A Lady's Secret Weapon

August 26, 2013
In Devlyn’s deftly crafted third Nexus novel (after Checkmate, My Lord), a British spy finally meets his match. Ethan deBeau, Viscount Danforth, works for the Nexus organization, trying to ferret out traitors in 1804 London. Known for seducing women for their secrets, Ethan is unprepared for his reaction to Miss Sydney Hunt, the proprietress of a well-known London employment agency. Using the pretense of employing her to search for new staff for his home, Ethan really wants to know why he has seen her leaving the Abbingale Home for Displaced and Gifted Boys. Ethan has been watching Abbingale in hopes of finding a young boy who might have been placed there by the traitor Latymer. Ethan is completely enthralled by Sydney, a commoner who swiftly breaks down the class barriers between them. Their romance is both passionate and sweet, carried on the tides of mystery and suspense. Devlyn’s series keeps getting better, leaving the reader eagerly anticipating the next installment. Agent: Donald Maass, Donald Maass Literary Agency.

September 15, 2013
Fans of Devlyn's Nexus series (Checkmate, My Lord, 2013) will be happy that this installment focuses on Ethan. His main skill as an undercover secret agent has been seducing secrets from women. Sydney runs a household help agency along with helping the Nexus. She once saved Ethan while wearing a disguise. She and Ethan cross paths again while investigating a suspicious orphanage. Ethan is intrigued by her ability to change roles and personas even before he recognizes her, and she is attracted despite his reputation. The sinister work of the orphanage is part of an even larger Napoleonic plot, and Ethan and Sydney are drawn into danger. The suspense is well-built, and the story of an endangered child affecting, but it is the romance and career struggles of the characters that make this book work well on all levels. Few expertly crafted and edgy historical suspense romance novels exist, and fans of Brenda Joyce's Cahill series, in particular, will be happy with this unique and refreshing addition. Devlyn is a writer to watch.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)