The slender and delicate Jess Whitby was cold, wet, and
scared waiting in the dark and dank slum lane in London
with only a hired thug nearby. But, she was determined to
find a way to save her father and if she could just quickly
steal the key from the drunk Sebastian Kennett, her sworn
enemy, she would be on her way in a flash.
But, things didn't turn out that way. The drunken sea
captain was a trained British intelligence leader who
seldom let down his guard completely and his companion,
Adrian, was always at the ready. Then, when a gang of
Irish thugs emerged like a pack of starving wolves out of
the dark fog, things really got out of hand.
The light of morning and new knowledge gained highlighted
that things were not as they seemed. For the handsome dark-
haired Sebastian, the little five-shilling whore he thought
he had rescued turned out to be none other than the heiress
to the Whitby fortunes. For Jess, the memory loss she
suffered from being whacked on the head didn't stop her
from figuring out she was in the home of the man who sent
her father to prison and who also might be the mysterious
Cinq whose identify she desperately needed to discover.
Spies and young thieves don't share their hearts and trust
easily and there was a complex and deadly maze of intrigue
to make sense of, before any tender leaves of love could
unfold. But, would there be time? If the real Cinq, the
sleazy seller of British secrets to Napoleon and the killer
of many innocent men, could not be unmasked, Jess would
lose her father to the hangman's noose. Jess was as sharp
as the best accountant at figuring out costs and she
determined the only way was to slip back into her old ways
and haunts. But, things had changed. She wasn't as safe
there now she was no longer under the protection of the
criminal Lazarus and there were many dangerous men itching
to kill and torture the one who got away.
Awesome as a word pales in describing the brilliance of
this incredible story so marvelously crafted by Joanna
Bourne! The plot is strong and fast paced while the
characters are as psychologically complex and likeable as
they come! This is truly a great read and one of the best
books I had the pleasure of discovering this year. It is
far more than the best historical/suspense/romance book as
every aspect is so perfectly involved and makes for a
rewarding read. While hating to come to the end of this
fascinating story, I truly couldn't put it down without
wanting to pick it up again. Trust me, you too will be
reading it late into the early morning hours and just
wanting to read on and on. There is nothing not to like
and enjoy in this book! Read it and then beg the author
for more! Enjoy this gem!
After her father is wrongly accused of selling secrets to
Napoleon, lovely Jess Whitby infiltrates the London
underworld for the
real traitor—only to end up naked in the bed of a rude
merchant
captain. Not only is she falling in love with him, but he
may be the
scoundrel she's looking for.