A Most Extraordinary Pursuit

August 15, 2016
Gray, the pseudonym of historical novelist Beatriz Williams (A Certain Age), launches a witty Edwardian series. In 1906, British personal secretary Emmeline Truelove is mourning the death of her longtime employer, the Duke of Olympia. After his funeral, the grieving widow asks Emmeline to go to Crete, where the duke’s heir, Max Haywood, who’s a scholar and archeologist, was last seen. The duchess directs Emmeline to travel under the protection of Lord Frederick Silverton, a handsome libertine whose frivolous manner masks surprising capabilities. At an excavation of the palace of Knossos, the pair discovers that Haywood has fled for his life after examining frescoes that seem to depict an object that didn’t exist until 1901. Pursuing him through the Aegean on the same path traced by the mythical Theseus and Ariadne, Truelove and Silverton must determine what Haywood has discovered, elude a pair of villains, and confront their mutual attraction. Gray cleverly integrates paranormal elements, romantic tension, and ancient lore with a spirited cat and mouse caper. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners.

Forced to join a search for a noble heir, a secretary with impeccable character refuses to let herself be dragged into dishonor by the man she's meant to assist.Ever since her mother's reputation was marred by scandal years following her death, Miss Emmeline Rose Truelove is not one to seek adventure. Instead, she's chosen the straight-and-narrow life of a secretary to the Duke of Olympia. All is well until the Duke departs this mortal coil in a trout-fishing accident and his heir, Arthur Maximillian Haywood, is nowhere to be found. The Duchess insists that Miss Truelove seek out Mr. Haywood, whose last known whereabouts are in Crete, where he's been researching archaeological discoveries. Though Miss Truelove feels bound to do her employer's will, she's notably less keen when her assigned companion for the expedition is a man who previously had casually introduced himself as Freddie but is rather the Marquess of Silverton, heir to the Duke of Ashland. Known for being a cad, Lord Silverton has an informal way of trying to steer the investigation. And even though she's a woman, Miss Truelove wants a voice in the investigation as well. Unlucky for her, Lord Silverton finds himself unable to resist her charms, with more attention paid to the potential for a courtship between the two than providing an explanation for the supernatural elements of Mr. Haywood's disappearance. Surprisingly little happens, and even less is explained. The lack of closure doubtless signals the next installment in the series (The Duke of Olympia Meets His Match, 2016). COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from October 1, 2016
As the personal secretary to the eighth Duke of Olympia, Emmeline Rose Truelove prided herself that she had never once failed her late employer. However, given the nature of her current task, which is to find Max Hawyood, the new heir to the title, who was last seen in Crete digging at Knossos, she is beginning to think there is a first time for everything. Of course, Emmeline will have some help from John Worthington, Lord Silverton, who has cheerfully agreed to accompany her despite her best efforts to get him to stay home. Gray (How to School Your Scoundrel, 2014), pseudonym for historical novelist Beatriz Williams, takes one of the secondary characters from her previous historical romances and uses her to launch a fabulously fun new series that artfully blends history, adventure, myth, a hint of the paranormal, and a generous dash of romance into one superbly entertaining tale. Gray's addictive wit is as dry as the Sahara, and the romantic sparks that fly between Emmeline and John rival those generated by Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser in The Mummy. Forget Knossos and the artifacts of ancient Crete; Gray's latest, brilliantly conceived novel is the real treasure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)