Elizabeth Riding:
for light historical fiction
The Cousins is an on-going series of light-hearted historical novels, beginning in the Regency Period and continuing into the Victorian Age, with a mixture of crime and family drama.
OUT NOW
'Larkhill Lavender 1832-1834'
well researched and well written...
twists and turns to an imaginative plot...
with a surprising twist at the end.
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A mysterious woman haunts the Old Priory ruins at the manor and inveigles her way into the Darvilles' life. Behaviour that was at first amusing becomes dangerous. But who will admit that there is a madwoman stalking Larkhill? When Harriet's life is threatened, Rupert has to take decisive action to protect his family.....
Part 1 LARKHILL MANOR 1811
Beautiful but frivolous Sylvia McAllister is sent from Bath to her country cousins to avoid yet another undesirable suitor. At Larkhill Manor she becomes embroiled with her handsome cousin Clement on leave from the Peninsular Wars, and with Rupert Darville their neighbour, a gauche sprig of the nobility. The appearance of Baron Mulheim, a sophisticated older French courtier with a hint of mystery, further complicates matters. Mix in her ebullient twelve year-old cousin Harriet, a duel, an elopement and 'moonrakers', and the quiet town of Larkhill will never be the same again.
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'Intelligent escapist reading at its best'.
'A good light read which will keep you turning the page'
'An absorbing and lively tale'
'How exciting the ending is...'
.
Part 2 HIBISCUS LODGE 1821
Rupert returns from his scientific voyage around the world to find that all is not well with his friends in Larkhill. When Harriet is invited to London for the coronation of George IV she stumbles across a series of jewel thefts that leads her into danger. It takes rivals in love and an abduction before Rupert and Harriet discover what they truly feel for each other.
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie'.
'Thoroughly recommended'
Part 3 QUENNELL HOUSE 1830-1831
Winter 1830 and England is ravaged by agricultural rioting. In Larkhill, Harriet must contend with arsonists and machine-wreckers as well as the arrival of the new Earl of Morna with his handsome companion and the late earl's orphaned twin daughters. When a neighbour is found dead in mysterious circumstances and rumours bring danger, Rupert and Harriet must put aside their differences to solve the crime.
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'This book has it all ...
'A compelling story hard to put down'
LARKHILL LETTERS & OTHER STORIES (1811-1831)
This book is a companion volume to parts 1-3 of 'The Cousins' family saga giving more details about the characters and what happened between the exciting events of the novels 'based on documents, letters. diaries etc. found in the Darville family archive in Quennell house and Larkhill Manor'.
The account is an amalgam of straight history, fictional narrative, letters, a map of Larkhill, a timeline and family trees 1811-1831. As a bonus there are two new stories involving the Larkhills, Darvilles, McAllisters and their friends.
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'thoroughly researched, well-written...
'...a pleasure as well as essential reading.'
'Elizabeth Riding is a skilled and imaginative writer.'
ROSA'S ROMANCE 1841
Lady Rosa Darville falls in love with the brilliant Dr Ravindra Kapoor but he is more intent on unmasking the man who robbed him of his inheritance. Forced to give up his medical research and instead work in the poorhouses of Bristol he comes to realise how much Lady Rosa means to him. When his enemy falls into his hands, how will Kapoor react and what will become of Rosa?
Throw in a murder, a mad elephant, a financial scandal and political cover-up and you have another exciting tale in the Larkhill family saga.
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'Better than Galsworthy...well-researched...well written.. Can't wait for the next one!'
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Part 4 COUSIN ESME 1851
The Darvilles and the McAllsters are in London for the Great Exhibition and Ralphina Darville's Coming Out Ball. But Ralphina is a reluctant debutante and plots are afoot to wreck the Crystal Palace and embarrass the Government. Can Henry Darville separate love from duty and is their mysterious but charming Cousin Esme McAllister to be trusted - or does he have secrets of his own?
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'Mystery and intrigue, all cunningly crafted'
'Engaged enjoyable reading with good laughs'
'The best so far.'
Part 1 LARKHILL MANOR 1811
Beautiful but frivolous Sylvia McAllister is sent from Bath to her country cousins to avoid yet another undesirable suitor. At Larkhill Manor she becomes embroiled with her handsome cousin Clement on leave from the Peninsular Wars, and with Rupert Darville their neighbour, a gauche sprig of the nobility. The appearance of Baron Mulheim, a sophisticated older French courtier with a hint of mystery, further complicates matters. Mix in her ebullient twelve year-old cousin Harriet, a duel, an elopement and 'moonrakers', and the quiet town of Larkhill will never be the same again.
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'Intelligent escapist reading at its best'.
'A good light read which will keep you turning the page'
'An absorbing and lively tale'
'How exciting the ending is...'
.
Part 2 HIBISCUS LODGE 1821
Rupert returns from his scientific voyage around the world to find that all is not well with his friends in Larkhill. When Harriet is invited to London for the coronation of George IV she stumbles across a series of jewel thefts that leads her into danger. It takes rivals in love and an abduction before Rupert and Harriet discover what they truly feel for each other.
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie'.
'Thoroughly recommended'
Part 3 QUENNELL HOUSE 1830-1831
Winter 1830 and England is ravaged by agricultural rioting. In Larkhill, Harriet must contend with arsonists and machine-wreckers as well as the arrival of the new Earl of Morna with his handsome companion and the late earl's orphaned twin daughters. When a neighbour is found dead in mysterious circumstances and rumours bring danger, Rupert and Harriet must put aside their differences to solve the crime.
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'This book has it all ...
'A compelling story hard to put down'
LARKHILL LETTERS & OTHER STORIES (1811-1831)
This book is a companion volume to parts 1-3 of 'The Cousins' family saga giving more details about the characters and what happened between the exciting events of the novels 'based on documents, letters. diaries etc. found in the Darville family archive in Quennell house and Larkhill Manor'.
The account is an amalgam of straight history, fictional narrative, letters, a map of Larkhill, a timeline and family trees 1811-1831. As a bonus there are two new stories involving the Larkhills, Darvilles, McAllisters and their friends.
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'thoroughly researched, well-written...
'...a pleasure as well as essential reading.'
'Elizabeth Riding is a skilled and imaginative writer.'
ROSA'S ROMANCE 1841
Lady Rosa Darville falls in love with the brilliant Dr Ravindra Kapoor but he is more intent on unmasking the man who robbed him of his inheritance. Forced to give up his medical research and instead work in the poorhouses of Bristol he comes to realise how much Lady Rosa means to him. When his enemy falls into his hands, how will Kapoor react and what will become of Rosa?
Throw in a murder, a mad elephant, a financial scandal and political cover-up and you have another exciting tale in the Larkhill family saga.
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'Better than Galsworthy...well-researched...well written.. Can't wait for the next one!'
Part 4 COUSIN ESME 1851
The Darvilles and the McAllsters are in London for the Great Exhibition and Ralphina Darville's Coming Out Ball. But Ralphina is a reluctant debutante and plots are afoot to wreck the Crystal Palace and embarrass the Government. Can Henry Darville separate love from duty and is their mysterious but charming Cousin Esme McAllister to be trusted - or does he have secrets of his own?
Click on the Amazon logo to buy now.
Some reviews:
'Mystery and intrigue, all cunningly crafted'
'Engaged enjoyable reading with good laughs'
'The best so far.'
About the Author
Writing a novel was a bucket-list ambition and a brief illness made me knuckle down to it. Larkhill Manor owes a lot to Georgette Heyer's sparkling romances but I have progressed to my own style in Hibiscus Lodge, Quennell House, Larkhill Letters and Other Stories, Rosa's Romance and Cousin Esme. Producing these novels has been a steep learning curve and I am always grateful for constructive feed-back. I want to write as much as I can of the continuing Larkhill-Darville-McAllister family story.
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