Gentle Reader,
It could have been a scene from one of my novels. As a rule, respectable ladies do not accept calls from Mysterious Gentlemen on business of the most grave importance - but I confess that I was possessed of a lively curiosity. The past three years had been so determinedly dull, I hoped Mr. Adam Hardesty would offer a tiny respite from it. Indeed, upon first glance, Mr. Hardesty had such a formidable, thrilling presence, he quickly became the model for the villain in the sensation novel I was currently writing.

Imagine my shock and distress then, when Mr. Hardesty accused me of being party to a plot of murder, blackmail, and general villainy! I knew nothing of such occurrences, and proclaimed my innocence. Unfortunately, Mr. Hardesty left unconvinced, and I had an uneasy feeling over what his search would uncover. You see, Gentle Reader, though I live a most uneventful life now, my past contained a Great Scandal that would be ruinous if resurrected. To protect my secrets from Mr. Hardesty’s investigation, I concluded that I would need to conduct an inquiry of my own, and if that meant sharing my findings with Mr. Hardesty, so be it. And my course of action had nothing whatsoever to do with the illicit, passionate feelings that he aroused in me - feelings that propriety would definitely frown upon...

Yours most sincerely,
Caroline Fordyce

Those who have enjoyed Quick's popular Regency mysteries featuring Lavinia Lake and Tobias March (Late for the Wedding) may find some pleasure in this Victorian romance/mystery, but others, particularly fans of Quick's earlier works (Mistress, etc.), will feel shortchanged by its weak plotting. Caroline Fordyce, who writes a popular fiction serial, and mysterious gentleman Adam Hardesty make a likable couple, but since virtually no obstacles stand in the way of their union, there's little suspense in watching them come together after only a few heated kisses. Both skeptics, the pair become involved in the Victorian craze for mediums and all things spiritualist after Adam stumbles across a murdered medium and finds a list of names, with Caroline's figured prominently. Alas, there are only two viable suspects, and Quick's sleight of hand is scant. Her characters are given to chunks of exposition that reveal the mechanics of the plot. (For example, a medium delivers a convenient monologue in an empty room.) Despite these flaws, this book remains a pleasant enough diversion, even if it pales in comparison to the author's best work. Some readers may have hoped that Quick's recent change of publishers heralded a renewed energy in her writing, but this novel feels like more of the same. Agent, Steve Axelrod. (Feb.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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