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The Heroine's Sister
VENETIAN INTERLUDE
Abandoned by her brazen and beautiful older sister in a Venice smoldering with treachery and betrayal, young respectable Mary Porteous found herself destitute and alone. She'd all but given up hope of surviving on her artistic talents, when a mysterious letter arrived, informing her that she had been highly recommended to the grand Palazzo Murano.
Baffled but heartened, Mary arrived at the Palazzo and was instantly ensconced in the household. Only then did she discover her unknown benefactor to be none other than Todaro del Doria, a nobleman whose amorous adventures were infamous but whose quiet personal affairs were too dangerous to reveal, a man she didn't know - but with whom she'd soon share an intrigue of the heart that could cost them both their lives...
Abandoned by her brazen and beautiful older sister in a Venice smoldering with treachery and betrayal, young respectable Mary Porteous found herself destitute and alone. She'd all but given up hope of surviving on her artistic talents, when a mysterious letter arrived, informing her that she had been highly recommended to the grand Palazzo Murano.
Baffled but heartened, Mary arrived at the Palazzo and was instantly ensconced in the household. Only then did she discover her unknown benefactor to be none other than Todaro del Doria, a nobleman whose amorous adventures were infamous but whose quiet personal affairs were too dangerous to reveal, a man she didn't know - but with whom she'd soon share an intrigue of the heart that could cost them both their lives...
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
About the author
Frances Murray
28 books5 followersRosemary Frances Sutherland was born on 10 February 1928 in Lanark, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK, the daughter of Frances (Wotherspoon), an artist, and Donald Sutherland, a journalist and playwright. She studied at the University of Glasgow (1945–1947), later she decided took a year out and worked for and toured with the Unity Theatre of Glasgow (1948–1949). On August 28, 1950 she married Robert Edward Booth, a manager, and they had three daughters: Lesley, Judith, and Frances.
In 1965, she gained an MA at the University of St Andrews, followed by a Diploma in Education in 1966. She taught History at Perth Academy, Scotland (1966-1972) and was Head of History Department at Linlathan School, Dundee (1972-1976). She was principal teacher of History at the Ladies' College, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Isles (1976-1993). In 1993, she retired from teaching. Throughout her professional teaching career and her retirement, she has always written. She was published from 1966 to 1986. Since 2011, she auto-published e-books in amazon.
After her retiring, Rosemary and her husband then moved to Spain to live, then to France where she now lives in the Tarn River area, where she has her second residence during years.
In 1965, she gained an MA at the University of St Andrews, followed by a Diploma in Education in 1966. She taught History at Perth Academy, Scotland (1966-1972) and was Head of History Department at Linlathan School, Dundee (1972-1976). She was principal teacher of History at the Ladies' College, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Isles (1976-1993). In 1993, she retired from teaching. Throughout her professional teaching career and her retirement, she has always written. She was published from 1966 to 1986. Since 2011, she auto-published e-books in amazon.
After her retiring, Rosemary and her husband then moved to Spain to live, then to France where she now lives in the Tarn River area, where she has her second residence during years.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 2, 2016
After her sister’s unexpected desertion when she chose an Austrian suitor over a Venetian, six foot tall (2 meters) Mary Porteous had her work cut out. She needed a job, money and a safe place to live. Immediately.
The twenty-something woman’s decision to hide a street urchin under her skirts opened a path to espionage with a pig, a black wig and some unflattering digs regarding her height. And on the sideline was the handsome but mysterious Signor Todoro del Doria, her sister’s one-time fling (that made me pause for thought!).
I recently discovered Frances Murray. I love romances but I enjoy suspense and history, too. Mrs. Murray meets all of the criteria but not in that order. This fiction, similar to The Dear Colleague, was a historical tale set in a country other than England with danger and intrigue and lastly, a light romance.
The author wrings as much as possible out of the Venetian setting with wonderful geography, some classic sites and the oh-so-colorful and passionate residents. By passion, I mean the language- ”Signora Giganessa, would I have been ten years older!” and their mannerisms -Alessandro said, ”This poor boat is yours! (Because of) your heavenly kindness, hatred of Austrians, undoubted artistic talents and quickness of thought. A delight to meet you!”. The mild romance comes, for the most part, at the end.
3.5 stars
The twenty-something woman’s decision to hide a street urchin under her skirts opened a path to espionage with a pig, a black wig and some unflattering digs regarding her height. And on the sideline was the handsome but mysterious Signor Todoro del Doria, her sister’s one-time fling (that made me pause for thought!).
I recently discovered Frances Murray. I love romances but I enjoy suspense and history, too. Mrs. Murray meets all of the criteria but not in that order. This fiction, similar to The Dear Colleague, was a historical tale set in a country other than England with danger and intrigue and lastly, a light romance.
The author wrings as much as possible out of the Venetian setting with wonderful geography, some classic sites and the oh-so-colorful and passionate residents. By passion, I mean the language- ”Signora Giganessa, would I have been ten years older!” and their mannerisms -Alessandro said, ”This poor boat is yours! (Because of) your heavenly kindness, hatred of Austrians, undoubted artistic talents and quickness of thought. A delight to meet you!”. The mild romance comes, for the most part, at the end.
3.5 stars
Want to Read
December 4, 2013*heroine is six feet tall
*hides a man under her crinoline to evade pursuers
Has anyone else read this book?
*hides a man under her crinoline to evade pursuers
Has anyone else read this book?
March 22, 2018
First off, I think the blurb for this book here on Goodreads is a bit melodramatic in tone. Technically, yes, it accurately lists plot elements, but gives them an overdramatised feel - which the heroine of the book would thoroughly dislike.
Mary Porteous was born into a family of opera singers, has a beautiful soprano voice, but is not an opera singer herself. This is partially because she is tall - taller than many men of the period including most of the tenors who'd have to look up at her to sing their devotion. It is also because, unlike the rest of her family, she doesn't have an operatic temperament - as she puts it she doesn't see why burnt toast should give rise to the mad scene from Lucia de Lammermoor.
She and her older sister are working in Venice, during the Austrian occupation of Italy. They are employed at a theatre, with her older sister singing the heroine in the opera, and Mary doing various support jobs. Venice under occupation is a city of intrigues, political unrest, political actions from pamphlets to bombs. As an English citizen, Mary Porteus has some protection, but not a lot. When her sister runs off with her Austrian lover and the theatre is shut, Mary is left without an income in a city under occupation and characteristically sets out to cope in various ways.
Mary Porteous was born into a family of opera singers, has a beautiful soprano voice, but is not an opera singer herself. This is partially because she is tall - taller than many men of the period including most of the tenors who'd have to look up at her to sing their devotion. It is also because, unlike the rest of her family, she doesn't have an operatic temperament - as she puts it she doesn't see why burnt toast should give rise to the mad scene from Lucia de Lammermoor.
She and her older sister are working in Venice, during the Austrian occupation of Italy. They are employed at a theatre, with her older sister singing the heroine in the opera, and Mary doing various support jobs. Venice under occupation is a city of intrigues, political unrest, political actions from pamphlets to bombs. As an English citizen, Mary Porteus has some protection, but not a lot. When her sister runs off with her Austrian lover and the theatre is shut, Mary is left without an income in a city under occupation and characteristically sets out to cope in various ways.
July 13, 2025
As we've gotten further into our Romance History Project, we've often discussed wanting more bookish context. What other romances were around at the time? Why did particular books get elevated? What potentially better books might have been forgotten by time? I've done a lot of research to help us round out our main list but we're inevitably leaving so many other books on the cutting room floor.
Vicky learned about The Heroine's Sister through #RomBkLove (RIP) from someone who described it as an early romcom with a good historical setting. Published in 1975, the front book cover says: "A Proper Victorian Lady...A Dangerous Venetian Gentleman...A Tempestuous Intrigue of Daring and Love." What more do you need?
Well, it turns out I needed an actual romance. (This is a pitfall of some #RomBkLove recs. Not everyone has the same taste. Or apparently same definition of romance.) This turned out to be historical fiction set during the Austrian occupation of Venice. The cover copy was misleading, as there's not nearly as much action as the blurb suggests. However, there is some intrigue in the form of the Venetian resistance.
Mary is left high and dry when her opera singer sister Flora absconds with one of her suitors. But Mary has no shortage of talents and sets about giving piano lessons and selling drawings. During one such drawing session, she hides a street urchin under her skirt. All hail, Mary! She soon finds placement as a governess for Italian nobility and sets everything to rights. She later finds out she got the position after Todaro recommended her; he's a nobleman who courted her sister.
Meanwhile, various secondary characters undertake political activism through both subversive and aggressive means, including the Signor's son Pietro. Everyone has warned Mary's employer to keep him out of trouble to no avail. This works as well as you think it will. But thanks to Mary's quick-thinking and an assist from Todaro, all is well.
And then, out of nowhere, This is in the last few pages and I cannot stress enough how this came out of nowhere. They didn't really interact until around page 80 and spend the majority of the book apart. There is no hint of interest on either side until the boat hijinks happen in the final chapter. Needless to say, I didn't buy it.
This may be a case where my romance expectations got in the way of the book. The setting was compelling and Mary was my kind of FMC. Had I known going in that it was historical fiction, it might have worked somewhat better. Still, it's pretty slow moving and not nearly as tempestuous and intriguing as the blurb led me to believe. It might appeal to fans of Georgette Heyer (reminder that she's antisemitic and racist) or those who enjoy slow-moving historical fiction.
Characters: Mary is a tall white British Italian piano accompanist, artist, and governess. Todaro is an Italian nobleman. This is set in 1868 Venice.
Content notes: secondary character's lover threatens to kill her (not treated seriously), murdered soldiers, mob violence, brawl, dislocated shoulder (secondary character), abuse of power (Austrian soldiers), anti-Austrian xenophobia, sex worker violence (mob goes after FMC after a rumor spreads that she's a whore), cross-dressing secondary character (disguise), financial precarity, classism, weight loss, skipping meals, body commentary, infidelity (secondary characters), past death of FMC's parents and other relatives (including childbirth and typhoid), pregnant secondary character, alcohol, inebriation (secondary characters), cigarillo (secondary character), gendered pejorative, gender essentialist language, ableist language
*Buddy read with Charlotte, Hannah, and Vicky.
RHP ranking, so far:
Whitney, My Love (4 stars)
Maurice (4 stars)
Loyal in All (3.5 stars)
The Moon-Spinners (3 stars)
The Heroine's Sister (3 stars)
Sweet Starfire (2.5 stars)
Gaywyck (2.5 stars)
Loving Her (2 stars)
Playing the Odds (1.5 stars)
The Bride (1 star)
The Black Lyon (1 star)
No Quarter Asked (1 star)
Regency Buck (1 star)
The Sheik (1 star)
The Flame and the Flower (1 star)
The Lord Won’t Mind (1 star)
Vicky learned about The Heroine's Sister through #RomBkLove (RIP) from someone who described it as an early romcom with a good historical setting. Published in 1975, the front book cover says: "A Proper Victorian Lady...A Dangerous Venetian Gentleman...A Tempestuous Intrigue of Daring and Love." What more do you need?
Well, it turns out I needed an actual romance. (This is a pitfall of some #RomBkLove recs. Not everyone has the same taste. Or apparently same definition of romance.) This turned out to be historical fiction set during the Austrian occupation of Venice. The cover copy was misleading, as there's not nearly as much action as the blurb suggests. However, there is some intrigue in the form of the Venetian resistance.
Mary is left high and dry when her opera singer sister Flora absconds with one of her suitors. But Mary has no shortage of talents and sets about giving piano lessons and selling drawings. During one such drawing session, she hides a street urchin under her skirt. All hail, Mary! She soon finds placement as a governess for Italian nobility and sets everything to rights. She later finds out she got the position after Todaro recommended her; he's a nobleman who courted her sister.
Meanwhile, various secondary characters undertake political activism through both subversive and aggressive means, including the Signor's son Pietro. Everyone has warned Mary's employer to keep him out of trouble to no avail. This works as well as you think it will. But thanks to Mary's quick-thinking and an assist from Todaro, all is well.
And then, out of nowhere, This is in the last few pages and I cannot stress enough how this came out of nowhere. They didn't really interact until around page 80 and spend the majority of the book apart. There is no hint of interest on either side until the boat hijinks happen in the final chapter. Needless to say, I didn't buy it.
This may be a case where my romance expectations got in the way of the book. The setting was compelling and Mary was my kind of FMC. Had I known going in that it was historical fiction, it might have worked somewhat better. Still, it's pretty slow moving and not nearly as tempestuous and intriguing as the blurb led me to believe. It might appeal to fans of Georgette Heyer (reminder that she's antisemitic and racist) or those who enjoy slow-moving historical fiction.
Characters: Mary is a tall white British Italian piano accompanist, artist, and governess. Todaro is an Italian nobleman. This is set in 1868 Venice.
Content notes: secondary character's lover threatens to kill her (not treated seriously), murdered soldiers, mob violence, brawl, dislocated shoulder (secondary character), abuse of power (Austrian soldiers), anti-Austrian xenophobia, sex worker violence (mob goes after FMC after a rumor spreads that she's a whore), cross-dressing secondary character (disguise), financial precarity, classism, weight loss, skipping meals, body commentary, infidelity (secondary characters), past death of FMC's parents and other relatives (including childbirth and typhoid), pregnant secondary character, alcohol, inebriation (secondary characters), cigarillo (secondary character), gendered pejorative, gender essentialist language, ableist language
*Buddy read with Charlotte, Hannah, and Vicky.
RHP ranking, so far:
Whitney, My Love (4 stars)
Maurice (4 stars)
Loyal in All (3.5 stars)
The Moon-Spinners (3 stars)
The Heroine's Sister (3 stars)
Sweet Starfire (2.5 stars)
Gaywyck (2.5 stars)
Loving Her (2 stars)
Playing the Odds (1.5 stars)
The Bride (1 star)
The Black Lyon (1 star)
No Quarter Asked (1 star)
Regency Buck (1 star)
The Sheik (1 star)
The Flame and the Flower (1 star)
The Lord Won’t Mind (1 star)
March 11, 2017
This book was copyrighted in 1975 and I've probably owned it since the 80s--it's one of those books that I pull out to reread when I want something fun and familiar. Set in Venice in 1868, Mary Porteous and her sister Flora are musicians who have grown up in and around opera their whole lives. Although they are English they have lived most of their lives in Italy. Flora is the 'Heroine' as her beauty gives her the entree as the main soprano in a Venice theatre. Mary has the better voice but she is also uncommonly tall (6') and has taken on the role of accompanist, companion and definitely not the heroine.
Venice has been occupied by the Austrians for a number of years so life is hard. When Flora runs off with an Austrian officer and leaves Mary to make her own way, Mary is served well by being very likable and competent. With the help of old and new friends she lands on her feet as a governess and all around help at the Palazzo Murano. The teenage son of her employer however gets embroiled in the Venetian resistance to the Austrian occupation and pulls in his family and Mary. I haven't read this in a couple of years but it continues to be a great read every time I pull it out.
Venice has been occupied by the Austrians for a number of years so life is hard. When Flora runs off with an Austrian officer and leaves Mary to make her own way, Mary is served well by being very likable and competent. With the help of old and new friends she lands on her feet as a governess and all around help at the Palazzo Murano. The teenage son of her employer however gets embroiled in the Venetian resistance to the Austrian occupation and pulls in his family and Mary. I haven't read this in a couple of years but it continues to be a great read every time I pull it out.
August 30, 2025
Light on the romance, and slightly too heavy on the Venetian politics of the 1850s, but with a delightful FMC clearly written as a riposte to the heroines Murray’s contemporaries were offering. And it had a lightness and playfulness that made the reading go really fast, even while it took the human cost of the history seriously. At one point Murray name-checks Austen - her heroine is reading Northanger Abbey - and you can see the through line, by way of Daphne du Maurier and Murray’s compatriot Dorothy Dunnett. I would definitely read more from her.
July 12, 2015
A quick re-read of this historical romance, set in Venice during the Austrian occupation. It's a cute story anyway, but I was feeling in the need for something set in Venice after my recent holiday, and it fit the bill to a tee.
November 13, 2015
A nice romance set in Venice during the Austrian occupation. The political plot was that the Venetians and Mary, the main character, are trying to ferment anti-Austrian activity. Meanwhile, Mary and the handsome Todaro are falling in love. Not one of my favorite Murrays but a pleasant read.
July 14, 2016
I love this story. I love Mary being sensible and quick thinking and competent and decisive. I love watching little Angelo being the cute funny kiddo throughout. And I love Todaro del Doria for his own decisiveness, perception, and height.
April 29, 2018
This is one of the books I fall back on when I want to read something light and entertaining. While the romance is somewhat dated in description by today's standards, it is still sweet.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews