Stephanie Laurens, Where the Heart Leads

Where the Heart Leads

Stephanie Laurens

Lady Penelope Ashford may come from the affluent influential Cynster brood, but she is no quiet debutante. Instead she works extremely hard trying to bring a better life to young street urchins of the London slums with her Foundling House charity. When four of her orphaned children disappear, Penelope believes they were abducted for a nefarious reason and wants them rescued. She knows who is best suited to investigate so in her take charge manner Penelope commands deduction agent Barnaby Adair to locate and save her children.

Barnaby is fascinated by the pushy but caring Penelope. However, he becomes a bit disturbed when she insists on accompanying him as he makes his inquiries as he feels it is not safe for her while she insists she will keep him safe by having his back. With help from his pal Inspector Basil Stokes of Scotland Yard, the duo seeks a burglary school for the young in East End slums even as the two sleuths begin to fall in love.

The latest Cynster tale is an excellent historical romantic mystery starring the usual feisty female and in this case a refreshing sleuth. The fast-paced story line focuses on the lead couple especially their joint investigation into the missing orphans. Filled with twists and red herrings, fans of the series (obviously) and those who enjoy the sub-genre will appreciate this tale of the heart from ?the Casebook of Barnaby Adair?.

Harriet Klausner