Set against the background of war-torn Savannah during the Revolution, this enchanting novel unfolds the sags of a family divided – and a beautiful heroine, Mercy Phillips, caught desperately between the passions of Rebel and Tory.Mercy Phillips was a penniless English orphan when Hart Purchis, wealthy young heir to the Winchelsea Plantation rescued her from the mob.Hart did not know it then, but Mercy was to play a part in his life that would shape not only the future of Winchelsea but the whole American Revolution itself.

Only a deathbed promise to her dying father could force Christina Tretton to travel to Tretteign Grange, the 'Dark House', and meet her estranged family for the first time. Having to fast-talk her way out of an encounter with smugglers on the way is only the beginning. Waiting for her is flighty aunt Verity, her two very different cousins – the stoic Ross and fawning Richard – and her formidable grandfather, who changes his Will every few days.Taking the neglectful servants in hand, Christina is soon managing the house, proving herself invaluable in her grandfather's eyes. This backfires when he decides he wants her as his heir, and only on the condition that she marries Ross or Richard. Outraged, she swears she will marry neither, but her cousins have different ideas. Should she marry the cousin she is drawn to, even if he appears to have no true feelings for her? Hanging over them is the constant threat of invasion, as Dark House looks over the sea to France,...

At the height of the American War of Independence, Hart Purchis, captain of a privateer, marries the rebellious spy Mercy Phillips, rescuing her from the wrath of the British in Savannah. But it is not long before the wide waters of the Atlantic separate the lovers: Hart's ship is captured by the British and Hart himself falls under the spell of his evil cousin Julia in London.Mercy, it seems to him, is lost to him forever. Or is she? Back in Philadelphia Mercy has met a mysterious but charming young Frenchman and is now laying her own plans...

Juana Brett's hapless father has dragged her to England from her beloved home in Portugal. In Portuguese, she is not hindered by the stutter that plagues her when she speaks in English, and she is not at the mercy of her teasing stepsisters and icy stepmother. When Gair Varlow fixed his political machinations on her, he never expected to fall in love with her too. Pulling strings to get her an invitation back to Portugal, he knows he is sending her into danger. For Juana, nothing could be better than going home. But as the threat of invasion by France hangs over her return, she has no idea how completely the political intrigue has taken hold of her Castle home, and soon finds herself amidst terrorists and spies. Juana can trust no one, which is made all the more difficult when she is caught between the persistent courtship of her handsome cousin, and the draw she feels towards Gair Varlow. But all this is dimmed by the mystery and terror of the winding stair...

Marian is in her mid-thirties, and trying to get over the shock of her eighteen-year-old twins leaving her to live with their father in the USA. As a distraction she takes a job looking after a younger woman, Stella, on a coach tour to Greece. It seems to be the answer to all her worries - financial and otherwise - although there is some mystery surrounding Stella's background.As the tour gets underway, strange things begin happen, including some serious accidents. People become suspicious, and nobody is at all sure whom they can trust. Marion becomes increasingly worried, both for her own sake and for Stella's, and at the same time tries to resist her increasing attraction to a friendly classics professor who is also on the tour.A suspenseful thriller, tense and concise, that builds interesting characters with ease.

But Henrietta was no one's enemy. She came to London from Boston in search of her father— a father thought lost to her until she discovered her aunt's treachery. Now armed with her mother's marriage papers, she set sail for England to prove her identity and, unknowingly, to gain a fortune—and a love—she had never dreamed of. Henrietta was too beautiful to ignore. Her wealthy father was enchanted with her. Her stepmother hated her on sight. And her stepbrother Cedric was an enigma.But nothing would stop Henrietta from becoming the talk of London society. At all the elegant parties, at fashionable Almack's, at masquerade balls, everyone was agog with the lovely young American girl. There were a few, however, who longed to see her ruined....

When Helen Westley’s elderly mother dies, leaving her nothing more than a small allowance, she struggles to cope with the shock. Having nursed her mother to the very end, the last thing Helen expects is to be left homeless, but when her mother’s will reveals that the family home has been left to Helen’s half-brother, she must accept that her life has changed forever. In desperation, Helen accepts the post of live-in carer to the bedridden Beatrice Tresikker, and moves from suburban London to the village of Leyning near the south coast. Although the relationship between the two women is initially strained, they soon build a trusting and lasting friendship. With the help and support of some of the villagers - including the gruff doctor Hugh and the young legal partner Frances - Helen determines to make her patient’s final weeks as comfortable as possible. But then Beatrice’s young, incredibly handsome American relative appears on the scene, with stories of her estranged family in America. But can his motives be trusted? And what does the future now hold for Helen?

When Caterina Gomez returns to her beloved home of Oporto, Portugal, her troubles have only just begun. For the country is at war with France, and, even though Oporto is no longer in French hands, it is a shadow of its former self. The scandalous cloud she left under is still not forgotten, and her cruel and distant father insists on a hasty marriage or the convent. Half English and half Portuguese, she must walk a fine line between both societies, which is all made near impossible considering her troubled past.Thankfully, her dear friend Miss Harriet Brown and cousin Jeremy Craddock have accompanied her from England. But Harriet can only offer comfort whilst sharing in her fate, and Jeremy – who is seeking treatment for his ill health – becomes distracted by his fair and pretty healer. Then Caterina's past resurfaces in a most confusing manner in the shape of Luiz, her childhood sweetheart, drawing her further into the tangles of political intrigue...

When spirited Kate Warrender embarks on a dangerous impersonation she puts her family and home in jeopardy. In this enthralling new regency novel, first published in 1977, Jane Aiken Hodge, master of romance, sets the head-spinning love entanglements against the perils of England on the brink of revolution.

In 1802, as peace spreads in Europe, two young women seek their fortune, Martha, an American and Cristabel, the unwanted daughter of a duke.

While Napoleon campaigns to conquer the world, Princess Isobel has one aim only: the freedom of Poland. Her dynastic marriage produces the prince who will be Poland's hope. Her elaborate game, mixing romance, passion and politics, involves her with Napoleon himself, with the flamboyant Murat, wily Talleyrand, even the unpredictable young Tsar of Russia. At her side is Jenny Peverel, unwilling spy for the sinister Brotherhood, risking peril and heartbreak for the sake of the little prince. Their story sweeps from Isobel's court at Rendomierz to Petersburg, Warsaw, Tilsit and Napoleon's desperate retreat from Moscow. And around them move three young men, one British, one American, one French, changing partners in the long, dangerous dance.

Napoleon's shadow hangs heavy over Europe, and all is not well in the tiny principality of Lissenberg. Martha, its new princess, discovers just how bad things are in a moment of terror among the summer vineyard. But where can she turn for help? Her husband is in Napoleon's clutches, and her friend Cristabel, the prima donna, is involved in a disastrous marriage. Old enemies reappear, as well as old friends, and soon Martha's marriage is threatened along with her crown. Winter is coming and snow will soon close the frontiers. When Napoleon himself irrupts into Lissenberg the future looks black indeed.

When wealthy Mrs. Ffeathers takes a liking to her granddaughter, Patience, she changes her will, leaving her fortune to the girl. Then Mrs. Ffeathers is found poisoned, and it seems that only one person has a financial motive. Fifty years later, the mystery remains unsolved.

When tragically widowed opera singer, Anne Paget, is told by a doctor that she has only a few months to live she is devastated. Instead of withering quietly into her fate she decides to take a risk and a final challenge, accepting a surprise offer to perform in an opera to be staged in a hidden principality in the Alps, to celebrate an international peace conference.But as she rises quickly from an understudy to a star, she realises that her life is not only threatened by her illness but also by mysterious intrigues and dangerous crosscurrents that underline the high society of Lissenberg. There is sabotage and murder and Anne soon realises that nothing is as it seems, and that she cannot trust any of the men that offer her protection.In Last Act, first published in 1979, Jane Aiken Hodge combines all the elements of a thrilling romance – her heroine is enchanting, the setting glittering, and the men are handsome but dangerous...

Brett Renshaw has not been having much luck. Spurned by his fiancé and outcast from society, he has taken to his boat and escaped to the distractions of the Mediterranean. Here he is free to drown his sorrows and wallow in his misfortune. Rescuing two women from a Turkish Harem was certainly not part of the plan. For Phyllida Vanick, being rescued by such a disagreeable man is only bearable in stark comparison to the circumstances from which she is running. Phyllida has seen her father cut down before her eyes and lived through kidnap and the indignities of the harem. But she cannot go home now. Phyllida and her aunt are searching for her brother, Peter, an impetuous, idealistic young man caught up in the Greek War of independence. Reluctantly, Brett allows her to charter his yacht in aid of the search.A woman of determination, resolve, and beauty, she is more than a match for Brett Renshaw's tempers...