Dancing on the Wind

Regency Intrigue #8

by Sarah Chester, M.C. Beaton

A Regency-era tale of romance and suspense, from the New York Times–bestselling author of the Agatha Raisin series.
 
Beautiful young Polly grew up with Meg, the woman she knew as her aunt. But upon Meg’s death, Polly discovers she was a foundling . . . and learns she is about to be cast out of her humble cottage.
 
There’s nothing to do but leave the village and set out for London—for Meg harbors deep suspicions about the elderly woman’s demise. Only a day before she died, Meg had journeyed to Meresly Manor, and came back from the earl’s estate with ugly bruises. Before she can untangle the dark secrets at the heart of this mystery, Polly will stand accused of murder and sentenced to hang—until a dashing nobleman offers to help her find the real killer . . .
 
Previously published under the name Marion Chesney

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Regency, Fiction

271 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1988

About the author

Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, M.C. Beaton.

Marion Gibbons (née Chesney) was a Scottish writer of romance and mystery novels. Marion wrote her historical romances under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, as well as several pseudonyms ( Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, and Charlotte Ward). Using the pseudonym M.C. Beaton she also wrote many popular mystery novels, most notably the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth mystery series. Both of these book series have been adapted for TV. Because of her great success with mystery novels her publishers both in the U.S. and abroad began using the M.C. Beaton pseudonym for all of her novels.

Reviews

[Moira Fogarty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rarely have I seen an author work so tirelessly to wedge every conceivable tidbit of research and article of discovery they have made while studying an era, into the plot of their novel. As a work of fiction this is really stretching the boundaries of the regency formula - the focus is entirely on the heroine and her plight, with rather cursory involvement from her hero and an extremely delayed expression of interest from either party. For a long while, I wondered if I had been misled: was this a romance at all? The life of the main character seemed far too gritty, too lowly, and too abjectly without hope to ever blossom into a great lady with a grand wedding, as required by the strictures of the genre. Incredibly, the author eventually elevates her poor wretch, but the reader is taken on a full tour of every echelon of British society in the early 1800s, from farmers to city folk, criminals to tea merchants, great lords and ladies and their servants. Whether you will or no, you are treated to an intensely detailed description of fashions for both men and women, including shoes, gowns, hoops and stays, wigs, powder, patches and undergarments. You smell the unwashed masses and their vain attempts to cover odors with musk and perfume rather than subject themselves to soap and water. You are toured through the neighborhoods of London from parks to brothels, ballrooms and theaters to Vauxhall and jail cells. This is as close to a textbook on the early regency as one is likely to find still shelved in the "fiction" section of the bookstore or library. As I enjoyed the Blackstone audio edition, I must congratulate the reader on doing a good job of tackling a wide array of shifting accents indicating characters moving and changing positions in London society. She performed ladies, gents, blackguards and simple folk, upper crust, dandies, malicious cuckolds, evil twins, weak-minded pickpockets, and the unstoppable Polly Jones with deft modulations and smooth ease. A masterful display of storytelling, I recommend it despite the wild and unpredictable plot twists and turns in this oddly pedantic and edifying yet totally zany bildungsroman.

[Shawnee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very little forward motion but a lot of side stories

It's a delicate balance to tell a story about someone's life and yet not build the character into a likable one. Then as we followed her cohorts they have incredible story arcs but abandon Polly in her tine of need. There is never any love allowed to bloom between Polly & her rescuer either. Poorly done sadly !!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moll Flanders, only not depressing. Would make an awesome Masterpiece Theater series. Whomever designed the cover for this (audio) edition should be fired, since this is a late 18th century setting and the cover illustration is over a hundred years off, fashion wise. Sympathetic but quirky protagonist, detailed look at several levels of 18th century English society, and believable characters all around. There are several points in this meaty story that a lesser novel would have saved for the action-packed climax at the end, but this one just keeps the drama coming. A few bewildering moments where the author seems confused about what various items of clothing are called, the worst of which are references to petticoats. A petticoat is tied at the waist and supports one's skirt(s). It does not have sleeves(?!). The framework cage that supports late 18th century skirts is a farthingale or panniers, not a "hoop", and it most certainly is not sewn into a petticoat...that I know of. Minor quibbles, but the first time I've run into these particular errors. At any rate, I love M.C. Beaton's writing and was pleasantly surprised to run across in the "available now" section on my library's website. Not sure why this is included in a "Regency" series, since the setting pre-dates that period by at least a decade and should probably be called "Georgian".

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't my favorite of the Marion Chesney intrigue romances. I didn't find the main character, Polly Jones, very likeable. In theory, I should have liked her Robin Hood attitude of steal from the rich and give to the poor, but somehow, she just came across as annoying. Of course, I didn't want her to be hanged for thievery. But, I also didn't find her very sympathetic. This was one of the longer Marion Cheney books, and so I was hoping for more development between Polly and the Marquess of Canonby, her saviour. But they hardly even met. All in all, this was one of the more disappointing books by the author.

[Karen Darling · Rating 1 out of 5]

The heroine is down and out, destitute and treated badly by just about everyone. Her mother denied her and gave her away to be killed as a baby. She is kicked out of her guardian's home when he dies. A madam kidnaps, rob, drug and seals her. Then she is homeless and jobless. When she finally gets a job she is rubbed up against and leered at. The list went on and on. I stop reading before they arrested her for stealing.

[P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the end it was too unbelievable and a tad repellent. Sentenced to hang - twice? Houdini escapes from both? In and out of brothels? The heroine is a scoundrel without a heart of gold, or a moral compass. The hero is self-absorbed and mildly repellent. There's not much to like here. OTOH it's better written ie less cliched than usual. So 2.

[Yukari Watanabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's written by M.C. Beaton, but under the name of Sarah Chester. It doesn't feel like a typical Beaton romp. A stronger heroin in a Dickensian-like darker world.

[KYReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long but intriguing and original. Not a lot of chemistry between the two main characters but so different from most formulaic romances that it’s worth the read.

[Inas. · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I like about this Author, is she goes extra mile to describe her book Era, with every tiny detail, which I like and admire as this will help readers to enter in the events of the book as If the are there witnessing what's happening, while I give credit to her, I was shocked to read this boring book or the silly previous book in his collection (the constant companion)

POLLY, was going to be hanged for theft from her betters, and got saved by Nobleman who has nothing to do with her but a fleet memory of her being presented to him as a gift on his birthday.

What really annoyed me is POLLY was going to fie and felt the rope around her neck and she kept on thinking to steal, again and again as if the prison didn't scare her at all, even her criminal fellows started to do proper jobs and reformed while she kept on thinking of thievery. Either she was an idiot or has something in her mind.

The story goes well in a boring thievery plans and jailing.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another triumph for MC Beaton

This novel is set in the mid 18th century and stars a young woman of mysterious parentage, who takes to crime out of necessity. It is a romance and a thriller and has all the usual fascinating historical details that make Beaton's novels so entertaining. I have read it twice, so far!

[joan]

The best yet

Anything by M.C. Beaton is a pleasure to read and will keep you on the edge of your seat. This novel has more twists and turns than a windy mountain road. It is superbly crafted, cleverly plotted, and has feisty characters. Each book in this series is delicious reading with this book being the best so far.

[Marilyn A Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story

Kept me reading. Enjoy MC Beaton's style and humor. Looking forward to more stories from her in the near future.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant melodrama

An interesting variation on the theme of the lost daughter, with a nod to Jack Sheppard's famous escape from Newgate Prison.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Marion Chesney wrote wonderful Regency Romances, and this is one of her best.

[Nancy Cook-senn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author couldn't decide if she was writing adventure, romance, social commentary, or erotica, and two main characters were not very likable

[LemontreeLime · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually difficult to read, because of the darkness of the plot. Dancing in the wind refers to the gallows.

[Scout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of moving parts to this story. Probably one of the best of this series.

[Joyce Lowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

couldn’t stop reading!!

I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to Polly with all her adventures and misadventures.

[Ummeyusuf · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

[ChristineZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, fast-paced 18th century story. Hardy any romance. Polly is a fun character. The side characters are not as endearing as other M.C.Beaton books.

[Margueritte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the 1700s, the time of macaronis. Over the top jail break, goofy scenes, sex scenes, dark scenes, it has it all.

[Kate McMurry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dark and deadly, Georgian historical novel

I can't call this novel a historical "romance" because it's more of a female version of Tom Jones than a novel where the romance takes center stage. Polly is a plucky heroine who must constantly display dubious morals in order to barely survive in a relentlessly hostile world. She faces a seemingly endless array of evil villains during a long, drawn out and appallingly gritty trip through the lowest echelons of Georgian society, including a whorehouse, dens of thieves, prison, and ultimately the scaffold.

Fans of MC's mystery novels who don't really like romance novels may very well enjoy this book. However, since it is marketed as a romance to romance readers such as myself, my personal aggravation arises from the fact that it is false advertising. Polly's romantic interest, a handsome, rich Marquess, is hardly on stage with her often enough to merit the slapped on romantic HEA they achieve at the end of the book, and which is the only real sop to the major conventions of the romance genre.

In short, this book was a depressing read for me personally as someone who is a fan of many of MC's quirky Regency romantic comedies. This grim historical novel is not remotely in the same category of entertainment as those books or even typical Regency romances written by other talented authors in that genre.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this at first seems like the usual Regency romance with all the cliched elements: poor orphaned girl travels to London to seek work, falls in with bad companions (including an evil brothel owner), is rescued by nobleman, is revealed to be heiress to aristocratic family and lives happily ever after. Those elements are all there but what the author does with them is amazing and makes this a story I couldn't put down. Just when you thought our heroine was safe and her life on track, she's off again, in peril. Along the way, M.C. Beaton gives us a wonderful education in all things of the period from fashion, men's and women's, manners, and even an intricate knowledge of prisons. You can almost feel yourself caught up in the circus-like atmosphere of public executions. Marvelously written and absorbing story!

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'ho infilato tra più impegnative letture (vittoriane e non) di questo scorcio di vacanze, come si pilucca qualche cioccolatino tra un pasto e l'altro. Mi ha piacevolmente sorpreso: in un numero di pagine confortevolmente ampio (finalmente!), ho potuto assaporare una storia d'amore e di avventure degna della migliore Heyer, compiacendomi di ritrovare qua e là reminiscenze della 'Piccola Fadette', di 'Tom Jones', di 'Belinda'... Come ringraziamento per il delizioso svago che stavolta la Chesney/Beaton mi ha procurato, l'ho promossa sul campo con la quarta stellina.

[Tasneem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Polly James' story from village foundling to lady is extraordinary. Her passion for life, her ability to keep going when all the odds seem against her, even surviving the hangman's noose makes for thrilling and entertaining reading. This is one light romance that packs quite a punch, evocatively captures the period of white slavery, drudgery, wily conscription into the navy and transportation to America and Australia.

[📚Linda Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice historic romance with a very strong female protagonist who did not wait around to be saved from hanging, busted out of jail, or rescued from evil women. Polly does get by with a little help from her friends though.

[Harriette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique take on the Romance genre.