Set in 1851, three years after the events in The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë
, Rowland's fast-paced second Charlotte Brontë adventure continues to transform the shy author of Jane Eyre
into an action heroine. Still pining for John Slade, the rugged spy from the first book whose marriage proposal she refused, Charlotte is stunned to come across John under restraints in Bedlam, the notorious London hospital for the insane. The last she knew John was in Russia on a secret mission. When Charlotte learns the police suspect that John is the Whitechapel Ripper, who's killed and mutilated three prostitutes, she sets out to prove him innocent, despite John's spymaster telling her that he betrayed Britain in Russia. The less than imaginative use of an ur–Jack the Ripper may disappoint those expecting the depth and sophistication of the author's series set in medieval Japan (The Cloud Pavilion
, etc.). This historical thriller will likely appeal more to romance fans than Brontë enthusiasts. (June)
