Following the death of their father, Beth is set to inherit 20,000 pounds–but only after she marries. Taking place in the years leading up to the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, Elizabeth “Beth” Cunningham finds herself at the mercy of her estranged, cruel, military-minded half-brother Richard.

Mask of Duplicity, the first in the Jacobite Chronicles Series, is of course right up my alley. Nevertheless, a good read and I look forward to further volumes.If Diana Gabaldon Herself recommends a book series, you listen. I was also disappointed with the cover: very professionally produced but no different to so many others, a shame something eye-catching would have been nice. I quite enjoyed this volume, however, most of the characters are rather stereotyped – swooning females and blustering, bullying males. What will become of poor Beth? And is Sir Anthony the simpering fool he appears to be? Underpinning all of this, there is the threat of the Jacobite Risings and we meet a few of these characters. Of all her many suitors, only one seems to fit the bill and Beth falls deeply in love with him, but he proves to be unworthy after all. The only way forward for him is to have Beth marry a rich and influential man so manipulates both Beth and their family to be reconciled.īeth goes to London where she encounters twittering ladies and misanthropic men as well as the foppish, face-painted, odious but witty Sir Anthony Peters who, much to Beth’s disgust, takes her under his wing. There is no love lost between brother and sister and Richard soon proves to be a cruel man. When Richard comes to claim his inheritance he is sorely disappointed to find there is no money to support his military ambitions, although Beth has a handsome dowry in trust for when she marries. They had different mothers, Beth’s being a low-born Scottish woman and because of this (happy) union, the family had been disowned by their wealthy and haughty relations. Beth’s elder brother, Richard, a dragoon sergeant, returns to the small dilapidated country house following the death of their father. In the first of The Jacobite Chronicles, we follow the fortunes and misfortunes of Elizabeth (Beth) Cunningham.

Mask of Duplicity by Julia Brannan