Lord Ross Carlisle is the perfect British aristocrat. He’s handsome, and will one day be a duke. He is calm, fair, and highly intelligent, a bit of a philosopher, with an inquiring mind, and is master of many sports and other manly pursuits.And he loves to explore the far corners of the earth and immerse himself in diverse cultures and languages. Plus he writes books about his travels.Far from a boring man. Plus he has everything, lives at the pinnacle of society, is highly regarded by pretty much everyone…And yet…With her usual honesty, depth, and intensity, author Mary Jo Putney shows us a man with a core of loneliness and despair.However, this is no modern hero who indulges himself in endless angst and “poor me” suffering.No, Carlisle does not inflict his pain on others, nor does he indulge it. It is simply there, and must be lived with because, he believes, there is nothing he can do to assuage it.Years ago, his beloved wife left him after only six months of marriage; she has not returned, nor has she communicated; and he doesn’t have, as he says, the heart or stamina to take another bride, nor is he willing to go through a public and scandalous divorce.Because his father’s health is declining, Carlisle decides to go on one more adventure, intending to explore along the ancient and still active trade route through Central Asian deserts called the Silk Road.Just before launching his journey, he encounters his mother-in-law, who begs him to save her son Ian, who is imprisoned in Bokhara—a city so perilous for westerners that it’s virtually suicide for him to agree—but he’s always liked her, and his wife’s brother Ian, so he agrees to go.Shortly after he embarks on the journey, he and his two guides are set upon by a group of fierce Turkoman bandits bent on killing Ross because he is a ferengi. His guides run off, but Ross cannot escape, and finds himself surrounded by fierce, implacable men with rifles aimed straight at his heart and head.Until they are run off by a group of Persians led by a warrior of the mysterious, veiled “blue men” tribe called Tuareg.*spoiler on* He soon learns the veiled Tuareg warrior is none other than his estranged wife, Juliet. Who insists on going with him to rescue her brother. *spoiler off*What follows is a grand adventure—full of heart-stopping danger, from caravans and sandstorms, to the exhilarating and treacherous Turkoman game on horseback called bozkashi, to their own capture and escape so they can enter the black hole prison where Juliet’s brother might lie dying.It is also a poignant and gut-wrenchingly painful emotional journey.This is one of the best examples of this author’s ability to explore the deep and anguished emotions of her characters through their relationship, delving down layer by layer, until they find their way to the essential truth, and to the possibility of healing.Highly recommended! I must have read this book at least ten times since I discovered it...
I love historical romance novels, but have to admit there is something slightly routine about reading novel after novel set on English country estates. Silk and Secrets is set in a number of more exotic middle eastern countries and provides a far different setting from the Mary Jo Putney novels I have read so far. I was a bit apprehensive at the start of this book because the premise seemed a bit far-fetched, but found that I did enjoy it quite a bit. Silk and Secrets follows the story of Lord Ross and his estranged wife Lady Juliet, who has come to be a princess/benefactor in a Persian town and unexpectedly runs into Ross while he begins a search and rescue mission of sorts. I liked that Juliet did not take on a typical damsel-in-distress role in this novel, but instead actually was quite independent, resourceful, brave, and even, on at least one occasion, was able to save others from distress rather than simply waiting to be saved herself :)
What do You think about Silk And Secrets (2001)?
Same author but I didn't like this one as much as the previous book but it was...informative...much more than most romances. In it an estranged husband and wife meet in the desert in the middle east (by accident) in order to find a missing brother. They live in completely separate worlds - one an English Lord, the other living in the middle east. However, they come together watching each other's backs, rescue the brother, live happily ever after. What was interesting was the rich historical detail about an area still rife with conflict.
—Andrea
An Exciting Adventure in UzbekistanThis is book 2 of the Victorian Silk trilogy and tells the exciting story of Lord Ross Carlisle, younger son of the Duke of Windemere, and friend to Mikahl Khanauri (now Connery), the hero in book 1. Ross is a world traveler and adventurer and now returns to Central Asia.Though it is set in Bokhara, Uzbekistan in 1841, it begins in Constantinople where Ross learns that his brother has died and he is now the Marquess of Kilburn, his father’s heir. And it is there we discover that Ross is actually married—to Juliet Cameron, daughter of a Scottish diplomat. They married young and Juliet left him six months later feeling that she could not handle London Society. When Juliet’s mother asks Ross to go to Bokhara to find her son, Ian, he agrees, never knowing he will soon find his estranged wife.Juliet is an adventurer in her own right, winning the respect of the Persians where she rules a people. Ross, a splendid hero everyone seems to love, admires her as she admires him. They seemed perfect for each other and Juliet’s leaving a man she clearly loved was a bit mystifying. They do have a “big conversation” at the end but it wasn’t that surprising as Putney dropped large hints as he story developed.Putney has done much research for this story and she brings the culture of Central Asia to life. It is rich in historical detail—the sight, sounds, dress and food. The scene of the Uzbek equivalent of polo, played with the body of a dead goat, was thrilling. Lots of action here as we dive into the mystery surrounding Juliet’s missing brother and Ross and Juliet together fight off the bad guys who are trying to kill them.An exciting adventure and a dive into a truly exotic locale.The Silk Trilogy:Silk and ShadowsSilk and SecretsVeils of Silk
—Regan Walker
Splendid! Humour, surprise, secrets, sex. And a happy ending, after quite a few" how are they going to get through this one" moments. The flight from captivity and it's integral fight scenes really caught me, although I thought the ending was a little weak. maybe it should have had an epilogue, where Ross is watching his twin daughters-one with his coloring, but her mom's temperament, one a delicate red-head with perfect, precise manners, play out a game based on stories of the escape, forcing their younger brothers into all the roles that get killed and playing their parents in a totally new interpretation of the story.
—Patricia
