Book Review #34 Daughter of the Game by Tracy Grant

Daughter of the Game, aka Secrets of a Lady
by Tracy Grant

Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery / Espionage
Ages: 16 and up

Mr. Fraser is one of those unfashionable men who loves his wife, and his wife loves him back. They married seven years ago during the Napoleonic Wars. Charles worked for British intelligence and Melanie was a half-Spanish, half-French war refugee when they first met, and now Charles is a politician and Melanie is his supportive wife. Their life is turned upside-down when there six-year-old son is snatched from his bedroom. The man who took him believes that they have an artifact that belongs to him, one that Charles was sent to find in Spain seven years ago. Both Charles and Melanie have dark secrets in their pasts, secrets that they had hoped to forget but must now face if they are to save their son's life. But when one can hardly trust the other and even their closest friends may betray them, how can they have any hope of success?
This novel is rather dark and absolutely fascinating. Charles and Melanie are two of the most interesting characters I have ever read about. They are both strong, intelligent, determined people who have suffered true horrors in their lives. The interaction between them is probably the most important part of the story. They trust each other's abilities completely, as well as their mutual devotion to their son, Colin, but when Melanie reveals that nearly everything Charles knew about her was a lie nothing between them will ever be the same.

This gets a 4.10 for language, as there are multiple uses of the impolite word for illegitimate and other insulting terms for females. Most of these terms are not actually used as insults but rather as statements of fact.

There are multiple murders, attempted murders, a past suicide and references to past rape so I rate it a 6.10 for violence.

I give this a 5.10 for sexuality because of references, innuendos, some vaguely described memories of a wedding night and an interrupted scene between a married couple. The characters also visit a house of ill-repute in the course of their investigations.

                                          Lieder Madchen