Excelente!

Eigen's book made me think about my biases toward therapy as somehow drawing clients away from God or a higher power. He crosses many boundaries (spiritual, emotional) to present a theory of the psychoanalyst as spiritually aware. Yet he also manages this without taking a Jungian, archetypal approach, which is a refreshing change. This is a technical discussion that presumes a great deal of prior reading (especially Bion), but it's worth the work. I found the case studies particularly absorbing.

I expected something more in the way of a typical regency, where the dialogue advances the plot. More direct speech needed!

~*~Sorry i'm not good at summarizing stories~*~ so my apology

Reluctantly and duty bound, "Honey" sets out to London for the Season. Along the way, Honey gets herself into several scrapes, only to be rescued by the rakish and autocratic Lord Alistair. He is everything she detests in a man - haughty, austere, lazy, and a fop, not the kind of man to go hunting with at all.

In London, under the careful tutelage and careful machinations of her Aunt Elizabeth, Honey undergoes a transformation from a cheroot smoking, brandy drinking, pistol carrying farouche tomboy into the reigning belle of the Season. Now that Honey's newfound beauty makes her susceptible to the prey of rake, Lord Channington, notorious for seducing naive virgins, Lord Alistair must rescue Honey once more.

Aunt Elizabeth's plan was simple: have Alistair woo Honey away from Channington, break her heart, and thus, make her amenable for a more suitable marriage, one that would help her father. Who better to compete for the heart of Miss Honeyford than another rake? Alistair reluctantly agreed, after all, he was only being "cruel to be kind", or so he told himself...

Marion Chesney comes through with "Miss Honeyford" as the master of the Regency genre. Chesney manages to draw you into the time period not only by depicting the glittering world of the "Exclusives", but also by making references to grimness of that era. Chesney takes her time in developing the story line, so it isn't as rushed. Here, expect the same comforting Chesneyesque plot patterns, i.e. schemes, the escape and the rescue. However, some of the scenes in this book are very funny and some uniquely romantic and poignant.

And the characters are better drawn out. As always, the hero maintains an aloof, austere exterior, but here, surprisingly, the hero's charm and decency shines through. And his struggle to remain detached and indifferent to Honey is such heartache and fun to read. Honey, as the title indicates, is truly original, and takes her place as one of Chesney's most endearing heroines. She is spirited, forward thinking, compassionate, honest, and heartbreakingly awkward at the beginning. The opening chapter and Honey's escapades on the road are pure frothy fun, I found myself laughing outloud. Also, you've got to love the secondary characters, especially the comical country servants, even the world weary jaded Aunt.

This is one of my favorite Chesneys. If you like ugly duckling stories, you'll love this one.

Chesney creates 4 really memorable characters in this delightful story, told with her unique humor. Aristocratic Captain Harry Cathcart, a saturnine, anti-social Boer War veteran who must earn his living, turns to discreetly clearing up messes for the aristocracy and becomes quite successful.

Lady Rose Summer, beautiful daughter of an earl, is over-educated and far too independent for her class and time. She meets Captain Cathcart when her father hires him to investigate a young man she has become infatuated with. Lady Rose's father later hires Cathcart to handle another delicate situation regarding King Edward VII.

The two meet again and join forces to investigate the mysterious death of a fellow guest of Lady Rose's at a marquess's house party. The young woman has died of arsenic poisoning, and Cathcart and Lady Rose set about uncovering some sordid secrets among the aristocracy to find out why the girl was killed.

Cathcart's manservant Becket, a young man Cathcart found starving and nearly dead from hard labor, has worked hard to educate himself, and eagerly assists in the investigation. Lady Rose's maid Daisy, a former music hall performer, is educated by Lady Rose throughout the story, and also joins the investigation. Becket and Daisy are clearly fond of each other, and clearly intend to bring the feisty Lady Rose and the proud Cathcart together.

I hope Chesney intends to write more stories with these characters. This first novel would earn five stars, except for the fact Chesney over-populates the book with far too many characters for this rather short story.

Still, as with the Agatha Raisin series, I beg for more, more, and more!!

Word of mouth spreads about Harry's discreet inquiries. At a weekend party given by the Marquis of Hedrey at Telby Castle, one of the guests dies and the police are called to investigate. The Marquis hires Harry to make sure the police rule it a suicide but they do that without his help. When Rose, a guest at the castle, is pushed off the roof, Harry jumps into the moat to rescue her. They find the body of the missing lady's maid who was definitely murdered. The police return, but this time Rose and Harry are helping them.

Marion Chesney, well known for her historical romances, also writes the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth mystery series under the name M.C. Beaton. Her new "Edwardian murder mystery" series combines history, romance, and intrigue resulting in a delightful romantic mystery. The two protagonists, both belonging to the upper class, do not fit in the polite society very well, and find themselves drawn to one another. The who-done-it is well developed and captures reader interest from the outset. SNOBBERY WITH VIOLENCE gives readers a glimpse into the aristocracy during the Edwardian era.

Harriet Klausner