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I don't normally spend a lot of time recommending things other than fanfics and teevee shows, but I am completely gleeful with a series of books and thought I should totally share the joy.  Now, as previously mentioned, I have a long history of obsession with those little paperback romances that you can check out by the bag at libraries (you know the ones, with Fabio on the cover with some half-dressed woman swooning against him, the ones you are allowed to take out on your honor because the library is too embarrassed to put them into circulation).  I have sacks and sacks of these, most of them simple escape reading (See Julie Garwood's 'Saving Grace'), others purely for mockage (See Joanna Lindsey's 'Warrior's Woman'), but I have largely weaned myself off them since I discovered fanfic, which provides endless escape reading and badfic for mocking, all without the need to actually go to the library and endure the snide looks of the librarians. ;)

A few months ago, I was feeling a little blue so went to the supermarket to get myself a box of Entenmann's donuts and some Odwalla swamp juice (what?) and I swung by that odd aisle with the pantyhose eggs and hallmark cards to skim the paperback offerings. Now, I know choosing blindly like this is just asking for trouble, but this fateful day I picked up Deanna Raybourn's 'Silent in the Grave'.  Expecting less than nothing from this Victorian murder mystery, what did I find but a fantasticly textured environment populated with quirky, nuanced characters?  And, lo, there is a second!  And today in the mail came the third (not available in bookstores until next week, yet Amazon seems to have no problems shipping one to me).  I have only read one chapter of the third book thus far, but I have been snickering and clapping my hands with glee at those mere 22 pages.

Meet Lady Julia Grey and watch her wake up and find her backbone and stick her nose where it doesn't belong and fecklessly stand toe to toe with any and all levels of society, even when she might have been better off shutting up and calling in the calvary.  Meet her nine (!!!) siblings, each one more quirky and loveable and hateable than the last.  Meet her father who wants to do good by all of his children, but also has very specific ideas about what is good.  Meet Brisbane, a broody sleuth with a mysterious past and interesting hobbies who manages to drive Julia insane as often as possible.  Come for the interesting cast of characters and intricately plotted mystery, stay for the smoking UST. You won't be sorry.

Sound interesting? Then get your hands on Deanna Raybourn's 'Silent in the Grave', 'Silent in the Sanctuary', and hot off the presses 'Silent on the Moor' and let me know what you think so we can squee over Brisbane together. ;)