The Scarlet Spy
Of all the young women at Mrs. Merlin’s Academy for Select Young Ladies, no one surpasses Sofia when it comes to successfully playing the part of a lady, and a lady is exactly what this assignment requires. Disguised as the widowed Contessa Sofia Constanza Bingham della Silveri, Sofia must infiltrate London society and find out if there is any connection between the recent opium-related death of a young nobleman and a mysterious secret society known as the “Scarlet Knights.” Knowing nothing about her real reasons for being in London, Lord Deverill Osborne agrees to help Sofia navigate the socially tricky waters of the ton. The closer Sofia gets to untangling a web of lies and deception, though, the more she finds herself becoming distracted by the dangerously sexy Lord Deverill. Deftly blending an expertly realized historical setting and a deliciously subtle sense of wit, Pickens gives the popular espionage-tinged Regency plot a refreshing new twist as she brings her Spy trilogy (Seduced by a Spy, 2008) to a spellbinding conclusion. --John Charles