THE INEVITABLE FALL OF CHRISTOPHER CYNSTER is the seventh book in Stephanie Laurens’ “Cynster Next Generation” novels. When Ellen Martingale and her brother come to live with their somewhat ailing uncle, they gain Christopher Cynster as a neighbor. Fate has Christopher and Ellen discover each other when Christopher is asked to investigate some local criminal activity. Although he’s looking for the same kind of fulfillment and happiness in marriage that some of his cousins have in marriage, he is taken by surprise when the woman who ends up captivating him is so close at hand. Ellen is not as clever as Christopher when it comes to estate management, but she is a typically shrewd and perceptive Stephanie Laurens heroine. She is doing her best to keep her uncle’s estate running along smoothly until her younger brother can take over, when Christopher bursts into her life. I love a good mix of mystery and romance, and Stephanie Laurens is one of the best at executing an excellent story and able to balance of both.
The mystery in THE INEVITABLE FALL OF CHRISTOPHER CYNSTER involves the distribution of counterfeit banknotes. The mission involves finding the loose notes and, if possible, find out the various players involved in the scheme. I like cozy mysteries and this book has a wonderful blend of cozy fun and intrigue. The pastoral setting of Kent provides a peaceful and beautiful backdrop to something sinister. Balls and kisses in the moonlight serve as a juxtaposition for the scenes that are evocative of some of the best Golden Age mystery novels. Although it’s made known to Christopher and his crew that that is one mastermind, it’s not immediately clear how many other people are directly or indirectly involved with the criminal enterprise – and to what degree they’re involved. I love that Christopher recognizes Ellen’s intelligence and knack for organization and planning when it comes to acting as a detective. This mutual respect and physical chemistry make for a potent combination and an engaging romance. The layers involved in this mystery are tantalizing for mystery readers who enjoy deciphering complex criminal schemes. It’s relatively easy for the heroes to figure out how everything is being done, but the real puzzle involves deciding on the best course of action to thwart the villains and catch the mastermind who set everything in motion. There is an almost elegant game of cat and mouse to this story that is enthralling.
THE INEVITABLE FALL OF CHRISTOPHER CYNSTER has a well- matched couple drawn together by mystery who inevitably, and enchantingly, fall in love. The “good guy” supporting characters make wonderful and entertaining allies for this couple, and the miscellaneous villains are fascinating foils for the heroes. The crimes in THE INEVITABLE FALL OF CHRISTOPHER CYNSTER vary and range from the less violent yet insidious to the more depraved and diabolical. I look forward to the next Stephanie Laurens book.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to the Cynsters’ next generation with a rollicking tale of smugglers, counterfeit banknotes, and two people falling in love.
A gentleman hoping to avoid falling in love and a lady who believes love has passed her by are flung together in a race to unravel a plot to undermine the realm.
Christopher Cynster has finally accepted that to have the life he wants, he needs a wife, but before he can even think of searching for the right lady, he’s drawn into an investigation into the distribution of counterfeit banknotes.
London born and bred, Ellen Martingale is battling to preserve the fiction that her much-loved uncle, Christopher’s neighbor, still has his wits about him, but Christopher’s questions regarding nearby Goffard Hall trigger her suspicions. As her younger brother attends card parties at the Hall, she feels compelled to investigate.
While Ellen appears to be the sort of frippery female Christopher abhors, he quickly learns that, in her case, appearances are deceiving. And through the twists and turns in an investigation that grows ever more serious and urgent, he discovers how easy it is to fall in love, while Ellen learns that love hasn’t, after all, passed her by.
But then the villain steps from the shadows, and love’s strengths and vulnerabilities are put to the test—just as Christopher has always feared. Will he pass muster? Can they triumph? Or will they lose all they’ve so recently found?
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