My Rogue to Ruin

Bestseller Ridley hits a rare false note in her fourth Wild Wynchesters Regency (after Nobody’s Princess). Marjorie Wynchester, a hard-of-hearing artist whose synesthesia is her secret joy, is generally happy as a wallflower, despite a certain wistfulness around her more extroverted vigilante siblings. When impoverished widow Mrs. Lachlan comes to the Wynchester family for help with a swindling pawnbroker passing counterfeit coins, however, it’s Marjorie’s time to shine. A skilled forger, she is the Wynchester most capable of righting this wrong. Venturing disguised into the criminal lair, she finds a scenery-chewing villain—and Adrian Webb, a disgraced lord, apparent co-conspirator to the pawnbroker, and embodied Adonis. Will he be obstacle, ally, both, or more? Ridley delivers her trademark shenanigans and feels, but the plot’s urgency hinges on the widow’s increasing desperation as her rent comes due, putting a clock on Marjorie’s investigation. Though the wealthy Wynchesters could simply float Mrs. Lachlan the money in the meantime, that’s an idea they raise and promptly, illogically dismiss, making the high stakes ring hollow. This nagging plot hole hobbles the usual joyous escapism of a Wynchester outing. Readers will hope for a return to form in future installments. Agent: Lauren Abramo, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Sept.)