Riddle Saga

Lieutenant-Colonel Hastings Adair, best friend of Captain Jack Vespa, the dashing hero of Veryan's last two novels, wakes up in the arms of an unwed lady of Quality, scandalizing all of London, and in attempting to right things, runs straight into a government conspiracy... in The Riddle of the Reluctant Rake.

Captain Jack Vespa, an aide-de-camp of Lord Wellington's in the battle against Napoleon, has returned home to convalesce from his rather serious battle wounds. But his parents' home in London is just too hectic, with his society-minded mother hovering and the demands of the social season looming. Expressly against the wishes of both his father and mother, Jack heads to the country to the estate of Alabaster Royal, his inheritance from his Grandmama. It promises to be deserted and a little run-down, but the prospect of some peace and quiet is more than Jack can refuse. But as Jack nears the village of Gallery-on-Tang, everyone he meets gawks in shock at the mention of Alabaster Royal, mutters a few words about the "accursed" place, and refuses to elaborate. When he finally arrives at his estate, the presence of a mysterious and beautiful young woman marks an end to Jack's plans for rest and relaxation. Miss Consuela Jones is the granddaughter of an Italian duchess and the daughter of an English artist who died on the grounds of Alabaster Royal. Consuela thinks that he was murdered and wants Jack to help her find out why... This delightful Regency novel, mixing equal parts suspense and romance, is the latest from Patricia Veryan, "the reigning queen of period romance" (Romantic Times) and it promises to enthrall her many, many fans.

Captain Jack Vespa, hero of The Riddle of Alabaster Royal, returns in another of Patricia Veryan's delightful Regency tales mixing romance and suspense, in The Riddle of the Lost Lover. Veryan's "Best effort yet" (Publishers Weekly), a spirited Regency mixing romance and mystery