Dee Garretson

Historical suspense set in Victorian Paris. The novel has a good political backdrop of war between England and Russia looming large. As with most suspense novels, this one too has enough characters to keep one guessing who the culprit is. In a way, the author has taken a simple jealous-lover vein and used the political situation as a wrapping to deliver a thoroughly enjoyable page-turner. I think the characters Clary, the pertinacious art student and Resse, the charming spy are portrayed, in anticipation of a sequel. However, Quillan, with his self-deprecating humor is endearing( happens to be author's fav too!). A-R-S-E-N-I-C seems to be the favorite sauce of deathly potions of Victorian era :).… (mere)

This is one of the most richly written historical novels for young adults that I've run across, one that truly brings the time frame to life.

Charlotte Mason is a young girl living in Russia in 1916. Since her mother passed away, it's her dream to continue the dream of helping others, and she's determined to go to medical school. But with the world around her revolting, chaos is found around every corner. She's told to leave and return to her relatives in America, but with her siblings, her mother's hospital and a man, who isn't what he seems, she's determined to do what she thinks is right.

This one surprised me. While many young adult historical novels tend to feel a bit 'light', this one dives in with a very rich and vivid world. Charlotte does have a lot to learn and makes usual mistakes for girls that age. It's easy to connect with her and makes her believable, but never is the atmosphere of the time frame scratched. The tension and the danger growing coming from the world falling apart around her hits from the very first page and holds through the entire read. And while a few handful of moments, especially in the romance end, weren't as smooth as they might have been, these didn't hurt the story by any means.

It's an exciting read which not only historical fiction fans are sure to enjoy. I received a complimentary copy and found the tale very engaging. So, I'm leaving my honest thoughts.… (mere)