The Regency Spies of London #1
By Melanie Dickerson
Julia Grey lives in the Wilhern household upon the continued charity of her uncle who has been her guardian since she was six years old. Her constant companion is her cousin Phoebe and Julia's loyalty to her has never waned over the years. Though when it comes to Phoebe's extreme infatuation to Nicholas Langdon - Julia is at a loss on how to temper it - at least in public.
Injured on the battlefield, Nicholas Langdon has been recovering for the last several months. But with his recovery comes his duty to fulfill the last request of a fellow soldier - to deliver a diary. But what Nicholas does not know is that the diary holds coded information that has bearing on the war against Napoleon. And when the diary is forcibly taken from him he finds himself drawn into a world of intrigue.
Tasked with determining if Robert Wilhern (Julia's uncle) had anything to do with this treasonist action Nicholas finds himself spending time with the Wilherns. Phoebe is delighted sure that Nicholas has finally come to see her as a potential match. When Julia seemingly saves him from discovery by her uncle - Nicholas determines to seek Julia's assistance in his investigation of her uncle and his associate Hugh Edgerton.
But the more that Julia and Nicholas investigate the more danger they find themselves in. And Julia finds her very future is in question when her uncle determines that she will marry a man of his choosing - one who may be involved in the very treason that Julia is trying to thwart.
This is a delightful story for those looking to escape into a book. The story is intriguing and holds this reader's attention - I did not want to put this one down and kept thinking just one more chapter until 2 am came as did the end of the book.
Another delight to thrill fans of Melanie Dickerson's previous writing ~ though this time instead of fairy tales she is delving into regency fiction.
About the Book:
In England’s Regency era, manners and elegance reign in public life—but behind closed doors treason and tawdriness thrive. Nicholas Langdon is no stranger to reserved civility or bloody barbarity. After suffering a battlefield injury, the wealthy, well-connected British officer returns home to heal—and to fulfill a dying soldier’s last wish by delivering his coded diary.
At the home of the Wilherns, one of England’s most powerful families, Langdon attends a lavish ball where he meets their beautiful and intelligent ward, Julia Grey. Determined to maintain propriety, he keeps his distance—until the diary is stolen and all clues lead to Julia’s guardian. As Langdon traces an evil plot that could be the nation’s undoing, he grows ever more intrigued by the lovely young woman. And when Julia realizes that England—and the man she is falling in love with—need her help, she finds herself caught in the fray. Will the two succumb to their attraction while fighting to save their country?
