A review by _vanessa
History of a Pleasure Seeker by Richard Mason

3.0

A book full of intrigue set against the decadent backdrop of the glittering lives of the moneyed elite of Amsterdam. The protagonist, Piet Barol, is discerning in his pleasures, and seeks the favour of the family that employs him as a private tutor to their young son to make his fortune and leave his drafty country home behind. Sexier than Downton Abbey, the prose is as tactile and sensual as the Edwardian silks it describes. Some of the plot points resolve themselves a tad to conveniently, and the ending itself is perhaps a little pedestrian, but the colourful characters and intrigue still make History of a Pleasure Seeker an entertaining read that's hard to put down.