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Lord John and The Private Matter: Summary and book reviews of Lord John and The Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon, plus links to an excerpt from Lord John and The Private Matter and a biography of Diana Gabaldon.

Lord John and The Private Matter

Lord John and The Private Matter
by Diana Gabaldon
Hardcover: Sep 2003,
320 pages.
Paperback: Oct 2004,
368 pages.

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Reader Reviews

Author Biography
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Books by this Author
Critics' Opinion:   good
Readers' Rating:  3.5 Stars
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BOOK SUMMARY

Adored bestselling author Diana Gabaldon brings us the first book in a new trilogy featuring many of the characters from her wildly popular Outlander series.

In her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels, Diana Gabaldon introduced millions of readers to a dazzling world of history and adventure -- a world of vibrant settings and utterly unforgettable characters. Now one of these characters, Major Lord John Grey, opens the door to his own part of this world -- eighteenth-century London, a seething anthill of nobility and rabble peopled by soldiers and spies, whores and dukes. Great Britain is battling France for supremacy on three continents -- and life is good for a soldier.

The year is 1757. On a clear morning in mid-June, Lord John Grey emerges from London's Beefsteak Club, his mind in turmoil. A nobleman and a high-ranking officer in His Majesty's Army, Grey has just witnessed something shocking. But his efforts to avoid a scandal that might destroy his family are interrupted by something still more urgent: the Crown appoints him to investigate the brutal murder of a comrade in arms, who may have been a traitor.

Obliged to pursue two inquiries at once, Major Grey finds himself ensnared in a web of treachery and betrayal that touches every stratum of English society -- and threatens all he holds dear. From the bawdy houses of London's night-world to the stately drawing rooms of the nobility, and from the blood of a murdered corpse to the thundering seas ruled by the majestic fleet of the East India Company, Lord John pursues the elusive trails of a vanishing footman and a woman in green velvet, who may hold the key to everything -- or nothing.

The early days of the Seven Years War come brilliantly to life in this historical mystery by an author whose unique and compelling storytelling has engrossed millions of readers worldwide.

BOOK REVIEWS

Media Reviews

Good  Kirkus Reviews
A compelling and unique period mystery for the author's legion of fans.

Good  Publishers Weekly
Grey is a competent and likable sleuth, and Gabaldon's prose is crisply elegant. Her many fans will be happy to learn that this is the first in a series about the travails of Lord John Grey.

Good  Booklist - John Charles
New York Times best-seller Gabaldon promotes Grey, a popular secondary character in her Outlander series, to a starring role in this thoroughly entertaining and wonderfully witty historical mystery set in the richly detailed, occasionally bawdy world of Georgian England.

Very Good  Library Journal - Laurel Bliss
Gabaldon's lively prose and gift for historical details make this an enjoyable read. Fans of Lord John will appreciate learning more about his past. Strongly recommended for public libraries.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated 2 of 5 of 5 by Catherine
Very disappointing
I have loved the Outlander series and was looking forward to the Lord John series. I have nearly finished the 2nd and I must say Ms. Gabaldon was either bored, misguided, or under pressure from her publisher for more material. I am not in any way...   Read More

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Sharon Haas
As a big fan of Gabaldons Outland series I was prepared to like this book, that features a minor character from the the series, before I read it.
I wasn't disapointed!
The story is a great deal of fun on top of a great mystery with a liberal...   Read More

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