MY LORD AND SPYMASTER

Author: Joanna Bourne ISBN: 9780425222461 7/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: BERKLEY SENSATION
Time Period: Regency

Raised as a poor but cunning pickpocket, Jess Whitby may have grown into a wealthy young woman, but now she must rely once again on her guile. Her father's been wrongly accused of selling secrets to Napoleon, and he's going to hang—unless Jess finds the real traitor in the London underworld. She never dreamed her search would begin by waking up naked in the bed of a rude merchant captain. Or how little she'd mind... When Captain Sebastian Kennett averts a kidnapping on the London docks, he takes the headstrong would-be victim home. He's infatuated with her courageous spirit. She's enthralled by his commanding strength and the sexy spark in his eyes. Then she discovers something else about the spellbinding seaman: He could be the traitor she's hunting, the man whose next move could determine her father's fate—and her future as well.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Well, Joanna Bourne has written another Top Pick in MY LORD AND SPYMASTER. Where her previous novel, THE SPYMASTER'S LADY, enthralled us with its plot twists and unexpected character surprises, this tale drenches itself in sexual tension so taut that there are times you can hardly catch your breath.

Bourne has a way of creating strong yet vulnerable characters, especially when it comes to her heroines. All seem flawed in some way, yet they are strong and resilient in character, courageous fighters to the very end of their stories. Jess is no different, and her determination to free her father by going back into the dark and dangerous world her father fought hard to release her from, is just one small example.

Sebastian and Jess are a perfectly matched pairing. The sexual tension between them is written so well that this isn't a book you can put down and walk away from once you've started to read. The plot has plenty of suspense and action—there's never been a dull moment in this series so far—and the secondary characters, though not always very likeable, as in the case of Sebastian's arrogant sister and brother, Claudia and Quentin, are all intriguing, nonetheless, and play their roles in the storyline to perfection.

Historical suspense doesn't come much better than Bourne's Spymaster books, a series I hope continues on for a long, long time. Steeped in rich historical atmosphere and superbly written, MY LORD AND SPYMASTER is a definite all-nighter and must read for anyone who relishes a really good book. You won't be disappointed.

Nancy Davis