Book description
A disgraced woman. A faraway land. A forbidden love… An unforgettable
tale set in Victorian London and 1840s China from a shining, young
historical talent.
Desperate to shield her from scandal, Mary's brother-in-law, the
ambitious botanist Robert Fortune, forces her to accompany him on a
mission to China to steal tea plants for the East India Company. But
Robert conceals his secret motives - to spy for the British forces,
newly victorious in the recent Opium War.
His task is both difficult and dangerous - the British are still
regarded as enemies by the Chinese and exporting tea bushes carries the
death sentence. In these harsh conditions Mary grieves for her London
life and the baby she has been forced to leave behind, while her fury at
Robert intensifies.
As their quest becomes increasingly treacherous, Robert and Mary
disguise themselves as a mandarin and man-servant. Thousands of miles
from everything familiar, Mary revels in her new freedom and the Chinese
way of life - and when danger strikes, finds unexpected reserves of courage.
The Secret Mandarin is an unforgettable story of love, fortitude and
recklessness - of a strong woman determined to make it in a man's world
and a man who will stop at nothing to fulfil his desires. 'A truly
sumptuous, action-packed Oriental adventure that might just be our
favourite historical romance of the year.'
Daily Record
'An enchanting story that draws you in… perfect for whiling away the
hours on a rainy day.'
Closer
'If you like mystery, history, love and adventure then this book is for
you!' Scottish Home & Country
'A very enjoyalbe voyage to the Far East.' Weekly News Sara Sheridan
is an historical novelist who writes two different kinds of books. One
is a series of cosy crime noir mysteries set in Brighton in the 1950s -
Brighton Belle - and the other is a set of novels based on the real-life
stories of late Georgian and early Victorian explorers and adventurers
(1820 - 1845) - The Secret Mandarin and Secret of the Sands. Tipped in
Company and GQ magazines, she has been nominated for a Young Achiever
Award. She received a Scottish Library Award for Truth or Dare, her
first novel, and was shortlisted for the Saltire Book Prize. An
occasional journalist and blogger, Sara appears on BBC Radio 4's From
Our Own Correspondent and blogs for the Guardian and the London Review
of Books. She is a twitter evangelist and a self-confessed swot. Sara
sits on the Committee of the Society of Authors in Scotland where she
lives and also on the board of the UK-wide writers' collective '26' and
took part in the acclaimed 26 Treasures project in 2010 at the V&A,
in 2011 at National
Museum of Scotland and in 2012 at the Children's Museum, Bethnal Green.
She is a member of the Historical Writers Association and the Crime Writers
Association. Sara also mentors for the Scottish Book Trust.
