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Saturday, March 17, 2012

A Catch of Consequence

Both my husband and I have read the mysteries in the Mistress of the Art of Death series set in medieval England by Ariana Franklin with a great deal of interest.  A Catch of Consequence (#162) is by the same author, written under her own name, Diana Norman.  In this book, Ms. Norman turns her attention to pre-Revolutionary Boston. 

On a hot August morning, tavern keeper Makepeace Burke isn't just hauling lobster pots out of the Harbor; she rescues a well-dressed British visitor from a group of Sons of Liberty who have beaten him and thrown him to drown.  It's against Makepeace's principles to let him die, but her action pits her neighbors against her, forcing her to flee to England with the rest of her ill-assorted household.  Sir Philip Dapifer marries Makepeace at sea, but even more difficulties await her in England as she struggles to adapt to English society and the enmity of the first Lady Dapifer. 

Makepeace is indomitable; not always likable, but indomitable as she calls on her Puritan faith and Yankee resilience to carry through the difficult times.  Her life takes some unpredictable turns as this fascinating tale unfolds.  A conventional romantic heroine would have curled up in a corner weeping long before this story runs its course.  So glad Makepeace is one of a kind!  Several cuts above the usual romantic historical fiction and highly recommended!

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