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A Taste for Nightshade is a thrilling historical novel that combines recipes, mystery and a dark struggle between two desperate women, sure to appeal to fans of Sarah Waters and Carolly Erickson.
Manchester 1787. When budding young criminal Mary Jebb swindles Michael Croxon's brother with a blank pound note, he chases her into the night and sets in motion a train of sinister events. Condemned to seven years of transportation to Australia, Mary sends him a 'Penny Heart' - a token of her vow of revenge.
Two years later, Michael marries naïve young Grace Moore. Although initially overjoyed at the union, Grace quickly realizes that her husband is more interested in her fortune than her company. Lonely and desperate for companionship, she turns to her new cook to help mend her ailing marriage. But Mary Jebb, shipwrecked, maltreated, and recently hired, has different plans for the unsuspecting owners of Delafosse Hall.
"Starred Review. Set in early 19th-century England, this sophomore effort is certain to be well received by those who love Gothic tales of naïve young women, shadowy spouses, and houses brimming with secrets...With this entertaining and engrossing tale, Bailey proves herself to be an author to watch." - Library Journal
"For fans of conniving - and not particularly lovable - rogues and roguesses." - Kirkus
"Intelligent and engrossing reading... An ingenious exercise in gothic pastiche, this is a richly rewarding read." - The Sunday Times, Best Summer Reads 2015 (UK)
"A compelling and haunting story, brimming with malice and darkness, and powerfully alive to the harsh realities of 18th century life, but it also an invigorating account of the indomitability of the human spirit in the face of terrible hardship." - The Lancashire Evening Post (UK)
"There is much to admire in this sprawling tale of lies, secrets and puddings. Bailey's prose sparkles...delicious." - The Times (UK)
This information about A Taste for Nightshade was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
An amateur cook, Martine Bailey won the Merchant Gourmet Recipe Challenge and was a former UK Dessert Champion, cooking at Le Meurice in Paris. Her recipes have appeared in many publications including Good Housekeeping, Olive magazine, and Green and Black's Chocolate Recipes. Martine lives in Cheshire, England. An Appetite for Violets is her first novel.
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