In this installment of the Becket series, Jack Eastwood plans to make a large splash in London society to catch the attention of a trio of men, one of which could very well be the leader of the Red Men Gang. Jack discusses his plans with Ainsley Becket and the unusual men that surround the gent. To make it all seem more real, Jack needs someone to play the part of his wife. Elly forcefully volunteers for the position.
Around the age of six, Eleanor "Elly" suffered an injury to her leg and foot while she was at sea. The injury left her with slight limp. Since then, she has been with (Captain) Ainsley Becket and his rag-tag clan in Romney Marsh. She is now twenty-one. She has sat quietly in the background, admiring and dreaming of Jack, but never trying to make him notice her. But when she learns the names of the three men Jack is after, she knows that she must seize this opportunity. In volunteering to play the role of Jack's wife, she not only gets to spend time with the man she secretly loves, but has a chance of finding out some answers about her childhood. The only problem Elly really has is keeping her personal secrets away from Jack's prying eyes.
Jack never paid much attention to the quiet lady whenever he was in Romney Marsh. But now that he sees Elly Jack cannot seem to take his eyes off of her. This fragile looking lady looks like a mouse to anyone who does not know better. There is strategy behind Elly's quietness and keen intelligence behind those oh, so innocent eyes. As Jack falls in love with Elly, he slowly learns that she is possibly even better at tactics than even he.
***** The Black Ghost is not mentioned often in this part of the Romney Marsh tale. You will see characters from previous episodes, but only briefly. Anyone who has not followed the story along will still find themselves enthralled with this dangerous romance. However, they could find themselves just a bit lost in the beginning. The author, anticipating this, gives a brief "Our Story So Far" section. If new readers will take just a moment to read this single page, they will have no trouble at all. Author Kasey Michaels either has a military background or a close family member who has such and helps her with these bold strategies. If I am wrong and Kasey Michaels simply imagined all this up on her own, then I believe myself fortunate never to have had her as an opponent in the Stratego game. All-in-all, I found this to be a brilliant addition to the Romney Marsh series and am eagerly awaiting the next release. *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
