The Debutante

August 9, 2010
A melancholic, multigenerational romance makes the most of a very tangled web. Cate, an artist who abandoned her talent, heart, and self-respect in New York, washes up in London an emotional wreck in desperate need of work. A temporary gig as an antiques appraiser draws her into the mystery of the beautiful Blythe sisters, recently deceased aristocrat Irene and long-missing Diana, both of whom shocked and fascinated London in the 1930s. And while solving the lives and loves of these dazzling debutantes—their beguiling life and times are recounted in a decade's worth of letters from Diana to her adored sister—Cate and handsome widower Jack pick through their own tortured pasts and discarded loves. Secrets are revealed, wounds are salved, and fears are confronted as Tessaro (The Flirt) nudges this colorful story of scandal, heartbreak, and second chances toward an appropriately sweet conclusion.

August 1, 2010

Cate Albion returns home from New York to London to take a job with her aunt's estate-appraising business. An artist who had been supporting herself painting reproductions for various rich clients, Cate also needs to escape a soured romantic relationship. Her first assignment is to accompany her aunt's longtime business partner, Jack Coates, on a trip to assess the contents of the house of the recently deceased Lady Avondale, nee Irene Blythe, a well-known philanthropist. During the appraisal, Cate uncovers a well-hidden shoe box holding an assortment of unusual items and begins to search for clues about what really happened to Irene and to her sister, Diana, who disappeared in 1941. Interspersed with the present-day story, Tessaro (The Flirt) includes letters from Diana to Irene, dating from 1926 through her disappearance. Tessaro deftly tackles a number of themes--history and politics between the wars, mental illness, class issues, and homosexuality--while embedding them in a suspenseful, romantic story with compelling characters. VERDICT Readers who have enjoyed Penny Vincenzi's historical family sagas will like this well-written, intriguing, and haunting novel.--Beth Blakesley, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
Cate Albion is a gifted artist who is hiding from her past in her elderly aunts London antique shop. When her aunt sends her to Devon to catalog the contents of an old Georgian house, Cate finds more than just antiques, she finds a mystery. The home belonged to Irene Blythe, a wealthy, elderly woman who was once a beautiful socialite between the wars. Cate finds an abandoned nursery, locked for years, and a shoebox full of mysterious articles hidden behind a stack of books. Cate realizes the box belongs not to Irene but to her sister, Baby Blythe, the dazzling, dangerous, over-the-top debutante who mysteriously disappeared without a trace more than 60 years ago. Unable to resist, Cate unpacks the box and follows the clues to Baby Blythes dark, secretive pastone that parallels Cates own dark life all too well. Tessaros fourth novel is a smart book with an interesting historical vein that will charm and engage the reader.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)