The Great Roxhythe — Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer's second historical novel, published in 1923, was a far more ambitious undertaking than her first, 1921's The Black Moth. Set at the court of Charles II (1630 - 1685), in the era after he has returned to a grateful nation after his years of exile due to Oliver Cromwell's Puritanical regime, it stars the titular Marquis of Roxhythe, a councilor and master manipulator who works behind the scenes to further his beloved King's agenda.

Unlike the majority of Heyer's historical works, The Great Roxhythe does not feature a romance at its centre, but instead is focused on the deep love of servant to master, as Roxhythe's earnest secretary Christopher Dart grows to adore the enigmatic Marquis, while Roxhythe cares for His Majesty above all -- even his honour.

Suppressed from republication by its author during her lifetime in the 1930's, along with five other early novels, this historically rich work is now of considerable interest to Heyer scholars and fans, and is considered in many quarters to be her most complex, challenging and heart-breaking work.