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"He
fully intends to assassinate your father, along with the Sahib,
with the nod from Parliament, of course."
And therein lies the crux of Katherine Sutcliffe's latest historical
suspense romance, NOTORIOUS. The deadly assassin Cobra, under forced
assignment from the British government, has a new target: his friend,
Lord Fontaine, suspected of turning traitor and working with rebels
in East India. Determined to find out the truth behind the accusation,
Cobra seeks out Lady Destiny Fontaine Chesterfield, Lord Fontaine's
daughter. Concealing his identity, Cobra, real name Lord Jason Batson,
soon discovers Lady Destiny doesn't have the information he needs
but may have something he needs more: a fierce, courageous heart.
Forced to reveal his identity and his mission, he loses Lady Destiny
and figures it's all for the best. There's no place in his world
for someone like her. Thinking Jason is too personally involved
with the target, the British government gives the mission to another
assassin, one who won't hesitate to bring Destiny to India as bait.
Nor will he hesitate to kill Lord Fontaine or his daughter. Jason
can't allow it and so lures Destiny to his ship. Together, they'll
go to India to find out the truth.
Knowing Destiny doesn't trust him, Jason dons a disguise; a hideous
mask. During the journey, Destiny comes to care for the Captain,
no matter his appearance. But just as she's beginning to trust him,
she finds out the Captain, the Cobra, and Jason are one in the same.
And just as she's learning to trust Jason, the second assassin abducts
her and continues with the government's original plan.
Thrown into the middle of the Sepoy Rebellion, Destiny fights for
her life and her father's, as English residents of India are slaughtered
around them. When Jason rescues them, he's torn: stay with her or
fight one last war? A true military hero, he returns to the battle.
This time, the Cobra has Destiny to return to --- which can see
him through or bring about his demise.
Hiding behind masks and the danger when removing them, and the rewards
awaiting those who have enough compassion to see beyond them, are
recurrent themes in this novel. Too often people are judged by outside
appearances with no effort to know the person inside. Katherine
Sutcliffe artfully demonstrates this modern problem --- and the
rewards of solving it --- in the context of a historical setting.
Vivid descriptions, real life characters, and an action-packed plot
make NOTORIOUS an intense, page-turning read. Sutcliffe skillfully
builds a dark hero you care about, and an equally determined and
courageous heroine to match. Jason's compatriots are a believable
rogues' gallery and give strong secondary character support that
enhance the story and keep it moving. You never forget the life
and death mission forcing Jason and Destiny together; the action
and suspense and are blended flawlessly with the growing relationship
between hero and heroine. Passion and danger resound in this gripping
historical novel. If you pick one historical romance to read this
season, NOTORIOUS should be it.
--- Reviewed by Jamie Engle
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