A Purely Private Matter

Rosalind Thorne Book 2, The Rosalind Thorne Mysteries—inspired by the novels of Jane Austen—continue as the audacious Rosalind strives to aid those in need while navigating the halls of high society…

Rosalind Thorne has slowly but assuredly gained a reputation as “a useful woman”—by helping respectable women out of some less-than-respectable predicaments.

A Useful Woman

Rosalind Thorne Book 1, – The daughter of a baronet and minor heiress, Rosalind Thorne was nearly ruined after her father abandoned the family. To survive in the only world she knew, she began to manage the affairs of some of London society’s most influential women, who have come to rely on her wit and discretion.

The Secret of the Lady’s Maid

A Useful Woman Mystery Book 2 – The resourceful and intrepid Rosalind Thorne, a heroine after Jane Austen’s heart, has a scandalous mystery to solve within Regency-era high society, in the latest novel in this nationally bestselling historical series. Ideal for fans of Andrea Penrose, Lauren Willig, and Deanna Raybourn.

Rosalind Thorne’s quick wits and discretion have proved invaluable to London’s haut ton. Success has at last brought her financial stability and a new home, which she shares with her best friend, Alice Littlefield. But now trouble has infiltrated Rosalind’s sanctuary, and the reputations in danger include her own.

The Secret of the Lost Pearls

A Useful Woman Mystery Book 1 – Beyond the glittering ballrooms and elegant parties of Regency London lurk all manner of unexpected dangers. In Darcie Wilde’s captivating mystery series inspired by the novels of Jane Austen and written with the wit of “Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s cheeky asides in Fleabag” (Bookpage), no one is better equipped to help ladies who find themselves wronged than “useful woman” Rosalind Thorne…

Cozy Con Midwest

I had such a fabulous time at my first Cozy Con, I cannot wait for the next!  Here we got some highlights…

Privacy Policy

As many of you know, new privacy rules have gone into place across the EU.  These cover data collection and transparancy for all kinds of websites, including this one.  I/We are working on crafting new policy to comply with the new rules, and it will be posted shortly.

#writerreadswriting Recommends: The Romance Reader’s Guide to Life

I loved this book.  Flat out.  Had me at hello. I found it when I was on vacation in Atlanta.  My husband was at a conference, so The Son and I were doing a bookstore-and-ice-cream tour of the city.  Atlanta, BTW, is a fabulous place to do this particular tour.  I had heard about this […]

Out of the Omnibus: The Corsican Sisters

During the Age of Empire, a particular sub-genre of thriller/horror stories emerged in English letters. It involved English travellers finding out that the natives of whatever country they were tramping through might not actually like them. This sub-genre includes “The Corsican Sisters,” by Violet Hunt. The sisters in question are two beautiful peasant girls whisked […]

Out of the Omnibus: Violet Hunt

Who? Don’t worry, I’d never heard of her before either, and I have no idea why not. I started my dive into THE OMNIBUS OF CRIME in the back, in the section labeled: MACROCOSMOS (Stories of the Human and Inhuman) pt. 2: Tales of Blood and Cruelty. Why? I’m not sure, except it sounded good. […]

Out of the Omnibus

So, I found this book in the second hand store. Fifty cents, I kid you not.  The intro by the splendid Ms. Sayers alone is worth the price of admission. I love reading old books.  A deep dive into the strange and the obscure is my favorite catnip.  Also, as an untrained urbanite, it’s the […]