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Apr 27, 2017julia_sedai rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I love this book. It's the 2nd in a trilogy taking place from 1795-1797, when England is at war with France, just before Napoloen. I like all of Melikan's characters, especially Mary, who is smart and clever, but still appropriate for her time. The main male lead, Robert Holland, is so different than most men in Regency/historical fiction because he's part of the Royal Artillery, not artsy or bookish in any way, and is quite poor (no Mr. Darcy, that's for sure, but I really like him). Some people don't like how much detail Melikan gets into, but I think it's so fascinating. There's a ton of stuff about the Warren in Woolwich where the Royal Artillery is based, anecdotes about India, details about historical dress ... everything any history buff would like. It's got a sweet and slow romance, but it's not the focus. I definitely recommend this book to people who like mysteries and historical fiction. I don't actually read very many mysteries, but this trilogy is on my shelf. "The Blackstone Key" is the first in the series.