Karen Syed

And Only To Deceive: Tasha Alexander



Posted: Thursday, January 18, 2007

by Karen Syed
Echelon Press Publishing

If you spend any time frequenting Blogs and Mystery Discussion Groups, you have surely seen Tasha Alexander's name. Tasha is the delightful author who has swept onto the fiction scene with flourish of talent and charm. Her novel And Only to Deceive has received high praise and is mesmerizing readers, appearing on a considerable number of their "Favorite 6 for 2006" lists. With a charismatic writing style, she pulls the reader in without reservation and guides them down a path of intrigue. With Tasha's vivid Victorian settings, it gives fans reason to pause and wonder if Tasha might have lived in the era of which she writes. A fondness and acute knowledge of history elegantly blends well with her spunky and starkly contrasting personality.

I met Tasha at the 2006 Midwest Literary Festival and I am secure enough to tell you that I found myself captivated by her. She is vibrant, enthusiastic, and contemporary. It's no wonder And Only to Deceive is such a unique piece of fiction. She has this wonderful character who marches to the beat of her own drum, a bit against the times. I couldn't help but ask what prompted her to step back in time with this type of character to write historical mysteries? Having always been fascinated by history, she says, "Fundamentally, people haven’t changed all that much in terms of things that are important to them. But how they handle those things and how they behave are shaped so strongly by the society in which they live. Victorian England is a fascinating period because you’ve got this heavily restrictive society–I thought it would be fun to create a character–a young woman who’s coming in to her own intellectually and see what she would do to push back against the rules.

When you step into Emily's world, the flavor and color of Victorian England, it begs the question of where Tasha found her inspiration for this series of books and the locations. She explains that she adopted a very hedonistic approach to the book by picking things she finds interesting–art forgery, impossible love, ancient Greece, a Victorian setting–and played around until she figured out a way to turn them into a story.



And Only to Deceive offers readers an up close and personal adventure brimming with rich history. Tasha, who lived in London twice, incorporated her knowledge of the city. Having vacationed in Paris and Greece, Tasha shares that it’s certainly possible to write about a place you’ve never been, it’s far easier to conjure up the right sense of atmosphere if you’ve at least visited.



Having spent a little bit of time with Tasha, I found it curious that she didn't find it difficult to write historical mystery when her mind must certainly offer more contemporary thoughts. I asked if her outlook helped keep Emily ahead of her time. "Yes, I absolutely have to keep my own views in check. In the book I’m working on right now I just had to stop myself from letting Emily’s stance on a particular scandal sound too 21st century. I want Emily to rebel and to fight for her independence, but in ways that would be appropriate to the time period. I didn’t want to take modern people, shove them into corsets and bustles, and call them historical."

Tasha admits, "I wish I were more like Emily. I could use her fortune, certainly, and the villa on Santorini would be a nice resource…"

For those of you wondering, I asked Tasha if she saw herself staying with historical mysteries or if she had aspirations for other types of mystery? What can readers expect from her in the future? "At the moment I’m focused on writing historicals, but there’s an idea for a standalone contemporary kicking around in the back of my brain right now. I’ve just finished proofing the first pass pages for the sequel to And Only to Deceive , which is called A Poisoned Season and will be published next April. The third in the series–no title yet–is very, very close to being finished. The first draft, that is.

I can think of few things more exhilarating than meeting an author face to face. I find it exciting to know the person who writes what I read, and Tasha Alexander was a joy to meet. I encourage you to take some time to get to know her better. You can visit her web site at TashaAlexander.com . Tasha shares a Blog with several of her fellow authors. The Good Girls Kill for Money Blog boasts a constant flurry of activity with Tasha Alexander , Laura Bradford , Diana Killian , Sara Rossett , and Heidi Vornbrock Roosa and is not to be missed.



And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander

Reviewed by Karen L. Syed



Phillip, the Viscount Ashton offered the perfect escape for Emily, but too soon after what Emily considered a marriage of convenience, he left her a widow with a legacy of lies and deceit. As Emily fights against the constraints of London society, she mourns a husband she never let herself know. The life she chose as her escape has suddenly become a potential prison. Then her late husband's secret life is revealed and Emily's finds herself in love with the memory of a man she never knew and longing for a marriage she once rejected. With a newfound independence and a few semi-scandalous friends, she rebels against society and determines to discover if her husband is truly dead or if she is the victim of a dreadful betrayal.

Tasha Alexander has proven to me that her debut novel will be the first of many. Set in Victorian London, the characters are vivid and wickedly unique. Ms. Alexander's writing style is elegant and nearly poetic in its imagery. Filled with history and diabolical plot twists, And Only to Deceive is a breath of fresh air in a genre that sometimes takes itself too seriously. Brilliantly written.

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