Phillip Drake, an impoverished but titled gentleman, is forced to liquidate his assets and go back to his past gaming habits in an effort to right himself. Lady Susannah Messingham is a woman with a past and nearly ten years Philip's senior. After watching him at the tables, she propositions him to teach her to win at gaming. This fascinating and original look at an uncharted aspect of English life explores a gentleman snared by gambling, the threat of debtor's prison, and the wayward lady who redeems him.
Fortune's Son is superbly researched and extremely well written. Emery Lee has researched the Georgian period so thoroughly I was completely immersed in it from the first page. I learned a lot I didn't know about the gaming world of that era, with all it's glamor, danger, greed and despair and it was fascinating. What did it for me though, were the two main characters. Risk takers with a love of excitement and a passion for each other, they are a great match. A wonderful love story. We are taken through many years of their relationship and the troughs and heights of the very charismatic hero, Philip Drake. So low did Lee take him I despaired he'd ever rise again. One of my favorite historicals this year!
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