"entreating Regency romantic suspense"

In 1823 caricaturist Calliope Minton, using the pseudonym Landis, hates nobles taking great fun out of ridiculing their foibles. To gain access to her subjects, she dons disguises; currently she works as Lady Simpson's companion. Her prime target of late has been Marques James Trenton, who observes her as her behavior gets her fired. She leaves with her head up high and her cane left behind.

Not long afterward, Calliope arranges through her mentor Robert Cruickshank to pretend to be a courtesan attached to Stephen Chalmers, who has just come in from the cold. James who works undercover with Stephen immediately recognizes his beautiful companion as Calliope and not Esmeralda as she claims. When someone abducts Stephen, James and Calliope try to rescue him and to uncover the identity of the traitor in the Home Office even though he ponders her masquerades and how they link to the vanishing while the duo also falls in love.

This entreating Regency romantic suspense works on several levels mostly because of the relationship that started dysfunctional between the lead couple. The support cast enhances the exhilarating story line in which the espionage elements take off much later than the romantic caricatures do, but quickly picks up speed as Calliope sees a different facet to James and he wonders if her secrets have to with Stephen's disappearance. Sub-genre readers will enjoy this delightful historical treat.

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted September 2, 2004