Another roistering Regency romance of mystery and suspense from the author of Lanterns (1996), among many, many others. Veryan fans will recognize some enjoyable staples here: a beset but tender-hearted hero, kind to children and animals; his entertaining chums; lively and irreverent servants; a set of noble nasties; and a heroine of Waspish waist and wit. There's also plenty of action, of course, and here the calamities confer on a supposedly haunted mansion, plus a murder or two and general mayhem. Captain Jack Vespa, only son of elegant Sir Kendrick, has returned from the horrors of Wellington's war in Spain with a game leg and a possible concussion. Sir K. is enraged that Jack, rather than lead a sensible idle life in London, intends to take over the crumbling family estate of Alabaster Royal in the village of Gallery-on-Tang. But Jack persists, and despite an attempt by someone to run him off the road, he not only moves in but rehires as caretaker a local rowdy (interviewed in the stocks). Eventually, Jack also hires on a gamey variety of theatrical servants, since no one in the village will come near the ``haunted'' mansion. Then there are the invaders who live in Alabaster Royal uninvited: an Italian duchess and her fiery-tongued, lovely granddaughter Consuela, who between rages explains that she's there to find the murderer of her father, the famous artist Preston Jones. Before long it appears to Jack that Consuela's suspicions might be well founded—especially after a strangling attempt, shots in the cemetery, and other distractions to peaceful country living. Meanwhile, two clever friends from the war enliven the sleuthing, and there'll be an exotic Indian lady, a cloisonnÇ vase, paintings with secret messages by Jones, and a dead gallery-owner. It all ends with a watery chase and a deadly surprise—and, naturally, an appropriate union. Very good Veryan. Jollity, junkets, and a juicy mystery.
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-312-17121-8
Page Count: 256
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1997
Nerve-wracking suspense leavened with romance and spiced with sex: another hit for the prolific Roberts (Blue Smoke, 2005,...
Murder mixes with anguish in steamy Savannah.
FBI-trained hostage negotiator Phoebe MacNamara is a lieutenant in the Savannah police department. Ever since Phoebe and her family were held hostage when she was 12, her mother has been agoraphobic, and Phoebe and her brother Carter still bear the psychological scars, but Phoebe’s used the memory to hone her skills. While talking a suicidal bartender off a ledge, she meets his boss, Duncan Swift. The charming millionaire coaxes her into meeting for a drink, and their relationship slowly deepens. But life takes a turn for the worse when a misogynist cop botches a hostage situation. Suspended, he blames Phoebe and retaliates by viciously attacking her in the precinct house stairwell. He loses his job, but his father’s connections keep him out of jail. Phoebe is physically and mentally injured, but her family and her blossoming relationship with Duncan help her cope until a dangerous pattern develops: A strange man keeps crossing her path. Dead animals begin appearing on her doorstep. A hostage taker is shot after she talks him into surrendering. Her ex-husband is brutally murdered by the mystery man, who phones her with sadistic threats. Is it the spiteful disgraced cop or someone from her past? Phoebe must identify the killer before he can carry out his final outrage.
Nerve-wracking suspense leavened with romance and spiced with sex: another hit for the prolific Roberts (Blue Smoke, 2005, etc.).Pub Date: July 10, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-399-15434-8
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2007
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
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