Some Recommendations For A Friend

A friend of mine from livejournal asked for some Historical Fiction recommendations. That's something that is right up my alley, since I've been on that kind of kick lately.

Here are a few of my favorite historical novels from the last few months

A Lady In Waiting by Susan Meissner

 Jane Lindsay never thought she'd be alone, but after her husband leaves her, she must face the reality of her marriage and life choices. One small ring, found in the binding of a book bought at an English rummage sale, changes the course of Jane's thinking as she researches another Jane, whose name is inscribed in the ring. Readers jump back in time to England after the death of Henry VIII. Lucy Day is ordered to Sudeley Castle, bearing a dress for Lady Jane Grey. Lucy narrates the tale of Lady Jane, pawn in the schemes of powerful men who seek the throne of England even as young Jane Grey is determined to live-and die-on her own terms. Modern Jane studies Lady Jane, coming to realize that she alone must choose how she lives. Both the history and the modern tale are enticing, with Meissner doing a masterful job blending the two.

The Bad Queen By Carolyn Meyer

In this latest Young Royals tale, Meyer portrays the teenage Austrian princess “dealt” to France in marriage by her mother—might there be a sympathetic figure behind the persona of the woman mainly known for her extravagance and gruesome end? With the gorgeous clothes, sumptuous surroundings, and seemingly limitless wealth, Marie becomes a prisoner of royal pomp and circumstance with no concept of governance or political savvy as France descends into a revolutionary bloodbath. Historical-fiction fans will be swept up in the cruel fates of the monarchs and political forces, particularly as the drama escalates into horror.

Dark Road to Darjeeling By Deanna Raybourn

Set in 1889, Raybourn's sharp, surprising fourth Lady Julia Grey novel (after Silent on the Moor) finds Julia thoroughly enjoying her honeymoon with her detective husband, Nicholas Brisbane, in the Himalayas, where her brother, Plum, and sister, Portia, show up unexpectedly with startling news. Portia's former lover, Jane Cavendish, is convinced that her husband, Freddie, has been murdered in India. Brisbane, who reluctantly joins his wife and her siblings in their search for Freddie's killer, gets quickly drawn into a web of intrigue that's long on suspects and short on evidence. The mystery deepens as Grey and Brisbane explore India's colonial tensions and realize that everyone has a motive for murder. Raybourn skillfully balances humor and earnest, deadly drama, creating well-drawn characters and a rich setting.