Best Selling Books by Emmuska Orczy

The Old Man in the Corner is an unnamed armchair detective who appears in a series of short stories written by Baroness Orczy. He examines and solves crimes while sitting in the corner of a genteel London tea-room in conversation with a female journalist.

In 1572, Spain rules over Flanders with an iron fist. The threat of the Inquisition and its tortures holds the people in terror of their conquerors. William, the Prince of Orange, has led an unsuccessful rebellion, and is now a fugitive hiding in the city of Ghent. His cunning and faithful watchdog, a mysterious man called Leatherface for the mask he wears, is the only reason Orange is still alive. Spanish Duke de Alva conceives a plan to capture Orange by arranging the marriage of his general''s daughter Lenora with the son of Ghent''s High Bailiff, thus introducing a spy into a house known to be in sympathy with Orange. When Leatherface kills the bride''s former lover, she swears vengeance on him and on all rebels. Intrigue follows intrigue, treachery and misunderstanding divides the enforced newlyweds, and Lenora can no longer tell whom she loves or hates until all seems too late. (Amazon)

In 1792, during the French Revolution''s Reign of Terror, an English aristocrat known to be an ineffectual fop is actually a master of disguises who, with a small band of dedicated friends, undertakes dangerous missions to save members of the French nobility from the guillotine.

Eldorado, by Baroness Orczy is a sequel book to the classic adventure tale, The Scarlet Pimpernel. It was first published in 1913. The novel is notable in that it is the partial basis for most of the film treatments of the original book. A French language version, translated and adapted by Charlotte and Marie-Louise Desroyses, was also produced under the title La Capture du Mouron Rouge. As well as containing all the main characters from the first book, Eldorado introduces several new characters and features the Baron de Batz, who also turns up in Sir Percy Leads the Band and The Way of the Scarlet Pimpernel (Baron Jean de Batz is a genuine historical figure). It is 1794 and Paris, "despite the horrors that had stained her walls - has remained a city of pleasure, and the knife of the guillotine did scarce descend more often than did the drop-scenes on the stage." The plot begins when Sir Percy reluctantly agrees to take Armand St. Just with him to France as part of a plan to rescue the young Dauphin. Baroness Emma Orczy (full name: Emma ("Emmuska") Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála Orczy de Orczi) (September 23, 1865 - November 12, 1947) was a British novelist, playwright and artist of Hungarian noble origin. She was most notable for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel. Some of her paintings were exhibited at the Royal Academy in London.

More adventures amongst the terrors of revolutionary France. No one has uncovered the identity of the famous Scarlet Pimpernel - no one except his wife Marguerite and his arch-enemy, citizen Chauvelin. Sir Percy Blakeney is still at large however, evading capture!

Taurus Antinor must choose between his love for Christ and his love for Dea Flavia. Following Christ means rendering unto Caesar those things that are his, even if the Caesar is a raving madman. But he makes the right choice and is rewarded in the end. (Goodreads)

This novel is called "Petticoat Rule" because during the 1740s in France there were notable females influencing their male contemporaries. Lydie d''Aumont, who is the main focus of this fiction based on fact, is daughter of the French prime minister. Therefore, whoever marries her will gain power, as the prime minister is easily persuaded by his daughter to do what she wants. As for the story, one main theme revolves around the "pretender" to the English throne, Charles Edward Stuart, and how he is originally welcomed to the French court, only to be betrayed by Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour, and their devotees; however, Lydie and her husband have other ideas and risk their favour with the king by trying to warn Bonnie Prince Charlie that the French plan to hand him over to the English if possible. (Goodreads)

Lord Antony Dewhurst is ''a splendid fellow - a fine sportsman, a loyal gentleman''. The young gallant is also Percy''s close friend and a lieutenant in the League. The year is 1793 and in Nantes, France, the hunting of aristocrats goes on. And over in England, the enemy has kidnapped Lord Tony''s wife, Yvonne. It falls to the Scarlet Pimpernel to rescue her�.Baroness Emma Magdolna Roz�lia M�ria Jozefa Borb�la "Emmuska" Orczy de Orczi was a Hungarian-born British novelist, playwright and artist of noble origin. She is most known for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel.In 1903, Orczy and her husband wrote a play based on one of her short stories about an English aristocrat, Sir Percy Blakeney, Bart., who rescued French aristocrats from the French Revolution: The Scarlet Pimpernel. The play was accepted for production in the West End and though initially drew only small audiences, it ran four years, broke many stage records, was translated and produced in other countries, and underwent several revivals. This theatrical success generated huge sales for the novel and Orczy went on to write over a dozen sequels. Orczy''s novels were racy, mannered melodramas and she favored historical fiction.

Baroness Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála "Emmuska" Orczy de Orci (23 September 1865 - 12 November 1947) was a Hungarian-born British novelist and playwright. She is best known for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel, the alter ego of Sir Percy Blakeney, a wealthy English fop who turns into a quick-thinking escape artist in order to save ill-fated French royalty from "Madame Guillotine" during the French revolution. Introducing the notion of a "hero with a secret identity" into popular culture, the Scarlet Pimpernel exhibits characteristics that would become standard superhero conventions, including the penchant for disguise, use of a signature weapon (sword), ability to out-think and outwit his adversaries, and a calling card (he leaves behind a scarlet pimpernel at each of his interventions). By drawing attention to his alter ego Blakeney he hides behind his public face as a slow thinking foppish playboy (like Bruce Wayne), and he also establishes a network of supporters, The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, that aid his endeavours. Orczy went on to write over a dozen sequels featuring Sir Percy Blakeney, his family, and the other members of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, of which the first, I Will Repay (1906), was the most popular. The last Pimpernel book, Mam''zelle Guillotine, was published in 1940. None of her three subsequent plays matched the success of The Scarlet Pimpernel. She also wrote popular mystery fiction and many adventure romances. Her Lady Molly of Scotland Yard was an early example of a female detective as the main character. Other popular detective stories featured The Old Man in the Corner, a sleuth who chiefly used logic to solve crimes. Orczy held strong political views. Orczy was a firm believer in the superiority of the aristocracy, as well as being a supporter of British imperialism and militarism. During the First World War, Orczy formed the Women of England''s Active Service League, an unofficial organisation aimed at encouraging women to persuade men to volunteer for active service in the armed forces. Her aim was to enlist 100,000 women who would pledge "to persuade every man I know to offer his service to his country". Some 20,000 women joined her organisation. Orczy was also strongly opposed to the Soviet Union. She died in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire on 12 November 1947. (wikipedia.org)

I Will Repay was written Baroness Emmuska Orzcy and originally published in 1906, this is a sequel novel to the Scarlet Pimpernel. The second Pimpernel book written Orzcy, it comes (chronologically) third...

How it all BeganFrom Mr. John Honeywood, clerk to Mr. Theophilus Baggs, attorney-at-law, to Mistress Mary Saunderson, of the Duke''s Theatre in Lincoln''s Inn Fields.1662. October the 10th at 85, Chancery Lane in the City of London. Honoured Mistress,-May it please you that I, an humble Clerk and Scrivener, do venture to address so talented a Lady; but there is that upon my Conscience which compels me to write these lines. The Goodness and Charity of Mistress Saunderson are well known, and ''tis not as a Suppliant that I crave pardon for my Presumption, but rather as one whose fidelity and loyalty have oft been tried and never been found wanting. ''Tis said, most gracious Mistress, that your fancy hath been touched by the tenderness and devotion of a Man who is as dear to me as if he were mine own Brother, but that You hesitate to bestow upon him that for which he craves more than for anything in the world, your Hand and Heart. And this because of many Rumours which have sullied his fair Name. Mr. Betterton, Madam, hath many enemies. How could this be otherwise seeing that so vast a measure of Success hath attended his career, and that the King''s most gracious Majesty doth honour him with Friendship and Regard to the exclusion of others who are envious of so great a fame?

In this historical adventure set during the French Revolution, the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel sets out to rescue men, women and children facing the horrors of the guillotine, while evading the relentless pursuit of his arch enemy, Chauvelin.

PROLOGUEMONS: SEPTEMBER, 1572It lacked two hours before the dawn on this sultry night early in September. The crescent moon had long ago sunk behind a bank of clouds in the west, and not a sound stirred the low-lying land around the besieged city.To the south the bivouac fires of Alva''s camp had died out one by one, and here the measured tread of the sentinels on their beat alone broke the silence of the night. To the north, where valorous Orange with a handful of men--undisciplined, unpaid and rebellious--vainly tried to provoke his powerful foe into a pitched battle, relying on God for the result, there was greater silence still. The sentinels--wearied and indifferent--had dropped to sleep at their post: the troops, already mutinous, only held to their duty by the powerful personality of the Prince, slept as soundly as total indifference to the cause for which they were paid to fight could possibly allow.