The Bar Sinister is, I may call, a prequel to Lady Elizabeth's Comet. Some of the characters in the latter book are featured prominently in this book including Tom Conway, one of my beloved fictional heroes.
As for this book, in a nutshell -- Richard Falk, a British captain, left his two kids in Emily Foster's charge and went away to war. They corresponded. Tender feelings were developed on both sides. There are some sinister plots against Richard involving his parentage which I found only mildly exciting. The conclusion is too abrupt for my taste. FYI, the leading pair are kept apart almost 3/4 of the book so it's natural if I felt a little bit robbed after such long waiting. And although I love my hero stern and stoic, Richard is too reserved. I didn't get any glimpse of his affection toward Emily like AT ALL until he pronounced it out loud. So excuse me if I find his confession incredible.
With all that said I finished the book in one sitting, the writing is that good. There is no point to go around the fact that Sheila Simonson is a gem. She writes real people with their admirable qualities and flaws, the characterization distinct. The dialogues are witty without being pretentious. Those ingredients create genuine type of chemistry between her characters. I'm more thrilled with her hero and heroine's holding hands than all sex scenes in some erotica combined.
4/5
Read it yourself.
