Dawn MacTavish, The Marsh Hawk

The Marsh Hawk

Dawn MacTavish

Leisure, Jul 2007, $6.99

ISBN: 0843959347

In 1812 Cornwall, England, Lady Jenna Hollingsworth shoots the infamous highwayman THE MARSH HAWK; before she can ascertain whether he is dying, she flees the scene as she hears voices. Jenna assumes that she killed the brigand who murdered her beloved father.

At a masquerade gala where Jenna and Viscount Rupert Marner are to announce their betrothal, she sees a masked man with the same hypnotizing 'eyes of the felon she shot. However, before she can follow up on whether this masked hunk is THE MARSH HAWK, Jenna finds herself married to the earl Simon Rutherford to avoid a scandal. As the newlyweds are deeply attracted to one another and both believing they must hide their love for the other from their mate, she wonders how to unmask him and he wonders how to remain masked while an outraged Rupert plots to destroy the pair who publicly humiliated him.

The fun in this Regency resides with the dynamic pairing who for the most part dominate the story line. The Rupert subplot distracts from the prime theme of two opponents playing chess with love as Jenna and Simon move and counter move back and forth seeking checkmate, which in her case is proving her husband is (or is not) the highwayman and in case hiding his secret identify. For the most part the audience will enjoy their antics until Rupert intrudes on the plot when he brings them together with his perilous mischief.

Harriet Klausner