City of Jasmine

February 15, 2014
Feisty, famed aviatrix Evangeline Starke finds adventure and love in the deserts of Damascus as she hunts for her husband, presumed dead for the last five years. Since Gabriel Starke wasn't found after the Lusitania sank, Evangeline has struggled to keep him off her mind--after all, he did abandon her in Shanghai after only four months of a passionate, tempestuous marriage (Whisper of Jasmine, 2014). To be fair, she had just asked for a divorce. Since then, to keep the bills paid, she's relied on her skills as a barnstormer, staging a series of privately sponsored flights over the seven seas of antiquity. Accompanying her are her gay friend Wally, heir to the Viscount Walters and a whiz-bang mechanic; her sassy Aunt Dove, an adventuress in her own day; and Dove's spoiled parrot. As the final leg of the gig approaches, however, Evangeline is sent a photograph of Gabriel, who is evidently not dead after all. Impetuously, Evangeline detours to Damascus, intent upon finding Gabriel. Soon she finds herself courted by the dashing Mr. Halliday, an English diplomat, while her thoughts turn frustratingly and inexorably to Gabriel. Did she come to the famed City of Jasmine to give Gabriel a piece of her mind or her heart? Is he really just an adventure-seeking archaeologist? Surprisingly, Gabriel is in disguise and after a priceless artifact hidden at an excavation. Other, unsavory characters are after the artifact as well, sending the Starkes on a grueling journey across the Badiyat ash-Sham, punished by the desert elements and taunted by murderous villains. Raybourn deftly weaves together humor and suspense with sharp, sparking repartee and unexpected plot twists. A little romance, a little mystery, a little exotic travelogue and a lot of screwball comedy add up to a delightful tale.

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March 15, 2014

Evangeline and Gabriel Starke were married briefly before he was presumed killed in the 1915 German torpedo sinking of the Lusitania. Five years later Evie has transformed into a daring aviatrix who is currently flying around the world her biplane Jolly Roger. Receiving a photograph of a man who looks eerily similar to her late husband but labeled with "Damascus, 1920" disturbs Evie enough for her to arrange a brief Syrian detour. Lurking just below the surface of this beautiful, alien city is enough intrigue to confound the most seasoned spy--a perfect situation for the most daring of explorers like our heroine. VERDICT Raybourn's (A Spear of Summer Grass) first-class storytelling is evident in her latest romantic historical adventure; she peppers her pages with a wide range of original characters, authentic historical details, exotic locations, and a saucy romance that are all neatly tied up into a delightfully satisfying conclusion. Readers will quickly find themselves embarking on an unforgettable journey that fans both old and new are sure to savor.--Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2014
With all the charm and excitement of an Indiana Jones film, Raybourn's latest (after A Spear of Summer Grass, 2013) finds 1920s aviatrix Evangeline Starke stunned when her husband, Gabriel, thought dead for five years, resurfaces in Damascas. As a member of an archeaological dig in the North African desert, he tells her he has discovered the lost relic of the Crusades housing a piece of the true cross. But with the surrounding clouds of war, retrieving the relic and smuggling it out of the country may not be possible. Although infuriated with Gabriel, in the midst of her Seven Seas flying tour accompanied by her eccentric aunt Dove and her aunt's elderly parrot, Evie decides to follow her husband to find out where he has been and why he faked his death. As they work their way across the desert to the relic, they are beset by postwar plots, counterplots, assassins, Bedouins, chicanery, spies, and pure adventure. Raybourn's meticulous detail and adherence to history enliven this book-group-worthy tale of epic love and lust.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)