The time is 1817 London, and
Charles Fraser and his wife Melanie have been invited to a posh party at Charles's
father's estate, Glenister House. Melanie,
rather used to the intrigue and unrest of war but totally new to the habits of the crem de
la crem of British society, finds herself at a loss.
Being a war bride, she is a bit unprepared for the petty eccentricities of
elite society -- and even more unprepared to meet Honoria Talbot, the woman that Society
assumed would be Charles bride instead of the foreign-born bride he'd taken instead.
Coming face to face with Charles's past would have
been shocking enough, but the host of the party has another surprise in store for the
guests, his engagement to Honoria Talbot. The
assembled guests are shocked – Charles, not his father, was expected to wed the
perfect, cool-as-marble Honoria.
The surprise engagement is the least of the
Fraser's worries, however. As they depart
Glenister House, a desperate message is passed to the couple. The Frasers cannot ignore the summons from their
longtime friend, especially when it reveals the threats to his life. Once again, Charles and Melanie are drawn into a
world of dangerous secrets and deadly deceptions.
What follows is a tale fraught with twists and
turns; liaisons and murders; betrayal and enduring love.
In order to protect that which he holds most dear, Charles must uncover the
secret plots of a multitude of skillful liars and reveal the hidden truths. But, in doing so, he also unveils long buried
secrets of lust, bastardized babes and unparalleled perversions.
Tracy Grant has done it again; this
sequel to Daughter of the Game is another masterfully written novel of Regency
suspense. Grant's amazing eye for detail and
wonderful story-telling abilities make Beneath a Silent Moon a very engrossing
read. Though this second book did contain
a bit more violence and sexual perversion than the first book in the series, it still
merits distinction, if only for the truly twisted, finely wrought plot that will keep
readers guessing until the very end.
Not only is Grant a master at embroiling her characters in a whirlwind of danger, but
her characters are sublime in and of themselves. Melanie
is the perfect relatively new bride, thrust into a delicate situation, and Charles
practically exudes the manly persona of a London roué.
Regency London and Dunmykel Castle, as seen through Grant's skillfully
penned prose, is richly detailed, and simultaneously opulent and dark.
All in all, Beneath a Silent Moon is a superior morsel of romantic suspense that
fans of Grant's won't want to miss.
Reviewed by Janean Nusz, AuthorsArt.com, for Road to Romance
June 10, 2003 |
