A POISONED SEASON is a wonderful follow-up to Alexander’s debut novel, AND ONLY TO DECIEVE. This series set in Victorian England featuring Lady Emily Ashton is off to a wonderful start. In this second adventure with Lady Ashton we find her in the midst of the social season, which means parties and events that she would rather skip to follow her own scholarly pursuits. However social status has obligations and she finds herself attending a few of these functions. This leads to her meeting someone claiming to be descending from the defunct throne of Louis XVI. It is also at these affairs that she learns of a burglar who is stealing items that belonged to Marie Antoinette. Before long the burglar visits her home and the room of a guest. Shortly after one of the victims of burglary is killed and Emily finds herself with a new distraction, solving the murder. Immediately engrossing and thoroughly entertaining this is a great book to take you away from the world around you. Alexander writes with a fullness and richness to the writing that leaves the reader extremely satisfied.

Jon