Category: Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN-13:9781416560807
Pub. Date: August 2008
Date Read: November 2008
"She glanced out of the window and watched the autumn countryside roll past her. It was rather dull, if she was honest with herself. The ground was flat, and the rain had beaten the leaves from the trees so that they stood stark and bare... If viewed from her bedroom window, the scene would have excited little interest - but, of course, she could have seen nothing of this from any window in Mrs. Bunbury's academy. This view, the diligence, her fellow passengers, even the hurly-burly of the Eagle were all new, and that made all the difference. No pupil, escaping the toils of the schoolroom at the end of the term, could have felt a keener sense of freedom."
When Mary Finch receives a letter from her uncle requesting her visit to his Estate, she's overjoyed at the thought of finally meeting her only relative, and most especially getting away from the boredom of Mrs. Bunbury's school for young ladies. Mary feels that at last a grand adventure awaits her.
For a young woman in 1795, setting off toward the Suffolk coast by herself is already quite an undertaking but enroute her coach stops to help an injured man and then the real adventure begins. Mr. Tracey talks in riddles while Mary tries to comfort him as they await for a doctor but when she notices that he carries an usual watch similar to her own she wonders who Mr. Tracey really is.
Mary and the injured man are taken to a nearby inn where she'll meet the quiet and enigmatic Captain Holland. Despite not knowing him well Mary trusts him with her thoughts on Mr. Tracey and the watch. Captain Holland will then escort Mary to her uncles estate only to find themselves the victim of thieves.
Mary will find out much more about her uncle, the White Ladies Estate and will soon be uncovering a spy ring and secret codes while trying to figure out if she can trust Captain Holland and the other people who say they have her best interests at heart.
This promising debut which is the first book in a planned trilogy, engages the reader in a story of consipracy, politics and a bit of romance. While I admit the conspiracy and code breaking didn't appeal to me as much in the story, I still found myself very much involved because of the characters, in particular Mary.
I liked the naiveté often displayed by Mary. She is an intelligent young woman but obviously she has led a somewhat sheltered life until now. It's interesting to see her maturing as she is swept away by two men, the thought of becoming an heiress and the promise of what the future might hold for her. It'll be interesting to see what the next book will hold in store for Mary.