I hadn't heard of Katharine McMahon before, but this title came up in one of those "What I'm reading this summer" newspaper features, in which well-known authors and others tell you what's on their summer reading lists, and it sounded interesting, even though I'm not a particular fan of historical fiction. A previous McMahon novel, The Rose of Sebastopol, was a Richard and Judy recommendation, but don't let that put you off, because The Crimson Rooms is a cracker. The hardback cover, featuring a glossy woman in a red (crimson, I suppose) dress, isn't really representative of the content, although perhaps designed to appeal to those in search of a ...  Read the complete review