Jean Plaidy Libri

Prigioniera del cuore

Historical novel set during the Wars of the Roses, based on the life of Anne Neville, daughter of the great Earl of Warwick. Suitable for adult literacy and learners of English as a second language.

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.

Charles II, the Merry Monarch, is determined that his people shall know peace and religious freedom. But the shadows cast over the throne by his son Monmouth and his wayward, Papist brother, the Duke of York, are proving too much for his popularity. Amidst these dramatic events that shaped Restoration England our promiscuous regent was often to be found in the company of his many woman. Including the ready arms of little Nell Gwyn, his buxom, pretty and witty mistress. Here Plaidy brings to life the various loves and political losses of one of our most amorous Kings.

Against the backdrop of a civil war-torn England during the era of Cromwell and the Stuart Restoration, the passionate story of Arabella Tolworthy unfolds, intertwining her fate with that of her nation. Following the execution of Charles I and the rise of Oliver Cromwell, many royalists fled their confiscated lands, including young Arabella, whose family sought refuge in France to serve the exiled Charles II. Separated from her parents and facing the hardships of exile, she finds solace in the company of the captivating actress, Harriet Main, unaware of the threat Harriet poses to her future happiness. Arabella's life takes a dramatic turn when she marries the dashing Edwin Eversleigh, a Cavalier, in a whirlwind romance. However, after Edwin's death, she returns to England with a new child, only to be confronted by Edwin's cousin Carleton, whose bitterness over his lost inheritance complicates her life. The return of the scheming Harriet further threatens Arabella's connection to her past. Amidst the devastation of the St. Giles Plague and the Great London Fire, Arabella discovers the courage for personal renewal, seeking to reconcile her past and find peace with her homeland.

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.

When Caroline of Ansbach arrives in England, King George is old and sour, his mistress ugly and his wife imprisoned at his own hand for over twenty years. She has grown up watching her mother Eleanor's loveless and dangerous marriage, and is determined to avoid a similar situation. So she marries the Prince of Wales, George Augustus, and they are popular among the people, leading the King to resent them. In what will become typical Hanoverian style, father and son loathe each other and exist in a state of constant competition for power. She quickly realizes that her husband is unintelligent and sees that she will be able to control him to some extent. Despite plenty of obstacles, including her father-in-law's control of her children, she refuses to lose sight of her aims.

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.

The new novel by the modern mistress of romantic suspense is set on the coast of Kent, at a great estate overlooking the infamous "shivering sands" - quicksands that have swallowed entire ships unfortunate enough to sail into them. Caroline Verlaine, a young widow, comes to work at the estate hoping to discover the cause of the mysterious disappearance of her sister, who had been studying the nearby Roman ruins. Caroling found her employers a strange family, haunted by tragedies of the past, scarred by distrust. Yet she found herself irresistibly attracted to them - especially to the family's dark, moody young scion. But not until she had retraced her sister's fatal last steps could she answer the crucial questions about the family's past - and her own future.