He is called the "Duke of Sin" ... a notorious rogue and recluse whose reputation is as black as the Cornish night. They speak of his conquests, his past, and his mysteries in breathless whispers. And now lovely and desperate Vivian Rael-Lamont has no choice but to enter William Raleigh's lair. Vivian prayed that the scandal that drove herfrom London would never be revealed -- but now she will be exposed to the world ... unless William can protect her. She has heard the rumors about the infamous Duke of Sin, yet she is unprepared for the man's raw, sensuous power ... or for the traitorous response of her own body. Surrender, however, could prove most dangerous indeed -- for both of them. For while the duke is intrigued by the guarded, intoxicating lady who has invaded his solitude -- and fully intends to discern her every secret through sweet, unhurried seduction -- it is his own heart that will be imperiled when passion takes them farther than he ever intended. Views: 70
Venice is in peril. Bajamonte Tiepolo is back, and his baddened magic has spread across the globe, from the island of Hooroo in the South Pacific, all the way to London, where Queen Victoria lies dying.Now two cities need saving by Teo, the Undrowned Child, and Renzo, the Studious Son of a Venetian prophecy. Time is running out as they try to unravel the mysteries threatening London and Venice. They meet mermaids and mourning children, giant squid, a talking bulldog, and the delectable, deceptive Miss Uish. But who is a friend, and who an enemy? Views: 70
Marty Dandridge Olson is ready to leave behind the pain of the past.Answering an advertisement for a "Lone Star bride," she leaves her Texas ranch and heads to Denver to marry a man she doesn't know.Jake Wythe is the man waiting for her.Burned by love, he marries now simply to satisfy the board of Morgan Bank, which believes a man of his standing in society should be wed. Together Jake and Marty agree they are done with romance and love and will make this nothing more than a marriage of convenience. When missing money and a collapsing economy threaten his job, Jake's yearning to return to ranching grows ever stronger, much to Marty's dismay. But a fondness has grown between them, as well, further complicating matters.What will happen when their relationship shifts in unexpected ways...and dreams and secrets collide? Views: 70
Edward IV has died, leaving his 12-year-old son as king. But England has been torn apart by the Wars of the Roses. Nobody wants a boy-king. Soon the boy's uncle Richard III is on the throne - but Henry Tudor is challenging him for the crown. Henry and Richard have one thing in common: they need the young Edward V and his little brother out of the way. The two boys are sent to the Tower of London for safety. They are never seen again...A fascinating look at the brief reign of Richard III, told through the eyes of the princes' nursemaid. What really happened to the princes in the Tower? Was Richard responsible - or has he been wrongly accused for centuries? Views: 70
A dispute over a great diva's will sets the stage for bloody vengeance Antonia Byrne awakes in a splendid hotel room, and finds she isn't alone. When she sees the circle of concerned faces surrounding her bed, she knows she's going to die, but she intends to leave this world with a flourish. After all, she's the greatest diva of her generation and has always known how to make an exit. But before she goes, Antonia needs to say goodbye to Richard, whom she has loved with a passion so fierce she never dared spoil it with marriage. She's made a new will, and she wants Richard to take charge of her most valued treasure. He accepts, and she dies with laughter on her lips. Returning to England, Antonia's entourage is forced to make an emergency landing in the snowbound Alps, where the revelation of the new will leads to jealousy, betrayal, and a sweeping tragedy suited to the legacy of Antonia Byrne. Views: 70
Yorkshire, 1820 Lina, Lady Radbourne, thought being a countess would rescue
her from poverty. Unfortunately, her young groom failed to plan for the future, and his
drunken accident left her widowed and pregnant. Now Colonel Winstead Vaughan—Win—will
inherit her late husband’s fortune...unless she gives birth to a boy. Win is her natural
enemy, so why can’t she stop thinking about him? Win is stunned to learn he stands to
inherit a vast fortune. He’s even more surprised to find himself falling for the
beautiful, spirited Lady Radbourne, who is the one woman who stands in the way of a life
he’d only imagined. When someone tries to poison Lady Radbourne, suspicion falls on Win.
There’s a clever killer in their midst, and if Win doesn’t solve the mystery fast, Lina
may perish. He needs to win her trust, but how can he prove it’s she he wants, and not
the fortune? Views: 70
Venice, 1734. Singer Tito Amato has let fame go to his head. Neglecting his vocal practice for dubious pleasures, Tito finds himself demoted to secondary roles and overshadowed by a visiting star. When the murder of scene painter Luca Cavalieri threatens to close the opera house, Tito jumps at the chance to regain his worth by finding the killer. Strained relations between Venice’s Jewish and Christian inhabitants throw suspicion on members of a Jewish ghetto family that produces masks for the theater. But a mysterious veil that Tito finds in Luca’s lodging leads him in a different direction. Assisted by Augustus Rumbolt, an Englishman making his Grand Tour, Tito is soon on the trail of Dr. Palantinus, a masked figure who heads a secret society that charges exorbitant fees to partake of its enticing rituals. Who wears the mask of Palantinus? The director who guides Tito to operatic triumph, the fastidious nobleman charged with making the theater profitable, a fiery contralto, or the stage manager who hides a double life? The hunt pierces the treacherous depths of the city, one dedicated to masquerade and pleasure. A city where ancient hatreds thrive and cultures uneasily coexist—a city where opera is the stuff of daily life.From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. Set in 1730s Venice, Myers's second baroque mystery skillfully guides the reader past the dangers of fame to the nature of music and love, fulfilling the promise of her well-received debut, Interrupted Aria (2004). At the Teatro San Marco, soprano castrato Tito Amato is struggling with his demotion to lesser roles when the strangled body of Luca Cavalieri, a talented if unscrupulous set designer and painter, turns up in a canal. Suspicion points to his lover, Liya Del'Vecchio, a "Jewess" whom Tito falls for on sight. When the opera company director asks Tito to investigate Cavalieri's murder, he's only too glad to comply. Accompanied by Augustus "Gussie" Rumbolt, a younger son of English nobility on the grand tour, he explores the first European ghetto. All foreigners are suspect and restricted in the fading sun of Venetian trading pre-eminence, but only Jews are locked up at night in the old ironworks. When a rabble-rousing, pseudonymous pamphlet accuses Liya's cousin of the murder and poisoning wells, Tito gets mixed up in necromancy and secret societies as well. Myers provides an insightful and tender look at how those who are different—castrati, women, Jews—were treated at the time, as well as a wonderful view of elegant, decadent, nothing-is-as-it-seems-from-behind-the-masque Venice. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistMyers' second Baroque mystery returns readers to eighteenth-century Venice, where castrato soprano Tito Amato is again preparing for an opera role at Teatro San Marco--but not the lead. After a bout of diva excess, Tito is replaced as the star by famous visiting castrato, Francesco Florio, an even bigger diva. Humbly taking responsibility for his own actions, Tito begins working hard to get his voice back in top shape while gracefully dodging the taunts of Florio. Meanwhile, scene-painter Luca Cavalieri goes missing, and theater-director Torani asks Tito to investigate. Jumping at the chance to restore the maestro's faith in him, Tito sets off with his new English friend, Gussie Rumbolt, to find Luca. Along the way, Myers exposes readers to a dark side of Venice: prejudice. Often a victim of ridicule himself, Tito's heart aches for the Jews, who are forced to live in a locked ghetto and treated with contempt. Like a grand opera, Myers' story transports readers to a fascinating world of glamour, deceit, intrigue, and passion. Bravo! Jenny McLarinCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Views: 70
