Connie Mason, A Knight's Honor

A Knight's Honor

Connie Mason

Leisure, Nov 2005, $6.99

ISBN: 0843954639

As a teen Mariah married elderly Edmond, the Earl of Mildenhall because he hoped to leave an heir behind, but he failed. Now Edmond is dying and his abusive brother Osgood will inherit the title and estate leaving Mariah with nothing but grief over the loss of a man she considers a beloved father, in spite of their attempts to have an offspring. Osgood makes it clear once he inherits, that she can stay only if she marries his son Walter, a chip off the cruelty block. King Henry's loyal knight Sir Falcon arrives at Castle Mildenhall injured following an ambush. The wily Edmond persuades Mariah to sleep with the knight.

Five years later, Henry sends Sir Falcon to resolve a legitimacy claim. Sir Osgood and Walter insist that the dead Edmond's son Robbie could not have been his, as the man was too ill to have had sex. Osgood claims he is the legal earl and demands Mariah marry his son, even threatening to harm Robbie. Mariah is attracted to Falcon but fears what will happen if he learns the truth about the deceptions she and her late husband played on him.

Though the theme is very typical of the medieval romance, A KNIGHT'S HONOR is a strong historical tale filled with a solid cast, including the specter of the intelligent caring deceased Edmond, who readers will appreciate his deception in which the end actually justified the means. The storyline is character driven, though loaded with action, as Osgood and Mariah for different reasons need to act fast before Falcon learns the full truth. Connie Mason writes an intriguing novel that fans will treasure due to the tense interaction between the strong characters.

Harriet Klausner