Mona's Eyes

Everyone I know seems to be raving about Thomas Schlesser's best-selling novel Mona's Eyes (#1,383).  I know every book has its readers, but I couldn't wait to finish this one.  If I had not had to read it for my book club, it would definitely have wound up in my Did Not Finish pile, and I could have gotten on to Robert Harris's Agrippa much sooner.

In case you haven't heard about this translated book, Mona is a ten-year-old Parisian girl who suddenly loses her sight for a short period.  As physicians struggle to find a clinical reason for this, her grandfather Dade steps forward to escort Mona to her weekly appointment with a psychiatrist.  However, he has decided Mona will benefit far more by visiting a different work of art each week for a year and imprinting those images on her mind.  So far, so good.

However, I found the execution preposterous.  Dade (who is named after author Schlesser's own artistic grandfather) may hold her hand and buy her ice creams on the way to and from the three museums he takes her to, but he speaks to her as though she is taking graduate level art courses at university.  She, of course responds with unbelievably mature insights into the works (despite calling the subject of one such picture "Whistler's mommy"!).

The further into this book I got, the more things bothered me.  Did no art exist prior to Botticelli?  Or from other cultures than Western European and American art?  Why was more than a third of the book dedicated to abstract modern art on canvas or sculpted form when the author argues that art can exist in multiple forms?  Where are they here?  Why didn't he take the opportunity to enlighten Mona about art thievery when he was in such a rush to bring her to see the Klimt work at the Museum d'Orsay before it was returned to its rightful owners (at much inconvenience to Dade!)? When I came across a factual error in his description of the David, I had to wonder what else was wrong in what he had to say.

It's why I avoid the eager docents at our regional art museums who are bursting to share their art history major backgrounds with unwitting visitors.  I would much rather they left me to the business of looking for myself.  I would never recommend this pretentious book to anyone else.

Dead Men Don't Play Fetch

Andy Carpenter doesn't want to defend a client in Dead Men Don't Play Fetch (#1,382).  In fact, he would much rather be retired.  But there's a dog involved and the client had been putting his life back together after the tragic loss of his son.  He's been working at a halfway house.  The same halfway house where a billionaire tech's body is found in the alley behind it by Jason Maddox, Andy's potential client.  As a favor to an old friend who runs that rehab facility, Andy agrees to meet Jason.

Everybody but Andy is convinced Jason is guilty; but Andy thinks that the evidence is just a little too neat and tidy. And then things start to get interesting.  Is this a coverup for a Mafia gang war?  Or something else entirely?

A typical twisty, sardonic Andy Carpenter mystery.  Just when it's looking as if Andy has finally taken on a guilty client, another clue unravels that casts doubt on the prosecutor's case.  Please, keep them coming!

Road Trip

What's not to like about a Mary Kay Andrews book?  Especially one that puts two feuding sisters in a car on the wrong side of the road in Ireland?  That's the premise of Road Trip (#1,381).  Maeve is the dutiful sister who gives up her job to take care of their ailing mother in her own home.  Therese is the maverick who arrives late at their mother's funeral.  She's just planning to stick around long enough to collect her portion of their mother's estate.  

Their uncle throws a monkey wrench in the works when he reveals that their mother has fallen under the spell of a televangelist and lost her entire savings and the house to boot to him.  Maeve and Therese are devastated; they each had plans for that money.  Now they're stuck with only an oil portrait of a relative; a portrait that was recently sold at a New York auction for over a million dollars.  

Uncle Billy to the rescue!  He has saved enough money for them to take a road trip to Ireland, a trip that their mother wanted them to take together, to find out the truth behind the mysterious portrait...

Spellbreaker

In Charlie Holmberg's fantasy Spellbreaker (#1,380) there are wizards who cast spells, and there are those born with the ability to break those spells.  You must be licensed by the government to do either.  Elsie Camden is too poor to obtain such a license, but being a foundling, she has a strong affinity for doing good for those like her who otherwise would not be able to afford to break a spell working against them.  She thinks of herself as Robin Hood, but she is aware that she, too, is committing what the government considers a crime.

She is doing fine, however, until a handsome almost-fully-qualified wizard catches her in the act of undoing spells from the servant's entrance of the local manor house he is visiting.  Bacchus Kelsey is in England to take his final qualifying exam to become an accredited wizard.  He threatens to turn Elsie in to the authorities until she convinces him that a spell is binding him, too.  If he becomes a full wizard, he may be marked for death and his spell book stolen, a fate that has befallen too many other wizards in the past few months.  Elsie promises to help Bacchus track down the culprit responsible for the murders in return for her own freedom.  A magical romp.

Circle of Days

How satisfying to be reading Ken Follett's monumental novel Circle of Days (#1,379) while actually touring Stonehenge, the subject of his novel.  Just as Pillars of the Earth put a human face on the massive work of building a cathedral, so does Circle of Days humanize a process which could have led to the erection of the monumental circle of stones which comprise Stonehenge.  Not that this is the story of how Stonehenge and its like were built, but rather a what if that makes its existence comprehensible.

Here we meet the farmers, the herders and the woodland people who all gather to worship at a common site with rituals led by a sisterhood of priestesses who maintain the sacred knowledge of the passing of time and the seasons.  It's a chance for these groups to meet and mate with those outside their own circles, and most importantly for many, to trade.  Outsiders come, too, with precious flints and metals.  

Seft comes with flints to the site.  He has escaped an abusive father and brothers in the far off hills, yet longs for family of his own.  Neen is the daughter of a local herder who catches Seft's eyes at the annual rites.  Joia, her sister thirsts after the knowledge the priestesses share.  She is destined to lead them all.  Through their eyes the story is told.

The flow of the narrative carries the reader along with it through rivalries, natural disasters, wars and simple greed.  It frames the forces which compel the tribes to construct something permanent at their focal point, which become the circle of stones. 

It's easy to sense why this has been the site of spiritual activity when you stand there yourself.  Miracles still can occur there - we felt the power of the deluge which broke the months-long English drought while we stood there.  A Greater Power at work?  Who can say.

Old Habits

Life caught up with me after our latest trip abroad, so it's been a while since I've sat down to blog.  Not that my reading has stalled!  I'll be trying to catch up on everything I've read since my last post, so here goes!

My brother-in-law suggested Steve Higgs' mystery Old Habits (#1,378).  Retired detective Albert Smith has decided to do a culinary tour of places whose food has always intrigued him. First on his list is Belgium - for the waffles, of course!  While exploring Brussels on a public tram, he finds himself noticing a rough looking pair eyeing a well-dressed elderly gentleman.  When he exits the tram in a nice neighborhood, so do the ruffians.  Smith's police instincts kick in, and he follows with his dog Rex.  Sure enough, an assault takes place.  Visiting the hospital the next day to check on the old man, Smith realizes that something much bigger than a simple assault is afoot.  He and Rex set out in their different ways to get to the bottom of the crime.

I found Rex's interaction with other animals quite engaging, even though he can't communicate directly with Albert Smith.  I also found the food aspect of the story quite interesting as well.  

I had never come across Steve Higgs, before, but when I checked on Fantastic Fiction I was amazed by how prolific this author is.  In fact, this isn't even his first Albert Smith mystery series!  Higgs wrote another set before Albert Smith retired his detective position.  There's plenty to catch up on here!

The Devil's Bible

 I read Steve Berry's latest Cotton Malone thriller, The Devil's Bible (#1,377) with a great deal of interest, since it is set principally in Stockholm, Sweden, a place I will be visiting in the spring.  The Devil's Bible is a real book from the twelfth century or so currently on display in Stockholm, although the government in Prague claims it was looted from there in the 1600s, Here it is used as a bargaining chip when the sister of the Swedish king is kidnapped.  If the codex is not given to the kidnappers by the deadline, the princess will be killed.

Stephanie Nelle is called in by King Wilhelm to quietly assist in the matter.  She brings along Cotton Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt to aid in the investigation.  Both the princess' husband, a prominent English businessman, and the Russians are suspected of being behind the plot.  But as the Magellan Billet team digs deeper spies and moles appear from the woodwork as sleeper agents are called upon to play vital roles in obtaining the Codex - the Devil's Bible.

Expect the unexpected here.

Stay For a Spell

And now for something completely different!  Amy Coombe's debut novel Stay For a Spell (#1,376) was an utterly charming read.  Imagine a hard-working princess on perpetual good will tours for her royal family - ribbon-cutting, fountain christenings, endless banquets - all in stiff formal attire.  When Princess Tanadelle spots a bookstore in a remote town, she begs her secretary for a few minutes to browse for something new to read on her endless journey.

Things go awry when the old lady in charge of the shop passes away in Tanadelle's arms, giving her a key.  Tanadelle, being well brought up, tries to comfort the woman by accepting it, only to find herself trapped inside the bookstore until she discovers her heart's desire.

Truthfully, life stuck inside a crammed bookstore with endless time to read, and not a rubber banquet chicken in sight doesn't feel like the worst thing that could happen.  But when Tanadelle's parents start sending the seven other crown princes in the realm to bestow love's true kiss on her things rapidly go from bad to worse.  And why won't the devastatingly handsome pirate leave her alone?  He claims to be under a spell as well!

Amusing characters and situations make for the perfect summer (or really, anytime) read!  I do hope we'll be hearing more from Amy Coombe.

Venetian Vespers

A friend recommended John Banville's novel Venetian Vespers (#1,375).  I suppose I would describe it as literary gothic.  Set in Venice as 1899 turns into 1900, it is a moody, atmospheric puzzle piece.

British writer Evelyn Dolman and his wife of several months, Laura, arrive in Venice for a delayed honeymoon.  The palazzo where they are staying is grand, cold and understaffed.  So is the relationship between the newlyweds.

Evelyn finds nothing to like about Venice and its chilly miasmas although Laura insisted on going there.  While out on his own, Evelyn is accosted by a man who claims to have been at school with him.  Freddie Fitzherbert knows details about his life there, but Dolman knows that he has never met the man before.  His beautiful twin sister Francesca beguiles him, though.  Enough so that Dolman is soon inviting the pair to come lodge with him and Laura at the palazzo.  The problem is that Laura has disappeared.  She has left most of her belongings behind, but Evelyn is so besotted with Cesca that he doesn't care.  It isn't until Laura's sister and the Italian authorities question her disappearance that Evelyn realizes how serious matters have become.  The question is: who is playing whom?

It is a beautifully written book.  You can feel the damp creepiness of the place as you read.  None of the characters are likeable, so it's hard to tell who to root for in this cat-and-mouse game being played.  If you're in the mood for something dark and twisty, Venetian Vespers will fill the bill.

An Ordinary Sort of Evil

Kelley Armstrong's Rip In Time mystery series continues with An Ordinary Sort of Evil (#1,374).  Mallory Mitchell, a Vancouver police detective, has traveled back in time to 1860s Edinburgh as she both witnessed and became the victim of a murder in its narrow streets.  There she met up with Duncan Gray, an undertaker interested in forensics and his widowed sister Isla.  The trio have formed an investigative team with Mallory in the guise of a young blond housemaid.

In this outing the team are called to a wealthy family's home where the spirits have called for Duncan Gray to find a missing housemaid's murderer.  Duncan is not at all interested in the goings-on of seances, mediums, and ghosts, so he is initially inclined to turn the case down.  However, he has his patron's interests (and his own!) to consider, so Mallory takes the lead.  Is the maid simply missing?  Gone from the house without a word, and taking her belongings?  Or is there more behind the mysterious summons from the dead?

Mallory, Duncan and Isla are on the case!

System Collapse

System Collapse (#1,373) is the seventh outing in Martha Wells' scifi series featuring her sentient rogue SecUnit, the self-named Murderbot.  We've fallen behind, but honestly, I enjoy this sardonic series so much I want to have a book or two in the series to keep in reserve in case I need it!

Murderbot is accompanying its humans from the University on routine scouting expeditions on a planet which has suffered alien contamination in the past.  Part of their mission is to survey the human inhabitants to see where and how they wish to be evacuated from their planet.  

Things seem to be proceeding well when a shuttle from the Barish-Estranza Corporation unexpectedly lands nearby.  When one of the corporation patrols "accidentally on purpose" tries to take out Murderbot, things go from bad to worse. Turns out other Barish Estranza patrols are holding the rest of the residents hostage.  Their aims are predatory.  It would be a bonus to take out the University team at the same time. And to cap it all off, Murderbot just can't seem to get its act together to defend its crew because of [redacted].

It's the usual totally enjoyable mayhem in a short and punchy format.  As I said, I'm keeping some in reserve for when I need guaranteed entertainment!

A Perfect Hand

A funny thing about reading Yann Martel's Son of Nobody and Ayelet Waldman's A Perfect Hand (#1,372) back-to-back that I might otherwise not have noticed is that both novel's plots were driven by characters rarely given any voice of substance in the novels in which they appear.

In A Perfect Hand, the hero and heroine are a gentleman's valet and a lady's maid.  Both Charlie Wells and Alice Lockey have worked hard to rise to the level of upper servants in noblemen's households.  Besides acquiring a wide range of useful knowledge and abilities, they have also learned people-pleasing skills.  Neither are in a position they wish to give up when they meet at a house party and fall in love.  Unlike their master and mistress, Charlie and Alice will never be able to marry.  Unless, that is, they are in the same household.  What if they can persuade their employers to fall in love and marry?

As the wheels start turning, the plot, as they say, thickens.  The merry dance of courtship leads to an entirely different destination for some of those involved.  A chance outing leads to a life changing decision.  And the world will never be the same again for anyone involved.

Okay, I'll admit it.  I did find the ending very affecting.  Bring a tissue.

Son of Nobody

I'll be the first to admit that Yann Martel's newest novel Son of Nobody (#1,371) won't be everyone's cup of tea.  It was very much mine, though.  If you've been doing any serious prepping to watch Chris Nolan's Odyssey this summer, you may have read one of the many translations of Homer's epic.  The usual setup is a scholarly intro followed by divided pages, the top containing the translation and the bottom section the footnotes. (I do love a good footnote!)  Martel has imitated this setup in his own novel.

Harlow Donne is a Canadian scholar who has won a year's postgraduate study at Oxford under an eminent Classics professor because of his facility with ancient Greek language studies.  The problem is that the grant is so spartan he cannot afford to bring his wife or little daughter Helen with him, so he decides to go on his own.  At Oxford he comes across pottery shards and then papyri shreds which seem to have a common thread - they mention Psoas, son of nobody, being present at the siege of Troy.  Bit by bit Harlow puts together an entirely new perspective on the Trojan War, that of an everyday foot soldier.  Harlow is so excited by this he goes to visit the actual sites on his own.  His academic advisor, the famous scholar is apoplectic, insisting that Harlow is making it all up, ignoring the work assigned to him and threatening to ruin him professionally.  

This whole story plays out in the footnotes of Son of Nobody.  But equally fascinating are the scholarly footnotes Martel includes as though his fictional version of The Iliad really existed.  The details on the daily lives and times of common soldiers fighting in the Trojan War are not what we usually read about; The Iliad's point of view is that of gods and kings, not everyday people who rarely merit even a passing mention.  Psoas' story is given pride of place here, as told by one of his friends.

Do either of these men turn out to be the heroes of their own stories?  If you have both patience and curiosity, spend the time to find out!

Thistlemarsh

Thistlemarsh (#1,370) by Moorea Corrigan is one of the most imaginative books I've read in a long time.  It's set in an England which has just come through World War I.  The fairies have been gone from England for over a hundred years, though some people buried in the countryside still believe they could return.  That's the world Mouse Dunne finds herself in when she unexpectedly inherits Thistlemarsh, a fairy-blessed house, and the title of Lady Dewhurst.  Her cousin Bertie, the rightful heir, was a casualty of the war, and so is her brother Roger.  Roger's body has recovered, but not his mind.  Mouse hopes to provide him a safe haven at Thistlemarsh.  Her uncle Lord Dewhurst, however, has left Mouse Thistlemarsh as a spiteful bequest, with an impossible condition attached; restore the rotting remains to its former glory in a month, or it will all pass to the wretched Carlyle, a childhood nemesis.

Mouse is determined not to let that happen, but she is at a loss as to how to do that; no money came with Thistlemarsh, and her skills are limited to battlefield nursing.  Although the fourth member of their childhood quartet is still in the village of Tithe, he is now the vicar, and of no practical use in renovations.

When Mouse meets the mysterious Thornwood in the woods surrounding the estate, he proposes a deal.  He will help with the restoration in time to meet the lawyer's deadline, but for a price.  As Mouse knows from her upbringing, it's a dangerous thing to strike a bargain with a fairy.  The perils they face as they battle enchantments laid in a web across Thistlemarsh bond this unlikely pair.  Will they survive the unlikely return of the Fairy King?  You'll just have to read it to find out. I highly recommend that you do!

The Bookstore Diaries

I think the thing I like best about Susan Mallery's latest romance The Bookstore Diaries (#1,369) is its colorful treatment of the top, bottom and sides of the pages.  They form a series of images, including one of The Painted Lady bookstore featured in the book.

That said, I don't usually read Susan Mallery.  Her story about two sisters in a seaside California town boasts unusual spellings of the protagonists' names (Jax and Ryleigh) several failed marriages, a jilting, a truly terrible ex (although he is a devoted father to his and Jax's two kids) and a bookstore that houses secret diaries.  When renovations on The Painted Lady require the temporary removal and storage of the anonymous diaries, Jax gives her patrons a chance to retrieve their own diaries prior to construction.  Those not claimed are supposed to be stored safely away.  Sounds good, but a snoopy employee just has to read them for the juicy gossip they contain.  You'd think that would be good enough to drive a whole plot, but in the end, it just boils down to two diaries read, and of course they result in positive outcomes for all concerned.

Both sisters have romance woes.  Ryleigh wants to be married in the worst way, so why does she turn down the oh-so-eligible bachelor she's been dating?  And why can't Jax see the handsome contractor right under her nose who is trying to get her attention?  The drama with both siblings dragged on way too long for my taste.  In the end, as far as I was concerned, it rated a big "Meh".  The physical book is still eye-catching, though!

Daughter of Egypt

Who knew Marie Benedict shared my fascination with Hatshepsut, one of the few female pharaohs of Ancient Egypt?  Well, now everyone does, with her latest novel Daughter of Egypt (#1,368).  In addition, she introduces us to Lady Evelyn Herbert, daughter of Lord Carnarvon, in her capacity as an active participant in the excavation of Tutankhamen's tomb beside Howard Carter and her father.  Lady Evelyn is portrayed here as a Hatshepsut enthusiast as well.

The novel alternates between Lady Evelyn's determination to go to Egypt on an archaeological dig along with her father and the story of Hatshepsut herself as she grows into the role of Pharaoh.  Both are strong women with ideas of their own which don't necessarily reflect the conventions of their times.  Somehow each of them find a way to make things happen to suit their individual visions.

While I was already familiar with most of Hatshepsut's story, Ms. Benedict does posit an interesting theory on why her name and image were obliterated from buildings and temples after her death.  I had a real sense of awe gazing at her mummified remains at the new Cairo Museum of Egyptian Civilization where she and other pharaonic mummies were reverently placed with great ceremony by the Egyptian government several years ago.  Her funerary temple near the Valley of the Kings is every bit as magnificent as portrayed in Daughter of Egypt.

But the real revelation in this book is the role Lady Evelyn Herbert actually played in Egyptian archaeology.  Although I've read quite a bit about the excavations carried out there (Thank you novelist Elizabeth Peters and your marvelous Crocodile on the Sandbank series, who in real life was Barbara Mertz, eminent Egyptologist!) and even sailed on a Viking ship in Egypt plastered with photos and mementoes of Lord Carnarvon, patron of the Egyptian dig which uncovered King Tut, never once have I heard a whisper about Lady Evelyn and her role in the proceedings.  I certainly didn't know that she was the first one to enter the newly discovered tomb in 1922!

Fascinating! 

Dear Miss Lake

I received Dear Miss Lake (#1,367) by A J Pearce as a giveaway on Goodreads and I was thrilled.  I have read and suffered through the war years in London with Emmy Lake and her friends at Women's Friend magazine in previous books.  This is the fourth and final book in the Emmy Lake Chronicles, I am sad to say.

Looking on the bright side, though it is difficult after years of sacrifice and loss on the home front, the war finally seems to be coming to an end.  Hitler has redoubled his efforts to destroy London's spirit with the new V-1 rockets and the Allies are making their final push in Europe to bring him to heel.  It's just so hard to hold on to a positive attitude at home...

One thing that makes life easier for the hard-working staff at Women's Friend is a move to a country estate where Emmy's friend Bunty is making a new life for herself on her grandmother's estate.  The manor house at Rose Hall is transformed into a working magazine where the staff can enjoy a respite from the constant bombing.  The fact that their diets can be supplemented with fresh produce from the estate certainly doesn't hurt, either.  

Meanwhile, the mail bags of letters addressed to Miss Lake asking for her advice continue to grow as casualties mount and the stress of constant "making do" wears on everyone.  Emmy can hardly keep up with the volume of letters, so others on the staff help pitch in to sort and prioritize the most urgent mail.  

Emmy herself joins the ranks of those women waiting anxiously for months for word of their loved ones.  How can Emmy make her readers know that she understands what it is like for them, yet maintain the positive attitude the government insists on?  Can Victory come soon enough for all of them?

Ms. Pearce brings things to a satisfying conclusion in her final book.  Much as I enjoyed this series, I would highly recommend that you read the four books in order beginning with Dear Mrs. Bird.  The plot line just moves right along without much recap in the subsequent books.  Binge reading might be a good approach for these books!

And I will add one final caveat: I dislike the cover art of Dear Miss Lake just as much as I did the original cover of Dear Mrs. Bird.  I never would have picked that first book up if I hadn't read a good review of it.  You really can't judge a book by its cover!

The Shippers

Everyone should read Katherine Center's Author's Note to her latest romance The Shippers (#1,366).  It's a heartfelt tribute to the power of reading about love.  She's not afraid to state right up front that there will be a happy ending to her book.  Of course there will be!  Why else would her legions of fans read every word she writes?  Obviously, it's the power of love.  The Shippers has the added attraction of laugh out loud comedic scenes.  It's not necessarily a good idea to be eating or drinking while reading unless you don't mind paying for the dry-cleaning bills.  I'm just saying...

JoJo Burton has spent most of her life trying to find just the right guy to spend her life with after an impressionable childhood.  She's a mathematician who can figure out all the angles except for her own love life.  But now, she's found the right one.  If only her hideous wedding gown would stop itching and she didn't have to use the bathroom one more time before marching down the aisle to exchange vows with her perfect-looking, texting groom.  Her childhood friend Cooper Watts appears just as she emerges from the lady's room and gives her a most valuable piece of advice - "Stop, drop and roll".   And therein hangs the tale.

How can you not find romance on a cruise ship when her sister Ashley is not only the bride, but the chief matchmaker for everyone else on board?  Every activity is rigged to pair up JoJo with the man of her dreams.  Somehow, JoJo seems to find a way to miss that all important connection, even with Cooper there beside her to root her on.

Family and friends; love and romance, problems and solutions all play a role here.  It's such a wonderful way to lose yourself for however long it takes you to read The Shippers.  The only thing I hate about Katherine Center's books is that they do, eventually, end.  Til next time!

Chasing the Clouds Away

There's nothing like curling up with a good romance when you can't go outside, and Debbie Macomber's books always hit that sweet spot.  In this case it's her latest, Chasing the Clouds Away (#1,365).  

The stage is set when poor but feisty Maisy from Seattle meets incredibly rich and grumpy Chase from Chicago at the airport.  He just wants to buy a newspaper and refuses to understand why a clerk on her break won't take his money. Her friend Maisy sticks up for her. Nastiness ensues.  

In the first fairytale element of this romance, Maisy just happens to be upgraded to the first-class seat beside his for the Chicago to Seattle flight.  (When was the last time you've heard of someone with zero status on an airline being upgraded to first class?!  Not for years!!) 

Maisy, with her sincere delight in all things upgraded makes an impression on Chase.  She in turn intuits that something is bothering Chase deeply and volunteers to drive him to his destination in Seattle.  Much about his mood is explained when she drops him off at a funeral home.  That meeting, of course, changes the course of all their lives.  

Getting there is all the fun!  Read if you believe in love, enjoy sweet romances and have faith that all things will work out for the best in the end for everyone.

The Heir Apparent

I had to return the popular The Heir Apparent (#1,364) by Rebecca Armitage last time I had it checked out because I didn't have time to read it, but I managed it this time.  It was an interesting read.

Princess Alexandrina (Lexi) is catapulted into a prominent role in the British succession after the tragic deaths of her father, the Crown Prince, and her twin brother Louis in a skiing accident.  Lexi herself is plucked from a remote Tasmanian beach to attend the funerals and appear alongside the long-reigning  Queen, her grandmother.  She's given a year to make up her mind about whether to step into the role of future monarch or renounce her rights and return to her hospital residency in Hobart and the man she loves.  Much drama and angst ensue as she (temporarily) lives the life of the Heir Apparent.

Since this is fiction, some facts are tweaked to explain how this scenario could possibly have come to be, but the fun is identifying just who each fictional character is meant to skewer, and which real royal scandals fill the pages of the fictional tabloids here.  Frankly, it isn't that difficult.  Neither is the novel's ending hard to guess.  The pleasure is in how Ms. Armitage gets us there!  (Plus, I loved reading about Tasmania.  It's one of the most amazing places on earth.  Lexi's right about that!)