Almost forty years ago, ten young men established a tontine
- a wager of sorts - and the survivor would take the lot, a
most significant amount. Until relatively recently, nothing
remarkable had happened, but George, Lord Northbrook, is
worried. His godfather, Lord Deverell, and George's father,
the duke of Ardmore, are two of the remaining contributors,
and it appears that Deverell might be in danger. When Bow
Street Runner Charles Benton is out of commission, his twin
sister Cassandra, an unofficial Runner, steps in. George
then deems his father to be more at risk, and as Cass will
be more useful as a spy in the ton, she is transformed into
George's scandalous cousin.
LADY NOTORIOUS is a rare gift bestowed upon us by Theresa
Romain, whose talent never ceases to amaze me. LADY
NOTORIOUS is an exceptional book; where wonderfully complex
characters, a classic English mystery, and an exquisite
romance are woven into an elegant tapestry of colors,
tastes, and sounds. Cass is an irresistible heroine:
outspoken, sensible, with a sharp tongue; she is even more
capable than her randy brother. George is almost a typical
aristocrat, but he's also a bit of a klutz, and he wanders
aimlessly through life, apart from his experiments with his
camerae obscurae. George's goal is to make possible what we
know as photography; and Theresa Romain's research makes
watching George tinker with his formulas very compelling.
Ms. Romain's attention to historical detail gives LADY
NOTORIOUS a feeling of such authenticity that I truly felt I
knew what the Bow Street magistrate's court was, and who the
Runners were.
The writing is, without a doubt, the finest we've ever seen
from the supremely gifted Theresa Romain. The prose is
flawless incandescence, and the dialogues are positively
extraordinary: the exchanges between George and Cass are
witty and playful, but also imbued with gravity when they
discuss their dreams and expectations. The romance is almost
a transcendental experience, as the author conveys in brief
and extremely meaningful scenes real passion, which does not
merely consist of the meeting of various body parts. Theresa
Romain fills my world with beauty and joy, and I am ever so
grateful that she does so with such flair and insight.
Cassandra Benton has always survived by her wits and wiles,
even working for Bow Street alongside her twin brother. When
injury takes him out of commission, Cass must support the
family by taking on an intriguing new case: George, Lord
Northbrook, believes someone is plotting to kill his father,
the Duke of Ardmore. Decades before, the duke was one of ten
who formed a wager that would grant a fortune to the last
survivor. But someone can’t wait for nature to take its
course—and George hopes a seasoned investigator like Cass
can find out who.
Cass relishes the chance to spy on the ton, shrewdly
disguised as handsome Lord Northbrook’s notorious “cousin.”
What she doesn’t expect is her irresistible attraction to
her dashing employer, and days of investigation soon turn to
passionate nights. But with a killer closing in and her
charade as a lady of the ton in danger of collapsing at any
moment, Cass has no choice but to put her life—and her
heart—in the hands of the last man she ought to trust . . .
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