A Desperate Fortune
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4.2 • 18 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From the bestselling author of The Firebird, comes an exquisitely crafted novel of modern-day and historical intrigue.
For nearly 300 years, the mysterious journal of Jacobite exile Mary Dundas has lain unread—its secrets safe from prying eyes. Now, amateur codebreaker Sara Thomas has been hired by a once-famous historian to crack the journal's cipher. But when she arrives in Paris, Sara finds herself besieged by complications from all sides: the journal's reclusive owner, her charming Parisian neighbor, and Mary, whose journal doesn't hold the secrets Sara expects.
It turns out that Mary Dundas wasn’t keeping a record of everyday life, but a first-hand account of her part in a dangerous intrigue. In the first wintry months of 1732, with a scandal gaining steam in London, driving many into bankruptcy and ruin, the man accused of being at its center is concealed among the Jacobites in Paris, with Mary posing as his sister to aid his disguise. When their location is betrayed, they’re forced to put a desperate plan in action, heading south along the road to Rome, protected by the enigmatic Highlander Hugh MacPherson.
As Mary's tale grows more and more dire, Sara, too, must carefully choose which turning to take…to find the road that will lead her safely home.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kearsley (The Winter Sea) entwines the contemporary and historical narratives of two unmoored women looking for their place in the world. In the present day, jobless Sara Thomas travels to France to crack the cipher of an encrypted 18th-century diary. In 1732, the diary's author, young Mary Dundas, gets caught up in the intrigues of the continental community of Jacobite exiles. A plan gone awry sweeps her into murder and a flight south to Rome under the protection of the indefatigable, indestructible MacPhearson, eluding bounty hunters, wolves, spies, and betrayal. Sara's quieter tale mainly involves enjoying French hospitality, scenery, and the beautiful, attentive Luc Sabran. But Sara is inspired by Mary, who "found she liked this woman she had chosen now to be this Mary Dundas, who had traveled and seen trouble and been changed by it." Mary's vividly described travels and threats add thrills to their shared tale. Fans of historical spy fiction will enjoy the dangers risked by Jacobite sympathizers, while Kearsley's gentle drama and accurate detail are sure to satisfy lovers of historical fiction and romance.
Customer Reviews
Don’t miss this book!
This was recommended by Diana Gabaldan so I grabbed it up. A lovely story of intrigue, adventure and relationships that is quite unique. The writing style is flawless and interesting as it moves from our unique heroine in the present to an amazing woman in the past. Thoroughly enjoyable and I look forward to reading others.