An Affair with Mr. Kennedy

A Victorian-era Scotland Yard detective in pursuit of Irish anarchists romances a freethinking artist in this intriguing debut. Devastated by the death of his lover in an anarchist bombing, Det. Zeno “Zak” Kennedy is unprepared for his passionate attraction to his new tenant, the widowed impressionist painter Cassie St. Cloud. When he deliberately involves himself with her in order to investigate her deceased husband’s connections with anarchist supporters, he endangers both her life and her heart. While suspense is minimal, Zak’s case allows some effective action scenes, and humorous moments abound with Cassie and her equally broad-minded family, her fellow artists, and Zak’s eccentric investigative colleagues. The satisfying romance featuring a genuinely original pair of lovers and sparkling supporting characters against an unusual social and political background is marred only by minor errors of historical detail and occasional overreliance on events in Zak’s past. Agent: Richard Curtis Associates. (Feb.)