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A Lady Arianna Regency Mystery #2
The Cocoa Conspiracy
Listening Length: 9 hours, 3 minutes
Chocolate mixed with conspiracy is a recipe for death…
Lady Arianna Hadley, now the Countess of Saybrook, is slowly settling into married life with her new husband, the Earl of Saybrook. To celebrate his birthday, she finds the perfect gift——a rare volume of botanical engravings on Theobroma cacao, or chocolate . . . but she is forced to fight off a mysterious stranger who tries to steal it away from her.
The incident is forgotten until Arianna and Saybrook are asked to attend a gathering of international dignitaries at a country estate, where she is shocked to discover that her erstwhile assailant is among the guests. But other events quickly prove even more ominous. And when the chocolate book yields a bitter surprise, someone they hold dear is incriminated in a plot to betray Great Britain at the upcoming Peace Congress in Vienna.
Murder, treason, money, power. Once again, Arianna and Saybrook find themselves drawn into a deadly web of international intrigue. To unmask the real traitor, they journey to Vienna where amidst the seductive pomp and pageantry of Europe’s reigning royalty they must root out a cunning conspiracy—armed only with their wits and their expertise in chocolate…
Chocolate mixed with conspiracy is a recipe for death…
Lady Arianna Hadley, now the Countess of Saybrook, is slowly settling into married life with her new husband, the Earl of Saybrook. To celebrate his birthday, she finds the perfect gift——a rare volume of botanical engravings on Theobroma cacao, or chocolate . . . but she is forced to fight off a mysterious stranger who tries to steal it away from her.
The incident is forgotten until Arianna and Saybrook are asked to attend a gathering of international dignitaries at a country estate, where she is shocked to discover that her erstwhile assailant is among the guests. But other events quickly prove even more ominous. And when the chocolate book yields a bitter surprise, someone they hold dear is incriminated in a plot to betray Great Britain at the upcoming Peace Congress in Vienna.
Murder, treason, money, power. Once again, Arianna and Saybrook find themselves drawn into a deadly web of international intrigue. To unmask the real traitor, they journey to Vienna where amidst the seductive pomp and pageantry of Europe’s reigning royalty they must root out a cunning conspiracy—armed only with their wits and their expertise in chocolate…
Audible Audio
First published December 6, 2011
459 people are currently reading
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About the author
Andrea Penrose
21 books1,977 followersAndrea Penrose is the USA Today bestselling author of Regency-era historical fiction, including the acclaimed Wrexford & Sloane mystery series, as well as Regency romances written under the names Cara Elliott and Andrea Pickens. Published internationally in ten languages, she is a three-time RITA Award finalist and the recipient of numerous writing awards, including two Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Historical Mystery and two Gold Leaf Awards.
A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Art and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design, Andrea fell in love with Regency England after reading Pride and Prejudice and has maintained a fascination with the era’s swirling silks and radical new ideas throughout her writing career. She lives in Connecticut and blogs with a community of historical fiction authors at WordWenches.com. She also can be found at AndreaPenrose.com and on Instagram @AndreaPenroseBooks.
A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Art and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design, Andrea fell in love with Regency England after reading Pride and Prejudice and has maintained a fascination with the era’s swirling silks and radical new ideas throughout her writing career. She lives in Connecticut and blogs with a community of historical fiction authors at WordWenches.com. She also can be found at AndreaPenrose.com and on Instagram @AndreaPenroseBooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
April 19, 2021
... and finally at least Sandro admits his feelings for Arianna! Even if with Basil having to point it out to him! LOL
Grantham is just odious as in the first book! I'm really curious to find out why he hates Sandro so much!
The mystery about the traitor(s) is intricate and at the beginning they have to suspect everybody, but step by step the narrow it down!
I really enjoy this series!
Grantham is just odious as in the first book! I'm really curious to find out why he hates Sandro so much!
The mystery about the traitor(s) is intricate and at the beginning they have to suspect everybody, but step by step the narrow it down!
I really enjoy this series!
May 24, 2020
3.5 stars for this clever mystery. I liked our continuing hero and heroine; the setting was intriguing, the immediate mystery was nice and twisty. Alas, we shall have to read the third book to find out the identity of the Big Baddie..
One big peeve--the recipes at the beginning of each chapter: Just. No. Totally interrupts the flow of the story and the food item has zippo to do with action in the chapter. Once again: Just. No.
I will eventually get around to reading the next book, but I'm in no rush.
(I was able to take a week to 10 days away from this book in order to read several other books that had a higher priority for my attention. At least I came back to finish it. I've been known to DNF a book in similar circumstances.)
One big peeve--the recipes at the beginning of each chapter: Just. No. Totally interrupts the flow of the story and the food item has zippo to do with action in the chapter. Once again: Just. No.
I will eventually get around to reading the next book, but I'm in no rush.
(I was able to take a week to 10 days away from this book in order to read several other books that had a higher priority for my attention. At least I came back to finish it. I've been known to DNF a book in similar circumstances.)
December 21, 2011
The puns ruined this book for me. I really liked the first one because I thought it was interesting that there was a strong female character who was kind of a cold hearted bitch but still warm enough to fall for the hero.
So naturally I was excited to read another story with the Ice Princess Arianna (my own term) and the Sexy Spanish Prince Sandro (also my term) coming together to solve a mystery that in the process allows them to get closer together.
Welp, it didn't happen in this book.
In this book the character development was relegated to the background and any sort of 'closeness' was described in a sentence while the plot was heavy on the puns and littered with heavy pieces of history. I understand that it's a historical-fiction mystery. I didn't realize it was a history book, which has its own place in my pantheon of reading.
I don't have the book on me to give you a play by play of the whole sections that seem to be full of information that was disseminated in such a clunky fashion and neither can I show you the constant play on words (Shakespeare this is not) but trust me. You'll notice it right away.
Which is a shame because the characters and the world-building were shrouded in bits that were too dense and slightly boring. At other times it was woefully melodramatic.
This book is what happens when the Pink Carnation series .The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and the Lady Julia Grey series Silent on the Moor get together and have a drunken night of unprotected sex and hand the baby to a fourteen year old babysitter to raise instead of an adult.
Now, don't get me wrong. This isn't a bad book and the author isn't unskilled. In fact this has little to do with the author as I feel that the content editor should have caught most of these little things and sent it back for a rewrite.
This is what I came away from this book (which made me go "meh" when I was finished)
- I want to know more about the characters that are driving this story. If the pov's are between these characters I want to care about them again. I want to know why they're together, I want them to get closer and I want to feel connected to the mystery. The whole book picked up about thirty pages from the end and that's not enough for me. I need more.
- More Henning
- Please let Arianna punch Grentham in the mouth just once (please!)
- Give Arianna more guns, she's awesome with them
- Let Arianna and Sandro have a conversation like the one in the carriage in which they are speaking honestly to each other
- Have Sando have to play the doxy at least once
- I want to meet Antonia, I wonder if there's going to be a scandal involving her?
- Is Mellon just a tightass or does he have a reason for disapproving Arianna?
As you can see, while I wasn't firmly engaged in this book, I was engaged enough (thank you last 1/3 of the book) and I hope that the next book gets rid of the plays on words and the puns. PLEASE. It's not cute.
So naturally I was excited to read another story with the Ice Princess Arianna (my own term) and the Sexy Spanish Prince Sandro (also my term) coming together to solve a mystery that in the process allows them to get closer together.
Welp, it didn't happen in this book.
In this book the character development was relegated to the background and any sort of 'closeness' was described in a sentence while the plot was heavy on the puns and littered with heavy pieces of history. I understand that it's a historical-fiction mystery. I didn't realize it was a history book, which has its own place in my pantheon of reading.
I don't have the book on me to give you a play by play of the whole sections that seem to be full of information that was disseminated in such a clunky fashion and neither can I show you the constant play on words (Shakespeare this is not) but trust me. You'll notice it right away.
Which is a shame because the characters and the world-building were shrouded in bits that were too dense and slightly boring. At other times it was woefully melodramatic.
This book is what happens when the Pink Carnation series .The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and the Lady Julia Grey series Silent on the Moor get together and have a drunken night of unprotected sex and hand the baby to a fourteen year old babysitter to raise instead of an adult.
Now, don't get me wrong. This isn't a bad book and the author isn't unskilled. In fact this has little to do with the author as I feel that the content editor should have caught most of these little things and sent it back for a rewrite.
This is what I came away from this book (which made me go "meh" when I was finished)
- I want to know more about the characters that are driving this story. If the pov's are between these characters I want to care about them again. I want to know why they're together, I want them to get closer and I want to feel connected to the mystery. The whole book picked up about thirty pages from the end and that's not enough for me. I need more.
- More Henning
- Please let Arianna punch Grentham in the mouth just once (please!)
- Give Arianna more guns, she's awesome with them
- Let Arianna and Sandro have a conversation like the one in the carriage in which they are speaking honestly to each other
- Have Sando have to play the doxy at least once
- I want to meet Antonia, I wonder if there's going to be a scandal involving her?
- Is Mellon just a tightass or does he have a reason for disapproving Arianna?
As you can see, while I wasn't firmly engaged in this book, I was engaged enough (thank you last 1/3 of the book) and I hope that the next book gets rid of the plays on words and the puns. PLEASE. It's not cute.
November 11, 2021
Our badass chocolate addicts are chasing down assassins in Vienna this time. I enjoy Andrea Penrose’s style so much that I kind of laugh at how sugar-obsessed she makes the leads in this series (another reviewer found it tedious). This installment is heavy on action, with Arianna flirting, sneaking, and even reprising her chef role from the last book.
I love the use of Spanish language and characters (even household staff) with Spanish backgrounds. So many books set in this time almost ignore Spain completely.
I’m glad I’m reading when the next book is available...the ending sets you up to want to start the next book in the series immediately.
I love the use of Spanish language and characters (even household staff) with Spanish backgrounds. So many books set in this time almost ignore Spain completely.
I’m glad I’m reading when the next book is available...the ending sets you up to want to start the next book in the series immediately.
December 11, 2021
3.5 stars I enjoyed this mystery, as well as the developing relationship between Sandro and Arianna, but this book suffered a bit from the dreaded sagging middle. As with Sweet Revenge, I enjoyed the lead characters and I liked the chocolate recipes and bits of chocolate lore scattered throughout the text.
The story starts with an intriguing setup. Arianna goes to a bookshop to procure a rare volume of botantical engravings for her husband's birthday. While there, she is attacked by a mysterious stranger who tries to steal the book. Not too long after, Sandro and Arianna attend a party at a country estate and Arianna once again encounters the strange assailant - and he's introduced to her as a Russian diplomat! The plot thickens.
Sandro and Arianna then find themselves sent to the Congress of Vienna on a mission. They are reluctant to go for various reasons, but get caught up in the various intrigues of the peace conference. For me, this is where the book started to drag a bit. I found all of Arianna's finagling to get into Talleyrand's household a bit dull and many of the secondary characters in this installment of the series just didn't come alive for me. The plot in this book covers much of the same time period as Tracy Grant's Vienna Waltz, and I think suffered a small amount in comparison for me.
The mystery in this novel is intriguing, and the leads are wonderful, but the world of the Congress of Vienna just didn't quite come to life for me on the page with this one. I have book 3, though, so I'll keep reading
The story starts with an intriguing setup. Arianna goes to a bookshop to procure a rare volume of botantical engravings for her husband's birthday. While there, she is attacked by a mysterious stranger who tries to steal the book. Not too long after, Sandro and Arianna attend a party at a country estate and Arianna once again encounters the strange assailant - and he's introduced to her as a Russian diplomat! The plot thickens.
Sandro and Arianna then find themselves sent to the Congress of Vienna on a mission. They are reluctant to go for various reasons, but get caught up in the various intrigues of the peace conference. For me, this is where the book started to drag a bit. I found all of Arianna's finagling to get into Talleyrand's household a bit dull and many of the secondary characters in this installment of the series just didn't come alive for me. The plot in this book covers much of the same time period as Tracy Grant's Vienna Waltz, and I think suffered a small amount in comparison for me.
The mystery in this novel is intriguing, and the leads are wonderful, but the world of the Congress of Vienna just didn't quite come to life for me on the page with this one. I have book 3, though, so I'll keep reading
September 25, 2017
I had just finished the Lenora Bell and her book and this book were about the same event in history. It was weird and cool at the same time, because I wasn't lost about the event and even knew where the dastardly deed was going to take place. The Spanish Riding School, I would have liked to have saw that.
March 24, 2019
Interesting, the slang and heroes may not be in tone with the setting... there is useful info dumps in between the action pieces.
August 30, 2018
Even worse on audio than the first was in print. Mary Sarah reads this breathlessly, as though she is reading erotica. The characters have truly odd accents, including our hero who has what must be intended as a Spanish accent, somewhat nonsensically (did the narrator read the first book?), as does the heroine, also mostly nonsensically. Hennings, the Scot, ventures into pirate territory frequently. The French Comte is frequently Polish, the Czar is some kind of Walter-Slezak-in-The-Inspector-General impersonator. I prefer accents to differentiate characters rather than straight reading but not if they are so muddled that the wrong characters pick up piracy during the conversation! The way Sarah reads the word “chocolate” makes me feel quite icky and I can only recommend that her manager arrange plenty of hard-core romance to make the most of her talents.
The story is very bad also, stringing out the romance between our now-married heroine and hero, setting them up as blackmailed into spying, first by family and then by the spider-spy-master. There’s clearly research behind this but it ends up messy, difficult to follow, and boring. This author’s other mystery series is good enough that the weakness of this one seems odd. Is there an editor who deserves co-author credit somewhere?
Bleh. I want to go wash and tragically never eat tchocolatehh again.
The story is very bad also, stringing out the romance between our now-married heroine and hero, setting them up as blackmailed into spying, first by family and then by the spider-spy-master. There’s clearly research behind this but it ends up messy, difficult to follow, and boring. This author’s other mystery series is good enough that the weakness of this one seems odd. Is there an editor who deserves co-author credit somewhere?
Bleh. I want to go wash and tragically never eat tchocolatehh again.
July 7, 2020
I've been in a massive reading slump for months, but these books, I continue to love. You know what I particularly love, that Lady Arianna and Saybrook are married at the start of this. That's right, they got married off page. And it's clearly a marriage of convenience, and mutual minds, but it's also something else. And watching them start to navigate that is fun. Plus, I enjoyed all the political intrigued, and I usually don't. Somehow the balance was right in this one. The absolute hatred the British head of security has for the pair will probably wear thin, but I'm willing to get over it, because I continue to seriously enjoy these.
March 5, 2022
This one was better! Another Smart Mystery from Penrose, this time with ciphers and political machinations instead of math and formulas. Loved seeing a little bit more emotion from Sandro and Arianna and seeing their partnership get deeper. I still think it's hilarious that she reused Baz for W&S, but I love him so I'm not complaining. Still here for the gothic entertainment and drama and I like that this is a continuing mystery rather than each being one and done.
Read
March 16, 2019This book was just as action packed with an easier plot to follow. Unfortunately, cliches, puns and chocolate was still in abundance. Even still, I really enjoyed it. I would like to see the relationship develop more. This book would easily be a 4-4.5 if not for the excessive cliches, puns and chocolate tbh.
3.5 for story and narration
3.5 for story and narration
February 10, 2021
I think I'm probably done with this series.
1. I know every cozy mystery has its hook but the constant references to chocolate/cacao is annoying. 2. The verbal battles between Saybrook and Grantham are too drawn out, too ridiculous. It's juvenile.
3. The chemistry between Saybrook and Ariana is meh at best and I'm not feeling invested.
4. The mystery is nothing to write home about.
5. There's something annoying about the narration but I can't put my finger on it.
1. I know every cozy mystery has its hook but the constant references to chocolate/cacao is annoying. 2. The verbal battles between Saybrook and Grantham are too drawn out, too ridiculous. It's juvenile.
3. The chemistry between Saybrook and Ariana is meh at best and I'm not feeling invested.
4. The mystery is nothing to write home about.
5. There's something annoying about the narration but I can't put my finger on it.
April 1, 2022
A little too self-indulgent for my taste. The annoying italics and over-analysis of characters in an effort to be "emotionally complex" continue.
December 19, 2011
Forrest Gump is famous for telling others at the bus stop, "My momma always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.’” In the case of an Andrea Penrose book, you know exactly what you will get - a Regency mystery laced with charming characters and witty dialogue.
We first meet Lady Arianna and Alessandro de Quincy, Earl of Saybrook, in Andrea Penrose's SWEET REVENGE. They return as newlyweds in THE COCOA CONSPIRACY. Arianna is still a quirky "fish out of water" among the ton yet Sandro loves her all the more. No sooner do they settle into their married life, academic pursuits, and chocolate delights, a mystery blows their way. When Arianna purchases a rare book with intricate engravings of Theobroma Cacao (cocoa tree) for Sandro's birthday, she stumbles into a political conspiracy that follows them to a house party. Arianna then realizes the explosive nature of her recent purchase. Once again, Arianna and Sandro team up to solve the mystery while maintaining their precarious standing in society.
Penrose excels in taking the reader back to Regency England. She doesn't miss a beat by adding a host of nontraditional characters who contribute to (or help solve) the book’s mystery. Penrose also dishes up a side story – the growing romance between the married couple. In fact, her characters are the "cocoa" of her stories – they are the bitter sweet flavor that addicts us to Regency England. An added bonus is Arianna’s chocolate recipes that introduce each chapter – the recipes hint at the action to come. And the action does come - the story draws the reader into the historic events during Regency England, including the Congress of Vienna.
The pièce de résistance is Penrose's voice. Her witty dialogue makes the oddball couple real to readers. It inspired me to root for them as they worked through their flaws though humorous interchanges. Penrose's dialogue becomes the music for the reader to dance through the story as Arianna and Sandro embrace pomp, circumstance, and conspiracy.
Theobroma is a combination of Greek words that translate to "food of the gods". THE COCOA CONSPIRACY is a feast for Regency fans. It is a must read for fans of Jane Austen and Amanda Quick.
We first meet Lady Arianna and Alessandro de Quincy, Earl of Saybrook, in Andrea Penrose's SWEET REVENGE. They return as newlyweds in THE COCOA CONSPIRACY. Arianna is still a quirky "fish out of water" among the ton yet Sandro loves her all the more. No sooner do they settle into their married life, academic pursuits, and chocolate delights, a mystery blows their way. When Arianna purchases a rare book with intricate engravings of Theobroma Cacao (cocoa tree) for Sandro's birthday, she stumbles into a political conspiracy that follows them to a house party. Arianna then realizes the explosive nature of her recent purchase. Once again, Arianna and Sandro team up to solve the mystery while maintaining their precarious standing in society.
Penrose excels in taking the reader back to Regency England. She doesn't miss a beat by adding a host of nontraditional characters who contribute to (or help solve) the book’s mystery. Penrose also dishes up a side story – the growing romance between the married couple. In fact, her characters are the "cocoa" of her stories – they are the bitter sweet flavor that addicts us to Regency England. An added bonus is Arianna’s chocolate recipes that introduce each chapter – the recipes hint at the action to come. And the action does come - the story draws the reader into the historic events during Regency England, including the Congress of Vienna.
The pièce de résistance is Penrose's voice. Her witty dialogue makes the oddball couple real to readers. It inspired me to root for them as they worked through their flaws though humorous interchanges. Penrose's dialogue becomes the music for the reader to dance through the story as Arianna and Sandro embrace pomp, circumstance, and conspiracy.
Theobroma is a combination of Greek words that translate to "food of the gods". THE COCOA CONSPIRACY is a feast for Regency fans. It is a must read for fans of Jane Austen and Amanda Quick.
December 12, 2011
THE COCOA CONSPIRACY written by Andrea Penrose
A Lady Arianna Hadley Regency Mystery
12/11 - Penguin Group (USA) - Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages
What truly is sweeter the smell of money or the taste of chocolate?
Arianna Hadley is now The Countess of Saybrook but that has not slowed down her love of creating a chocolate convection or solving a great mystery. Her husband Alessandro Henry George De Quincy, the fifth Earl of Saybrook is very fond of the chocolate delights she masterfully executes, and less fond of her ability to wind up on the wrong end of a pistol. The woman is a complete confusion of emotions for him but love does have a way of muddying the waters and stirring up all things primal in a male.
Saybrook is still in his spy element and trying to keep Arianna out of it but to no avail as a string of coincidental events have had Arianna uncovering paperwork. While shopping for a book Arianna finds information about a potential traitor and destruction of the delicate peace being brokered between warring nations. Europe is ready to explode and the papers Arianna has found might be able to defuse the situation if the correct steps are taken to prevent an eruption. Saybrook is being pushed to take part of this complex and complicated web of treason and terror with Arianna by his side, which is something he savors but still wishes to protect her completely. There is a spy playing catch me if you can, a set of egos too big to fit through any door, and people that hold the fate of the world in their deceitful hands, which is just another day for Arianna and Saybrook.
Andrea Penrose is a mastermind at creating the perfect recipe of chocolate and mystery in just the correct equal part. This second book in the Lady Arianna Hadley series is rich with dangerous plots, dastardly characters, and the smell of something wonderful baking in the oven. Arianna is as strong in her beliefs with never a question of her love and loyalty to Saybrook. Their devotion to one another is the tenderness we all crave combined with a touch of bittersweet just to keep you on your toes.
A Lady Arianna Hadley Regency Mystery
12/11 - Penguin Group (USA) - Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages
What truly is sweeter the smell of money or the taste of chocolate?
Arianna Hadley is now The Countess of Saybrook but that has not slowed down her love of creating a chocolate convection or solving a great mystery. Her husband Alessandro Henry George De Quincy, the fifth Earl of Saybrook is very fond of the chocolate delights she masterfully executes, and less fond of her ability to wind up on the wrong end of a pistol. The woman is a complete confusion of emotions for him but love does have a way of muddying the waters and stirring up all things primal in a male.
Saybrook is still in his spy element and trying to keep Arianna out of it but to no avail as a string of coincidental events have had Arianna uncovering paperwork. While shopping for a book Arianna finds information about a potential traitor and destruction of the delicate peace being brokered between warring nations. Europe is ready to explode and the papers Arianna has found might be able to defuse the situation if the correct steps are taken to prevent an eruption. Saybrook is being pushed to take part of this complex and complicated web of treason and terror with Arianna by his side, which is something he savors but still wishes to protect her completely. There is a spy playing catch me if you can, a set of egos too big to fit through any door, and people that hold the fate of the world in their deceitful hands, which is just another day for Arianna and Saybrook.
Andrea Penrose is a mastermind at creating the perfect recipe of chocolate and mystery in just the correct equal part. This second book in the Lady Arianna Hadley series is rich with dangerous plots, dastardly characters, and the smell of something wonderful baking in the oven. Arianna is as strong in her beliefs with never a question of her love and loyalty to Saybrook. Their devotion to one another is the tenderness we all crave combined with a touch of bittersweet just to keep you on your toes.
March 9, 2019
Still vastly enjoying this (and fwiw i'm listening to the audiobooks, which i find riveting and not distracting, cloying, or unskillfully done at all, so i've missed whatever editing mistakes others may have caught). The history lessons were a bit more heavy-handed and exposition-y in this one, which made most of the clues in this light mystery a bit obvious. Like everyone else I wanted more romance and more chemistry between hero/heroine but WHATEVER, THEY'LL GET THERE, i'm content, give me chocolate.
September 13, 2018
DNF @ 7%. I know that's faster than I usually give up on a book, but a lot of bad things happened in these few pages. The word "quixotic" is definitely misused amidst some awkward dialogue, and a Regency era countess has a physical fight with a foreigner in a bookshop and everyone seems okay with this. I remember liking the first book in this series well enough, but I can't do this one.
December 9, 2011
I liked this one even more than the first one. I am really enjoying how their relationship is slowly unfolding and the mystery was quite good. Can't wait for the next one!
June 7, 2017
3.5 stars/B-
May 16, 2017
What? No. This dumb. I mean, I don't mind dumb things, but this is real dumb.
September 9, 2017
Don't care for Lady Arianna and I don't enjoy the kind of hatred and animosity that goes on with Grentham, it's tedious.
July 12, 2022
*Special Content only on my blog, Strange and Random Happenstance during Regency Romp (March-August 2022)
Arianna still hasn't come quite to grips with the fact that she is the new Countess of Saybrook. Her marriage to Sandro seemed kind of expedient to get out of trouble. Sure, they rub along nicely, but what if he wakes up one day and realizes that an uneducated woman with a dodgy past from the West Indies isn't who he wanted to marry despite their shared love of chocolate? Therefore she will be the best wife she can be, and that means getting him a really spectacular birthday present. She ventures into the rarified air of Messrs. Harvey and Watkins Rare Book Emporium where she finds a book with the most exquisite engravings of Theocroma cacao. And the binding, the binding is like chocolate. Therefore she is more than shocked when a foreigner tries to wrest the book from her causing a scuffle in the store. She is victorious, but she wonders if the encounter was something more than a fanatical book collector not getting the prize he desired. When Sandro's uncle convinces the newlyweds to attend a county house party Arianna is shocked to find the man who attempted to steal her book in attendance. What's more, she thinks she's discovered why he wanted the book. As she prepares to wrap it she finds three sheets of papers slipped into the back binding. Two are encoded but one, a sensitive government document, points to Sandro's uncle as having possible links to the dangerous leak within the government, the spy known as Renard. There also happens to be an attempt on Sandro's life and a stranger is murdered at the house party. In other words, if they thought that the chaos that embodied their courtship was an aberration they are soon to find out they are sadly mistaken. To save his uncle's reputation Sandro agrees to a scheme devised by Grentham, Sandro and Arianna are to go to the Congress of Vienna. There Sandro will play the academic while Arianna will seduce the secrets out of the chief suspects. But what happens if Sandro realizes that he doesn't like risking his wife's life and reputation because he has come to hold her rather dear? Will it help or hinder their investigation?
For the longest time I felt utterly at sea with this volume of Arianna and Sandro's adventures. I had read the first volume, Sweet Revenge , only two weeks prior, and yet I couldn't figure out who the hell Renard was. Yes, I knew about the mole within the government aside from Grentham's aide who had an unfortunate encounter with Arianna's kitchen knives, so abstractly I wondered, could this be Renard? But my all consuming thought that kept repeating on a loop in my head was who the heck was Renard? I felt like I was going insane. Was I missing something like the recipe for Chocolate Coconut Cake that is at the beginning of the twelfth chapter? Because a cake isn't done when it's still just batter on the third step, where Renard just seemed to appear fully formed from nothing. Is Renard the equivalent of this cake? Skip a whole bunch of steps and voila, spy! I even went back and skimmed the previous volume for any reference to Renard and couldn't find one. So, if you know where the first mention of the name is I'd be very grateful to be told where it is, because I'm assuming it was omitted somehow.... So once I moved beyond Renard, just accepting their existence as a fait accompli, I was shocked that I found the house party kind of meh. I just love house parties. They are my catnip. When I read the blurb I was blah about the politics and Vienna and wild about the house party. But Andrea Penrose surprised me by taking the political machinations of the Congress and making it so much more. This was like a country house party on crack. The party was just bigger, grander, and with castles! There was intrigue, romance, dalliances, partner swapping, everything that was missing from the house party here, but oh so much better. What's more, there was an urgency to the whole situation. There was a force pushing the narrative that made me not want to put the book down. And as for that ending? I will warn you now, you have to have the next book, Recipe for Treason, ready to go. Because while their continental adventure might be over, there's still a fox in the hen house.
Arianna still hasn't come quite to grips with the fact that she is the new Countess of Saybrook. Her marriage to Sandro seemed kind of expedient to get out of trouble. Sure, they rub along nicely, but what if he wakes up one day and realizes that an uneducated woman with a dodgy past from the West Indies isn't who he wanted to marry despite their shared love of chocolate? Therefore she will be the best wife she can be, and that means getting him a really spectacular birthday present. She ventures into the rarified air of Messrs. Harvey and Watkins Rare Book Emporium where she finds a book with the most exquisite engravings of Theocroma cacao. And the binding, the binding is like chocolate. Therefore she is more than shocked when a foreigner tries to wrest the book from her causing a scuffle in the store. She is victorious, but she wonders if the encounter was something more than a fanatical book collector not getting the prize he desired. When Sandro's uncle convinces the newlyweds to attend a county house party Arianna is shocked to find the man who attempted to steal her book in attendance. What's more, she thinks she's discovered why he wanted the book. As she prepares to wrap it she finds three sheets of papers slipped into the back binding. Two are encoded but one, a sensitive government document, points to Sandro's uncle as having possible links to the dangerous leak within the government, the spy known as Renard. There also happens to be an attempt on Sandro's life and a stranger is murdered at the house party. In other words, if they thought that the chaos that embodied their courtship was an aberration they are soon to find out they are sadly mistaken. To save his uncle's reputation Sandro agrees to a scheme devised by Grentham, Sandro and Arianna are to go to the Congress of Vienna. There Sandro will play the academic while Arianna will seduce the secrets out of the chief suspects. But what happens if Sandro realizes that he doesn't like risking his wife's life and reputation because he has come to hold her rather dear? Will it help or hinder their investigation?
For the longest time I felt utterly at sea with this volume of Arianna and Sandro's adventures. I had read the first volume, Sweet Revenge , only two weeks prior, and yet I couldn't figure out who the hell Renard was. Yes, I knew about the mole within the government aside from Grentham's aide who had an unfortunate encounter with Arianna's kitchen knives, so abstractly I wondered, could this be Renard? But my all consuming thought that kept repeating on a loop in my head was who the heck was Renard? I felt like I was going insane. Was I missing something like the recipe for Chocolate Coconut Cake that is at the beginning of the twelfth chapter? Because a cake isn't done when it's still just batter on the third step, where Renard just seemed to appear fully formed from nothing. Is Renard the equivalent of this cake? Skip a whole bunch of steps and voila, spy! I even went back and skimmed the previous volume for any reference to Renard and couldn't find one. So, if you know where the first mention of the name is I'd be very grateful to be told where it is, because I'm assuming it was omitted somehow.... So once I moved beyond Renard, just accepting their existence as a fait accompli, I was shocked that I found the house party kind of meh. I just love house parties. They are my catnip. When I read the blurb I was blah about the politics and Vienna and wild about the house party. But Andrea Penrose surprised me by taking the political machinations of the Congress and making it so much more. This was like a country house party on crack. The party was just bigger, grander, and with castles! There was intrigue, romance, dalliances, partner swapping, everything that was missing from the house party here, but oh so much better. What's more, there was an urgency to the whole situation. There was a force pushing the narrative that made me not want to put the book down. And as for that ending? I will warn you now, you have to have the next book, Recipe for Treason, ready to go. Because while their continental adventure might be over, there's still a fox in the hen house.
April 29, 2018
I really like the series
though I was wondering how Penrose was going to keep the chocolate focus going... It turns out to be much more peripheral to the plot line here, and that makes sense. Hostilities between the Saybrooks and Grentham do continue to be central in the series, however, as does the friendship between Hennings and the Earl of Saybrook. Lots of political maneuvering which felt authentic, as does Penrose’s melding of her plot with the actual events of the historical Congress of Vienna. As far as solving the mystery goes, there was one clue whose discovery felt forced to me, though I won’t describe it further as that would be a major spoiler.
A pet peeve issue came up for me with this book, and it’s the reason I deducted a star in my rating. Penrose inserts quotes by several of the attendees at the the Vienna Congress, and in books with historical figures as characters, I actually dislike it when the author uses real quotes. It seems lazy to me instead of historically accurate, as that kind of dialogue is gotten simply by finding a useful quote and writing a scene to fit. I also feel that it diminishes the historical figure somehow.
Historical fiction is supposed to expand or add to our understanding of history and the people who shaped it, and I think using actual quotes actually diminishes them both. It’s especially bad when I know the situation in which the quote was originally spoken. Depending on how well the scenes are written, the historical figures either seem to be parroting their own words, or they appear to be smaller people than they probably were, people who had less to say so they reused their own words multiple times. At any rate, it feels like a missed opportunity to expand the reader’s understanding of the person and their effect on other people at the time.
I respect an author more if s/he knows the historical figure well enough to write dialogue that seems like something that person actually would say; then the new dialogue can enrich my sense of them as people, making them seem more real rather than less.
So that was one problem I had with the book that other readers might not share, but the book is definitely worth reading regardless.
though I was wondering how Penrose was going to keep the chocolate focus going... It turns out to be much more peripheral to the plot line here, and that makes sense. Hostilities between the Saybrooks and Grentham do continue to be central in the series, however, as does the friendship between Hennings and the Earl of Saybrook. Lots of political maneuvering which felt authentic, as does Penrose’s melding of her plot with the actual events of the historical Congress of Vienna. As far as solving the mystery goes, there was one clue whose discovery felt forced to me, though I won’t describe it further as that would be a major spoiler.
A pet peeve issue came up for me with this book, and it’s the reason I deducted a star in my rating. Penrose inserts quotes by several of the attendees at the the Vienna Congress, and in books with historical figures as characters, I actually dislike it when the author uses real quotes. It seems lazy to me instead of historically accurate, as that kind of dialogue is gotten simply by finding a useful quote and writing a scene to fit. I also feel that it diminishes the historical figure somehow.
Historical fiction is supposed to expand or add to our understanding of history and the people who shaped it, and I think using actual quotes actually diminishes them both. It’s especially bad when I know the situation in which the quote was originally spoken. Depending on how well the scenes are written, the historical figures either seem to be parroting their own words, or they appear to be smaller people than they probably were, people who had less to say so they reused their own words multiple times. At any rate, it feels like a missed opportunity to expand the reader’s understanding of the person and their effect on other people at the time.
I respect an author more if s/he knows the historical figure well enough to write dialogue that seems like something that person actually would say; then the new dialogue can enrich my sense of them as people, making them seem more real rather than less.
So that was one problem I had with the book that other readers might not share, but the book is definitely worth reading regardless.
October 1, 2021
Background ~ In 1814 after his humiliating defeat in Russia by the Russian Winter no less, Napoleon abdicated and was exiled in the Isle of Elba in Tuscany leaving a palpitating power vacuum despite the return of the weakened Bourbons and the roiling for revenge Bonapartists... between the two extremes they tore France asunder and gave rise to the émigrés (mostly aristocrats fleeing France and the Guillotine and sought refuge in England and elsewhere). There were also those who neither support both forces. These personages (some were spies and traitors) form part of the foreign delegates en route to the scheduled Peace Conference in Vienna. In the book, they were being entertained at the estate of the Marquess of Milford in Wiltshire for a fortnight of shooting... to which the Earl and the Countess of Saybrook were also invited unfortunately for them Lord Grentham was also a guest... a volatile mix of friends and foes in this one. Saybrook's presence was to cool down Spanish heated dislike against the English given that he was maternally Spanish and fluent in his mother's tongue. Arianna found codes hidden in a book on cacao that she literally fought to keep for Sandro's birthday present, only to find her knife~wielding opponent from the bookshop part of the Russian delegation. Murder added further complications as Lord Grentham also threatened accuse Saybrook of aforementioned death. The De Quincys were off to Vienna in search of a spy constrained by another inevitable Unholy Alliance with the ruthless Grentham threatening the career and reputation of as yet another family member, Lord Charles Mellon, a senior diplomat in the Foreign Ministry and Saybrook's uncle. Further action in Vienna... yet the the fox proved to be elusive though Saybrook and his Countess succeeded in their mission while cleaning up Gretham's mess... yet again he had another hostage forcing Saybrook and wife to continue their search for Renard... doing his job for him, the callous manipulative s.o.b.
March 22, 2024
Audiobook. I found it difficult to connect with Ariana and Sandro. There is an emotional distance that made me not really care about these two. The author’s descriptions of chocolate are infused with more feeling. I don’t need angst or big feelings, and actually prefer more subtle characterization, but these characters feel flat; the narrative energy is directed at the plot and action. I love my spine-of-steel heroines but Ariana feels so remote she comes across as one-dimensional. It’s as though her unconventionality is her entire personality, and she holds herself a part from everyone, including the reader; I can’t relate to her because she doesn’t want to be relatable.
I did like the marital tension as these two navigate their their marriage of convenience; those moments of doubt and glimmers of hope help humanize the MCs, but again, there’s a detachment that left me struggling to invest in the marriage.
Mary Sarah is the worst narrator. Does she have that breathy uptalk in her everyday life?
I did like the marital tension as these two navigate their their marriage of convenience; those moments of doubt and glimmers of hope help humanize the MCs, but again, there’s a detachment that left me struggling to invest in the marriage.
Mary Sarah is the worst narrator. Does she have that breathy uptalk in her everyday life?
October 24, 2017
Second in the delightful mystery series featuring Lady Arianna Hadley - now the Countess of Saybrook, and her husband Alessandro de Quincy, the Earl of Saybrook. This adventure begins with the attempted theft of a rare book of engravings about chocolate, and weaves its way through an English country house party and on to the famous Peace Congress in Vienna. Once again, Ms Penrose skillfully blends historical fact with fiction, creating an interesting tale with eminently likable heroes. The story does tend to move slowly at times, and the relationship between Arianna and Saybrook could definitely be sped up a bit (imho). However, it is refreshing to read a story laced with so many “current” events - events which give greater urgency to the story itself. While this volume clears up the main mysteries, it is clearly tied into a third book. It will be interesting to see where that takes the Earl and his bride!
February 4, 2022
First off, I have a great library with almost any book I might want in electronic format. When I find a book I want not available electronically from the library, I usually just move on. However, this author's books are exceptionally good and I happily pay to read them since my library for some reason doesn't have them.
The characters are fun to read about, and this time the action takes place in Europe rather than just in and around London so there's a lot of mental imagery involved. The politics of the period really were every bit as convoluted as portrayed here, and from this perspective I could totally imagine this story being real. (Side note, it's still fiction. But the period really was just about as full of palace intrigue and international spying as the story portrays.)
I only wish some of the dishes described at the various banquets here were included as recipes. Then again, Antoin Careme didn't share much, did he?
The characters are fun to read about, and this time the action takes place in Europe rather than just in and around London so there's a lot of mental imagery involved. The politics of the period really were every bit as convoluted as portrayed here, and from this perspective I could totally imagine this story being real. (Side note, it's still fiction. But the period really was just about as full of palace intrigue and international spying as the story portrays.)
I only wish some of the dishes described at the various banquets here were included as recipes. Then again, Antoin Careme didn't share much, did he?
September 6, 2023
In this installment, Sandro and Arianna get drawn into a swirl of spies and international intrigue centered on the fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna. This read less like a historical murder mystery novel and more like a political thriller. The driving plot focus is on unmasking a spy ring, not on solving a murder (though murders do happen in the midst of the spy story). I have been reading C.S. Harris’s Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries concurrently with this series, and there are some similarities. Penrose’s writing here is a little less artfully done than Harris’s (there are some passages explaining Napoleonic era history that get bogged down, and the protagonists are constantly having “councils of war” in order to make plans and catch the reader up). Regardless, Sandro and Arianna are highly appealing characters that I enjoyed reading about. I have the next installment already in my TBR pile.
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