This is the third novel I've read by Diana Norman over the past few months. It's set in England in the early 18th century, when George I, a German cousin of the late Queen Anne, was the first Hanoverian king and Jacobite plotting was still in full swing. Lady Cecily Fitzhenry is dragged into a plot to free her uncle, an ailing and imprisoned Jacobite. When her role is discovered, Prime Minister Robert Walpole works to bring about her ruin by marrying her off to an elderly sycophant and confiscating all of her property. From that point on, Cecily's sole purpose in life is to bring down Walpole. Of course, she is bolstered by dreams of the young man she fell in love with at first sight, her uncle's cellmate, who had promised to return to her from exile in Barbados.

As is typical of Norman's novels, this one rambles all over the place--but not without design. Cecily runs from debtor's prison to running a country tavern, from partnering with a highwayman to plotting with Jacobites for the return of James Stuart, all the while intent on destroying Walpole. Circumstances--primarily Walpole's outrageous legal acts--and life outside of London cause her to begin to empathize with the common man's (and woman's) plight. And of course, she finds love along the way (but not iwhere she initially expected).

The novel is well-written and well researched, although Norman takes a few liberties with chronology for the sake of telling a good tale. She has created some fine, engaging characters, including not only Cecily but also her sister-in-law Dolly, the part-time highwayman Tyler, the lawyer Cameron, and others. This isn't the best of Norman's novels that I've read so far (that would be The Vizard Mask] by a mile), but it was still an enjoyable read. ( )

An excellent early historical from Diana Norman, who is currently writing as Ariana Franklin. ( )