The First Sir Percy
By  Baroness Orczy

     House of Stratus is an exciting new name in British publishing, combining all the virtues of a traditional printed book with modern technology with their print-on-demand books. For the price of an ordinary paperback, you can choose from an ever-growing list of classic names like Kipling and Monserrat, out-of-print favorites like Rafael Sabatini, Norah Lofts and Edgar Wallace and newer names like Sam Llewellyn, Dudley Pope and Claire Raynor. They are handsome large-format volumes and flop open for easy reading.

     The First Sir Percy is one of a whole set of reprints of Baroness Orczy's masterly novels, and deals with the ancestor of the Scarlet Pimpernel. The heir to a fortune and title back in England, he is instead adventuring his way in Holland under the nom de guerre of Diogenes, together with his companions whose call themselves Socrates and Pythagoras. Newly married to the beautiful Gilda, he hears of a new plot from some old adversaries to kill the Stadtholder Maurice of Nassau, whom he is sworn to protect and the adventure starts. What happens you will have to find out for yourself, but if you are a fan of this type of adventure story, then you will enjoy it hugely. For best understanding, it is necessary to first read The Laughing Cavalier, as this is the second book of a pair and follows on directly after this earlier chapter of the First Sir Percy's adventures.

     Baroness Orczy, as ever, manages to pack a lot of story and some convincing historical detail into a modest number of pages. It isn't all just plot driven either, as the characters are engaging enough and not mere ciphers to the exciting story. You will find some humor in here as well which all adds up to an enchanting whole. Well, it is a classic, isn't it? One to dive in and enjoy hugely.