"An entertaining Victorian romantic suspense thriller"

Her guardian Tristan Montgomery seems to always be in trouble, but his latest stunt frightens Camille. Tristan was caught trying to steal an artifact from the "Beast", Earl Brian Stirling who wears a mask to hide his scarred visage. Camille visits Brian to get Tristan released, but the Earl refuses. He becomes upset when he learns that Camille works at the British Museum Egypt Antiquities Wing as he blames them for the deaths of his parents.

Brian begins escorting Camille around town especially the museum while keeping her guardian as his "guest". As they fall in love, he still plans to use her to identify which of the museum's workers killed his parents. If he knew the risk he placed his beloved Camille in, he would never have used her to get at a killer.

WICKED is an entertaining Victorian romantic suspense thriller that grips the audience the moment that Camille confronts the beast in his lair. The lead couple is a delightful pairing as she brings him back into society; however it is the support cast that makes the tale work as they either provide insight into Camille or Brian like her guardian and servant or his housekeeper does or they serve as suspects in the murder mystery. Sub-genre fans will take pleasure in this fine historical tale.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted March 25, 2005

Shannon Drake is back—with a story steeped in darkness, danger and desire

Summary

THE EARL WAS KNOWN AS A BEAST

Camille Montgomery is aware of the wicked man's reputation. But as an expert in antiquities, she also knows his family's Egyptian artifacts are the finest in England. The problem is, her wayward stepfather knows this too—and he's determined to steal them. So when he's caught in the act of robbing the so-called Beast of Carlyle, Camille must swallow her fear and boldly confront the man whose mask is said to hide a face too loathsome to behold.

The Earl of Carlyle has lived in the shadows ever since the suspicious death of his parents. But he's never stopped trying to unravel the mystery behind what he suspects to have been their murder. And now that the lovely Camille has stumbled into his life, he has the perfect pawn for his deadly game of vengeance and deceit. But in laying his ruthless trap, will he risk losing his own heart?