Captivating Mary Carstairs

What would you do for a friend? For Laurence Varney, the answer involves hijacking a yacht and spiriting away a young woman her father hasn't seen in years. When Varney's friend Elbert Carstairs, a wealthy but estranged patriarch, asks him to bring his daughter Mary back from the aunt who raised her, Varney finds himself orchestrating a scheme that walks a blurry line between abduction and reconciliation. Peter Maginnis, equally dubious and equally loyal, helps steer the unlikely operation, and together they navigate a world of clubs, coded conversations, and the peculiar mathematics of parental longing. Mary herself remains something of a mystery until the plan unfolds. Set against the polished surfaces of Edwardian society, where duty collides with desire and propriety masks deeper hungers, this novel asks what family owes itself and what friends will sacrifice to pay those debts. Harrison's debut novel blends sharp social comedy with genuine emotional stakes, offering a portrait of early twentieth-century America where old money meets new freedoms and the heart's demands rarely respect convention.