Nancy Bilyeau, a Michigan native, has worked as an editor on the staffs of InStyle, Rolling Stone, and Good Housekeeping. She immerses readers in a fictionalized account of real lives and events whilst staying faithful to the historical and social context. and even her life.Ī sequel to Nancy Bilyeau's The Blue, The Fugitive Colours again reveals a dazzling world of glamour and treachery in Georgian England, when beauty held more value than human life. One wrong move could cost her not just her artistic dreams but the love of those she holds dear. Genevieve begins to suspect that her own secret past, when she was caught up in conspiracy and betrayal, has more to do with her entr�e into London society than her talent. And watching from the shadows are ruthless spies who wish harm to all of England. But such high stakes spur rivalries that darken to sabotage and blackmail-and even murder. She soon learns that for the portrait painters ruling over the wealthy in London society, fame and fortune are there for the taking. Grasping at the promise of a better life, she dares to hope her luck is about to change and readies herself for an entry into the world of serious art. And men definitely control women.Ī Huguenot living in Spitalfields, Genevieve one day receives a surprise invitation from an important artist.

Men control the arts and sciences, men control politics and law. As Genevieve Sturbridge struggles to keep her silk design business afloat, she must face the fact that London in 1764 is very much a man's world.

That aside, this is a cracking historical spy thriller.The highly anticipated follow-up to the sweeping historical thriller The Blue. My only caveat is her tendency for repetition and detailed explanation, both of which slow the action down. The author has written another historical mystery full of intriguing twists and turns and a vicious crime. But why? And why is she still of interest to the French visitors to London who seem to know all about her and her past? Can Thomas have anything to do with it? Is her love for him fading away, and has another kind gentleman caught her eye? Genevieve still longs to be an artist and is excited when Sir Joshua Reynolds takes an interest in her and the work of her deceased grandfather.

She runs a workshop designing flower patterns for the silk-weaving industry, whereas Thomas is often away because he tutors the young son of the Earl of Sandwich. Now, in 1764, the countries are at peace, and Genevieve is married to Thomas Sturbridge, a celebrated scientist, and mother to young Pierre. The first historical thriller in Bilyeau’s series, The Blue, introduced Genevieve Planché, a Huguenot living in London’s Spitalfields who was coerced into espionage at a time of war between France and England regarding a sought-after blue dye.

The Fugitive Colours by Nancy Bilyeau