The Fox From His Lair

by Elizabeth Cadell

Soon Annabel Baird would be the wife of Philip Ancell, a dynamic international businessman whose work took him to the most glamorous capitals of Europe.

But first he wanted her to meet his employers, and so she flew to Portugal for a sunny reunion with her absentee fiancé.

Instead she met icy stares. And a handsome playboy mysteriously returned from her past. And an enchanting little Portuguese boy whom only she could protect from nameless danger...

Genres: Romance, Fiction, British Literature, Portugal, Audiobook, Mystery, Adult

218 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Violet Elizabeth Vandyke was born on 10 November 1903 in Calcutta, British Raj, daughter of British parents, Elizabeth Lynch and Frederick Reginald Vandyke, a colonial officer. During the Great War she studied music in London, but refused a musical career and returned to India where she married in 1928 Henry Dunlop Raymond Mallock Cadell, and they had a son and daughter. After she was widowed ten years later, she returned to England.

Elizabeth wrote her first book 'My Dear Aunt Flora' during the Second World War in 1946, there after producing another 51 light-hearted, humourous and romantic books which won her a faithful readership in England and America. In addition to England and India, many of her books are set in Spain, France, and Portugal. She finally settled in Portugal, where her married daughter still lived.

She died on 9 October 1989, aged eighty-five.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good IMO as Cadell's The Toy Sword, but still a quick, entertaining read.

The thing I am enjoying most about Cadell's books is the humor she infuses them with. It is a different kind of humor then I'm used to reading. Hard to explain why exactly, except to say it's subtle and I often have to re-read a sentence before it "hits" me, and then I get a chuckle (your experience will no doubt vary - I'm not the most astute recognizer of subtlety)

Anyway, these books are like undiscovered gems, and I'm glad my library has a large selection of her titles. While these are more old-fashioned then is currently popular, I don't find them cloyingly sweet or sentimentally sappy. In fact, Cadell can sum up some of life's hard truth's with a light hand and a wry sense of humor.

[Diane Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Overall I enjoyed it. There were a few crazy situations that had me shaking my head. In the end, it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Once again Cadell's characters and dialogue make the book a lot of fun. This one just not as much as some of her others!

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/201...

I read all of Cadell when I was in high school, but picked this up at the library for an impulsive reread and greatly enjoyed.

[Jannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always good for quick entertainment but Im starting to get a little unmoved by the clear setup cadell has with heroines always having an annoying fiance whom they dont have the mental.capacity to get rid of. Dude

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite by this author. Very dry wit, and I almost always catch something new when I re-read.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this one up this morning and finished it by evening. As always with a Cadell we have fully realized characters, an engaging little boy and an interesting story that keeps you turning the pages. My one criticism - and it's one I could make about most of Cadell's books is that she has a way of killing off parents - often at a very young age! In this one at least 4 parents are convenient-for-the-plot killed off before any of them had reached the venerable age of 30!

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mystery about a small boy who somehow is attached to a young woman returning to England; many different characters add to the mix.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun trip down memory lane, I used to read these books when I was in middle school.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spending two weeks in Portugal with your fiance would seem like a dream vacation, no? Not when your fiance's employer objects to the two young nephews you had to bring along. Totally unusual, but Anabelle is used to taking care of her nephews. She is the maternal sister, after all. Then, out of nowhere a former neighbor arrives on the scene. Angus was the hair-pulling, girl-teasing neighbor of Anabelle's youth. He is on his way home from Brazil. There he hopes to make amends with his grandmother, healing the rift of seven years. He becomes quite helpful to Anabelle when she suddenly finds herself in charge of young Luis on her cruise back to England. Not only that, he is to go home with her! The life she thought she was to have changed dramatically when Luis found his way into her life and heart. Who is the fox? Where is his lair?

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather unusual plot in Cadell's usual settings published in 1966, the year I was married. Keep that in mind when reading this book. There are differences between then and now which may mean younger readers might learn something about life back then. Romance at it's lightest.

I reread Cadell every so often when I want a breeze of uplift with some humor and some suspense. I'm so glad they are on Kindle now. Some titles I haven't read for years.

[Flo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well written. Love scenes aren't Cadell's strong point. She could have gone with more details from the way both male and female protagonists felt about each other; I love you and a kiss doesn't do it. Otherwise a pretty good novel. Now I have to read another.

[Wina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely romance with a little bit of suspence excitement, delightful characters, and lovable heroine. The reader, Helen Taylor, is excellent. Written in 1965. So good!

[Joanne McPortland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun new discovery. I'll be devouring these like candy.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook reread