Debra Mullins, Scandal of the Black Rose

Scandal of the Black Rose

Debra Mullins

Avon, Feb 2006, $6.99, 384 pp.

ISBN: 0060799234

Her parents expect her to concentrate on marrying the Earl, Marcus Deveraux, but Anna Rosewood is distracted; she vows to bring to justice the unknown assailant who murdered her twin brother Anthony. Her only clue is a letter Anthony had containing no words, just a circle with pictures of a sword and a black rose inside.

At a Vauxhall Gardens masquerade party, Anna pretends to be a light skirt so that she can enter a pavilion with the same symbols as the letter contains. Working undercover for the government to uncover the person responsible for the dueling deaths of young aristocrats, Marcus' cousin, Roman Deveraux, sees Rose and makes a bid for her; both are stunned by his kiss, but she flees.

At a family dinner to introduce Anna to Marcus' family, "Rose" and Rome recognize one another. He wonders if she is taking his cousin for a ride, so he investigates her while she continues her inquiries into her sibling's death, while they also fall in love. However, he rejects his feelings because he refuses to cause the same type of scandal that his father once caused; besides which, he does not trust the enigmatic Rose.

This exciting Regency romantic suspense catches the reader's attention on two levels; that of who leads the mysterious sword and black rose gang, and how the lead couple will come together without hurting the nice Marcus. The former is what brings Anna and Rome together, though that also includes a strong dose of distrust; while the latter turns into a delightful triangle and more. Historical romance fans will enjoy this fine thriller. with a final shocker of a twist that leaves a secondary protagonist deserving a future tale.