Showing results by narrator "Celine Major" in All Categories

Brought up by a parish schoolmaster with a hidden past, Sylvia Carew dreams of a future devoid of poverty. Will she be faithful to the man she adores or will she opt for the chance at wealth and position? What lengths will she go to and when all is said and done, will she be gratified with her "happily ever after"? Romance, ambition and greed, deceit and selfishness are at the root of this sensational Victorian novel by Braddon. As usual she manages to keep us in suspense until her well constructed surprise ending.

If you're a fan of mid-19th Century melodramas with many twists and turns you will love this book. Acclaimed as Holmes greatest commercial success the charming heroine of this tale is Lena Rivers whose mother died when she was a baby. The father is unknown, and she is brought up by her grandparents in the New England mountains. When the grandfather dies, she and her grandmother are uprooted to live with her uncle in Kentucky. His wealthy wife and 3 spoiled children are not at all happy about taking in these poor relations and do all they can to make them feel unwelcome.

A classic Victorian sensation novel filled with romance, mystery, and murder with the emphasis on romance. Christabel, a beautiful young heiress, has been brought up properly by her wealthy aunt. The aunt’s greatest longing is for Christabel to marry her scoundrel son, whom the mother believes to be perfect. While her son is off traveling in America, a wonderful young man comes to stay in their home for a while, and he wins Christabel's heart. So Christabel must choose between the man she loves and the scoundrel son of the woman who brought her up and whom she loves and respects.FEAT DESC

In all things that he did, Flora's well-being was the doctor's paramount consideration. He brought pleasant people to his house; men of professional standing, and their wives. He sought to win friends for her, and the gentle charm of her manner endeared her to the people he brought about her, almost in spite of herself. To know her was to love her.

Clara and Robert Hatrell lead an ideal life with their young daughter Daisy in a beautiful old fashioned cottage on the banks of the Thames. When his son Cyril goes away to school their friend and neighbor Ambrose Arden who is a notable scholar offers to tutor Daisy. Some time later Robert carrying a large amount in banknotes is found stabbed to death in a London rooming house supposedly lured there by the mention of someone called Toinette. The murderer is not found and the money trail implicates a Frenchwoman exchanging the notes in Cannes, Nice and Paris.

A classic Victorian sensation novel filled with romance, mystery, and murder with the emphasis on romance. Christabel, a beautiful young heiress, has been brought up properly by her wealthy aunt. The aunt’s greatest longing is for Christabel to marry her scoundrel son, whom the mother believes to be perfect. While her son is off traveling in America, a wonderful young man comes to stay in their home for a while, and he wins Christabel's heart. So Christabel must choose between the man she loves and the scoundrel son of the woman who brought her up and whom she loves and respects.

We see another facet of Mary Elizabeth Braddon's amazing talent in Dead Love Has Chains, written in her seventies. Focusing on character and human psychology rather than detection and crime, this is one of her most interesting novels. Pregnant and unmarried Irene Thelliston is sent home from India to live with her Aunt in Ireland. On her sea voyage she reveals her secret to Lady Mary Harling who swears to keep her confidence. Several years later to the horror of Lady Mary she becomes engaged to her son Conrad who has his own rather questionable past.

This early work by Mary Elizabeth Braddon was originally published in 1889 and we are now republishing it with a brand new biography of the author. 'The Day Will Come' is one of Braddon's novels in the sensation literature genre. Mary Elizabeth Braddon was born in Soho, London, England in 1835. She was educated privately in England and France, and at the age of just nineteen was offered a commission by a local printer to produce a serial novel "combining the humour of Dickens with the plot and construction of G. P. R. Reynolds".

John Fausset persuades his wife that they should take his ward, Fay, under their roof. Their young daughter, Mildred, instantly takes Fay to her heart, but mystery surrounds the young girl.

From bestselling and prolific author Mary Jane Holmes, Maggie Miller or Old Hagar's Secret COMES a compelling story of deceit, love, misplaced pride and loss of innocence that will keep you in suspense until the very end. And as usual her amazingly real characters will not disappoint. Excerpt: " Mustn't put on airs ! " muttered Hagar, as she left the room. " Just as if airs wasn't for anybody but high bloods ! " And with the canker-worm of envy at her heart she wrote to Hester, who came immediately

The coverup of a murder leads to the search for the dead man's heiress decades later in this delightful 3 part novel by Mary Jane Holmes. Her characters are as always very interesting and realistic. Poor little Bessie is raised in poverty because her mother spends most of her time at the gaming tables of Monte Carlo or Baden Baden while her so called aristocratic father looks down on all menial work. Her wealthy relatives will do nothing to help. Add the love of three men for one girl to the mix and the result is an absorbing historical romance.

Fiction merges with history in this novel taking place during the turbulent times of the civil war and the horrors it entailed. Holme's silly, coquettish yet kind-hearted Rose will pull you in from the start. The sweet and pious Annie, the noble Tom Carleton, the motherly widow Mrs. Simms, the young and courageous Isaac, the mischievous rebel working for the south, and the brash, uneducated Bill Baker are just a few of the unforgettable characters who grow with every chapter.