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Title: The Riddle of the Deplorable Dandy: A Novel of Georgian England
ISBN: 0312290977
Author:
Patricia Veryan
Publicate Date: 2002-12-01
Publish: 2002-12-01
List Price: $24.95
Average Customer Rating: 3.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $12.95
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $1.38
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1: A slow start but gradually pulls you in
England and France -- March, 1749
Because of their family's straightened finances, the Clayton siblings go their separate ways. Elspeth goes to live with her godmother in London while Vance heads for Paris to become a soldier of fortune. When Vance becomes a courier for the Marquise de Pompadour, the French king's mistress, he is accused of being a spy and imprisoned in a private chateau.
Back in London, Elspeth has become the toast of the town and is very popular with all the gentlemen save for one, Gervaise Valerian. Elspeth's two encounters with the dandy give her the impression he cares more for the cut of his coat than anything else. When she receives word of Vance's capture from his best friend, Nicholas, Elspeth enlists his help to plan a rescue mission to France. However, on the eve of their departure, Nicholas is attacked and injured and Elspeth is forced to proceed alone, only to cross paths with a certain hateful dandy.
Gervaise Valerian has been living a lie for a long time. A very public estrangement with his father is a ruse developed to protect Sir Simon Valerian from those who would arrest him for helping the Jacobites. But it is no longer safe for Sir Simon to stay in England, and Gervaise is desperate to get him to France and on to safety. Concocting an elaborate masquerade, Gervaise's plans almost unravel when his carriage collides with another and the woman he hired is injured. Desperate for another to take her place, Gervaise turns to the other carriage and finds his nemesis, Elspeth Clayton, on board. Out of necessity, the pair agrees to work together to smuggle Sir Simon out of England, then rescue Vance.
Patricia Veryan is a genius at transporting readers back to the eighteenth century. Georgian England and the French countryside come to life in this grand adventure, the latest installment in her Riddle series. Elspeth comes across as a lady to the core, but she doesn't flinch from doing whatever is necessary to save those she loves. Gervaise, on the other hand, hides his truly heroic character behind a superficial veneer. Slowly, as the story progresses, Elspeth (and the reader) comes to know the man behind the dandy. Throw in a cast of secondary characters, all worthy of having their own stories told, and the result is pure magic.
TheSchemer
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2: Not the best, but quite good just the same
This is never going to be my favorite Veryan book--that's a tie between several of the Golden Chronicles and Jewelled Men series--but I think it's the best of the recent ones. I've been reading her books since I was in junior high, but I hadn't read either of the two "Riddle" Georgians until recently. The Shipwrecked Spinster was disappointing--really only of interest because it wrapped up the Cranfords, gave us a glimpse of what's going on with Roly and Fiona, and answered the question of Florian's heritage. This book--though it doesn't involve any of the familiar Georgian characters (except Gervaise, who first appeared in "Spinster" and Fitz Boudreaux, who is only involved briefly) stands on its own as an engaging story of adventure and intrigue. Yes, I wish there'd been a bit more development of the romance; yes, I would've squealed with delight if Elspeth had been friends with one of the ladies from the other books. Those things aside, it was an excellent read.
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3: Is that you Patricia?
This book is certainly not up to Patricia Veryan's standards. As an avid reader of her books, I was quite disappointed. Usually, the name Patricia Veryan on the cover is a guarantee of a wonderful read. Not so in this book. The plot is muddled and implausible. Our heroine, Elspeth, is dimwitted and silly. She gives us absolutely no reason to like her. Our hero, Gervaise, is rude and unkind. It is unclear why these two fall for each other. However, they deserve each other! Steer clear of this book.
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4: No no no no! This can't be Veryan!
I adore Patricia Veryan's books. Her exciting plots and well-developed, likeable characters have made her the only author of Regency romances after Georgette Heyer that I've truly liked. That being the case, I was exceedingly puzzled after reading both this horrible book and the glowing reviews on Amazon. Only one other reviewer has accurately said that this book is a real stinker? Unbelievable.So, I have come up with a theory which explains these discrepancies. Patricia Veryan was kidnapped by aliens, who substituted a clone with no writing talent who wrote this book. The aliens used their super-secret ultimate mind-ray weapon to brainwash the readers of the book into thinking that the book was good. Everything which usually makes a Veryan book enjoyable was missing from this book. As another reviewer said, this book reads like a poor imitation of Veryan. The heroine was stupid and annoying. I could not give even slight credence to the idea that anyone would fall in love with her. The sparkling banter which is so much a part of Veryan's usual style fell abominably flat. She was trying, but it just wasn't there. And as for the climax scene, when they attempted to rescue the young English soldier who was being held prisoner... I was hoping they would be caught by the bad guys, because anyone who comes up with a plan that stupid deserves to be caught. A word to the aliens - Please send Ms. Veryan back to us! Or if you won't, at least don't let the clone produce any more books! Do you want ransom? We'll pay it!
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5: Yes, a few anachronisms
As already mentioned, there are a few "errors" in this book: words or concepts used in 1749 which didn't exist at that time (guillotine, clothing sizes). [As for "milquetoast," isn't it possible that the term milktoast or milquetoast was used in those days, and centuries later the character of Caspar Milquetoast created based upon it??] However, while noting this, I still profess that this is a pretty good book. All of Veryan's "usual" elements are included: plucky heroine, hero who is tremendously brave and honorable, a seemingly impossible mission, a cast of unusual characters (timid cousin, faux gypsy), and of course the obligatory favored animal/pet (Pixie). I was a bit disconcerted at the end, however, to learn about Vance's surprising inheritance, as it seemed a bit too handy and contrived, and we were never told anything about the benefactor, as if his name was of no consequence to us.On the whole, this is one of the better, if not best so far, of the "Riddle" series. I confess to being quite disappointed in the first few Riddle books, since they didn't have the same impact as the Jewelled Men books, and I wasn't drawn to the characters as I have been w/ other Veryan books. But the Deplorable Dandy shows a return toward the style of her earlier books (IMHO) and, while not one of her best, is a very enjoyable read.
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