cover image Sweet Revenge

Sweet Revenge

Zoë Archer. St. Martin’s Paperbacks, $7.99 mass market (432p) ISBN 978-1-250-01559-4

Prolific author Archer (the Hellraisers series) opens the Nemesis, Unlimited series, set in the grimy underbelly of 1886 London, with unforgettable characters whose connection sizzles. Escaped convict Jack Dalton plans to avenge his sister’s murder by hunting down her nobleman killer, Lord Rockley. When Jack reaches his target’s hiding place, he’s held up by Eva Warrick and the other members of the vigilante justice organization Nemesis, Unlimited, who want Jack to assist them in their own plans for Rockley. Jack reluctantly accepts their proposal, intending the alliance to be temporary; raised on London’s mean streets and embittered by prison, he doesn’t trust Nemesis’s do-gooding claims. More persuasive are Eva’s fierce intelligence, cool competence, and empathetic understanding, which compel Jack to undermine her civilian governess guise with dangerous passion. This bold mix of an unlikely romance, a gritty setting, and a page-turning thriller will leave readers craving more. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (June)