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The Capricorn Stone
HEIRESSES OF SHAME
Bridie and Kate Chance had been raised in luxury, protected from the world by a father they adore. But suddenly, their father was dead--and worse--revealed as a notorious jewel thief.
Forced from their home, shamed, and virtually penniless, they began their lives again in London, unaware that they held the secret to a fabulous fortune...
Bridie and Kate Chance had been raised in luxury, protected from the world by a father they adore. But suddenly, their father was dead--and worse--revealed as a notorious jewel thief.
Forced from their home, shamed, and virtually penniless, they began their lives again in London, unaware that they held the secret to a fabulous fortune...
346 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
About the author
Madeleine Brent
30 books196 followersMadeleine Brent is a pseudonym used by Peter O'Donnell.
Peter O'Donnell was born on 11 April 1920 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He was interested in writing as a child, and began writing professionally at the age of 16. During World War II he served in the Royal Signals Corps, and was stationed in Persia, Syria, Egypt, the Western Desert, Italy, and Greece. After the war, he worked as a comic strip writer, and scripted the Daily Express adaptation of the James Bond novel Dr. No. He was most famous for inventing the character Modesty Blaise, an undercover agent who first appeared in comic strips in 1963. In 1965, he published his first novel, Modesty Blaise, which was based on the screenplay he had written for the motion picture of the same name. He also wrote short stories, plays, television and film scripts, and nine romance novels published under the pseudonym Madeleine Brent. In 2001, he retired from writing. He passed away on 03 May 2010.
Peter O'Donnell was born on 11 April 1920 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He was interested in writing as a child, and began writing professionally at the age of 16. During World War II he served in the Royal Signals Corps, and was stationed in Persia, Syria, Egypt, the Western Desert, Italy, and Greece. After the war, he worked as a comic strip writer, and scripted the Daily Express adaptation of the James Bond novel Dr. No. He was most famous for inventing the character Modesty Blaise, an undercover agent who first appeared in comic strips in 1963. In 1965, he published his first novel, Modesty Blaise, which was based on the screenplay he had written for the motion picture of the same name. He also wrote short stories, plays, television and film scripts, and nine romance novels published under the pseudonym Madeleine Brent. In 2001, he retired from writing. He passed away on 03 May 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
October 1, 2021
A friend gave me a whole set of Madeleine Brent's old historical romantic suspense novels a few years ago, and I've been gradually going through them. They invariably involve a plucky young British woman of genteel birth who finds herself either in an exotic foreign country or a highly unusual career, along with a large side helping of mystery, suspense and romance (which guy is the good guy who truly loves her and who is the secret murderer???).
In this version of Brent's formula, we have Bridget (Bridie) Chance, whose entire placid, proper Victorian life is upended when her father is killed in France in the course of trying to steal some valuable jewels. Bridie Cannot. Believe. what her father has been accused of, but no one else seems to have that trouble. And now there are detectives as well as other less savory sorts sniffing around for her father's jewel stash (there's gotta be one, right?). Bridie and her younger sister Kate are also now entirely destitute and thrown on the mercy of the world and a few unexpected friends.
The author made a weird big thing out of Bridie's overly expressive, mobile face — I'm picturing kind of a female Jim Carrey here — and so it wasn't surprising that she finds a job that takes advantage of that. It's certainly not a "proper" job for a Victorian lady, but it did make for some interesting reading.
Brent takes entirely too long to get to the exciting part of the story in this novel, but once the plot finally kicked into gear it was a very hard book to put down. In fact, I didn't put it down and whipped through it in one evening. Brent (a pseudonym of author Peter O'Donnell) isn't really a great author, but is a very competent storyteller. A reasonably fun read if you like old-fashioned romantic suspense novels.
In this version of Brent's formula, we have Bridget (Bridie) Chance, whose entire placid, proper Victorian life is upended when her father is killed in France in the course of trying to steal some valuable jewels. Bridie Cannot. Believe. what her father has been accused of, but no one else seems to have that trouble. And now there are detectives as well as other less savory sorts sniffing around for her father's jewel stash (there's gotta be one, right?). Bridie and her younger sister Kate are also now entirely destitute and thrown on the mercy of the world and a few unexpected friends.
The author made a weird big thing out of Bridie's overly expressive, mobile face — I'm picturing kind of a female Jim Carrey here — and so it wasn't surprising that she finds a job that takes advantage of that. It's certainly not a "proper" job for a Victorian lady, but it did make for some interesting reading.
Brent takes entirely too long to get to the exciting part of the story in this novel, but once the plot finally kicked into gear it was a very hard book to put down. In fact, I didn't put it down and whipped through it in one evening. Brent (a pseudonym of author Peter O'Donnell) isn't really a great author, but is a very competent storyteller. A reasonably fun read if you like old-fashioned romantic suspense novels.
December 25, 2016
Not bad, but not the best Brent has to offer, this took waaaaaaaay to long to get things moving with too much time spent on the play-acting. Still, a nail-biting ending.
October 27, 2018
4.5/5
Highborn Birdie Chance is under immense pressure dealing with grief from the sudden death of her father, the knowledge that he was a jewel thief who died while "working", the loss of the family reputation, the subsequent loss of their mother, the loss of her fiance and the loss of all their money. How will she survive? Never really excelling at much, normally the class clown, Birdie will have to have a strong will to keep things afloat, help her younger sister. And past this pressure, danger is nearby..
Madeleine Brent AKA Peter O'Donnell is excellent. Loved this just as much as the other books I've read of his so far.
The plots are intricate the characters are real and different and there is (so far) no hint of predictability overall (though I do remember a man giving a warning of another man to the protagonist of another book following the sane outcome as this in its basic form).
Birdie was an excellent character who constantly put herself down and I really like the place (music halls) where the author put her for her to flourish and grow. The secondary characters in relation to Birdie are just as interesting especially her theatre friends.
The pace was a little uneven, as there was a lull in suspense during the middle but this was more focusing on Birdies life and her growth so there was nothing to be bored about.
Lovely as usual and I cant wait for my next adventure with Madeleine Brent.
Highborn Birdie Chance is under immense pressure dealing with grief from the sudden death of her father, the knowledge that he was a jewel thief who died while "working", the loss of the family reputation, the subsequent loss of their mother, the loss of her fiance and the loss of all their money. How will she survive? Never really excelling at much, normally the class clown, Birdie will have to have a strong will to keep things afloat, help her younger sister. And past this pressure, danger is nearby..
Madeleine Brent AKA Peter O'Donnell is excellent. Loved this just as much as the other books I've read of his so far.
The plots are intricate the characters are real and different and there is (so far) no hint of predictability overall (though I do remember a man giving a warning of another man to the protagonist of another book following the sane outcome as this in its basic form).
Birdie was an excellent character who constantly put herself down and I really like the place (music halls) where the author put her for her to flourish and grow. The secondary characters in relation to Birdie are just as interesting especially her theatre friends.
The pace was a little uneven, as there was a lull in suspense during the middle but this was more focusing on Birdies life and her growth so there was nothing to be bored about.
Lovely as usual and I cant wait for my next adventure with Madeleine Brent.
August 6, 2020
The story started off a little slow, but the rest totally made up for it. Really, this was like nothing else I have read. Although I had some suspicions, it kept me guessing. I felt it could be a comedy or a tragedy until almost the end.
May 25, 2019
I have this awful fear of finding myself one day without any more Madeleine Brent books to read 😱😢.
August 1, 2022
This is the least appealing to me of all the Madeleine Brent I've read. There were holes in the lists which I had no record of perusing so I picked one up on loan. It must have been at least 3 decades ago that I read this one before.
Regardless, not 40 pages in it got familiar. But still continued because I didn't recall the ending.
Ok read. Takes way too long to get into the meat of the assumed lifestyle. And the theater scene was not a big appeal for me at all. Late Victorian era scorn must have been something.
Better character development than tons of the modern 5 star rated here. But not at all one of the best Brent.
Regardless, not 40 pages in it got familiar. But still continued because I didn't recall the ending.
Ok read. Takes way too long to get into the meat of the assumed lifestyle. And the theater scene was not a big appeal for me at all. Late Victorian era scorn must have been something.
Better character development than tons of the modern 5 star rated here. But not at all one of the best Brent.
April 25, 2018
I haven’t read a Brent book in 3 years! So glad I finally bought myself another one. I fell in love even more with Brent’s writing style. This story didn’t take you to all the exotic places like his other books but it didn’t need to. The storyline and characters were enough. I didn’t want it to end. I only have one of his books left to read - Heritage of Shadows. The reviews are saying that this is not their favorite. I wish I would have saved TCS for last because I enjoyed it so much. But I will still order my last book and I’m sad he didn’t write more!
January 27, 2023
I enjoyed the story still. I just wish the romance hadn't been so abrupt.
January 7, 2023
Ok, Madeline Brent is a nostalgic guilty pleasure. All the books tend to the formulaic and rely on well known paradigms and deplorable as it might be, i love them.
January 28, 2016
The beginning is really good, with Bridie and her family finding out her father was a famous thief. It is all very exciting for the reader, although for poor Bridie is a real pain, to realize they are broke, her fiancee breaking the engagement due his reputation and having to take care of a invalid mother, a thoughtless sister and an old Nannie.
But then, once Bridie moves out to London and becomes part of the music stage... MEH.
Not a fan of:
- music stage: more specifically, comedies. The kind Bridie and her protectors perform. Most of the book is about it.
- the hero: 1) has a moustache **yuck**, 2) is a cowboy **yuck**, 3) wears a gaucho hat and is more or less an Argentinian since he used to live there (I am not a fan of AR). 4) Once they are engaged, calls Bridie "honey" **yuck**. 5) likes to smoke **yuck**
- the lack of mystery and adventure and intrigue and live-in-danger. Only towards the end is more or less good.
- Bridie's sister's love story. Bleh.
- the epilogue: corny and predictable.
But then, once Bridie moves out to London and becomes part of the music stage... MEH.
Not a fan of:
- music stage: more specifically, comedies. The kind Bridie and her protectors perform. Most of the book is about it.
- the hero: 1) has a moustache **yuck**, 2) is a cowboy **yuck**, 3) wears a gaucho hat and is more or less an Argentinian since he used to live there (I am not a fan of AR). 4) Once they are engaged, calls Bridie "honey" **yuck**. 5) likes to smoke **yuck**
- the lack of mystery and adventure and intrigue and live-in-danger. Only towards the end is more or less good.
- Bridie's sister's love story. Bleh.
- the epilogue: corny and predictable.
May 12, 2020
I've been a fan of Madeleine Brent/Peter O'Donnell books since my early teens. I've scoured used books stores, ebay, and paperbackswap to find hardcover editions of these out-of-print books. I haven't read any of these books in years, but I picked up this one to see if the story still held up to modern expectations and writing.
Brent/O'Donnell books feature strong heroines who overcome challenging odds. What is amazing is that these books were written by a man in an era where "girl power" did not exist and expectations for women were mediocre at best. The heroines are ahead of their time and the author was ahead of his time for writing them.
I love the challenges and humor in this book. I found the details about the life of a late 1800s musical hall performer fascinating and the research into dance style was interesting and thorough.
I couldn't put it down and hated to set it aside until after my Zoom meeting. I highly recommend any Madeleine Brent books, especially if you are a fan of clean Gothic romance with a strong female protagonist.
Brent/O'Donnell books feature strong heroines who overcome challenging odds. What is amazing is that these books were written by a man in an era where "girl power" did not exist and expectations for women were mediocre at best. The heroines are ahead of their time and the author was ahead of his time for writing them.
I love the challenges and humor in this book. I found the details about the life of a late 1800s musical hall performer fascinating and the research into dance style was interesting and thorough.
I couldn't put it down and hated to set it aside until after my Zoom meeting. I highly recommend any Madeleine Brent books, especially if you are a fan of clean Gothic romance with a strong female protagonist.
July 18, 2021
With "The Capricorn Stone," Madeleine Brent inverted her by this time tried-and-true formula of a capable young heroine discovering a lost birthright. In this case, Bridget "Bridie" Chance discovers her genteel life in the Sussex countryside is based on deception and crime. Bowed but not broken, Bridie's determination to survive takes her to London and to the world of the music halls and ultimately into terror in rural France. The novel is full of vivid detail, bursts with action and is yet another assured romantic suspense treat from an author, who like Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, and Velda Johnston, was masterful at the genre.
Read
March 18, 2008If you want to set aside War and Peace, or some similar heavy reading, and take a romp, choose a Madeleine Brent book. I warn you though, they are hard to find. I found all of them in the library of the small town we lived in, so there's hope. Capricorn Stone is the story of two sisters who fall on hard times and family disgrace. They have no choice but to become involved in the theater at a time when actresses were frowned upon.
June 7, 2016
Bridie Chance loses everything and ends up a part of a vaudevillian team in Edwardian England. Raised in wealth, she is shocked one day to find that her beloved father is not only dead but a well-known jewel thief.
I really love this novel. It is a classic Madeleine Brent story- the female main character is in some sort of bad circumstances, but finds her way out of it.
Excellent book if you can find it!
I really love this novel. It is a classic Madeleine Brent story- the female main character is in some sort of bad circumstances, but finds her way out of it.
Excellent book if you can find it!
June 1, 2015
I didn't love this one as much as the author's other books I've read, mainly because the characters weren't as awesome. It's okay that all your main characters are the same--we like them that way!! Don't change it. Still fun to read.
June 14, 2022
This novel of yanks the reader all over the emotional landscape. Set at rhe very end of the nineteenth century - we eventually learn that it is the year 1898 - it involves two sisters raised on a Surrey country manor as Victorian ladies. When their father dies in a bizarre accident, they discover that, unbeknownst to them, he had paid for their elegant home and their education by being a very successful jewel thief. Suddenly impoverished, the sisters are forced find ways to make a living an keep their dreams alive. With their pitifully small legacy and the help of Kate's longtime piano teacher, the girls are able to take advantage of Kate's scholarship to music college and Bridie's new job as a shop clerk. They have barely enough to survive, however, so when a mysterious Frenchman begins to court Bridie, she is at first flattered and then suspicious. Her father has left the sisters a "legacy" in the form of jewels and the Frenchman knows it, but Brdie and Kate don't. This story was a little Dickens, a little Bronte and a lot DuMaurier.
January 28, 2022
The Capricorn Stone is another of Madeleine Brent's classic genius in story ideas. Americans and Australians may find the culture unfamiliar, but the book highlights the British aristocracy as a world so unfamiliar and strange, as to be from another planet. Highly recommended, though very dry.
Madeleine Brent (alias for Peter O'Donnell) was British & died in 2010 while I was in the middle of reading all his 'Madeleine Brent' series after having discovered him. His books are best read in order of publication. I found each book a great experience, and a lesson in authorship. It is impossible to favor any one book. His settings and situations are so piquant and unique, that you are taken in to yet another totally believable world. Each of the Madeleine Brent series are a non-soppy adventure romance. My imagination finds his characters and scenes effortless, and I always fail to identify the villain. All of the 13 Madeleine Brent Books are a gripping experience.
Madeleine Brent (alias for Peter O'Donnell) was British & died in 2010 while I was in the middle of reading all his 'Madeleine Brent' series after having discovered him. His books are best read in order of publication. I found each book a great experience, and a lesson in authorship. It is impossible to favor any one book. His settings and situations are so piquant and unique, that you are taken in to yet another totally believable world. Each of the Madeleine Brent series are a non-soppy adventure romance. My imagination finds his characters and scenes effortless, and I always fail to identify the villain. All of the 13 Madeleine Brent Books are a gripping experience.
February 12, 2023
Love these wonderful characters
It's a special pleasure to re-read any Madeleine Brent book. I had forgotten the plot of The Capricorn Stone. The author used a similar template when writing these books: young woman in desperate circumstances acquires a special skill set which later comes into play during a dangerous situation.
Bridget "Bridie" Chance's family is a happy family -- until it's not. News comes that her father is dead and furthermore he was an infamous jewel thief. Not only is the Chance family in financial trouble, they are social pariahs. There are rumors and suspicions that there is a cache of jewels hidden somewhere, and more than one person is determined to find it.
61
It's a special pleasure to re-read any Madeleine Brent book. I had forgotten the plot of The Capricorn Stone. The author used a similar template when writing these books: young woman in desperate circumstances acquires a special skill set which later comes into play during a dangerous situation.
Bridget "Bridie" Chance's family is a happy family -- until it's not. News comes that her father is dead and furthermore he was an infamous jewel thief. Not only is the Chance family in financial trouble, they are social pariahs. There are rumors and suspicions that there is a cache of jewels hidden somewhere, and more than one person is determined to find it.
61
September 7, 2017
Oh, Brent is a delight! I'm so grateful I found this author! Except, I keep neglecting my work because these books are impossible to put down. I feel like Brent is a mixture of Mary Stewart and Dorothy Gilman--two authors I adore. I don't love this book as much as Moonraker's Bride but it's definitely a close second!
June 18, 2019
I re-read Madeleine Brent every couple of years. He is such a wonderful comfort read, and writes great romances. Excellent writing, interesting plots - many taking place in exotic places - and always a mystery (which is well-plotted and well-written) along with the romance. Brent also knows his history, and it enhances his stories.
July 22, 2021
Bridie and Kate’s father dies, and the truth surfaces that he was a notorious jewel thief. Most pieces were never recovered, and Bridie and Kate must start their lives over. Who can they trust? Where are the jewels? Recommended.
December 29, 2022
Good story
Read this book many years ago. Still a good story. Love all her books. This is actually written by a well known male author whose name I do not remember. Moonrackers Bride is another good one.
Read this book many years ago. Still a good story. Love all her books. This is actually written by a well known male author whose name I do not remember. Moonrackers Bride is another good one.
March 14, 2018
A. fiction, historical fiction, romantic suspense, Mom's stash, keep
March 30, 2018
3.5 stars.
March 7, 2023
2.5 stars
December 5, 2023
The first half was very slow, but the second half was exciting. I would say it’s a fairly good read if you like Madeleine Brent, but I would read her other books first.
September 6, 2024
Read years ago…
March 11, 2017
I would have given it 3 1/2 stars if I could. I enjoyed it, but it did drag on a little in the middle with all the play stuff.
June 23, 2008
Madeleine Brent is one of my favorite authors. He (Madeleine Brent is a pen name) always places the authors in 2 very different situations during the plot of the story. Capricorn Stone is no different. Bridie Chance is a girl brought up as a young lady whose life is suddenly upset with the death of her father and the knowledge that he was a jewel thief and not the art dealer he said. Her mother dies shortly after, she finds out there is little money left and the house they live in is only rented. She goes to work as a comedian actor in the music halls to try and support her sister and Nanny. There is intrigue and mystery about her father's hidden cache.
Is this one of theose deep books that really make you think? Definitely not, it just one of those fun and enjoyable books to read for amusement and relaxation. The author does some serious research, though, for all of his books and so you might learn a tidbit of trivia here and there.
Is this one of theose deep books that really make you think? Definitely not, it just one of those fun and enjoyable books to read for amusement and relaxation. The author does some serious research, though, for all of his books and so you might learn a tidbit of trivia here and there.
November 14, 2014
I wish I could give this one 2 1/2 stars. I usually love Madeleine Brent books, but this one was not up to the usual standard. It felt hastily and a bit lazily written. It was much slower moving and the characters and their actions where not fully fleshed out like they usually are in the author's other books. Because of this the plot felt more contrived and obvious than usual. It did have a unique story and locations and did end with a very nice climax, but it was too little, too late for me. It wasn't horrible, but wasn't great and definitely wasn't up to the usual Madeleine Brent standard.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews