Book Detail
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Excerpt |
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Reading Group Discussion Questions |
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In the glittering world of Regency London, where gossip is exchanged– and reputations ruined–with the tilt of a fan, Mélanie Fraser is the perfect wife. Devoted to her husband, Charles, the grandson of a duke, she is acknowledged as society’s most charming hostess.
But just as the elegant façade of Regency London hides a dark side, Mélanie is not what she seems. She has a secret: one that could destroy her perfect jewel-box life forever…and the cost to keep it is an exquisite heirloom ring surrounded by legend and power.
The search for it will pull Mélanie and Charles into a gritty underworld of gin-soaked brothels, elegant gaming hells, and debtors’ prisons.In this maze of intrigue, deception is second nature and betrayal can come far too easily…
Trade Paperback, August 2007
Avon Trade, ISBN 0061284882
| previously published as ‘Daughter of the Game’ includes new epilogue and fifteen new pages of letters between the characters |
Earlier Editions |
Hardcover, March 26, 2002 |
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Paperback, January 28, 2003 |
UK Edition |
Hardcover, 1 April, 2002 Paperback, 2 December, 2002 |
Tracy Grant - Novelist 
May 29, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Hi Tracy
Glad to hear that Charles & Melanie will be back soon! Looking forward to the new edition of Daughter of the Game and even more so to the 3rd book in the series!
Warm Regards
Monisha
May 30, 2007 at 12:48 am
Thanks so much, Monisha!
Warmly,
Tracy
June 16, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Nice site! (But doesn’t that cat get heavy?) 🙂
June 16, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Glad you like the site, Susan! Lescaut (my cat) is pretty small-I actually carry him on my shoulder in a sherpa bag (a pet carrier) a lot when I travel.
Warmly,
Tracy
July 3, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Hi Tracy!
Your site is very easy to navigate. Well done to your the person/people who designed it coz I can navigate like this – I clicked my fingers here.
You’ve done a brilliant job with both books. I read “Beneath…” and “Daughter…” again quite recently, going through the book more slowly, savouring the nuances in your prose.
Although, I must say 😦 I was a little miffed when I realised that “Secrets…” is the same book as “Daughters..”! I was looking forward to reading another tale of Charles and Melanie but now..je suis desolee!
I’m facinated by the characters of Charles, who is a most human, realistic hero ever and Melanie, who also is not in the style of the “good” heroine. Their personalities are unlike any Regency pairings that I’ve read. You’ve delved into the psyche more.
[Spoiler below]
The “outing” of Melanie in “Daughters..” was well done and totally unperdictable. His son is maybe his half brother? Genius!!
[End spoiler]
Please write some more about this couple. I’m sure that there is a scandal in the Ton, they can investigate.
I would like to know if the rapproachment lasted and how they effected and sustained it? Maybe there’s a lesson about forgiveness for us all in this.
Keep writing and hope your muse never gets tired!
Kind Regards,
Sam.
July 3, 2007 at 10:48 pm
Hi Sam,
Thanks so much for your kind and thoughtful comments! I love writing about Charles and Mélanie and the dynamic between them, and it’s wonderful to know readers enjoy reading about them. I have in fact, already written the third book in the series, “The Mask of Night”, which does ineed involve Mélanie and Charles investigating a scandal in the ton. The book deals with the challenges of sustaining their rapprochement (so much easier to make promisees than to put them into practice, as Mélanie says) as well as introducing some new characters. If “Secrets of a Lady” does well, hopefully “Mask of Night” will be published as well as further books in the series (I have lots of ideas for books about these characters!). Meanwile, “Secrets of a Lady” does contain about fifteen pages of additional material (the epilogue and the A+ section, short enough to glance thorugh in the book store if you don’t want another copy of the book, long enough, I hope, to be interesting). And I post a new letter on this site in the Fraser Correspondence every week, so do check back. And be sure to leave comments–it’s great to hear from readers!
Cheers,
Tracy
July 21, 2007 at 1:06 am
Oh, wow. Daughter of the Game was one of my favorite books I’ve ever reviewed…I look forward to seeing this new edition, and look forward to more books in the series, as I really love it.
July 21, 2007 at 1:59 am
Hi Cindy Lynn,
Thanks so much! Are you Cindy Lynn Speer from MostlyFiction.com? If so, I pull your reviews of “Daughter of the Game” and “Beneath a Silent Moon” out and read them sometimes when I need cheering up. You said such lovely things in such eloquent language that really summed up what the books are about. Thanks so much for posting!
Cheers,
Tracy
July 30, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Hi Tracy,
I enjoyed Beneath a Silent Moon and am looking forward to Secrets of a Lady–I was wondering whether it will be released simultaneously in countries other than the US?
Also, it seems like there is a pretty big spoiler in Sam’s comment (though maybe it’s not, as I haven’t read the book). Maybe you could somehow mark the sentence so that readers like me who haven’t read the book and who’d rather not know that secret can avoid it?
Thanks!
July 30, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for your comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed “Beneath a Silent Moon”! I hope you enjoy reading more about Charles and Mélanie in “Secrets of a Lady”. You’re quite right about spoilers in comments. I want people to feel free to talk about the books, but I need to figure out a way to mark spoilers somehow. I’ll talk to my website designers and see what we can figure out. (Rest assured that there are plenty of twists and turns and revelations in “Secrets of a Lady” that haven’t been revealed).
“Secrets of a Lady” won’t be simultaneously released in countries other than the U.S. and Canada, but I know it can ordered off Amazon U.K. and I believe also the French and German Amazon sites (in English) and it may be available on Amazon or other online book sites in other countries as well.
Do post again when you’ve read “Secrets of a Lady”!
Cheers,
Tracy
September 14, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Hi Tracy,
I loved “Daughter of the Game” (and the second book). It was one of those books where you know what the secret is and waiting for the protagonist to find it out, and read about their response. The first time I read the book I cried. I don’t like the new title for the book “Secrets…” it seems so bland. The original title was “loaded” is the simplest way I can say… The expression “daughter of the game” has its own connotations, as well as gave the book a different scent…
Waiting for the third book…
Christine K.
Republic of Lebanon
p.s.: Sarah the things that Sam mentioned are not THE “secret” of the book.
September 14, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Hi Christne,
Thanks so much for your nice words! It’s seems odd to be pleased you’ve made someone cry :-), but I’m thrilled you were so drawn into the story you had that reaction to it. My publisher really wanted a new title for the re-release. I’ve grown to quite like “Secrets of a Lady” (it has a 19th century-novel feel I like), but I still love ” Daughter of the Game” as a title. Of course, I also still love “The End of Reckoning” which was my working title for the book as I wrote it. “Beneath a Silent Moon” will be re-released in May and will keep it’s original title. And hopefully I’ll have news for you about the third book soon!
Cheers,
Tracy
October 29, 2007 at 4:06 am
Hello, Ms.Grant,
Julia Quinn is one of my favorite authors. “Secrets of a Lady” is on the JQ Recommends page and I’m interested in reading your Charles & Melanie Fraser books. In what order should I read the Knight Miscellany books? I know “Beneath a Silent Moon” takes place two years earlier than the events detailed in “Secrets of a Lady.”
October 29, 2007 at 4:07 am
Dear Ms.Grant
Julia Quinn is one of my favorite authors. “Secrets of a Lady” is on the JQ Recommends page and I’m interested in reading your Charles & Melanie Fraser books. In what order should I read the Knight Miscellany books? I know “Beneath a Silent Moon” takes place two years earlier than the events detailed in “Secrets of a Lady.”
October 29, 2007 at 6:01 am
Hi Tomoko,
How wonderful that you found my site through Julia’s lovely recommendation. I was so thrilled when she posted that. Julia is such a great writer and also a fabulous (and very generous!) person. It’s so great that you’re interested in reading my books! The Knight Miscellany books are actually a different series (also Regency set).by the very talented Galen Foley. I’m not sure of the order, but she has a fabulous website that I’m sure has a list.
As to the order in which to read my Charles and Mélanie Fraser books–I deliberately tried to write “Secrets of a Lady” and “Beneath a Silent Moon” so they could be read in either order. Neither contains major spoiilers for the other (one of the advantages of the second book in a series being a prequel :-). But the information you learn about the characters in each book will inform the events of the other book. If I had to pick a reading order, I’d suggest reading “Secrets of a Lady” first and then reading “Beneath a Silent Moon”, knowing the subtext of the revelations in “Secrets of a Lady.” The third book in the series, “The Mask of Night” (which hopefully will be published soon 🙂 is set after “Secrets”.
Hope that helps! Do feel free to ask more questions. And if you try the books, be sure to let me know what you think!
Cheers,
Tracy
December 13, 2007 at 1:36 am
Hi readers;
I just finished reading Secrets of a lady, i loved it, and im looking forward to read the third book , even tho i didnt know there was first.
Cheers,
Reem
December 13, 2007 at 7:45 am
Hi Reem,
Thanks so much for posting! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed “Secrets of a Lady”! “Beneath a Silent Moon” (the second book n the series) will be reissued in trade next May, and hopefully “The Mask of Night” and more books in the series will soon follow. I’m posting excerpts from “The Mask of Night” every week through the end of the year in my “Dear Reader” blog.
Cheers,
Tracy
December 25, 2007 at 5:19 am
Hi Tracy,
I have just finished reading “Secrets of a Lady.” This is the first of your books I have read. Charles and Mel were both wounded, intriguing, complex, wonderful. The characters in the novel seem quite real. I was sorry it was over and wondered what happened to those characters.
I am reading “The Widow’s Gambit” now. The writing style in SOAL seemed quite different from in TWG.
I heard that you had been working on an historical novel set in the Napoleonic Empire in 1811. I’m looking forward to it and Fraser books.
Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday,
Tomoko
December 28, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Hi Tomoko,
So glad to hear you enjoyed Charles and Mélanie and “Secrets of a Lady”! “The Widow’s Gambit” is indeed written in a very different style–much lighter and more a comedy of manners. It was my very first published book, co-written with my mom. It was published when I was still in college and there are parts that were written when I was a teenager. I think my books, both those I wrote with my mom and those I later wrote on my own, got darker and more complex as the years went on, until I realized I wanted to write historical suspense fiction and started the Fraser series.
Btw, if you haven’t already found it, I’ve been posting excerpt from the third Charles & Mel book, “The Mask of Night,” (set just after “Secrets of a Lady”) in the Dear Reader section of this site.
Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!
Tracy
February 18, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Tracy,
My read Secrets of a Lady and absolutely loved it, the style, the intrigue. I couldn’t get enough of it and was sad to come to the end of the book. I am actually reading it because our book club chose it as our selection for this month. I am having trouble finding discussion questions for the book so we can have a stimulating conversation at our book club meeting. Can you help me out with this? Thanks.
Menaca from Dallas
February 18, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Hi Menaca,
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed “Secrets of a Lady”! And how fun to think of it being discussed by a book club. Your post made me realize I should develop Reader Guides on my site–thanks for the great idea :-). Meanwhile, here are some discussion questions I’ve put together for “Secrets of a Lady.” Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask further questions. And do report back on how the book club discussion goes–I’d love to hear about it!
1. What kind of mood and tone does the Prologue set? Why do you think the author chose to open the novel with Meg and Jack and to introduce the reader to the Frasers’ world through their eyes?
2. What image of the Frasers and their marriage did you have from the first scene between Mélanie and Charles? How does this scene change if one rereads it knowing the secrets that are revealed over the course of the novel?
3. Did you find yourself sympathizing more with Mélanie or with Charles or with both of them equally? Why? Did your sympathies change over the course of reading the novel?
4. What do you think would have happened if Charles had learned Mélanie’s secrets in a different way, without Colin’s disappearance forcing them to work together? How would events have played out? Would Charles and Mélanie have continued to live under the same roof? Would they ever have revealed the things they reveal over the course of the novel? What would have happened to Colin and Jessica and their relationship with their parents?
5. When Roth meets the Frasers in Chapter 3 in the small salon (“an airy room with sea-green walls and pristine ivory moldings”) he thinks of them as a “typical Mayfair couple, at home in their perfect jewel box of a world.” [p. 34]. In Chapter 8, when Charles learns Mélanie’s secrets, he smashes his fist into the wall of this perfect room. Discuss the ways in which that moment is a metaphor for the events of the novel.
6. How did the secrets Mélanie kept compare with the secrets Charles kept?
7. How did you feel about Mélanie’s secret when it was first revealed? By the end of the book, had your opinion of her changed? If so, why?
8. How are Mélanie and Charles both shaped by their childhoods, particularly their relationships with their parents? How does this affect their relationships with Colin and Jessica?
9. At one point, Mélanie thinks, “If her life had taken a different turn, if she had made different choices, she might be preparing to open a new production of “Romeo and Juliet,” like Violet Goddard. Or dying of consumption in a brothel like Susan Trevennen.” How do Violet and Susan and the other women in the book–Helen Trevennen, Kitty, Meg, Lady Frances, Julia Mannerling–echo different elements of Mélanie’s story? What does this say about the position of women at the time?
10. Just after Mélanie has opened up to Charles about the horrifying circumstances that shaped her early life and led her to be a spy, she says, “Whatever happens, don’t let Jessica be stifled. Give her an education, let her travel, give her an independent income. Make her as free as a woman can be.” And Charles thinks, “The speech at first seemed a complete non sequitur. But in light of their whole conversation, perhaps it was not.” [p. 302]. Do you agree? Why do you think the revelations about her own past drive Mélanie to discuss her daughter’s future?
11. Mélanie says, “You can never know what another person is thinking or feeling. You have to make guesses and assumptions. The picture keeps changing with new evidence.” [p. 335]. Discuss how this is true of the image the other characters–and the reader–have of the major characters–Mélanie, Charles, Raoul, Edgar, Meg, Roth, Helen Trevennen–over the course of the novel?
12. How does Roth attitude toward the Frasers change over the course of the novel. Why is Roth’s confession of some of his own secrets in the last chapter “in its own way an offer of friendship”? [p. 457].
13. Discuss the use of names in the book. What does it say about Charles’s relationship to Mélanie that he almost always calls her “Mel” rather than the more elegant and delicate “Mélanie”? How does the way he addresses her change after he learns her secret? What does it say about Mélanie that she continues to call Charles “darling” throughout the book, even in the darkest moments between them? Is there a difference between when Raoul calls Charles “Fraser” and “Charles”? What about Raoul calling Mélanie “querida”?
14. Why is it significant that Charles’s letter to Mélanie at the end of the book is written from the House of Commons?
15. What new light do the letters in the A+ section shed on the characters and story? What do the salutations and signatures (“My dear David,” “Melly mine,”, “Your affectionate friend,” “R.,” “As always”, etc…) say about the characters and their relationships.
16. Despite working for different sides, in what ways are Charles and Mélanie’s ideals similar? What does this say about the political landscape of the day?
17. Toward the end of the book, Charles says, “I think you were right earlier. We never know what we’re capable of until we actually commit an act.” [p. 454]. How does this apply to the various characters in the book–Mélanie, Charles, Edgar, Raoul, Meg, Jack, Roth?
April 14, 2008 at 12:47 pm
*beams* That is indeed me!
(She says, many months later…)
Thank you so much for your kind words…I’m really glad! Everything I said was very much deserved.
April 14, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Great to hear from you, Cindy Lynn! And thanks again :-).
September 22, 2008 at 6:08 am
[…] conspiracy. I realized I wasn’t at all sure whom I’d call the villain (or villains) in Secrets of a Lady. Carevalo? Edgar? Meg? Jack? From some readers’ comments, I think they’d even call […]
October 13, 2008 at 1:03 am
[…] plot of Secrets of a Lady is inextricably intertwined with the events of the Napoleonic Wars, and several real people are […]
October 19, 2008 at 8:15 pm
[…] knew from the first that Secrets of a Lady/Daughter of the Game would open on the night Colin was kidnapped. I started out in Colin’s pov, then decided I […]
October 28, 2008 at 12:56 am
Tracy,
I read Beneath A Silent Moon before I read Secrets of a Lady. I rather enjoyed them both. I liked reading them in chronological order. I found your books after the referral from Lauren Willig’s website. The relationship between Charles & Melanie is so well written. They are wonderful characters, and seeing their journey in Secrets of a Lady was pretty amazing. And I definitely did not see those surprises coming at the end of Secrets. Silent Moon keeps you on your toes the entire time with all the people to keep track of and new plot twists. With Secrets there is a bad guy right way, but there are so many discoveries they make along the way. It’s like a really good episode of 24 that lasts 3 days. I hope The Mask of Night is published soon. I loved the sneak peak. The casting game was interesting too. What do you think about Emmy Rossum as Melanie?
October 28, 2008 at 5:13 am
Thanks so much for posting, Susan M! I’m glad you enjoyed the books, and it’s great to hear your take from reading them in chronological order. So glad you liked the sneak peaks of “The Mask of Night.” Emmy Rossum is an intriguing suggestion as Mélanie (thanks so much–I love it when people make casting suggestions). I think she could work well, particularly as the younger Mélanie in flashback in “The Mask of Night.” And she could do the bits where Mélanie sings–it would be great to have an actress play Mel who could sing “Dove Sono” (Mélanie’s favorite piece of music).
November 19, 2008 at 11:01 pm
[…] – Highschool Reunion; Tami Hoag – Lucky’s Lady rr; Lisa Kleypas – Sugar Daddy; Tracy Grant – Daughter of the Game; Emma Holly – Fairyville; Sasha White – Wicked; Lauren Bach – Lone […]
November 30, 2008 at 9:03 am
[…] questions about the plotting process? About the thinking that went into particular plot twists in Secrets or Beneath or other […]
January 11, 2009 at 9:27 pm
[…] the course of the discussion on the Mask page. What would make her pick up the books? (She bought Secrets of Lady based on recommendations not the copy.) Taryn said, “I’d like to think about the […]
February 1, 2009 at 1:32 am
[…] in liberty, equality, and fraternity. And I live here. Mélanie says this words to Raoul in Secrets of a Lady/Daughter of the Game, surrounded by the surrounded by the Siena marble, intricate fretwork, and Aubusson carpet of the […]
February 18, 2009 at 6:14 am
Новый способ давления на кандидата на пост Главы г. Химки
Новый способ “наказать” тех, кто посмел участвовать в выборной кампании не на стороне действующей власти изобрели правоохранительные органы г.о. Химки.
Руководствуясь не нормой закона, а чьей-то “волей” сотрудники милиции решили “проверить” все фирмы, внесшие денежные средства в избирательный фонд неудобных кандидатов.
Начались “проверки” с телефонных звонков – где директор, сколько человек работает на фирме. После чего последовали “письма счастья” с просьбой предоставить всю бухгалтерскую документацию, учредительные документы фирмы, и даже, план экспликации БТИ.
Такие запросы химкинским фирмам рассылает 1 отдел Оперативно-розыскной части № 9 Управления по налоговым преступлениям ГУВД Московской области за подписью начальника подполковника милиции Д.В. Языкова.
И всё это в то время, когда Президент дал прямое указание правоохранительным органам о прекращении всех незаконных проверок малого и среднего бизнеса. С это целью внесены изменения в Федеральный закон “О милиции” – из статьи 11 этого закона исключены пункты 25 и 35, на основании которых ранее правоохранительные органы имели право проверять финансово-хозяйственную деятельность предприятий.
Видно, об изменениях действующего законодательства местные правоохранительные органы не уведомлены. И не смотрят телепередачи с выступлениями Президента.
Может быть, эта публикация подвигнет их к исполнению указаний Президента, а также к изучению и соблюдению действующего законодательства
February 22, 2009 at 6:12 am
[…] them. I think quite a bit is revealed about Charles and Mélanie in the first scene between them in Secrets of a Lady where Charles shrugs out of his evening coat sparing a silent curse for the close-fitting passions […]
March 1, 2009 at 6:28 am
[…] says these words to her mentor and former lover Raoul in Secrets of a Lady, surrounded by the surrounded by the Siena marble, intricate fretwork, and Aubusson carpet of her […]
March 8, 2009 at 4:58 am
[…] somehow seemed a stronger declaration. They do say “I love you” in the first chapter of Secrets of a Lady, but even then it’s with the slightly embarrassed acknowledgment that the words can seem a […]
March 17, 2009 at 5:17 am
Hullo Tracy, I read the first book from the library, enjoyed it so much, I bought it. I sound like the bic bloke! Have purchased the second book, and I am eagerly waiting for the third. Keep writing.
March 17, 2009 at 6:17 am
Hullo Shirley! Thanks so much for kind your comments. Having a reader love one’s books so much they go out and buy a copy after they’ve read it is a lovely compliment to an author. I will definitely keep writing, and I hope I will have more books in the series published soon.
March 30, 2009 at 12:24 am
[…] Secrets of a Lady opens with Charles and Mel returning from a ball, but after that has no scenes set at social gathering. I deliberately wanted to pull Charles and Mélanie out of the jewel box world represented by the Esterhazy ball they’ve attended before the book opens. Beneath a Silent Moon, on the other hand, opens with the Glenister House ball. Inspired by a number of memorable book openings (notably the one from The Age of Innocence) I wanted to set up the various characters and the world of the Glenister House set. And I wanted to show the difficulties both Charles and Mel are having adjusting to London society and the strain that that’s putting on their marriage. […]
April 4, 2009 at 10:58 pm
[…] all. Which loyalty comes first? Raoul says this to Mélanie in their scene in the library late in Secrets of a Lady. I found myself mulling over these words recently while driving home from a trip to Whole Foods (I […]
April 11, 2009 at 7:12 pm
[…] Beneath a Silent Moon was that with more of the story taking place in the social world than in Secrets of a Lady, there were more opportunities to work in the music of the day. In the days before recorded music […]
April 18, 2009 at 11:16 pm
[…] Dorrit and the Edzard films were my inspiration for the Marshalsea sequence with Hugo Trevennen in Secrets of a Lady. I watched the Edzard films a lot when I was writing those chapters. But the Marshalsea scenes in […]
May 2, 2009 at 8:04 pm
[…] I discovered the Russell & Holmes books, I was writing the first draft of Daughter of the Game/Secrets of a Lady (which at that time was called The End of Reckoning). Mélanie and Charles are very different […]
May 6, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I just read Daughter of the Game and can’t compliment your imagery enough. I feel terribly slow in asking this question, but in looking at your other books, I’m unclear if this comes before Beneath the Silent Moon or After (I haven’t read the latter yet).
May 9, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Thanks so much for the lovely words, Aimee! I’m thrilled you enjoyed “Daughter of the Game, Secrets of a Lady.” “Beneath a Silent Moon” takes place in the summer of 1817, two and a half years earlier than “Daughter/Secrets”, but it was written after. I deliberately wrote the first two books of the series so neither spoiled the other. “Beneath” deals a lot with Charles’s family, particularly his father Kenneth Fraser. I wanted to introduce them and Charles’s relationship to them through Mélanie’s eyes, so I liked setting the book where she is first getting to know them.
May 31, 2009 at 2:54 am
[…] of angst for both of them. But it never occurred to me to stop there. Before I even had the plot of Secrets of a Lady/Daughter of the Game worked out, I had given Charles a tragic love past affair with Kitty Ashford, an emotionally […]
June 6, 2009 at 5:42 am
[…] blogged about before, about how each reader shapes the story they read. Though I deliberately wrote Secrets of a Lady and Beneath a Silent Moon so they could be read in either order, I think the reading experience is […]
June 13, 2009 at 6:40 pm
[…] about infidelity, I like to explore how it compares and contrasts to other types of betrayal. In Secrets of a Lady Mélanie has undeniably betrayed Charles in a number of ways, but I deliberately left it ambiguous […]
June 27, 2009 at 6:58 pm
[…] book, I pick one or two Shakespeare plays that to me relate to that books themes and story arc. For Secrets of a Lady it was Measure for Measure and Troilus & Cressida, for Beneath a Silent Moon it was […]
July 5, 2009 at 7:10 pm
[…] resonances, which is why he’s constitutionally incapable of being a libertine. As he thinks in Secrets of a Lady, “Intimacy was difficult enough for him. He could never bring himself to pay for the […]
August 5, 2009 at 1:42 am
I loved both “Beneath a silent moon” and “Secrets of a Lady.” I couldn’t put them down! I’m suggesting these books to my mother, but I forget in which order they should be read. Is there a recommended order?
August 5, 2009 at 5:25 am
Thanks so much, Joyce! So glad to hear you enjoyed “Secrets” and “Beneath.” I deliberately wrote the books so they could be read in either order and don’t contain major spoilers for each other. I’m always intrigued by comments from readers who read them in either order. Reading “Beneath” first means you see the story unfold in chronological order. Reading “Secrets” first means you read “Beneath” knowing Mélanie’s major secrets. There are still plenty of other revelations in “Beneath,” but I think Mel comes across a bit differently in the book depending on whether or not you’ve read “Secrets” first. Similarly, I think you have a deeper understanding of Charles in “Secrets” if you’ve already read “Beneath.”
Hope that helps! Feel free to ask more questions.
October 4, 2009 at 3:53 am
I am fan of your novels. I have read Beneath a Silent Moon and Daughter of the Game and I loved both. I was wondering and hoping for another novel in the Charles and Melanie saga. I very much love an historical setting as they relate of another time and place so one can also dream. Thank you. Joyce
October 4, 2009 at 6:14 am
Thanks so much, Joyce! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoy the Charles & Mélanie books. The 3rd book in the series, “The Mask of Night,” is written (there are excerpts on this website) and I have started on the 4th. Now I need to find a publisher :-). Will post on the site when I know more.
October 5, 2009 at 9:37 pm
[…] his stuffed bear Figaro. Charles remembers reading the Beaumarchais plays with Raoul as a boy. In Secrets of a Lady Charles thinks how he knows the precise chord in “Dove Sono”, the Countess’s aria […]
October 11, 2009 at 11:31 pm
[…] think I had Lymond and Richard in mind when I created Charles and Edgar in Secrets of a Lady. I know I was thinking of Edmund and Edgar, because I deliberately named my Edgar after the […]
October 18, 2009 at 6:47 pm
[…] about it at the time, but I think my very first inspiration for the book that ultimately became Secrets of a Lady was watching the wonderful Anthony Andrews/Jane Seymour adaptation of The Scarlet Pimpernel. During […]
November 6, 2009 at 7:02 pm
[…] about autumn as a setting for books. The book I’m working on now is set in November, as is Secrets of a Lady. I realized autumn may be my favorite season to write about. There are such rich descriptive […]
December 13, 2009 at 1:52 am
[…] Here, to being with, is the playlist for Secrets of a Lady: […]
January 2, 2010 at 9:45 pm
[…] adventures at the Congress. You may recall mentions of their time at the Congress of Vienna in both Secrets of a Lady and Beneath a Silent Moon (including references to a murder Charles investigated in Vienna). In The […]
February 14, 2010 at 9:14 pm
I stumbled upon the Fraser correspondence I forget how and, seeing the length of page, bookmarked it for later.
Today—later—I’ve returned and gotten so lost, wrapped up in the letters! Admittedly I’ve no idea of the story, and at first found the order rather odd (years ascending, months descending reading as top-to-bottom) but the characters really come through in their mailings. Wonderful wordings. I’m now going to stop and add Secrets of a Lady to my to-read list!
February 14, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Thanks so much for posting, David! I have a lot of fun writing the Fraser Correspondence. It’s wonderful when people find it and enjoy reading it before they’ve read the books. Because I post a new letter every week, I’ve jumped around in time, posting letters from the time a book is set when the book is released, filling in back story at other times.
Do let me know what you think when you read Secrets. I’m particularly intrigued to hear from people who read the letters first and then the books to see how reading the letters colors one’s reading of the novels.
February 19, 2010 at 11:45 pm
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February 28, 2010 at 7:18 am
[…] same time, and I used one of those when I first wrote on my own. When Daughter of the Game (later Secrets of a Lady) was first published I had new author photos […]
March 28, 2010 at 3:38 am
[…] one who had married Mélanie under false pretenses to spy on her? Of course, as Mel points out in Secrets of a Lady, Charles being Charles wouldn’t do that, but what if it was the husband who was the betrayer […]
April 8, 2010 at 11:22 am
Скажите, а можно как-то ник сменить мне?
April 18, 2010 at 7:17 am
[…] Mel and Charles in Vienna. Aline plays an important role in Vienna Waltz. She was first mentioned in Secrets of a Lady . She actually appeared in my first draft of Beneath a Silent Moon but wound up on the cutting room […]
May 9, 2010 at 9:01 pm
[…] Huffington Post does a regular feature on books people are spotted reading in public. This week, Secrets of a Lady was one of the books featured in the column. Someone was spotted reading it on the 6 train in New […]
July 12, 2010 at 1:25 am
[…] the place with the Frasers), sensitive to humans’ feelings (Berowne tries to comfort Mel in Secrets of a Lady when she’s at one of her lowest […]
August 18, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Добрый день, прекрасные книги, захватывающий сюжет, и что немаловажно – нешаблонные герои! Что выходило нового за последнее время?
September 27, 2010 at 6:53 am
[…] I recently saw another opera that I have referenced in my books, The Marriage of Figaro. A sequence in Vienna Waltz takes place at a performance of the opera. And Mélanie’s middle name (and the name of her Vienna Waltz alter ego) is Suzanne after the Beaumarchais play upon which the opera is based (Susanna in the opera). The Beaumarchais trilogy, with its sharp critique of class structure, was a favorite of both Mélanie’s father and of Raoul. Colin’s stuffed bear is named Figaro, presumably because his parents have told him the story. When I originally wrote Daughter of the Game, I struggled to find the piece of music with a precise chord that Charles knows always brings tears to Mélanie’s eyes. After the book was published, the Merola Opera Program performed The Marriage of Figaro, and I realized that of course the piece of music that would have that affect on Mel should be the Countess’s aria “Dove Sono”, in which she asks where the happy moments of her marriage have gone. I was able to make the change in the text when the book was reissued as Secrets of a Lady. […]
October 1, 2010 at 4:11 am
I’ve been keeping watch for the “Mask of Night” to appear. Have I missed it?
October 1, 2010 at 7:24 am
Thanks so much for asking Gloia! I have yet to get a publishing contract for “The Mask of Night.” My next book, Vienna Waltz, will be published in April 2011. It’s essentially the story of Charles and Mélanie’s adventures at the Congress of Vienna (the murder investigation there that’s alluded to in Beneath a Silent Moon), but Charles and Mel have different names–Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch–because that’s what my new publisher wanted. More information here:
https://tracygrant.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/new-year-new-book-contracthttptracygrant-wordpress-comwp-adminpost-new-php/
and you could also follow the Vienna Waltz tags in the Dear Reader column for further info on the book.
I’m currently working on a follow-up book which deals with Charles/Malcolm and Mélanie/Suzanne at Waterloo. I’m still hoping to eventually publish “The Mask of Night” and move forward chronologically with the series (I’ve lots of ideas for further books 🙂 .
October 11, 2010 at 7:51 am
[…] exchange this week on Facebook with a new reader who read Beneath a Silent Moon and now is reading Secrets of a Lady. I’m always intrigued by hearing from readers who read the books in the order in which […]
November 8, 2010 at 4:48 am
[…] a great many dangling ends that I don’t necessary want to be the focus of my next book. In Secrets of a Lady, Edgar and Jack both die in the dénouement, leaving Meg to go to prison (I’d still like to […]
November 24, 2010 at 3:33 am
Sorry too many comments and I’m confused. Secrets of a lady is a rewrite?
November 24, 2010 at 4:09 am
Thanks for your question, Roxanne. Secrets of a Lady is a reissue of Daughter of the Game with some very minor editing and about fifteen pages of new letters between the characters at the end of the book.
Hope that helps! Do feel free to ask more questions!
January 20, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Just wanted to pop by and say that I have just received the paperback and most recent edition of “Secrets of a Lady” (since the one I read was the older edition under the title “Daughter of the Game”)… The additional Epilogue was exceptionally romantic; though the quantity of the texts are little, the underlying meaning did indeed brought tears to my eyes. ❤ Charles & Mel!! — I definitely enjoyed the additional contents and am prepared to reread both books again before "Vienna Waltz" comes out.
~ Linhie
January 20, 2011 at 5:52 pm
Oh, that’s great to know, Linhie! So glad you liked the additional material and it added to the book. You might also enjoy the additional letters in the trade paperback re-issue of “Beneath a Silent Moon.”
Btw, I’m guest blogging on Monica Burns’s site today on the historical background to “Vienna Waltz” and giving away a copy of “Vienna Waltz”:
http://monicaburns.blogspot.com/2011/01/pleasure-me-with-teresa-grant.html#more
January 20, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Hi Tracy, I actually bought both novels; going back to my obsession with holding an actual book.
January 21, 2011 at 5:41 am
Thanks so much for buying both of them!!
March 15, 2011 at 7:59 pm
[…] each one true to those particular characters and that stage in their relationship. But when I wrote Secrets of a Lady, it was quite obvious to me that after the opening interrupted sex scene, Charles and Mélanie were […]
April 5, 2011 at 8:22 am
[…] in any case). Raoul ended up much more sympathetic than I had at first envisioned when I wrote Secrets of a Lady, and I think that makes the dynamic among the three of them much more interesting. Not to mention […]
July 2, 2011 at 7:38 pm
[…] prostitute and a spy, and also when she and Charles/Malcolm go to a brothel seeking information in Secrets of a Lady. It’s clear, I think, that her time in the brothel was fairly horrific. As she thinks in Secrets, […]
July 6, 2011 at 9:45 pm
Dear Ms. Grant,
I’ve just finished Secrets of a Lady, and I can’t wait to ready The Mask of Night. I’ve read all of them chronologically, except for the newest book that will come out soon, and I was shocked about the revelation between Charles and Melanie at the beginning of Secrets of a Lady , I will be honest, I almost put the book down, but I could not and I am glad I didn’t. I’m also so glad that everything worked out in the end. Thank you for being a wonderful author and creating books that are impossible to put down! ( My dad makes fun of me staying up late just to read one more chapter that turns in to two or three more because I can’t find a good spot to stop)
Thank you,
Jess
July 7, 2011 at 5:33 am
Thanks so much, Jess! Hearing one’s book has kept a reader up is one of the nicest compliments a writer can receive :-). I’m so glad you’re enjoying the books, and it’s very interesting to hear from someone who read them all chronologically. I’d love to hear more about your reaction to the revelations about Mélanie/Suzanne. I would think reading those scenes after all Vienna Waltz and Beneath a Silent Moon would be quite different from starting with Secrets of a Lady. Did it change what you thought of her? How sympathetic you found her? I’m really glad you kept on reading!
Do let me know how you like The Mask of Night!
Cheers,
Tracy
July 8, 2011 at 11:57 am
Hi Tracy,
Thank you for responding! Its nice to have an author respond my comments!!! Starting with Vienna waltz and moving to Silent, I felt that her relationship with Charles grew so much, especially at the end of the silent moon, I was extremely sympathetic to her during both the Vienna Waltz and Silent Moon ( I thought she was a victim of war), but once more of her true story was told in Secrets of Lady I was still sympathetic towards her ( because she was still a victim, and had gone through a whole lot more than I originally thought). I was more afraid for their relationship that she and Charles had built up and was afraid that once he learned the truth about her he would not have been able to be with her anymore. I really should of known better especially since most of Melanie’s married life with him didn’t appear to be deceitful. I feel like both of them had worked so hard to have that common ground where they didn’t have to need to have their defensive walls raised. I’m so glad that in the end they were able to remain married especially for Colin and Jessica’s sake.
Thank you,
Jess
July 8, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Thanks for replying, Jess! I love talking to readers. I’m really glad you felt their relationship grew from Vienna Waltz to Beneath a Silent Moon–I think it does as well, but as I wrote the books out of order, it’s particularly nice to know the progression worked for you. The last scene in Beneath a Silent Moon is one of my favorite I’ve ever written. Writing Charles and Mel working through their relationship in Secrets was definitely a challenge (a fun one). I’m always happy when readers say they think it worked. I’m probably going to have to find a way to get Malcolm and Suzanne to the same place Charles and Mel are at at the end of Secrets, without retreading over the same ground exactly. That will also be a challenge, but I’m enjoying pondering it.
July 11, 2011 at 12:47 am
[…] repeat the blog here. Warning:this post contains spoilers for the series, particularly for Secrets of a Lady and Imperial […]
September 4, 2011 at 8:10 am
[…] and Mel/Suzette’s whole relationship is built on shared danger. In fact, there’s a scene in Secrets of a Lady where Charles asks why Raoul didn’t protect her, send her somewhere safe, and Mel says something […]
September 22, 2012 at 7:09 am
[…] angles. The book is set in 1817 and parallels some events from both Beneath a Silent Moon and Secrets of a Lady. The plot that surrounds those revelations is very different – Colin isn’t kidnapped, […]
May 12, 2013 at 12:53 pm
I seldom leave remarks, however i did some searching and wound up here Secrets of
a Lady | Tracy Grant – Novelist. And I do have a couple of questions for you
if it’s allright. Could it be just me or does it look as if like a few of these remarks appear as if they are left by brain dead visitors? 😛 And, if you are posting on other social sites, I’d like to keep up with anything new you have to post.
Could you list of every one of your public pages like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?
May 25, 2013 at 1:13 am
Thanks for your post! You can find links to my Twitter and FB profiles in the sidebar under my author photo. My LinkedIn profile is here http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tracy-grant/4/b93/787.
July 29, 2014 at 10:59 pm
[…] starting to be the case for the Beneath a Silent Moon and The Mask of Night Charles. Charles is Daughter/Secrets didn’t even like to use the word spy. So Malcolm was going to have a more pragmatic reaction to […]
October 25, 2014 at 9:55 pm
I have been looking for this book for such a long time! I read it some years back and loved it, but then couldn’t remember the title to read it again. I suddenly came across it when I was looking for books on Goodreads, and am so excited to read it again along with the rest of the series!
July 11, 2015 at 1:11 am
[…] in any case). Raoul ended up much more sympathetic than I had at first envisioned when I wrote Secrets of a Lady, and I think that makes the dynamic among the three of them much more interesting. Not to mention […]