Priscilla Coulter has the unenviable task of assisting her physician father with a most difficult patient: the Viscountess Lady Dunley. Cilla has her hands full keeping the Lady in check; she most certainly does not need the interference of Daragh Blackstone, the Viscountess’ wild younger son.

Yet, when he arrives at his mother’s door one afternoon, wounded and newly discharged from the army, Cilla cannot refuse to help him. Despite the rumors, Blackstone is just a man, and Cilla has vowed to assist those in pain, whoever they may be.

Reluctantly, Cilla agrees to accompany the Viscountess and her son to their country home. Although she has misgivings about the trip, she cannot leave Daragh Blackstone half-mended. When they arrive, she soon discovers there are secrets hidden behind the walls of Shawnton Abbey.

Someone is willing to kill to make sure those secrets aren’t revealed…

An Unacceptable Demise is a delightful tale. Part Regency romance and part old-fashioned murder mystery, the story grabs the reader from the first page. Ms. Harrison is careful to imbue the hero and heroine with their own unique ambitions and desires. Thus, when they meet, Cilla and Daragh both compliment and clash against each other in a believable way. The romance between the two characters is made all the more satisfying because we know them first as individuals.

Their courtship is set against a backdrop of scheming and social power plays. Nearly everyone at Shawnton Abbey has something to hide, and it is a great deal of fun watching Cilla and Daragh unravel the truth behind his father’s murder. I highly enjoyed the way in which Ms. Harrison used the mystery to highlight the strength of the hero and heroine as a couple. While many romances choose to focus on the physical attraction between the lead characters, An Unacceptable Demise shows the reader the beginnings of a life-long affection built on respect and personal compatibility, as well as sexual desire.

Therefore, I highly recommend An Unacceptable Demise. Curl up in your favorite chair with a cup of hot cocoa and prepare to be drawn into an intriguing world. 

Reviewed by Erika Sevea for The Road to Romance

March 20, 2005