A Taste for Nightshade

November 1, 2015
A novel set in northern England in the late 18th century, with plenty of local color, romance, intrigue, and deception. All the action arises from an initial confidence trick, in which Mary Jebb tries to cheat two brothers, Michael and Peter Croxon, out of a 1 note. Enraged, Michael pursues her through the streets of Manchester, catches her, and later testifies at her trial. Although Mary is at first sentenced to be hanged, her sentence is commuted to transportation--seven years at Botany Bay. While Mary is languishing in Australia and seemingly nursing a desire for revenge, Michael meets and marries Grace Moore, a woman made vulnerable by her substantial land holdings and Michael's substantial ambition. Michael's character flaws are numerous, primarily insensitivity to Grace and indifference to anything other than his own drive to be rich and powerful, largely at her expense. After five years, Mary returns and, with falsified personal credentials, takes on a new name (Peg Blissett) and a new occupation (cook at Delafosse Hall, the Croxons' Lancashire residence). Grace, who narrates a large part of the novel, is naive to a fault and at first believes Michael can't be trying to swindle her. She establishes a relationship sub rosa with Mary/Peg, unwisely making her a confidante. Ironically, while Grace is being duped by her husband, his schemes are not thriving but rather backfiring, making him ever more desperate. Through a series of surprising reversals, both Mary/Peg and Michael are revealed to be something other than they originally appear. And if fraud and double-dealing are not enough, the novel even includes an 18th-century recipe at the head of every chapter, inviting the reader to sample dishes such as a Warbling Hen and Yorkshire Fat Rascals. For fans of conniving--and not particularly lovable--rogues and roguesses.

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Starred review from November 15, 2015

Grace Moore is pleased to receive a proposal of marriage from a dashing suitor, but realizes soon after the wedding that he is far more interested in her money than in marriage, and that he may be concealing even darker secrets. After being whisked off to an isolated and rundown manor, Grace spends her lonely days trying to unravel an increasingly complex web of treacherous intentions. Adding to Grace's misfortunes, the seemingly friendly cook is actually a desperate escaped convict with malicious plans of her own. As in Bailey's first novel, An Appetite for Violets, authentic period recipes add to the novel's strong sense of time and place. VERDICT Set in early 19th-century England, this sophomore effort is certain to be well received by those who love Gothic tales of naive young women, shadowy spouses, and houses brimming with secrets. Bailey skillfully reveals just enough to heighten the suspense while also throwing in plenty of surprising turns along the way. With this entertaining and engrossing tale, Bailey proves herself to be an author to watch. [Library marketing.]--Mara Bandy, Champaign P.L., IL

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2016
In 1787, after Michael Croxon bears witness in court against Mary Jebb for theft, Mary is transported to Botany Bay to serve a seven-year sentence, vowing that she will have revenge. Several years later, to escape from her alcoholic father's household, Grace Moore marries Croxon. The couple rents a moldering estate, and Grace soon learns that Michael only married her for her inheritance. Hoping to salvage her marriage, Grace agrees to use some of her money to help him build a mill. Grace hires a cook, now known as Peg but who is actually Mary, who escaped from prison and returned to England. Grace befriends Peg as her husband continues to ignore her. Michael finally begins to show some interest in Grace, and unexplained things begin happening at the estate. Then tragedy strikes, and a horrified Grace doesn't know where to turn. This novel of psychological suspense, told from both Grace and Mary's points of view, contains numerous plot twists, flashbacks, historical details, and a sympathetic main character, framed with an eerie, foreboding setting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)