Susannah Kearsley will always, I think, be one of my favorite authors. I love the alternating plot lines and the incredible historical research. I always finish her books feeling like I have learned something about history. This story alternates between present day France and 1732 and, as usual, Kearsley brings both worlds to life beautifully.
In the present day, Sara Thomas has been hired by a famous author to decipher an encoded journal written by a 21-year-old woman named Mary Dundas in the 1730's. Sara's background in computer science and her expertise in problem solving make her (she also has Asperger's) an ideal choice for the job, so she travels to France with her protective cousin to begin work. As she breaks the code she discovers that Mary Dundas led a life of unexpected excitement and intrigue. After being reunited with her long-estranged brother, a Jacobean sympathizer, Mary is sent by him to France to pose as the sister of a man being protected by the Jacobites and who is accused of being the central figure in a London financial scandal. Hugh McPherson is the dark, mysterious man who travels with the group, seeming not to blink an eye at killing or lying to protect them. I enjoyed Mary's reaction during her early days with the group. After nearly every observation of or thought directed at McPherson she mentally adds the phrase, "Don't kill me."
In the afterward Kearsley talks about finding a grave for a baby girl, named Mary Dundas, who lived for only a few weeks. Through this novel Kearsley created a life for Mary that she never had the chance to live. We see only a few short months of Mary's life, and of Sara's, but I keep wondering what happens next. Maybe someday we'll find out! Kearsley's knowledge of the Jacobean period, including travel conditions, politics, and social mores, make for fascinating reading, definitely better than a dry history textbook!
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