It is
March of 1902. A courageous and young Francesca Cahill, the Fifth Avenue heiress and
crusading reformer, finds herself in a big dilemma. This is one which has brewing for
quite sometime and now Francesca finds herself on the threshold of making a most
important…probably THE most important decision of her life. Calder Hart has made her
a most surprising, not to say unexpected, marriage proposal. Francesca accepts it, but
she’s still torn. Her heart still longs for Rick Bragg, Calder’s half-brother;
but Rick’s estranged wife, the beautiful, confident and dazzling Leigh Anne, is back
in his life and it looks like she’s there to stay. They are two very different and
equally fascinating men, and Francesca’s body longs for one, yet she yearns for the
other’s love. What will she do in this time of decision?
But that is not the only
crisis in which this amateur sleuth is soon embroiled in. A plea by Maggie Kennedy, the
seamstress, gets Francesca involved in a missing girl’s case. But deeper
investigation makes it clear to Francesca that this girl is only one of many young teenage
girls missing. Soon she is involved willy-nilly in this very dangerous case, and because
of their feelings for her, Calder and Rick both get involved in it. Jealousy abounds,
hatred simmers and despair is the order of the day – yet these two half-brothers
simply cannot give Francesca up. Meanwhile Francesca finds herself in great danger –
how will she get herself out of this coil?!
Brenda Joyce has
enthralled her readers for quite some time with the adventurous tales of Francesca Cahill,
amateur investigator extraordinaire. The author’s set it all in New York at the
beginning of the twentieth century. The atmosphere is all too real – things are not
peaceful, the police force is still finding its feet, corruption is rampant and poverty is
widespread. But this is also the time of great progress – both reform-wise as well as
economically. Francesca Cahill was born in a privileged family, but has the soul of a
reformer. This combined with a relentless sense of adventure, a restless curiosity and a
big compassionate heart, makes her offer her investigative services to one and all. And
she manages to solve case after difficult case, sometimes at great personal risk.
Francesca’s emotional life is also full of turmoil as she’s torn between two
brothers. This precarious state has been persisting, novel after novel – but finally,
this book offers its eager readers some form of solution. Everything is not entirely
resolved, but things seem to be going in a positive direction. Francesca makes a decision
– whose heart she breaks, you wonder – well, read for yourself and find out!
This explosive and decisive book has Francesca maturing (!) in many different ways. For
readers who have been following this series since its inception, this is greatly
refreshing and really exciting! The way things have been left at the end of this book - it
certainly looks like Brenda Joyce will be back soon with Francesca in yet another perilous
affair!
Reviewed By Rashmi
Srinivas for The Road to Romance
August 25, 2003 |
