The Silverton Scandal
By Amanda Grange 

     All Eleanor Grantham wants is to reclaim her sister's letters from heartless blackmailer, Mr. Kendrick. But a highwayman holds up the stagecoach she is on and the case containing the letters is taken. Thus Eleanor gets embroiled in far more of an adventure than she bargained for when she finds out the identity of the highwayman - none other than the fascinating Earl of Silverton. But is he really just a wastrel amusing himself, or does he have a more important reason for his masquerade? Although she has long since accepted that at twenty-six she is firmly on the shelf, she finds herself falling inexorably in love…

     This is another sprightly romance from Ms. Grange, who is the author of five other novels all published by Robert Hale (three of them are also reviewed on this site). She has the right light touch for this type of novel and the addition of a frisson of mystery adds to its appeal. As well as romance, she has woven in mystery, murder and various other plot twists and turns and with the added delight of the usual balls and parties. Her Earl is a less overbearing character than the heroes of many other romances, which makes him a more appealing person, and Eleanor herself is a sensible but feminine heroine who makes a good protagonist. She works with, rather than against, the Earl most of the time so this is not a "battle of the sexes" tale. I do despair though of finding another novelist who actually includes descriptions of the places visited and of the minutiae of daily Regency life in the same way Georgette Heyer did. This novelist fares no better than most other writers on this score which is always a pity. This ought to appeal to anybody who likes their romances seasoned with mystery - something which a lot of Regencies are currently - and I found it highly readable.