"Strong enigmatic characters and spine-tingling intrigue!"

Lucinda Fairfax has led a very difficult life. Deserted by her father, Viscount Westcombe, when she was a little girl, Lucinda and her mother faced many hardships as she grew up on a small farm in New York. Now, a grown woman of three and twenty, Lucinda receives word that her father has passed away and she is the heir to his estate in North Yorkshire, England. Arriving there to settle matters before selling the property, she is escorted by the coachman sent to bring her to the estate. Upon nearing the land owned by her deceased father, Lucinda is almost run off the road by a dark figure on a wild horse. With no apology offered, the rider disappears into the surrounding darkness, leaving Lucinda's heart thumping madly. She later learns the man is none other than the Devil Duke -- Gideon Blackthorne, Duke of Ravenwood, whose property adjoins hers.

What begins then is a series of brief meetings between Lucinda and the Devil Duke, mostly in the dark of the night. Others warn her to stay away from him, but she feels inexplicably drawn to the dark and enigmatic aura of this handsome man. While her feelings for Gideon leave her feeling confused, she experiences more uneasiness in other ways also. For one, it soon becomes clear that her own staff wants her out of the house and gone. Nor can she explain the spine-chilling and oppressive feelings she experiences when she enters her father's private chambers. Lucinda also learns that while her father's attorneys may claim he died in an accident, others say her father was killed and insinuations run toward the Devil Duke. Meanwhile Gideon himself warns the pretty Lucinda to stay away from him, yet Lucinda sees the darkness of his soul and falls completely under his spell.

When you sit down to read Evelyn Roger's latest release, DEVIL IN THE DARK, make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Believe me, you won't be able to put this book down. It's simply a sensational novel! Strong enigmatic characters, spine-tingling intrigue and a plot with plenty of twists kept me glued to the pages right from the very first page. Ms. Rogers writes exciting stories with depth and heart-felt emotions and she's certainly proved that with her new book once more. DEVIL IN THE DARK has a unique plot that complements the characters with depth and perception.

Tall, dark, sinfully attractive and extremely enigmatic, the DEVIL Duke rides out of the mist and straight into your heart -- only, you won't realize it until much later. This character definitely leaves a startling impression. For me, personally, Gideon's character was totally captivating and very intriguing right from the moment he makes an appearance. Lucinda is a strong and very endearing character and I totally identified with her. Her emotions and thoughts are well portrayed and her anguish seemed very real as she realized her father had never mentioned her existence to anyone in all these years.

DEVIL IN THE DARK is published by Love Spell under their new line, Candle Glow, which features gothic romances. This is the third time in her writing career that Ms. Rogers has been asked to launch a new line for Love Spell. DEVIL IN THE DARK is outstanding and definitely worth re- reading again. It's going on my keeper's shelf.

Reviewed by Leena Hyat
Courtesy Heart Rate Reviews
Posted July 4, 2001