The Counterfeit Guest: A Novel

It is 1797, and Mary Finch, heroine of The Blackstone Key, is now a wealthy heiress. Young ladies in her situation ought to marry well -- as her friend Susannah Armitage has. But is Susannah's marriage to Colonel Crosby-Nash all that it seems? Mary thinks not, and when her suspicions lead to a meeting with the elusive spymaster Cuthbert Shy, he reveals the terrible truth: the colonel is a traitor. At Shy's request, Mary agrees to accompany the Crosby-Nashes to their country estate in order to discover his secrets. It is a perilous assignment, and the danger increases when her only means of communicating with Shy is murderously cut off. If only Mary could contact the redoubtable Captain Robert Holland -- but as he has inexplicably ended their friendship, his help seems out of reach....

Set in England in 1796, Melikan's sprightly sequel to The Blackstone Key (2008) finds Mary Finch, once a poor teacher, now a wealthy heiress. At a ball given in London by Mary's friend Susannah and Susannah's new husband, Colonel Crosby-Nash, Mary witnesses Crosby-Nash meeting with a disguised stranger. Mysterious espionage expert Cuthbert Shy guesses that Crosby-Nash is involved in sedition and encourages Mary to travel with the couple to their Kent estate to gather more information. Mary's researches are aided, yet also complicated, by Capt. Robert Holland, an artillery officer whose headquarters in Woolwich is one of the plotters' targets--and whose romance with Mary is stymied by her new fortune. Overdoses of conversation and coincidence weaken the middle chapters, but the novel's confident voice, quirky characters and sparkling period detail should keep fans of light historical thrillers turning the pages. (Aug.)
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• Published by

  Touchstone

• Publish Date

  August 30, 2009 

• Print ISBN

  1416560874

• eBook ISBN

  9781416560944

• Imprint

  Touchstone

• Filesize

  1.25 MB

• Number of Print Pages*

  432

* Number of eBook pages may differ. Click here for more information.