Review: And Only To Deceive

And Only To Deceive is the first in the Lady Emily series by Tasha Alexander. Emily Ashton is a newly widowed woman in Victorian England who discovers her late husband Philip may have been involved in antiquities fraud. Emily is independent and chafes at the restrictions placed on her by Victorian society. She has no real interest in marriage but desperately wants to escape her controlling mother, so she agrees to marry Philip, a very eligible bachelor. At first they seem to have little in common- Philip travels widely in search of Greek artifacts and spends months on safari in Africa. She prefers to read and live a life of quiet luxury, but when Philip dies she discovers, through his journals, that he loved her a great deal.

As she sets out to learn more about his life, she soon finds she shares his interest in Greek antiquities. Philip was an avid collector, but as she immerses herself in this world she discovers that Philip may have had a darker side. How did Philip acquire several originals that were stolen from the British museum? Did Philip consort with black market antiquities dealers? And who is the man with a scar following her around London and Paris? Emily struggles to discover Philip’s true nature, even as she juggles two suitors who may be more than they appear.  

In the high society of London everyone knows everyone else, and Emily finds herself courted by two very different men- the dashing Colin Hargreaves, who happens to be Philip’s best friend, and Andrew Palmer, another acquaintance of Philip who hails from a good family but a poor one. Emily soon finds herself caught up in a dangerous game, one she may not survive.

Each chapter begins with a short journal entry by Philip, before then resuming Emily’s narrative. This was very helpful as the reader gains insights into Philip that Emily does not have. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. We are shown vignettes of his life prior to his marriage to Emily, as well as after, and the author gives just enough information to intrigue the reader without revealing to much.

The book has witty dialogue and excellent period detail, as well as tantalizing glimpses at exotic locations. The author clearly knows her history and customs of the time, and this makes the story even more compelling. There are nice touches of humor thoughout and Emily’s friend Cecile du Lac, a wealthy widow from Paris, steals most of the scenes she’s in. The story takes place primarily in London and Paris, and the author weaves iconic landmarks from both cities into the story seamlessly. I especially liked a scene where Emily and Colin share a kiss on the Pont- Neuf in Paris.

The only thing I didn’t like was Emily at times didn’t seem to put two and two together, I thought some clues were pretty obvious and maybe she should have seen them too. The villain in particular was rather obvious, I thought. Then again, I read some of the blurbs for later books in the series, so I had an idea about certain characters that I may not otherwise have had. Emily is also direct, at times confronting those she suspects of not being honest, and that was refreshing. It feels authentic when she acts in a way the reader can relate to, as we might do in real life if faced with a shocking betrayal.   

I discovered this series by accident, having seen pre- release buzz for the eighth book in the series Behind The Shattered Glass. Seeing that there were previous books, I thought I would get in on the ground floor and I’m glad I did. I will definetly be reading more from this author so Behind The Shattered Glass may have to wait while I catch up on Emily’s other adventures! Highly recommended if you like mysteries and historical fiction.

Favorite Quote:

"You're in a fine mood for someone who obviously stayed up far too late," Cecile observed. "What was so interesting?"
"Absinthe," I said with a smile.
"I am impressed, Kallista. Paris will make an artiste of you yet."