The rogue

Ashe's launch of the Devil's Duke series smolders with early 19th-century swordplay, a secret society practicing dark arts, and long-suffering lovers. A tastefully provocative prologue has Lady Constance Read, a lonely 18-year-old, and Frederick Evan "Saint" Sterling, untitled and therefore unsuitable, brazenly flirting in a darkened corridor of an English estate. Six years pass before they reunite in Scotland, when Saint is hired to tutor Constance in swordsmanship; older, wiser, and still smitten, they pick up right where they left off, but life has scarred them both, leading to complications and trust issues. Meanwhile, a mystery involving missing girls, ostensibly at the hands of a demented duke, has captivated all of society, and Constance, as an agent of the Falcon Club (the mystery-solving group from Ashe's Falcon Club series), enlists Saint to help spy on the aristocracy. A dramatic ending involving kidnappings, torture, and ritualistic elements is gripping and leaves readers something to ponder for sequels. Agent: Kim Whalen, Trident Media Group. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Women are disappearing, and the police seem to be losing ground. Lady Constance Read believes she can save these poor ladies from the Devil Duke's ill-fated plan. But to do so, she must get married-and fast-as it is the only way to gain entry into the clandestine society thought to be the key to unlocking this puzzle. Evan Saint-André Sterling cannot believe he has been duped by his cousin into becoming a fencing instructor. To make matters worse, he is to instruct the woman whose kisses he has spent six years trying to forget. With the hardship of dealing with the death of his brother and a need for income, Sterling is unable to walk away from this beauty or his wish to unravel her secrets, for she seems to have many. He must decide whether possible heartache is worth the risk of being Constance's answer to a husband and a savior. Verdict Ashe (I Loved a Rogue) here creates a strong and independent female protagonist, and readers will be dying to know if Constance gets the guy and solves the mystery. Lovers of historical romance and mysteries are sure to enjoy this novel.-Jessica M. Strefling, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, Washington, DC © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.