From Publishers Weekly
Morgan St. James fears he will die unmarried and without an heir, after his days as a rake are cut short by the arsonist's fire that marred his good looks. Julia Prentisse, a precocious redheaded beauty, thinks he is the answer to her prayers, offering an escape from her uncle's oppressive household and the chance to shape her own destiny. When Julia proposes a marriage of convenienceAand a quest to uncover Lazarus, the mysterious arsonistAMorgan accepts. Together they search London society, both high and low, to uncover the criminal's real identity, exploiting Julia's reputation as a zealous social reformer. Lazarus, it seems, believes her to be an ally in his campaign to cleanse the city of sin. The plot gains momentum when Morgan and Julia set an unsuccessful trap for Lazarus and the tables turn on them. As their backgrounds are developed, the deepening affection between the two becomes charming and believable. Although Lynne's (What Wild Moonlight) secondary characters tend to be one-dimensional, the unexpected twists in her newest historical entertain and satisfy. (July)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Morgan St. James is not considered a beast because of the burns that mar his body but because he had too many servants crammed into too little space and many died in an arsonist's fire. When he meets the fiery-haired beauty Julia Prentisse for what he thinks is an assignation, he is surprised to be offered a marriage proposal. The orphaned daughter of a convicted smuggler, Julia's only escape from marriage to a horrible man picked out by her uncle is to marry someone else, quickly. As the recipient of letters from the arsonist, who calls himself Lazarus, Julia is Morgan's only chance to catch the man responsible for the death of so many. Even though Julia agreed to provide Morgan with an heir, she talks him into waiting until they know each other before consummating their hasty marriage. The sexual tension mounts as they search for the arsonist, who they know is moving within their own social circle. The suspenseful search for the killer adds dimension to this smoldering Victorian era romance. Diana Tixier Herald
