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.