"Her best work to date"

In 1552, Antoine de Noailles, the French ambassador to England, believes the boy king Edward VI is dying. Mary is the successor, but Antoine feels that the grand Master of the Realm Northumberland has other plans to replace Edward. Antoine assigns master spy Owen D'Arcy to learn what is going on by beguiling Lady Pen Bryanston, who attends the Princess and has a stepbrother who is a confident of Northumberland's closest ally Lord Suffolk.

Owen turns up the charm, but though Pen finds the mysterious Frenchman very attractive, she spurns his seduction attempts. However, she realizes that his skills can help her on her quest to find her baby allegedly stillborn, but she swears she heard his cries. Owen agrees, but barters a deal in which Pen must spy for him. Neither one anticipated love to complicate their deal.

Jane Feather is no lightweight when it comes to writing exciting historical romances and her latest thriller, TO KISS A SPY, will entice the audience to find other novels by this fabulous author. The story line is loaded with action, especially spy and counter spy espionage in the King's court. Pen is an intrepid person who keeps her own confidence as she seeks the truth about her infant while Owen is wonderful hero struggling between loyalty to his country against fidelity to his beloved. Though the plot has been used in many novels and movies, Ms. Feather deftly enlivens the goings on so that sub-genre fans have an entertaining reading experience.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted January 24, 2002