The Daredevil Snared

Starred review from May 16, 2016
Love, lust, and action in the lush jungles of West Africa make up Laurens’s fast-paced third installment of the 19th-century Adventurers Quartet. Using the map from his brother’s mission in Freetown (in what is today Sierra Leone), Capt. Caleb Frobisher has discovered that the kidnapped people from A Buccaneer at Heart are now enslaved in a mining camp overseen by the dastardly Dubois. Frobisher must await a rescue mission, but time is running out. Among those kidnapped, governess Katherine Fortescue is a formidable heroine; her intelligence and strength make her a fitting love interest for the heroic Frobisher, and their chemistry adds to the heat and sizzle of the jungle setting. Laurens’s rich characterization and well-thought-out plot make for a captivating adventure romance and provide elements of danger and surprise throughout the story. The vivid narrative, combined with quick cuts from scene to scene, make for an engrossing read with an ending poised to continue the adventure with yet another Frobisher brother.

Narrator Steve West continues the adventures of the Frobisher brothers as they solve the mystery of missing British citizens in this historical romance set deep in the jungles of Africa. Captain Caleb Frobisher discovers the diamond mine that the missing people have been forced into excavating. Among the captives is Katherine Fortescue, with whom Caleb falls in love. West masters the voices of the different characters, particularly the menace of the sadistic mercenary. Listeners can feel the building tension as the captives desperately await rescue. While one does not have to be familiar with the prior two books to enjoy West's narration, everyone will certainly be looking forward to the conclusion of the adventure. S.B. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine