In the Lion’s Den
The House of Falconer
-
- 5,99 €
-
- 5,99 €
Publisher Description
From the bestselling author of A Woman of Substance, a page-turning epic Victorian historical family saga.
London 1889: Victorian London is a place of wealth, privilege and poverty, a city of extremes. For James Falconer, who grew up as a barrow boy on a London market, it is a city of opportunity.
Working his way up Henry Malvern’s trading company in Piccadilly, James faces fraud and betrayal. A fierce rivalry develops with Henry’s daughter and heir Alexis – but their animosity masks a powerful attraction.
Embarking on a love affair with the daughter of Russian émigrés, James’s life begins to transform. But as treachery and danger threaten, a secret comes to light that will change his life forever. James must decide where his future lies – with Henry Malvern or following his own dream…
Gripping, dramatic and bringing the England of Queen Victoria and the British Empire vividly to life, In the Lion’s Den is a sweeping historical epic from one of our finest storytellers, creator of A Woman of Substance.
Reviews
Acclaim for Barbara Taylor Bradford:
‘A stately home, a dangerous secret and two families whose fates have been intertwined for generations…a gripping period piece set on the brink of the Great War. Exquisite escapism of the highest order.’ The Lady
‘A classic saga of loyalty, secrets, passion and intrigue…if you’ve been suffering withdrawal symptoms from Downton, this is for you’ Daily Mail
‘A splendid historical family saga’ My Weekly
‘As romantic and thrilling as the rest’ Independent on Sunday
‘Few novelists are as consummate as Barbara Taylor Bradford at keeping the reader turning the page. She is one of the world’s best at spinning yarns’ Guardian
‘There is no one writing sagas like Bradford, and no one but the grand mistress delivers this kind of unforgettable, sweeping, dramatic read’ Romantic Times
About the author
Barbara Taylor Bradford was born and raised in England. She started her writing career on the Yorkshire Evening Post and later worked as a journalist in London. Her first novel, A Woman of Substance, became an enduring bestseller and was followed by many more, including the bestselling Cavendon series. Barbara’s books have sold more than eighty-one million copies worldwide in more than ninety countries and forty languages. In October of 2007, Barbara was appointed an OBE by the Queen for her services to literature.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Bradford adds a leisurely paced installment to her House of Falconer series (after Master of His Fate), set in Victorian England. The story tracks aspiring merchant James Falconer's rising career at the shipping and real estate firm Malvern Market, run by Henry Malvern. While Henry's middle-aged daughter, Alexis, the company's expected successor, grieves for her dead fianc , Henry promotes the ambitious James, 21, to second-in-command. After a family member embezzles from the firm, James proposes building a gallery of shops as a way to recoup those losses, but arson strikes the half-built gallery. (Though, curiously, no suspects are suggested, leaving readers to anticipate a reveal in a future series installment.) Bradford does offer a secret from James's past love life, staging a seductive tryst between James and the lovely Irina, a dress designer, while a highly charged love affair between James and Alexis moves the plot. Bradford evokes the Victorian setting with aplomb, but a ham-handed intervention by Alexis's late fianc 's adult daughter, who professes to have looked up to her while telling her to "get back looks," muddles the author's apparent appeal to current values with its adherence to Victorian convention. Series fans will enjoy following along as the plot deepens.