Hide and Seek

By Sandra Heath

Book Overview

A beautiful young woman must find her father's will or her half-brother will inherit all, leaving her penniless. Her only chance is to trust a notorious rake with her future -- and her heart.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451203453
• ISBN13: 9780451203458
• Release Date: June 2001
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 236 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

A dark sided Regency.

Miss Annabel Gresham had the stately Perton House and its valuable medieval paintings coming to her as an inheritance, but other family members got in the way. Her brother Toby, who was supposed to protect her, had his eyes on the fortune but had intended to squander that money on indulgences and excesses. Annabel had her eyes on the mysterious Sir Richard Tregarran, who had also indulged in excesses, but would those excesses ultimately do him or Annabel in? If there was ever a dark side to the Regency, Sandra Heath depicts and balances it well with the grace and elegance of the period. Behind the mask of dignity lies a side of seamy corruption, which provides some interesting intrigue for this story. If family alliances and betrayal stimulate the reader, then this book will make for a satisfying page-turner.

Not exactly the child's game, this version --

Ooh, la! What a bawdy dish the Mistress of Mirth has conjured up for us this go-round! Laughs aplenty accompany our look at the underside of Regency Society in this rollicking book, in which nothing and no one is exactly as it--or they--appear. It is almost a version of 'button, button, who's got the button', except that the missing item herein is a codicil. A codicil is a legal document, but worthless when it can't be found. This is the puzzle facing Annabel Gresham, whose grandfather's will carried such a codicil with it. Until it was lost. Or stolen. Or strayed. This codicil is of the utmost importance to Anabel, as it leaves the unentailed family estate and renowned collection of medieval paintings to her, the child of her father's second marriage, rather than her older brother, Lord Roderick Mavor, the child of his first marriage. Toby Vernon, Annabel's other half-brother (her mother's son by her first marriage) is sent to London with a new will by Annabel's father, but is way-laid and brought to a tavern to recuperate. His rescuer is none other than Sir Richard Tregarran, the well-known rake-about-town. The Dog and Duck, near Picadilly, is now under the care of a new licensee, Hester Ferguson, a former, um, well--she occasionally refers to her former life when she was an abbess. (She does not mean of the religious variety, either.) Although reformed, and loving her new career, she still knows (and keeps track of) all the other 'ladies of the night' and their 'nuns' as well as their patrons. It is soon made very clear that a wide variety of nefarious doings take place in this particular area of London, just around the corner (more or less) from Almacks, and not too far from Marylebone, which was still in the country in the early 1800s. I certainly didn't know all the euphemistic appellations for these ladies of the night, and I'll wager you didn't either. But they're only a part of the fun, as these characters from both the high and the low portions of society play out their little games, some of which are not so nice, but end up without great damage being done to anyone. Except those who deserve it, of course. It all adds up to one enjoyable, entertaining, and laugh-out-loud funny look at the bawdier side of Regency London. The codicil is found, the bad guys are vanquished, and true love finds its mate. Er, mates, actually, as Richard's former sister-in-law, Catherine, and Toby make a match, as does Hester and her Mordecai, and of course, Annabel and Richard. Very satisfactory!

Lots of twists in this one!

Annabel Gresham's future was at stake! Her half-brother, Roderick Mavor, had already thrown away his fortune at gaming and now had his sights set on the valuable items in Perton House, Annie's home. To keep his daughter's future secure, Sebastian Gresham changed his will and sent Toby to London with it and a crucial codicil (that was sealed with the imprint of her grandfather's signet ring in wax) for hand delivery to his lawyer. However, Toby was robbed by a former friend, Boskingham, who took the documents, as well as, his money. Bosky hid the documents in a candlestick holder before he passed out drunk. Later Bosky could not recall exactly where the candlestick was! Worse, Roderick was in town and Bosky had, supposedly, high tailed it out of the country. Sir Richard Tregerran was Toby's rescuer. Annie drew some unflattering conclusions about Richard which led to many awkward moments before he realized who she was! All-in-all, a race was on to find the will and codicil. Either Annie, Toby, and Richard found it for a happy ending or Roderick would get everything and put Annie in the streets! ***** It is better than my synopsis makes it sound. This story is romantic suspense and mystery in one! All was explained to me, the reader, early on and several twists kept me riveted! Recommended! *****