Lady Arianna Hadley is on a mission to unearth her father's
murderer and bring the man to justice. Luckily, she is
quite skilled at disguise, and she currently finds herself
employed as a French chef. Unluckily, she is soon to be
questioned for her role in the poisoning of the Prince
Regent. Apparently, the chocolate dish that she served was
tampered with which leaves her as the prime suspect. Her
ruse as a man is quickly seen through by the investigator,
and she is placed in a precarious position. Is there some
compromise that will keep her out of trouble? Can she talk
herself out of this mess so that she may continue her
investigation?
Alessandro De Quincy, the Earl of Saybrook, is brought in
to bring a quick resolution to the prince's poisoning.
Conscious of political strategy and agenda advancement, he
is aware of everything that is at stake should the prince
die. However, he did not expect a female to stand in his
way, or even for her to offer to help. Now each of them
has a role to play, and a murderer to flush out. They
stumble along a slippery path through the bright lights of
society into the dark dank alleys that not only may lead
them closer to the truth, but also to their own demise.
How tangled is the web they wish to unravel? Will they
reach the end before it reaches them?
Andrea Penrose whips up a scrumptious chocolaty treat for
her debut historical mystery. I was quickly whisked into
this fabulous historical and immediately enchanted by the
quirky sleuths. Lady Arianna will not rest until her quest
to clear her father's name and find his murderer is
complete. The Earl of Saybrook will leave no stone unturned
in his pursuit of the prince's poisoner no matter where it
will take him. Together, with their shared love of cooking,
chocolate, and their unquenchable thirst for answers, they
make a formidable alliance that is not easy to trifle with.
Ms. Penrose layers politics, murder, history, suspense,
romance, and recipes to concoct an intoxicating mystery. I
greedily devoured every mouthwatering morsel of this
delectable story, and I am impatiently waiting for a second
helping. SWEET REVENGE spoons out a potent cocktail laced
heavily with sordid intrigue and unconventional characters
that will have you savoring every last drop. This was a
terrific tale that will definitely have a spot on my keeper
shelf.
England, 1812: Lady Arianna Hadley acts the part of a French
chef in one of London's aristocratic households to find her
father's murderer. But when the Prince Regent falls ill
after consuming Arianna's special chocolate dessert, she
finds herself at the center of a scandal. It soon becomes
clear that someone is looking to plunge England into
chaos-and Arianna to the bottom of the Thames...