The Traitor

June 23, 2014
Sebastian, Baron St. Clair, was abandoned by his family in France during the war against Napoleon. While serving in the French army, he was put in charge of holding and torturing English officers. Despite receiving an official pardon upon his return to England, he is regularly challenged to duels by his former prisoners. Millicent Danforth enters Sebastian’s life as the paid companion of his elderly aunt. Compassionate and intelligent, Milly sees that Sebastian is more than the “Traitor Baron” and isn’t averse to a few kisses as their attraction grows. But someone wants Sebastian dead, and Milly would rather not be widowed. Picking up where The Captive ended, Burrowes continues her examination of imprisonment and the wounds of war from unexpected and intriguing angles. Sebastian is surprisingly sympathetic, and the well built denouement supports his redemption. Subtle, cozy, thoughtful, and gently paced, this is a satisfying read that easily handles a difficult character and avoids any whiff of the middle-book blahs. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Literary Agency.

August 1, 2014

Sebastian St. Clair was just a boy when war broke out, trapping him in France and making it impossible for him to return to England. He had no choice but to join the French Army, eventually becoming known for his particularly effective interrogation techniques of British prisoners. Now with the war a thing of the past, Sebastian is back in England, has taken up his title, and intends to devote himself to horticultural pursuits--if only former British soldiers didn't keep challenging him to duels! But someone desperately wants the "Traitor Baron" dead, and as the fervor mounts, it soon becomes clear that it's all part of a devious plot that Sebastian must defuse quickly or risk losing both his life and his honor. A badly treated, insightful heroine with a closely guarded secret, an intelligent, redoubtable aunt, and a number of continuing characters join the fray in this complex story that revs up the action and takes matters to the level of the Duke of Wellington, himself. VERDICT With sensitivity and exquisite skill, Burrowes does the impossible as she peels away the layers of grief and guilt and turns a sadistic, irredeemable villain into an honorable, sympathetic hero worthy of the perceptive woman who loves him. Burrowes (The Captive) lives in rural Maryland.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2014
Readers who have enjoyed Burrowes' The Captive (2014) will be amazed at how sympathetic they'll feel toward the torturer Sebastian St. Clair as they learn his story. Known as the Traitor Baron after the war, St. Clair is now trying to reclaim his English heritage by establishing his barony. Millicent Danforth is trying to escape her family by accepting a position as companion to St. Clair's feisty aunt. With French relatives, St. Clair had been trapped in that country during the war and forced to become an interrogator of English officers, including Mercia, from the previous novel. He is now subjected to many duels from those who experienced his wartime treatment, though many realized he showed compassion and even saved their lives. Burrowes renders St. Clair and Millicent's romance with her usual skill in creating dialogue, sensuality, and emotion, and there is extra depth here as St. Clair struggles to forgive himself. Romances about reformed men, such as Lisa Kleypas' Devil in Winter (2006), are as memorable as they are enjoyable, and Burrowes' The Traitor is exceptional.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)