew are wonderful hero material, and it is super sad for them that they will never get their own books and happily ever afters.
The interactions between Gervaise and his cousin, who has advanced from halfwit (how he was introduced in the Riddle of the Shipwrecked Spinster) to a slightly clumsy young man, have their moments - but pale when compared to other such pairings Veryan has written.
The adventure part of the book was quite entertaining, sometimes even nerve wrecking. I was very much relieved when they finally made it back to England.
Elsbeth‘s chaperone is even worse than the lazy lady who does the job for Katharina Falcon!
May 10, 2010
Elspeth is a Lady of Quality. Gervaise is a Foul-tempered Fop. Both are entangled in a Georgian melodrama of international intrigue surrounding Madame Pompadour and the overthrow of a king. Elspeth's brother, a soldier of fortune in the employ of Pompadour, has been taken prisoner and threatened with torture for information about he insurrection. Gervaise is in need of a nursemaid to accompany his aunt to France. Elspeth is in need of an escort to France to rescue her brother from certain execution. The two avowed enemies join forces to make the journey and attempt the rescue, and along the way there is much hurry bantering, teeth gnashing, arrogant proclamations, and some swashbuckling. The marginally witty badinage between the hero and heroine is laced with vitriol, and the reader may have difficulty believing these two can overcome their disdain for each other to fall in love, as expected. A frothy gentle read for fans of Regency and other drawing-room romnances.
December 20, 2020
The last of the Georgian novels and her last published book, I believe.
I do find the "adventure" novels have a lot less depth and charm to them than I remember the Regencies having (certainly that was my sense on first read, when they were all published) - am curious to see if I still feel that way as I start the Regency re-reads. And am definitely eager to find the cross-connections within the Regency novels and between the Regencies and the Georgians!
Regarding this book, it didn't work. The hero lacked the charm and melodrama of The Scarlet Pimpernel, but she was clearly going for that sense of contrast. Similar to the Mandarin of Mayfair, he mostly comes across as an unappealing jerk. The humor might work in a play or movie setting, but in a novel it felt too broad. I found myself just rushing through it.
I think her peak of the redemption story line was The Dedicated Villain. But it built across several novels, and the character really did change (although non-linearly).
I'm pretty sure this was her last published novel and don't expect that she'd planned any others (although I certainly wonder what would have happened to Joel Skye or Nicholas Drew! I felt like they were being set up for additional stories).
Sadly, most of the Veryan websites are gone from the internet, but happily they are available through the wayback machine. This one has a great table with dates and characters:
https://web.archive.org/web/200903211...
While these pages have family trees/character connections for the Golden Chronicles, although nothing later.
https://web.archive.org/web/200908291...
I do find the "adventure" novels have a lot less depth and charm to them than I remember the Regencies having (certainly that was my sense on first read, when they were all published) - am curious to see if I still feel that way as I start the Regency re-reads. And am definitely eager to find the cross-connections within the Regency novels and between the Regencies and the Georgians!
Regarding this book, it didn't work. The hero lacked the charm and melodrama of The Scarlet Pimpernel, but she was clearly going for that sense of contrast. Similar to the Mandarin of Mayfair, he mostly comes across as an unappealing jerk. The humor might work in a play or movie setting, but in a novel it felt too broad. I found myself just rushing through it.
I think her peak of the redemption story line was The Dedicated Villain. But it built across several novels, and the character really did change (although non-linearly).
I'm pretty sure this was her last published novel and don't expect that she'd planned any others (although I certainly wonder what would have happened to Joel Skye or Nicholas Drew! I felt like they were being set up for additional stories).
Sadly, most of the Veryan websites are gone from the internet, but happily they are available through the wayback machine. This one has a great table with dates and characters:
https://web.archive.org/web/200903211...
While these pages have family trees/character connections for the Golden Chronicles, although nothing later.
https://web.archive.org/web/200908291...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2021
I have now finished the series. I think these books are the only ones I have read by this author. In my boxes of books that I have bought from eBay there are many written by her and I will look forward to reading them. Some of these were very good, all of them were worth reading. I could not like the hero in this book. I didn’t like him in the other books and I did not change my mind in this one. The author tried in vain to rehabilitate him but his wretched personality kept breaking through.
January 1, 2020
This book tells a well written adventure story but i was looking for a romance and Not finding it. While it is kind of there it wasn‘t really. The main protagonists come to admire each other by the end of the book, but they never have had „real conversations“ like the ones the heroine had with her other suitors so I am not convinced they even know each other at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2020
I wish a director or producer would make movies or miniseries out of her & Georgette Heyer's books!
July 24, 2018
Who would have thought a kitty’s litter box could be so entertaining? But I get ahead of myself.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the focus on this book is more on the adventure than the romance, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just that with the romance taking up less of the plot, there needed to be a little more adventure to fill in the gap. This was not Veryan’s most nail biting novel, but it was far from being a terrible read.
I found the initial set up to be slightly far fetched, even for a historical swashbuckler, but once they are on board the ship, I found myself settling into the story. While the romance may take a back seat to the mission, Elspeth and Gervaise are nevertheless an endearing couple, their bickering leading to an inevitable conclusion. And who doesn’t like a ship-board romance?
One thing that I love about Veryan’s writing is the animals she peppers throughout her books. In this case, Pixie is far more than a cute diversion, she is an essential plot element that Veryan uses to maximum advantage. Veryan is a master of planting seemingly inconsequential little details for latter developments. Or to put it in writer’s terminology, she is very good at planting a gun in scene one to be used in scene three. In this case, the ‘gun’ takes the shape of a litter box. Honestly, when I read that bit, I felt like I had fully got my money’s worth.
The Riddle of the Deplorable Dandy is part of Patricia Veryan’s Riddle saga, but it works very well as a standalone novel.
Notable Quotable: “Oh, how you jabber, sir, and to no purpose for I will not be turned aside! I am waiting to hear what you have done to poor Herbert! And pray do not squander that wistful smile on me! I have noted how you use it to get what you want from gullible folk!”
“No, is it still endearing?” He touched his mouth tentatively. “I feared it might be less effective with a cut lip.” His grey eyes twinkled at her in a way that was very effective indeed, but Elspeth clung to common sense.
If you are in need of a well written, clean, historical adventure, this is a book for you, but not Patricia Veryan’s masterpiece.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the focus on this book is more on the adventure than the romance, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just that with the romance taking up less of the plot, there needed to be a little more adventure to fill in the gap. This was not Veryan’s most nail biting novel, but it was far from being a terrible read.
I found the initial set up to be slightly far fetched, even for a historical swashbuckler, but once they are on board the ship, I found myself settling into the story. While the romance may take a back seat to the mission, Elspeth and Gervaise are nevertheless an endearing couple, their bickering leading to an inevitable conclusion. And who doesn’t like a ship-board romance?
One thing that I love about Veryan’s writing is the animals she peppers throughout her books. In this case, Pixie is far more than a cute diversion, she is an essential plot element that Veryan uses to maximum advantage. Veryan is a master of planting seemingly inconsequential little details for latter developments. Or to put it in writer’s terminology, she is very good at planting a gun in scene one to be used in scene three. In this case, the ‘gun’ takes the shape of a litter box. Honestly, when I read that bit, I felt like I had fully got my money’s worth.
The Riddle of the Deplorable Dandy is part of Patricia Veryan’s Riddle saga, but it works very well as a standalone novel.
Notable Quotable: “Oh, how you jabber, sir, and to no purpose for I will not be turned aside! I am waiting to hear what you have done to poor Herbert! And pray do not squander that wistful smile on me! I have noted how you use it to get what you want from gullible folk!”
“No, is it still endearing?” He touched his mouth tentatively. “I feared it might be less effective with a cut lip.” His grey eyes twinkled at her in a way that was very effective indeed, but Elspeth clung to common sense.
If you are in need of a well written, clean, historical adventure, this is a book for you, but not Patricia Veryan’s masterpiece.
July 31, 2014
This was a fun little read and I really did like it. However, it seemed that they ran into soooooo many problems, that it got a little tiresome, by the end. I also found that most of the characters had a stutter. They repeated words two times in most of their responses and inquiries. I realize that this is way for the author to convey that the character is thinking, or taking their time when speaking, but I did not enjoy it.
September 23, 2011
I usually really like Patricia Veryan books but this one was just a little too slow for me. This book takes place after The Riddle of the Shipwrecked Spinster. They really aren't connected, it just follows the story of one character.
April 19, 2012
Heartstopping, edge of your seat, action-packed, just amazing! Gotta love her characters.
July 10, 2015
good
This was the last of Patricia Veryan's 'Georgian England' time period books i had left to read. I'm sad about that but it was a good ending.
This was the last of Patricia Veryan's 'Georgian England' time period books i had left to read. I'm sad about that but it was a good ending.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews