Most Secret

by Kathleen Buckley

Jane Stowe frequently finds her irritable father, peevish stepmother, and half brother Rupert a trial. Her only hope of eventual escape is her maternal uncle, Roger Markham, whose heir she is. When he dies under mysterious circumstances, Jane is the obvious suspect.

Alex Gordon, family misfit, has been sent to find out if there’s anything to Markham’s suspicions about the schooner Sea Mew. With half the Continent at war, and the Young Pretender recently landed in Scotland, the matter may be of critical importance. Once Alex ferrets out—with Jane’s assistance—the connection between the Sea Mew and Jacobite activity, he is told to leave the rest to the professionals. But the professionals have no stake in saving Jane from the gallows or Rupert from a charge of treason.


Most Secret was a finalist in the OKRWA IDA 2018 Historical Fiction category and in the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Romance category.

273 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 2018

About the author

When she was three years old, Kathleen Buckley’s father bought a set of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Big books! With all kinds of words (and pictures) in them! By the age of twelve, she knew she wanted to write fiction (she also wanted to be a journalist, a spy and a spaceperson—but NASA wasn’t accepting female spacepersons then. She never became a journalist because she hates asking pushy questions, nor a spy, because she’s not good with foreign languages, has bad eyes and is not athletic. In semi-retirement, she began to write full-time, at least when not pursuing her other hobbies: reading, cats, cooking, and costume.

See more on her website at ​https://18thcenturyromance.com/

Reviews

[Josephine Strand · Rating 5 out of 5]

It had been a long time since I had read a good historical novel, and Most Secret is a brilliant piece of historical fiction. It is rich with vivid characters and has all the ingredients to keep you turning the pages: death, betrayal, intrigue and plenty of plot twists. And, of course, romance, though, true to the time period it is set in, it is discreetly touched upon throughout the story, culminating in the obligatory happy ending.
The book is set in 18th century Great Britain at a time of the Jacobite risings. Jane Stowe, a gutsy, resourceful young lady wrongly suspected of having murdered her uncle for his inheritance, sets out to prove her innocence with the help of Alex Gordon, a young man for whom she develops a growing sentiment.
This book was a delight to read. Ms. Buckley’s humorous dialog and vivid narrative make you feel as though you a right in the action, watching these fascinating events unfold, which is what I particularly look for in a novel. I was gifted this book and my review is voluntary.

[Steve Shear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most Secret by Kathleen Buckley. What a lovely story which is set in a time (the 18th century) and place (what is now Great Britain) when and where most women “know their place”, namely in the home hidden in the shadows of their men. Not so with young Jane Stowe, the female protagonist of this story. Jane lives in the house of her father, a somewhat unreasonable man of the times, her plotting and self-centered stepmother (right out of Cinderella), and her immature half-brother Rupert. It is Rupert who initiates the inciting incident that moves the story forward with great tension. He becomes involved in a plot to sell arms to the enemy (the Jacobites) of the Crown of England.

Jane learns of her brother’s involvement from Roger Markham, her maternal uncle and confidant. Mr. Markham is murdered (actually poisoned), and blame is placed at the steps of Jane since she happens to be heir to his fortune. It is under these circumstances that Jane must find out who in fact did her uncle in and how involved her half-brother is in the plot. Enter the male protagonist, Alex Gordon, the son of a high-level government official who surreptitiously has his son look into the plot and death of Uncle Markham.

All of this makes for twists and turns and tension, three important ‘Ts’ in the telling of a great tale. However, it is how Ms. Buckley portrays Jane as a strong, independent twenty-first century woman, often without Jane realizing it, that makes this story so fascinating. That and how she portrays the growing relationship between Jane and Alex who is a white knight among thieves and weaklings.
Kathleen Buckley’s Most Secret is most definitely a novel worth reading.

[Zara West · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything - mystery, twists, and the best hero and heroine I've read in a long time. Set in the Jacobite period, Kathleen Buckley has brilliantly tied the history of the uprising to the lives of her two main characters who face murder, capture, and betrayal all because of a case of mistaken intent. The story is expertly tied up by the commonsense attitudes of the young couple. A tour de force.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beautiful descriptions and historical background transports the reader to the time of the Jacobite rising. This is what I enjoy most about historical fiction (and learning about historical events I'm not familiar with)-add in intrigue, spies, complicated family dynamics, a brewing romance and I couldn't put it down. Jane and Alex are fascinating, non-conventional characters that make this story shine. I highly recommend this brilliant work.

[Debra Kronenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author writes of the time of the Jacobites uprising, Bonny Prince Charlie, treachery, deceit, and treason, in Old England. Describing the towns, the farmlands, the reader feels like they are part if this fight. Enduring the methods of travel in 1740s.
I gave this book 5 stars. Reminded me of
Outlander, in its descriptions and flaire.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

18 century in Great Britain, we find Jane is in a home with a father and step mother that do try her patience. It is a half brother Rupert that gets into selling arms to the Jacobites. A good mystery and family drama. Given audio for my voluntary review

[Kerryn Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love Kathleen Buckley! MOST SECRET was no exception. Real & appealing people, believable plot, great adventure.