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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
Format: Bargain Price
Label: William Morrow
Manufacturer: William Morrow
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 320
Printing Date: April 01, 2007
Publishing house: William Morrow
Release Date: April 10, 2007
Sale Popularity Level: 5235
Studio: William Morrow
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Rated by buyers 
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I found A Poisoned Season to be a good read, and have much the same opinion of it that I did of And Only to Deceive. It was a good read, as much and maybe more of a historical fiction novel as a mystery and also probably better to read when you have the time to read it straight through and not over a long period of time. That is not to say that I didn't like the book by any means. I quite enjoyed it actually, and look forward to the subsequent installment. There were parts that I found I liked so much I didn't want to put the book down, but then there were parts that I had to coax myself through that made me give it an overall 4/5. If you liked the very first book in the Emily Ashton series, I would recommend reading this subsequent installment.
Rated by buyers 
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When an author is passionate about a particular subject or time, it comes through in their work. Tasha Alexander's 'A Poisoned Season' is my very first venture into Victorian Suspense, and I'm glad it was. She captures the time period so perfectly, that one must wonder if she lived during that time and is merely recording her experiences. At the heart of the novel is the 'curse of Marie Antoinette', and the theft of her belongings that have been spread throughout since her imprisonment and death. Each page was an effortless read, with each conversation building from the last making for a real page-turner. I am an avid horror/thriller reader, so this was a real detour for me, however I was so impressed, that I would recommend 'A Poisoned Season' to fans of any genre who is aching for a good, smooth, passionate read.
- Dan.
Rated by buyers -
When I find a new author that I like, and especially when their very first novel is very good, I tend to get a bit wary when the second novel is released. It's not very often that I enjoy the subsequent effort, it's usually that there is a bit of the joy of discovery isn't there. And when it involves continuing characters, there's a good chance that the story is going to slip somewhere, badly.
Imagine my surprise when Tasha Alexander's follow-up to And Only to Deceive turned out to be just as entertaining as the first.
Some time has passed since Emily, the widowed Lady Ashton, has met the dashing and handsome Colin Hargreaves. She certainly has feelings for him, but she also is enjoying her freedom that only a wealthy widow in late Victorian London can have. She can indulge her passion for the study of Greek and ancient antiquities without some pesky husband overshadowing her and while her mother remains just as pushy as ever, insisting that Emily remarry, Emily can always retreat to the comfort of her books, cigars and port when it all becomes too much. A widow can do pretty much as she pleases as long as she remains discreet...
But sometimes discretion isn't enough, as we see in this one. Emily's two best friends, Ivy who is married to a government official, and Margaret, a brash American who longs to study at Oxford, both come to Emily with problems to be solved, and Emily does her loyal best to help them. Ivy is quietly crumbling under Society's eye and the expectations that she provide and heir and soon -- but she's afraid that her beloved husband Robert is already straying, and her in-laws are pressing her to become not as daring as her friend. Margaret is chafing under the demands of her parents to find a titled husband for herself, and isn't at all interested -- so she asks Emily to help arrange a supposed romance for her -- and it's one that may seriously backfire.
Mixed in with all of this is a mystery about a cat-burglar and a claimant for the French throne. True, France is a republic, and seemingly has no intention of restoring a monarchy, but that isn't stopping Charles Berry from pressing his extravagant claims as a descendant of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. The fact that he seems to have settled on Emily as a potential royal mistress and his social skills are less than proper makes our widow very nervous indeed. When a prominent member of Society and a fellow collector turns up poisoned, Emily is determined to find out what is really going on -- even if it means that she has to get closer than she would like to Mr. Berry.
And it seems that Colin has not one, but two rivals in this story for Emily's affections. One is the Duke of Bainbridge, who is helping along Margaret's charade, and the other a very dangerous, very mysterious man who seems to know everything about her, but is very adept at keeping himself hidden from view.
How it all becomes resolved along with a few good witticisms and some biting commentary is what makes this story work. I was kept up through the night, wanting to find out what happens next, and not being disappointed in the slightest by this story of intrigue and romance.
What I do like about Ms. Alexander's work is that she does research into the time and place, and knows how to work in the subtle details and gossip of the period and still keep the story and action moving briskly along. I recognized quite a few little tidbits of actual goings-on that slip into the story, but it's so subtly handled by the author that I found myself chuckling and grinning over it, thinking Nicely done! to myself.
While most mystery series have ongoing characters that provide the momentum and narration to a story, this one involves quite a bit about Emily and Colin themselves, not to mention all of the secondary characters. It's pretty easy to dip into a novel into the series, and not find a lot of changing going on with the sleuthing team. This time, however, there is a great deal of backstory that will be missed if the reader skips over Alexander's very first novel. While Colin isn't as prominent in this one, neither does the author give a lot of details about why he and Emily are so close. Besides the very first book was so much fun, that I would hate to have anyone skip it over -- it's worth the effort to take in.
As well as the mystery itself, the author kindly includes some sources for further reading for those who want to know more about the Society and their ways. There are several notes that explore the history behind the story of the son of Louis XVI and the various claims made by adventurers over the last two centuries, as well as why Charles Worth was so important. An excerpt from Tasha Alexander's subsequent book, A Fatal Waltz, is also included, and looks to be just as exciting as this one.
All in all, a happy thumbs up from me, and four stars overall.
Rated by buyers -
This sequel to, "And Only To Decieve", is absolutely inthralling. True, it is not the very first one, but we must admit that we were discovering tons in her very first book. Now that we know a lot about the characters we must not look down upon the new story lines.
I loved reading the details of this mystery and will read it again. She brilliantly intertwines the characters from the very first book right into this one.
These books are clean, well thought out, well written, and will keep you reading to the end of it. I was not able to put it down.
I hope they make movies about Lady Emily Ashton and these characters in her books.
You won't be disappointed. I eagerly awaited her third book after I read this one, and was not at all disappointed in it either!
Rated by buyers 
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Her very first book And Only to Deceive I picked up at an airport and found myself finished by the night I landed. While I found her very first effort very exciting and sort of a modern take on a historical story, I felt this one offered not a lot new and felt formulaic. The story is still interesting, but I found her searc h for information about her deceased husband in the very first book, far more interesting than her search for a thief and a mysterious admirer. This felt much less personal. Do not get me wrong, if you want a good read that will last you a day or a weekend, then this is a great choice. It woudl be the perfect story for a summer beach read. But stick with the very first if you want to be truly engrossed.
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