The body of an infamous beauty found in the gardens. A host of suspicious haute ton
scandalized and looking for who is to blame for such an outrage. The
son of the most respected inquiry agent in the British Isles determined
to bring justice to bear. And a young widow only recently - and
dubiously - acquitted of macabre behavior during her marriage to an
anatomist. The suspect is an obvious one.
Lady Kiera Darby faced
public scorn, and very nearly legal scrutiny, when it was revealed she
had assisted her late husband in his endeavor to compile an illustrated
compendium of human anatomy. Known for her artistic talent, it became
common knowledge that Lady Darby had not only observed and recorded the
ghoulish explorations, but possibly also selected the "victims" for Sir
Anthony's table. She has been branded "unnatural" and unfit for good
society ... but the sensational image of a Bathory-esque murderess could
not be further from the truth.
A victim of social condemnation
that falls all-too-easily on the most vulnerable, Kiera hides a twisted
and disturbing truth. What would persuade a young woman to participate
in human dissection in a time when well-bred females were considered too
delicate for the more grisly facts of life and death? Why would an
artist whose gift it is to find and reveal the spark of life in her
subjects turn her talents towards a grimmer source of inspiration?
Things are not as they appear and the truth - as it is revealed piece by
heartbreaking piece - proves more tragic than the wildest of society's
imaginings.
All of this forms the background for the sudden and
mysterious death of a famous socialite at a party held at the country
estate of Kiera's brother-in-law. Who is there to blame when a seemingly
senseless and brutal murder occurs and one of the first on the scene is
a notorious pariah? Kiera faces scrutiny and the possibility of the
path to the gallows once more.
Investigating the murder is none
other than Sebastian Gage, son and heir of the highly-regarded Captain
Lord Gage, whose success as an inquiry agent is beyond dispute. Though
she finds little in this man to recommend him - a spoiled rake known for
his affairs -- Kiera finds him to be her best hope of finding the true
killer and saving her from finally being claimed by the hatred and
mistrust which stalks her. Uneasy allies, together Kiera and Gage
develop a surprisingly balanced partnership that proves more effective
then either could have imagined.
When all is at risk, you find
yourself prepared to face uncertainties and terrors beyond what you
might otherwise be able to endure. For Kiera, everything is at stake,
and every twist and turn of this devilish mystery forces her to the
brink. She knows that everything will be lost if she fails, but will be
surprised by what there is to gain with success...
This was a
wonderful story that I can't believe I held off reading for so long! The
characters were exquisitely wrought - Kiera is such a fascinating woman
and Gage reveals layers to a more complicated personality than she had
at first assumed. This partnership is one of the strongest I've ever
read, and the warm hints of something more beneath the surface are
tantalizingly well-written. Not only do they find equality of the minds,
but kindred souls capable of accepting and understanding the respective
scars they bear.
The mystery itself is wickedly clever, and
engenders a fabulous tension throughout the story. Scenes reminiscent of
Gothic horror provide a fitting thrill and make matters more urgent.
The who and the why are revealed in time, but this story is clearly all
about the journey rather than the destination. Woven in are period
details, social mores, personal drama, and a chance for some measure of
redemption -- which never should have been needed. I couldn't get enough of it. Bravo!