Cloaked in the costume of a hysterical chambermaid, Nicole
Beauvoire walks away from her single-handed assassination
of Gen. Capette, one of Napoleon's most victorious and
barbaric commanders. In the two years since she became an
assassin for the British Foreign Office, she's killed many
times, usually dressed as a French courtesan or maid. A
note from her contact reveals that her next assignment will
be much more dangerous -- attack the Minister of Police
during a party hosted by the Empress.
When a man arrives during the night demanding to speak with
the infamous assassin Scorpion, Nicole is wary. Although
Daniel Damont claims that Scorpion's mission has been
compromised and that they must return to London, Nicole is
determined to complete her assignment. Daniel is a
shockingly handsome, but obviously inexperienced, spy. She
takes advantage of his presumption that Scorpion is a man
to escape his escort.
Nicole's suspicions are confirmed when she finds her
contact murdered in his rooms. She quickly assumes the
identity of a sexy noblewoman in order to seduce and murder
the Minister of Police as planned. Within a few days,
Daniel locates her. With a misplaced sense of obligation to
protect her, he insists on moving into her apartments
across the square from her target, while he tries to
convince her to return to London.
Daniel's attentions are unwanted because, despite his
reassurances after they become lovers, Nicole knows she can
never return to London. While Nicole does not fear for her
own life, she begins to care for Daniel and must now plan
for his safety while plotting the assassination.
Although by definition a romance novel, this historical spy
story features torture of political prisoners in the French
prison that are more graphically described than the
bedchamber scenes. The political villains employ henchman
who are utterly evil, and the situations of peril and
suspense kept me glued to the action until its conclusion.
The heroine's many acts of calculated murder are capably
portrayed by Samantha Saxon in a larger context of
the horrors of war and personal experience that gain the
reader's sympathies. While Daniel is a strong and handsome
man, the inner strength and determination that Nicole
possesses are most impressive. THE LADY KILLER captures the
romance of Napoleonic subterfuge as Saxon continues her
Lady Spy series.
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