Mr. Darcy's Cipher, by Violet King

What a charming diversion. Elizabeth and her father have a common task, they decode secret messages for The Crown. Mr. Bennett started the work and then showed his young daughter, Jane, what he was doing. She tried it for a while but didn't take to it.

But then Lizzy came along and asked to see what he was doing and low and behold she has a skill with numbers, logic and puzzles. Thus she begins helping her father.

As time passes her father's eyesight starts to go dim and Lizzy takes on more and more of the work. She is quite good at what she does.

Then along comes a Prideful young man, Mr. Darcy. He has a letter from his brother (yeah a deviation from the original story, but this is a variation book) Reginald who was in France on business for the Crown, he was a military man. The letter was to Georgiana, but it contained a code and Mr. Darcy wants to have it deciphered so that he doesn't cause undo grief to his sister, because, well, Reginald was murdered in France and she is distraught.

Needless to say Darcy and Lizzy have their differences. Mostly around the fact that young woman shouldn't have this type of job. But Lizzy is good at what she does and she decipher's a code about a plot to kill the Regent.

The story is very well written. The characters keep true to their original character traits. The plot is interesting and brings a whole new twist to the lives of Lizzy and Darcy.

This is the first book in what is to be a series of books. I can't wait for the second book. This series will prove to be a great delight and diversion from my normal Jane Austen reading.

Thank you Violet King for this wonderful variation.

You'd Be Mine, by Erin Hahn

I really enjoyed this read. With Reality TV having so many talent shows such as America's Got Talent or The Voice, this book fit for a glimpse into the lives that Musical Artists face in regards to making a name in the industry and the travails of life on the Concert Circuit.

Annie Mathers and Clay Coolidge are two young artists, both still in their teens, who have made the big time because of their awesome voices. Clay is the headliner and Annie is the cover band. But Annie's star is rising and might just push Clay off the pedestal.

The life on the road is difficult. Underage drinking is real. Clay is slowly becoming an alcoholic before he even gets out of his teens. Drugs are available, but Clay hasn't used them. Annie on the other hand does neither drinking or drugs. She is a church goer. She is conservative and down to earth.

But Annie's parents were famous Country Western Stars whose footsteps she is following in. But they crashed and burned (both dying young) because of the stress of the road and alcohol.

I thought this book was written so well and points out so many of the issues that young artists face. It does not try to cover up the ugliness of the lifestyle of being on the road. It also doesn't cover up how dysfunctional families cause children to grow up with issues.

I loved the book and I'm sure you will also.
Enjoy!

With This Pledge, by Tamera Alexander

The Civil War was a terrible time in U.S. History, but the personal devastation that families and individuals faced is not something we today have much empathy or sympathy for. While the war was terrible it was long ago and somewhat out of sight out of mind.

Tamera Alexander takes a true event from the war and brings it to life in a dramatic fashion through this novel. The characters and setting are correct but the dry characters of history come to life through this expressive detail.

Lizzy Clouston is a nanny for a family living in Carnton when the battle of Franklin Tennessee takes place. Their plantation is taken over by the Confederates as a hospital for their wounded. Lizzy will be confronted with the war up close and personal. She will assist the doctors in their surgeries and then take great pains is nursing the wounded over a period of months.

She will also deal personally with the deaths of several of the men in such a personal way that it will somewhat haunt her until she can bring some resolution to the families of the fallen.

She also will face the reality of her childhood friend being in the army and in harms way. She also has to confront her romantic feelings for one of the wounded when she is 'pledged' to another.

I was riveted by the story and my empathy level rose with the turning of every page. Tamera brought me to a very emotional and insightful awareness of how this war effected those fighting it as well as those on the sidelines and even more so the slaves who's freedom was in question.

Enjoy!

Death in the stocks, by Georgette Heyer

I became familiar with Georgette Heyer as a writer who wrote in the style of Jane Austen. I enjoyed her romance novels very much, especially as they were Regency Period novels and thus had a special flavor to them.

This novel is a crime mystery. It is set in the early 1900’s in England. It has a much different flavor to it than her Regency pieces. The work is well written and developed, but keep in mind that it is not a modern crime novel that uses new exciting forensic science to solve crimes. Instead these are solved the old fashion way through detailed interviews, logic and at times some luck.

Heyer does a great job of developing each of the characters in the story. The family of the deceased is painted at first with some broad brush strokes that gives us a bit of insight into a dysfunctional family. But as the story develops the brush strokes become more refined and detailed and each character takes on in-depth personalities that you will either love or hate. For me I found that I disliked many of the characters and that made for a trying read until I realized that was her intention. You love some characters and you hate some characters.

This was a pleasant novel but it did seem to drag on a bit long and I was surprised at the ending. That is good and bad. Surprised at how it ended, but disappointed that it seemed abrupt.

All in all I enjoy Georgette Heyer’s writings and will continue to work through her 56 novels.