Synopses & Reviews
**This is a Read Pink edition. In October 2010, Penguin Group (USA) launched a new initiative in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This October, we are pleased to continue the program with a donation of $25,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation(r) and are presenting eight beloved titles in special Read Pink(tm) editions:
The Perfect Poison, by Amanda Quick
The Border Lord's Bride, by Bertrice Small
With Every Breath, by Lynn Kurland
Danger in a Red Dress, by Christina Dodd
Early Dawn, by Catherine Anderson
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, by Lauren Willig
A Duke's Temptation, by Jillian Hunter
Tribute, by Nora Roberts
Victorian London holds many secrets. But none are so closely guarded as those of the shadowy Arcane Society. In her suspenseful new novel, New York Times-bestselling author Amanda Quick delves into this underworld of passion, greed, and powers that lie beyond this realm . . .
Plagued by rumors that she poisoned her fiancé, Lucinda Bromley manages to live on the fringes of polite society, tending her beloved plants-and occasionally consulting on a murder investigation. For the notorious botanist possesses a unique talent: She can detect almost any type of poison, especially ones that have their origins in the botanical kingdom.
But the death of a lord has shaken Lucinda to her core. At the murder scene, she picks up traces of a poison containing a very rare species of fern. So rare, in fact, that only one specimen exists in all of England- and it was stolen from her conservatory just last month.
To keep her name out of the inquest and to find the murderer, Lucinda hires fellow Arcane Society member Caleb Jones who runs a psychical investigation agency. A descendant of the founder of the Society, Jones is very skillful at protecting its secrets-and frighteningly good getting at the truth. Immediately, Lucinda senses both a raw power and an undeniable intensity in the imposing man.
But as a nearly overwhelming desire blooms between Caleb and Lucinda, they are drawn into the dark heart of a deadly conspiracy that can be traced to the early days of the Arcane Society -and to a legacy of madness that could plunge Caleb into the depths of his own tortured soul. . . .
Review
“Amanda Quick is an exceptional storyteller.” —
Los Angeles Daily News
“One of the most creative, inventive storytellers in the field, Quick infuses her own addictive brand of breathless, sexy adventure with dashes of vengeance, greed, and violence and a hefty splash of delectable, offbeat humor.” —Library Journal
Synopsis
She can detect any poison. He can decipher any clue. To find a killer, they make a perfect pair...
Synopsis
The New York Times bestselling author of Otherwise Engaged and The Mystery Woman presents an all-new novel of intrigue and murder set against the backdrop of Victorian London
The Kern Secretarial Agency provides reliable professional services to its wealthy clientele, and Anne Clifton was one of the finest women in Ursula Kerns employ. But Miss Clifton has met an untimely endand Ursula is convinced it was not due to natural causes.
Archaeologist and adventurer Slater Roxton thinks Mrs. Kern is off her head to meddle in such dangerous business. Nevertheless, he seems sensible enough to Ursula, though she does find herself unnerved by his self-possession and unreadable green-gold eyes
If this mysterious widowed beauty insists on stirring the pot, Slater intends to remain close by as they venture into the dark side of polite society. Together they must reveal the identity of a killerand to achieve their goal they may need to reveal their deepest secrets to each other as well
About the Author
Quick is a pseudonym for Jayne Ann Krentz, the author-under various pen names-of more than forty New York Times bestsellers. There are more than 25 million copies of her books in print.