An Unsuitable Heir

Charles brings her Sins of the Cities historical romance trilogy (An Unseen Attraction, An Unnatural Vice) to a satisfying conclusion with this love story complicated by an unlikely inheritance and a deadly killer in Victorian London. Twenty-three-year-old runaway twins Pen and Greta Starling don’t have much, but they prize their independence and their work as trapeze artists at a shabby theater. Then private inquiry agent Mark Braglewicz turns their world upside down by revealing that the twins are the children of the recently deceased Earl of Morton, and Pen has inherited their father’s title. But someone is killing everyone who knows about their secret parentage, and Mark’s friend could be the next victim if the twins don’t settle their claim quickly. Pen has serious doubts about giving up his freedom, and his fluid gender, for the narrow life of an aristocrat. The growing attraction between Mark and Pen complicates an already challenging situation. With a lively cast and a tangled, entertainingly pulpy plot, Charles delivers a sensitive, powerful romance full of humor, humanity, and suspense. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Oct.)