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Starrbelow
A young Italian woman travels to eighteenth-century England to wage war on polite society in this sweeping historical saga of mystery, scandal, and romance.
Sophia Devigne is a child of Venice, as much a part of the wonderful island city as the canals themselves. If it were up to her, she would never leave, but her family has other ideas. For the sake of her British father’s honor, she’s being sent to London to make her societal debut. Her father hopes she’ll attract a wealthy husband and retire to a life of polite boredom in the English countryside, but beneath Sophia’s genteel exterior lurks the wild spirit of Venice, which will thrust her headlong into the scandal of the century.
When Sophia wins the hand of the dashing Lord Weyburn, she believes her troubles are over. But his elegant Cotswold estate, Starrbelow, is just another gilded cage. Desperate to be free, she escapes to town—and embarks on a wild debauch that shocks all London. Never again will she call herself Sophia. Now she’s Sapphire, and she’ll bow to no man. But when her wild indulgences embroil her in a suspicious death, Sapphire is accused of murder, and faces the merciless judgment of the court of public opinion. On trial by society, she will live or die as she always has: unbroken and standing tall.
This stirring recreation of eighteenth-century English society combines adventure, murder, and timeless romance. Christianna Brand was one of the masters of classic British mystery fiction, and Starrbelow is one of her greatest works.
Sophia Devigne is a child of Venice, as much a part of the wonderful island city as the canals themselves. If it were up to her, she would never leave, but her family has other ideas. For the sake of her British father’s honor, she’s being sent to London to make her societal debut. Her father hopes she’ll attract a wealthy husband and retire to a life of polite boredom in the English countryside, but beneath Sophia’s genteel exterior lurks the wild spirit of Venice, which will thrust her headlong into the scandal of the century.
When Sophia wins the hand of the dashing Lord Weyburn, she believes her troubles are over. But his elegant Cotswold estate, Starrbelow, is just another gilded cage. Desperate to be free, she escapes to town—and embarks on a wild debauch that shocks all London. Never again will she call herself Sophia. Now she’s Sapphire, and she’ll bow to no man. But when her wild indulgences embroil her in a suspicious death, Sapphire is accused of murder, and faces the merciless judgment of the court of public opinion. On trial by society, she will live or die as she always has: unbroken and standing tall.
This stirring recreation of eighteenth-century English society combines adventure, murder, and timeless romance. Christianna Brand was one of the masters of classic British mystery fiction, and Starrbelow is one of her greatest works.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1958
25 people want to read
About the author
Christianna Brand
100 books137 followersChristianna Brand (December 17, 1907 - March 11, 1988) was a crime writer and children's author. Brand also wrote under the pseudonyms Mary Ann Ashe, Annabel Jones, Mary Roland, and China Thomson.
She was born Mary Christianna Milne in 1907 in Malaya and spent her early years in India. She had a number of different occupations, including model, dancer, shop assistant and governess.
Her first novel, Death in High Heels, was written while Brand was working as a salesgirl. In 1941, one of her best-loved characters, Inspector Cockrill of the Kent County Police, made his debut in the book Heads You Lose. The character would go on to appear in seven of her novels. Green for Danger is Brand’s most famous novel. The whodunit, set in a World War 2 hospital, was adapted for film by Eagle-Lion Films in 1946, starring Alastair Sim as the Inspector. She dropped the series in the late 1950s and concentrated on various genres as well as short stories. She was nominated three times for Edgar Awards: for the short stories "Poison in the Cup" (EQMM, Feb. 1969) and "Twist for Twist" (EQMM, May 1967) and for a nonfiction work about a Scottish murder case, Heaven Knows Who (1960). She is the author of the children's series Nurse Matilda, which Emma Thompson adapted to film as Nanny McPhee (2005).
Her Inspector Cockrill short stories and a previously unpublished Cockrill stage play were collected as The Spotted Cat and Other Mysteries from inspector Cockrill's Casebook, edited by Tony Medawar (2002).
Series:
* Nurse Matilda
* Inspector Charlesworth
* Inspector Chucky
* Inspector Cockrill
She was born Mary Christianna Milne in 1907 in Malaya and spent her early years in India. She had a number of different occupations, including model, dancer, shop assistant and governess.
Her first novel, Death in High Heels, was written while Brand was working as a salesgirl. In 1941, one of her best-loved characters, Inspector Cockrill of the Kent County Police, made his debut in the book Heads You Lose. The character would go on to appear in seven of her novels. Green for Danger is Brand’s most famous novel. The whodunit, set in a World War 2 hospital, was adapted for film by Eagle-Lion Films in 1946, starring Alastair Sim as the Inspector. She dropped the series in the late 1950s and concentrated on various genres as well as short stories. She was nominated three times for Edgar Awards: for the short stories "Poison in the Cup" (EQMM, Feb. 1969) and "Twist for Twist" (EQMM, May 1967) and for a nonfiction work about a Scottish murder case, Heaven Knows Who (1960). She is the author of the children's series Nurse Matilda, which Emma Thompson adapted to film as Nanny McPhee (2005).
Her Inspector Cockrill short stories and a previously unpublished Cockrill stage play were collected as The Spotted Cat and Other Mysteries from inspector Cockrill's Casebook, edited by Tony Medawar (2002).
Series:
* Nurse Matilda
* Inspector Charlesworth
* Inspector Chucky
* Inspector Cockrill
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 4, 2020
From Italy to Fine Houses of England
A Cinderella story with a lovely Twist at the end. A mock court proceedings to destroy what's left of Sapphire 's reputation.
A Cinderella story with a lovely Twist at the end. A mock court proceedings to destroy what's left of Sapphire 's reputation.
Displaying 1 of 1 review