Lagniappe Literature

WOW!! What an amazing read this was! I loved every minute of this book and I do wish Maryka Biaggio had more to offer. Parlor Games was just, well, it was YUMMY!! I started reading it and I just couldn't get enough. When it ended,(and I HATED that it ended!) I searched Goodreads, Amazon, and every place imaginable to find something comparable. Biaggio has written a juicy fictional account based on the real May Dugas de Pallandt van Eerde, the Baroness, that was a page turner for me. I couldn't wait to learn what May was up to next...and May was certainly up to A LOT. I have chosen to keep this review short and simple, if only to prevent me from gushing an essay.

May Dugas is a young woman wanting more than her small Michigan town has to offer. May adores luxury and sets out to find those riches in Chicago. Why and how May gets to Chicago had me raising my eyebrow. Let's just say that May Dugas reminds me of that clever, conniving vixen, Scarlett O'Hara. May has a certain way about doing things and it is mostly for her own selfish gains. However, May's questionable ingenuity did not endear her less to me. She has her faults, one being a fugitive from justice, but I still wanted her to come out on top. After all, May wasn't completely heartless. When she loved, she loved deeply and she did have her generous moments. Regardless, May is a very likeable character and her escapades take her around the world and back again, traveling in style and hobnobbing with the very best, all the while being hunted by a relentless Pinkerton across three continents. As I said, May had a certain way about doing things and some of those things were very questionable. Parlor Games is just the right mix of love, intrigue, betrayal, extortion, blackmail, and adventure and it has absolutely found it's way to my "all-time favorites" list. I loved it!!