The Scarlet Pimpernel

The first and most successful in the Baroness’s series of books that feature Percy Blakeney, who leads a double life as an English fop and a swashbuckling rescuer of aristocrats, The Scarlet Pimpernel was the blueprint for what became known as the masked-avenger genre. As Anne Perry writes in her Introduction, the novel “has almost reached its first centenary, and it is as vivid and appealing as ever because the plotting is perfect. It is a classic example of how to construct, pace, and conclude a plot. . . . To rise on the crest of laughter without capsizing, to survive being written, rewritten, and reinterpreted by each generation, is the mark of a plot that is timeless and universal, even though it happens to be set in England and France of 1792.”

The narrative begins in 1784 before the French revolution. Insults are traded, leading to murder, declarations of vengeance, and the specter of prison.

Sir Percy thought he left his enemy vanquished, humiliated, and debased in Calais. Oh, how foolish he was. Now Chauvelin is bent on revenge. As punishment for letting the Scarlet Pimpernel escape the clutches of the French Republic, Chauvelin was demoted from the ranks of Robspierre's trusted few. But he will have his day. Laying a trap for the wife of Sir Percy, Lady Marguerite, is only the first step. Can Sir Percy elude the blade of Madame Guillotine a second time, defend his honor as the Scarlet Pimpernel, and save his wife from a fate worse than death?

The still-raging French Revolution continues to claim lives, and the shadow of the guillotine draws ever nearer to the young Dauphin, son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. No one dares to attempt to liberate the little prince - no one, that is, but the mysterious Sir Percy Blakeney, also known as the Scarlet Pimpernel. Sir Percy takes on one of Robespierre's agents, the scheming Citizen Chauvelin, in a suspenseful blend of action and political intrigue, recounted with captivating period detail.

This novel explores themes of love, loyalty, and sacrifice through the relationship of the titular character, Lady Marguerite Blakeney, and her husband, Sir Percy, as they navigate treachery and peril in a quest for justice and freedom.

Sir Percy Blakeney, the Scarlet Pimpernel, continues his audacious efforts to save French aristocrats from the guillotine. Set against the backdrop of revolutionary France, this historical fiction adventure explores themes of secret identity and unwavering loyalty. Experience the suspense and danger as the Scarlet Pimpernel cleverly outwits his adversaries, risking everything to uphold his ideals. Orczy's classic weaves a captivating narrative filled with suspense and the enduring struggle for justice.

Examines an unknown side of the series' villain, Chauvelin. Usually portrayed as a calculating, cold-hearted executioner, the character's softer side is shown as the reader discovers he is a father.

During one return home, Sir Percy tells the story of André Vallon, a young Jacobin, to the Prince of Wales. André, wishing to revenge himself on a despotic seigneur, uses the Jacobins' rise to force the seigneur's daughter to marry him. Once wed, they come to love each other, only to have the old seigneur denounce André in an attempt to free his daughter. 

The year is 1793, the darkest days of the French revolution, and little Charles-L¿on is ill. The delicate son of Louise and Bastien de Croissy is recommended country air, but travel permits are needed - and impossible to come by. Louise's friend, Josette, believes she knows a way out. For Josette is convinced that her hero, the Scarlet Pimpernel, will come to their rescue. She refuses to believe that he only exists in her imagination. 'I say that the Scarlet Pimpernel can do anything! And I mean to get in touch with him,' she vows, and sets forth into the Paris streets...

The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel has disguised themselves as a group of shabby second-rate musicians, in order to save an innocent family from death. But Citizen Chauvelin is hot on their heels, and still looking for revenge against his bitter enemy. The Pimpernel's plans are, however, complicated by betrayal of a trusted League member. Can the Pimpernel save the innocent family? Will Chauvelin have his revenge at last? Can Sir Percy escape death and dismay after treachery and betrayal?

Tells the story of the only female executioner in the French Revolution and her quest for revenge on those who did not defend her father.