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Elizabeth Aston

    February 21, 1948 – January 11, 2016

    Drawing inspiration from a lifelong admiration for Jane Austen, this author adopted the pen name Elizabeth Aston, which is also her married name. Previously writing as Elizabeth Pewsey, her earlier works are now being reissued under the Aston name. Additionally, she has contributed historical novels set in the 20th century under her own name, Elizabeth Edmondson. Her prose is characterized by a deep engagement with social nuances and character development, echoing the spirit of beloved classic literature.

    Elizabeth Aston
    A Man of Some Repute
    The Darcy Connection
    The villa in Italy
    The second Mrs. Darcy
    Successful Mentoring in Nursing
    Writing Jane Austen
    • 2017

      A Matter of Loyalty

      • 290 pages
      • 11 hours of reading

      January 1954. Mists cover the hills around Selchester. Someone at the research facility known as the Atomic is leaking secrets to Soviet Russia, and when nuclear scientist Bruno Rothesay goes missing, the British Intelligence Services are convinced he's the mole. Hugo Hawksworth isn't so sure. Then a body turns up, and Hugo's instincts are proven correct. But if Rothesay wasn't selling secrets to the Soviets, who is? As Hugo digs deeper into buried connections and unlikely coincidences, he knows there's more to this case than his London superiors believe. But following his instincts will pit him against the Establishment--and tangle him once again in the poisonous legacy of the late Lord Selchester. As he closes in on the truth, Hugo finds himself confronted by an adversary who will stop at nothing, in a case that will prove the most personal of his career. With a touch of Downton Abbey, a whisper of Agatha Christie and a nod to John Le Carré, A Matter Of Loyalty is the third and final book in this delightfully classic and witty murder-mystery series.

      A Matter of Loyalty
    • 2015

      A Man of Some Repute

      • 293 pages
      • 11 hours of reading
      3.7(276)Add rating

      "Truth is rarely pure and never simple...Selchester Castle in 1953 sits quiet and near-empty, its corridors echoing with glories of the past. Or so it seems to intelligence officer Hugo Hawksworth, wounded on a secret mission and now reluctantly assuming an altogether less perilous role at Selchester. The Castle's faded grandeur hides a web of secrets and scandals--the Earl has been missing for seven years, lost without a trace since the night he left his guests and walked out into a blizzard. When a skeleton is uncovered beneath the flagstones of the Old Chapel, the police produce a suspect and declare the case closed. Hugo is not convinced. With the help of the spirited Freya Wryton, the Earl's niece, he is drawn back into active service, and the ancient town of Selchester is dragged into the intrigues and conspiracies of the Cold War era. With a touch of Downton Abbey, a whisper of Agatha Christie and a nod to Le Carré, A Man of Some Repute is the first book in this delightfully classic and witty murder mystery series."--Back cover.

      A Man of Some Repute
    • 2013
    • 2010

      Writing Jane Austen

      • 477 pages
      • 17 hours of reading

      In a unique blend of literary homage and personal struggle, a young writer grappling with failure is unexpectedly tasked with completing a newly discovered manuscript attributed to Jane Austen. This contemporary narrative explores themes of ambition, creativity, and the pressures of living up to a literary giant, offering a fresh perspective on the challenges faced by aspiring authors. The story delves into the intersection of past and present, as the protagonist navigates the complexities of both the manuscript and their own life.

      Writing Jane Austen
    • 2008

      The French Riviera is the setting for this absorbing tale of family intrigue, scandal and romance, against the glamorous background of 1930s artists and aristocracy.

      The Art of Love
    • 2008

      In The Darcy Connection , Mr. Collins of Pride and Prejudice is now the Bishop of Ripon, living with his wife, Charlotte, and their two daughters, who have reached marriageable age. The elder, another Charlotte, is extraordinarily beautiful, and her parents hope her looks and connections will ensure a brilliant marriage. Her sister, Eliza, while not as handsome, possesses a lively intelligence that, in Mr. Collins's opinion, is too like her godmother, Mrs. Darcy.In London, Charlotte's beauty wins her many admirers, despite her small fortune. But Eliza's wit and attempts to interfere in what she considers an unsuitable marriage for her sister infuriate her family and Charlotte's suitor -- until Eliza herself meets her match. New and old fans alike will relish this witty, romantic, thoroughly entertaining novel from a highly talented author.

      The Darcy Connection
    • 2007

      The second Mrs. Darcy

      • 320 pages
      • 12 hours of reading
      3.8(1478)Add rating

      Romance and scandal abound in this warm and witty tale of the young widow Octavia Darcy, whose attempts to secure her fortune and clear her name lead her through all manner of difficulties. 'I am a woman of independent means, definitely in possession of a good fortune, but I am not in the least in want of a husband!' So declares Octavia Darcy. Raised as a poor relation, she is sent off to India to be married, only to have her brief happiness as the second wife of Captain Darcy dashed by his early death. But an unexpected legacy leaves her extremely well off and for the first time ever she can decide her own fate. Suddenly everyone wants to know her and pay court to her. Who can she rely on? Luckily her new-found acquaintance with her Darcy cousins takes her to Netherfield Hall, which has an argumentative but undoubtedly intriguing new tenant...

      The second Mrs. Darcy
    • 2006

      The villa in Italy

      • 432 pages
      • 16 hours of reading
      3.7(2626)Add rating

      This is a marvellously atmospheric tale of strangers summoned to a grand but neglected villa on the Italian coast. Each of them has been named in a will, but nobody knows their benefactress... Four very different people are named in a will: Delia, an opera singer robbed of her voice by illness; George, an idealistic scientist who cannot face what his skills have created; Marjorie, desperately poor and unable to dislodge her writer's block; and Lucius, ostensibly in control but whose personal life is in chaos. All are summoned to the Villa Dante, home of the late Beatrice Malaspina. But who was she? While they wait to find out, the villa begins to work its seductive magic. With its faded frescoes, overgrown garden and magnificent mediaeval tower, it is unlike anywhere they have been before. Slowly, four characters who have gone to great lengths to hide their troubles find that change - and even hope - is possible after all. But, the mysterious Beatrice has a devastating secret to reveal that will affect them all! A beautiful evocation of Italy in the aftermath of World War Two, the personal consequences of living through such a time, and a celebration of humankind's ability to heal and learn to love again, this most absorbing novel will win Elizabeth Edmondson a host of new fans.

      The villa in Italy
    • 2005

      The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy takes readers back into the imagined family of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Their musical daughter Alethea makes a disastrous marriage to a man whose charming manners conceal an unpleasant nature. Flinging caution to the winds, she flees her marital home, masquerading as a gentleman, and accompanied only by her redoubtable maid, Figgins, she sets off for Venice to take refuge with her sister Camilla. But events -- always dramatic and sometimes dangerous -- conspire to thwart her plans. Before she can meet up with Camilla, chance and her love of music lead her into the world of Italian opera, while her encounter with the aloof and difficult Titus Manningtree, in Italy to pursue a lost Titian painting, is to change her life -- although fate has several more tricks to play before she can find happiness. With wit, aplomb, and delectable style, Elizabeth Aston once again re-creates the world of Jane Austen, populating her novel with captivating characters firmly rooted in Austen's traditions but distinctly her own, resulting in another delightful comedy of manners, morals, and marriage.

      The exploits and adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy