I should have read this series - the adventures, murders and loves of
the very independent Lady Emily Ashton - in order. They can stand alone
nicely, but once you're bitten by the Lady Emily bug, you'll want to
read them all...so why not start at the beginning? This one deals with
an extended honeymoon (typical of their class, it could take six
months), this portion in Istanbul, in the waning days of the Ottoman
Empire (1892, to be exact). Author Alexander has the atmosphere spot on,
although I personally would like a bit more travelogue info (my
shortcoming; most will find it just about perfect), and way more about
food (my other shortcoming). A young girl dies in the Sultan's harem;
Lady E is whirled in to the mystery, meeting along the way a fascinating
bunch of characters. Alexander is adept at showing the passionate side
of our heroine without getting into the trenches; this could be required
reading for Flirting 101. The ending may come as a big surprise as
Alexander is an adept author and her psychological underpinnings are
rock solid. Pay attention to details and you may figure out the villain
earlier than I did. I gotta give this whole series a 5.
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