A Lady’s Secret Weapon

In Devlyn’s deftly crafted third Nexus novel (after Checkmate, My Lord), a British spy finally meets his match. Ethan deBeau, Viscount Danforth, works for the Nexus organization, trying to ferret out traitors in 1804 London. Known for seducing women for their secrets, Ethan is unprepared for his reaction to Miss Sydney Hunt, the proprietress of a well-known London employment agency. Using the pretense of employing her to search for new staff for his home, Ethan really wants to know why he has seen her leaving the Abbingale Home for Displaced and Gifted Boys. Ethan has been watching Abbingale in hopes of finding a young boy who might have been placed there by the traitor Latymer. Ethan is completely enthralled by Sydney, a commoner who swiftly breaks down the class barriers between them. Their romance is both passionate and sweet, carried on the tides of mystery and suspense. Devlyn’s series keeps getting better, leaving the reader eagerly anticipating the next installment. Agent: Donald Maass, Donald Maass Literary Agency. (Oct.)