Lynn Kerstan Dangerous Passions

Dangerous Passions

Lynn Kerstan

Signet, Aug 2005, $6.99, 384 pp.

ISBN: 0451216237

In 1817 Colonel Lord Marcus Cordell returns to England after twenty years away at war only to receive a summons from the Black Phoenix fellowship. The mysterious organization wants him to hunt for an upper-class serial killer; making it easier for Marcus to hide his mission is that he and popular amongst the Ton Lady Eve Halliday will masquerade as an betrothed couple.

Marcus can see immediately that his "fianc e" hates his guts, but he has no idea why. His instincts prove correct as Eve wants to destroy him based on letters received between 1810 and 1813 from close friend Johnny Brandon on the Iberian front. As they spend time together Marcus falls in love with his partner, but though he believes she reciprocates he sense that her priority to destroy him remains on top of her list, but he still has no explanation why even as he risks his life to keep her safe from their target that has targeted his beloved for death.

DANGEROUS PASSIONS, the sequel to the fine DANGEROUS DECEPTIONS, is an interesting historical romantic suspense thriller starring two solid protagonists, and a heroine who, though falling in love, believes her heart is betraying her life. The storyline is well written from the beginning when Sir Peregrine of the mysterious Black Phoenix organization admits to Marcus things often go awry and stays at a fever pitch until after the last murder is resolved. Though readers never learn why Lady Eve suddenly became open minded though disagreeing with her beloved over the Brandon scenario, fans will enjoy this tense tale and look forward to all the threads tied up in the finale.

Harriet Klausner