Jean Plaidy Books

A recreation of the life of Marie Antoinette through her letters and memoirs. Other work by the author includes Lord of the Far Island, Snare of Serpents and Mistress of Mellyn.

Noelle Tremaston, daughter of famous actress Désirée, turns to Roderick Claverham, the man she loves, for solace when her mother dies. She then finds out that the revelation of a dark secret prevents them from marrying.

Arabella Tolsworthy Against the background of an England torn by civil war, religious persecution, and political treachery in the turbulent era of Cromwell and the Stuart Restoration, Philippa Carr has set the passionate story of Arabella Tolworthy, whose loves and destiny are inextricably linked to the plight of her nation. The dethroned Charles I had met the executioner's ax with regal calm, and as Oliver Cromwell tightened his Puritan grip on English church and state, thousands of royalists fled their confiscated lands. Among them was young Arabella, her family seeking safe harbor in France where they hoped to serve the exiled royal heir, Charles II. Separated from her parents, confronted by the unaccustomed hardships of political banishment, she finds solace in the company or the ravishing and charismatic actress, Harriet Main. Little does Arabella suspect the threat Harriet will pose to her future happiness. Nor does she envision the tragedy that lies ahead when dashing Edwin Eversleigh, Cavalier and heir to a titular fortune, makes her his bride after a whirlwind courtship. For in the deceptive peace following Parliament's Restoration of the Crown, a widowed Arabella returns to England bearing a new scion of the Eversleigh estate. Suddenly, her quiet devotion to the memory of her beloved is shattered by the arrival of Edwin's cousin Carleton, whose bitterness at being deprived of his inheritance seemingly only Arabella can allay. The reappearance at Eversleigh Court of the conniving Harriet further jeopardizes Arabella's spiritual bond with the past. Only amidst the cataclysmic suffering wrought by St. Giles Plague and the Great London Fire does Arabella find courage enough for a personal renewal, which may help her make her sepatate peace with England.

When Cordelia Grant returns from an exclusive school in Switzerland to carry on her duties as a schoolmistress, she finds her feelings torn between a dashing landowner, Sir Jason Verringer and the memory of a mysterious stranger.

The author follows the tragic character of Mary, Queen of Scots, from the charming child-queen who longed for excitement through a tumultuous and tragic adulthood. Mary stood at the center of political intrigues and in the sights of dangerous rivals, but her understanding of her court and the world lends a heartwarming aspect to this tale of power, peril, and love.

The affair of the diamond necklace shook the throne of France, probably precipitating the French Revolution and the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. But why should these events fall so neatly into place? And why was an ambitious, predatory woman allowed to steal the famous piece?

This volume brings together all three of Jean Plaidy's novels about Katharine of Aragon, offering a comprehensive look at the life of the first wife of Henry VIII. The narrative explores her struggles, resilience, and the political intrigue surrounding her marriage, providing insight into her character and the tumultuous times she lived in. Readers will experience the rich historical detail and emotional depth that Plaidy is known for, making it a compelling read for fans of historical fiction.

Mount Mellyn stood as proud and magnificent as she had envisioned... But what about its master--Connan TreMellyn? Was Martha Leigh's new employer as romantic as his name sounded? As she approached the sprawling mansion towering above the cliffs of Cornwall, an odd chill of apprehension overcame her. TreMellyn's young daugher, Alvean, proved as spoiled and difficult as the three governesses before Martha had discovered. But it was the girl's father whose cool, arrogant demeanor unleashed unfamiliar sensations and turmoil--even as whispers of past tragedy and present danger begin to insinuate themselves into Martha's life. Powerless against her growing desire for the enigmatic Connan, she is drawn deeper into family secrets--as passion overpowers reason, sending her head and heart spinning. But though evil lurks in the shadows, so does love--and the freedom to find a golden promise forever...

Richard the Second is losing his hold on the crown and Henry of Bolingbroke, previously exiled by the king, returns to England to claim it. When the king dies, Harry became King Henry the Fifth, and the change is dramatic for both him and Oldcastle.