by Patricia Veryan

Although the last section is full of adventure, danger, and suspense, this one is mostly a more domestic romance and more of a comedy of manners than many of Veryan’s novels. It is charmingly old-fashioned as are all of her books. The final love scene between the Phoebe and “Merry” is one of Veryan’s most romantic and touching. It is full of period detail and is engaging throughout. There is one part that drags a bit, as usual, but this one part is pretty short. As usual, so far, the couriers of the cypher that name Jacobite (Jacky-bites, as called by one old codger) “traitors” and give the clues to the treasure collected to raise funds for Bonnie Prince Charlie, are ill-chosen, as they are, although long on bravery and nobility, are pretty weak in the brain department. This gets a little tedious after awhile. Luckily our hero and heroine are loyalists, not rebels, but have sympathy for the victims of Cumberland’s atrocities. **5 our of 5 stars**

January 10, 2017