Dutton, a division of the Penguin Group, sent me an ARC of this book for review (thank you). It was published at the end of January, so you can get a copy of it at your local bookstore now. Ms. Willig's previous book was The Secret History of the Pink Carnation.
I was pleasantly surprised by this author's writing style, the exciting plot, and the great use of historical detail to make this a very interesting and charming read.
The villains are ruthless and deadly, as well as sadistic and mean. Set during the time of Bonaparte, the police are almost more dangerous than the criminals. There is a plot underway to unseat Bonaparte and Laura Grey is to see what she can find out about it. She becomes governess to Andre Jaouen, who is right hand man to minister of police. But she's not sure exactly who he is loyal to...
Both Laura and Andre are very strong characters who are willing to do whatever they need to survive. Delaroche will never forget their betrayal and wants their deaths - along with the children's deaths.
How they attempt to evade him will make you laugh. Their budding romance will make you smile. And you won't stop reading until you reach the end of the book. It's too well written to set down and come back to. Get yourself a copy and have an exciting time during Bonaparte's days.
If you would like to have my copy of the ARC, please leave a comment here on my blog and then email at info @ bookfaerie.com (take the spaces out) with your name and ADDRESS and tell me why you'd like to read it. I'll pick a winner in about a week.
