The prolific Camp again pits an independent American heiress against the staid traditions of English aristocracy (as in So Wild a Heart
) in this winning Regency mystery romance. Already grieving over the tragic drowning death of her husband, the gifted composer Sir Edmund Scarborough, the strong-willed widow Eleanor, known among London society as "the bossy American," is unprepared for the enmity of his family. When Edmund's overbearing, histrionic mother learns Edmund had appointed Eleanor the trustee of his estate and that she is bringing his ashes—and not his body—home for burial, she accuses Eleanor of murdering her son and sends her brother, Lord Anthony Neale, to investigate. Eleanor and Anthony clash immediately, but a rash of mysterious intrusions draws the two closer, and they begin to suspect that gentle Edmund's death was no accident. Pulling together political intrigue, a delightful menagerie of characters and two likable, unconventional leads, Camp has again produced a fast-paced plot brimming with lively conflict among family, lovers and enemies. (Mar.)
