内容简介
London'ssocialseasonisinfullswing,andVictorianaristocracycan'tstopwhisperingaboutacertaingentlemanwhoclaimstobethedirectdescendantofLouisXVIandMarieAntoinette.Buthe'snottheonlytopicofwaggingtongues.Drawingrooms,boudoirs,andballroomsareabuzzwiththelatestnewsofanaudaciouscatburglarwhohasbeensystematicallystealingvaluableitemsthatoncebelongedtotheill-fatedqueen.Lightgossipturnsseriouswhentheownerofoneofthepilferedtreasuresisfoundmurdered,andthemysteriousthiefdevelopsatwistedobsessionwithLadyEmilyAshton.ItwilltakeallofEmily'switandperseverancetounmaskherstalkerandferretoutthemurderer,whilefacedwithabrewingscandalthatthreatensbothherreputationandherromancewithherlatehusband'sbestfriend,thedashingColinHargreaves.
作者简介
SusanIsaacs"Icanthinkofnoothernovelist--popularorhighbrow--whoconsistentlycelebratesfemalegutsiness,brains,andsexuality.She'sJaneAustenwithaschmear,"saidNationalPublicRadio'sFreshAirofSusanIsaacs.BiographySusanIsaacs,novelist,essayistandscreenwriter,wasborninBrooklynandeducatedatQueensCollege.Afterleavingschool,sheworkedasaneditorialassistantatSeventeenmagazine.In1968,SusanmarriedElkanAbramowitz,athenafederalprosecutor.ShebecameasenioreditoratSeventeenbutleftin1970tostayhomewithhernewbornson,Andrew.Threeyearslater,shegavebirthtoadaughter,Elizabeth.Duringthistimeshefreelanced,writingpoliticalspeechesaswellasmagazinearticles.Elkanbecameacriminaldefenselawyer.Inthemid-seventies,Susangottheurgetowriteanovel.AyearlatershebeganworkingonwhatwastobecomeCompromisingPositions,awhodunitsetonsuburbanLongIsland.Itwaspublishedin1978byTimesBooksandwaschosenamainselectionoftheBook-of-the-MonthClub.Hersecondnovel,CloseRelations,alovestorysetagainstabackgroundofethnic,sexualandNewYorkDemocraticpolitics(thusacomedy),waspublishedin1980byLippincottandCrowellandwasaselectionoftheLiteraryGuild.Herthird,AlmostParadise,waspublishedbyHarper&Rowin1984,andwasaLiteraryGuildmainselection;inthisworkSusanusedthesagaformtoshowhowthepeoplearemoldednotonlybytheirhistories,butalsobyfamilyfictionsthatsupplanttruth.AllofSusan'snovelshavebeenNewYorkTimesbestsellers.Herfictionhasbeentranslatedintothirtylanguages.In1985,shewrotethescreenplayforParamount'sCompromisingPositions,whichstarredSusanSarandonandRaulJulia.Shealsowroteandco-producedTouchstonePictures'HelloAgain.The1987comedystarredShelleyLongandJudithIvey.Herfourthnovel,ShiningThrough,setduringWorldWarII,waspublishedbyHarper&Rowin1988.Twentieth-CenturyFox'sfilmadaptationstarredMichaelDouglasandMelanieGriffith.Herfifthbook,MagicHour,acoming-of-middle-agenovelaswellasamystery,waspublishedinJanuary1991.AfterAllTheseYearswaspublishedin1993;criticslaudeditforitsstrongandwittyprotagonist.LilyWhitecameoutin1996andRed,WhiteandBluein1998.AllthenovelswerepublishedbyHarperCollinsandweremainselectionsoftheLiteraryGuild.In1999,Susan'sfirstworkofnonfiction,BraveDamesandWimpettes:WhatWomenAreReallyDoingonPageandScreen,waspublishedbyBallantine'sLibraryofContemporaryThought.During2000,shewroteaseriesofcolumnsonthepresidentialcampaignforNewsday.LongTimeNoSee,aBookoftheMonthClubmainselection,waspublishedinSeptember2001;itwasasequeltoCompromisingPositions.Susan'stenthnovelisAnyPlaceIHangMyHat(2004).SusanIsaacsisarecipientoftheWritersforWritersAwardandtheJohnSteinbeckAward.SheservesaschairmanoftheboardofPoets&WritersandisapastpresidentofMysteryWritersofAmerica.SheisalsoamemberoftheNationalBookCriticsCircle,TheCreativeCoalition,PEN,theAmericanSocietyofJournalistsandAuthors,theInternationalAssociationofCrimeWriters,andtheAdamsRoundTable.ShesitsontheboardsoftheQueensCollegeFoundation,theWaltWhitmanBirthplaceAssociation,theNorthShoreChildandFamilyGuidanceAssociation,theNassauCountyCoalitionAgainstDomesticViolenceandisanactivememberofhersynagogue.ShehasworkedtogathersupportfortheNationalEndowmentoftheArts'LiteratureProgramandhasbeeninvolvedinseveralanti-censorshipcampaigns.Inadditiontowritingbooks,essaysandfilms,SusanhasreviewedbooksforTheNewYorkTimes,TheLosAngelesTimes,TheWashingtonPostandNewsdayandwrittenaboutpolitics,filmandFirstAmendmentissues.ShelivesonLongIslandwithherhusband.Biographycourtesyoftheauthor'sofficialwebsite.GoodToKnowSomeouttakesfromourinterviewwithIsaacs:"Myfirstjobwaswrappingshoesinashoestoreinthelow-rentdistrictofFifthAvenueandsaying‘Thankyou!'withacheerysmile.Igotcannedwithinthreedaysfornotwrappingfastenough,althoughIsuspectthatoftenmyvague,future-noveliststareintospacewhilethinkingaboutsexorlunchdidnotgivemeasmilethatwouldringthebellontheshoestore'scheer-o-meter.""IconstantlyhavetofightagainsttheNewYorkEffect,anoverwhelmingurgetowearblackclothessoeveryonewillthink,Egad,isn'tshechicandunderstated!I'mnot,bynature,ablack-wearingperson.(I'mnot,bynature,achicpersoneither.)Ilikeprimarycolorsaswellasbrightpurple,loudchartreuse,andshockingpink.Andthat'sjustmyshoes.""I'mnotagreatfanofwritingclasses.Yes,theydohelppeoplesometimes,especiallywithmakingthemwriteregularly.Buttheaspiringwritercanbeadelicatecreature,sensitiveorevenoversensitivetocriticism.Iwasthatway:Istillam.Theproblembeginswithmostpeople'snaturaldesiretoplease.Inaclassroomsituation,especiallyoneinwhichtheworkwillbereadaloudorcritiquedinclass,theurgetowritesomethinglikableormerelycritic-proofcandamupyournaturaltalent.Also,itkeepsyoufromdevelopingtheonlythingyouhaveisawriter--yourownvoice.Finally,youdon'tknowthepeopleinaclasswellenoughtofigureoutwheretheircriticismiscomingfrom.Agreatknowledgeofliterature?Veiledhostility?Thetalentistoopreciousacommoditytoriskhandingitovertostrangers.""Writingissometimesanart,anditcertainlyisacraft.Butit'salsoajob.Igotoworkfiveorsixdaysaweek(dependinghowfaralongIamwithmywork-in-progress).Likemostotherpeople,therearedaysIwouldratherbelyinginahammockreadingorgoingtoamoviewithafriend.Butwhetheryou'reanartistoranaccountant,youstillhavetoshowupatwork.Otherwise,itisunlikelytogetdone."Hometown:SandsPoint,NewYorkDateofBirth:十二月7,1943PlaceofBirth:Brooklyn,NewYorkEducation:HonoraryDoctorate,QueensCollegeWebsite:http://www.susanisaacs.com
