The Undercover Scoundrel

This muddle of clumsy espionage and sappy suspense is a bitter ending to Peterson%E2%80%99s Hope Diamond Affair trilogy (after The Millionaire Rogue). Lady Caroline Townsend never stopped loving her first husband, Henry Beaton Lake, even though he walked out on her the day after their wedding. Since then she%E2%80%99s remarried and been widowed. Henry, a lovable, giant, redheaded secret agent who only left Caroline because his work required him to, plans to search London for the French Blue diamond without ever crossing paths with his beloved Caroline. However, his missing eye and unpredictable limp slow him down long enough for Caroline to catch up, and then they have to face the truth about what happened on their fateful wedding night. Throw in some foolish acrobats, an earl with entirely too much free time on his hands, a convenient sidekick, and a smelly superspy, and what readers get is something like the Keystone Cops crashing a romcom. Although the lovers are a likable duo with charming and original flaws, their romance is overshadowed by the ridiculous events. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, Janklow & Nesbit. (June)