Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer

Beautiful Deborah Grantham, mistress of her aunt''s elegant gaming house, must find a way to restore herself and her aunt to respectability, preferably without accepting either of two repugnant offers. One is from an older, very rich and rather corpulent lord whose reputation for licentious behavior disgusts her; the other from the young, puppyish scion of a noble family whose relatives are convinced she is a fortune hunter.

Max Ravenscar, uncle to her young suitor, comes to buy her off, an insult so scathing that it leads to a volley of passionate reprisals, escalating between them to a level of flair and fury that can only have one conclusion...

I so love Georgette Heyer!! I have read almost all of her "romance" and historical offerings now.  Faro's Daughter is a much shorter story with more angst and passion, less sweetness compared to her other novels. The hero and heroine try to get the best of each other with misunderstandings along the way. Also the heroine is a faro dealer in her aunt's gambling room, not the stereotypical life of a gentlewoman for that period of time.

Highly recommended for Heyer fans and a great book to start with as a first Heyer read. 

My Rating: 5.0

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Deeper than the Dead by Tami Hoag

California, 1985-Four children and young teacher Anne Navarre make a gruesome discovery: a partially buried female body, her eyes and mouth glued shut. A serial killer is at large, and the very bonds that hold their idyllic town together are about to be tested. Tasked with finding the killer, FBI investigator Vince Leone employs a new and controversial FBI technique called "profiling", which plunges him into the lives of the four children-and the young teacher whose need to uncover the truth is as intense as his own. But as new victims are found, Vince and Anne find themselves circling the same small group of local suspects, blissfully unaware that someone very near to them is a murderous psychopath...

I have read most of Tami Hoag's novels and I'm not sure why I waited so long to start reading her Deeper than the Dead/Oak Knoll series. All three books are now out in paperback.

I do love a good thriller, especially with a sliver of romance. Tami Hoag, in my opinion, surpassed all her previous efforts with Deeper than the Dead. What makes DTTD so chilling and unique are the POVs from the four children who came across the dead body in the park. There are a great cast of characters, which include the parents of the children, and we get to briefly see their POVs as well. Identifying the villain is not so easy. The story has been edited very well and is the perfect length.

The main thing to know about DTTD is that its set in 1985, before DNA testing and technology became prevalent...even before behavioural profiling became standard procedure in serial killings. The 80s setting feels very authentic. I find the story even more interesting when compared to all the technological advancement we have today.

Bar none: this is a perfect thriller and great start to the Oak Knoll series. The second book is Secrets to the Grave, the third Down the Darkest Road.

My Rating: 4.5

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Reconnecting with My Inner Voice

When I started this blog my intention was to write about books that I had definite thoughts and opinions for, books that I was passionate about and be able to have my comments kept for posterity, secondary to that was recommendations and sharing my thoughts with others. My blog was always about giving my inner thoughts an outlet. A digital journal of sorts so these thoughts would not continuously rattle around in my head...more for my own satisfaction than reaching out to others. I guess some would say bloggers blog to establish connections with external social communities but this has never a priority for me (sorry!).

At the end of 2010 I was finding blogging more of a chore and reading became less enjoyable because I would tend to think about the comments I wanted to make on the blog while reading...or I would put the book down to note my thoughts, which detracted from the simple pleasure of absorbing the written word. At that time I also entered library school. Going to graduate school in my thirties was an amazing and fulfilling experience...but it did take time away from blogging. I tried sporadically to blog about the classes I was taking and posted an odd review once in a while.

Have you ever lost your inner voice?  I went through some devastating experiences in my personal life this spring, which crushed my inner spirit. Where once I had been able to articulate thoughts and feelings, I found myself unable to communicate verbally to even those closest to me. My inner spirit is coming back in increments and I am now trying to reconnect with those activities I once loved. So, my plan is to post reviews sporadically on books that I have enthusiasm for and definite thoughts about and we will see if my inner voice has returned for good.

Six Georgette Heyer Mini Reviews

In my last term in graduate school, I had little time for recreational blogging but I did make time to read for fun. Over the past few months, I read the below novels from Georgette Heyer - one can always rely on Heyer for amusing and lighthearted prose - and I have provided a few thoughts for each! 

The Unknown Ajax (4.5)
With the heir recently deceased, the Darracott family expect the new heir to be a vulgar person of little means...Major Hugo Darracott is not quite what they expect. The hero, Hugo Darracott, is one of my favorite Heyer heroes. I have difficulty even describing how wonderful this character is. Think how perfect Jane Austen's Darcy is, even though he is arrogant in the beginning. Well Darracott is humble and capable but with an iron will! A perfect foil for the strong-willed and beautiful heroine Anthea. I found myself giggling a lot reading this one. Highly recommended. 

A Civil Contract (4.0)
This story is out of the common way for Heyer, as she actually explores marriage rather than courtship or rollicking adventures. A Civil Contract is really quite wrenching, as you feel for the heroine Jenny Chawleigh, who is plain and plump. Adam Deveril is marrying her because she is an heiress and the family fortune is gone. I recommend for Georgette Heyer fans but I wouldn't recommend as a first Heyer read.

April Lady (4.0)
Similar to A Civil Contract, the main characters, Nell and the Earl of Cardross are already married except the Earl has married Nell by choice, even though members of Nell's family are inveterate gamblers. Nell is keeping secrets from the Earl and finds herself ever deeper in trouble with no seeming happy resolution in sight. Much unhappiness is experienced by the hero and heroine due to poor communication and frequent misunderstandings. There was much more angst in April Lady than in Heyer's other novels, maybe the reason why I did not enjoy this novel as much as I usually enjoy a Heyer novel. 

The Quiet Gentleman  (4.0)
This story follows more the lines of The Reluctant Widow in that it is much more suspenseful, with hints of romance interspersed. A satisfying mystery.

Pistols for Two Short Stories (3.5)
These short stories are quick reads at 20 pages apiece, yet Heyer does well in creating memorable characters and exciting plots in so few pages. Recommended for Heyer fans. 

Sprig Muslin (3.5)
The writing seems to be a bit more hectic in Sprig Muslin than in other Heyer stories. I would have liked more scenes with Lady Hester and Sir Gareth Ludlow. Recommended for Heyer fans but if you are just starting to read Heyer, this is not her best effort. 

I just want to mention how much I love the Sourcebooks Landmark releases of the Georgette Heyer novels and I have almost finished collecting all of the romance titles and some of the historical titles. I would snap them up if you find the print versions, as the bookstores tend to sell out of copies.

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