Duke of Midnight

August 19, 2013
Hoyt captures readers’ attention with the sixth installment in her 1740s Maiden Lane series. The rather silly Lady Penelope Greaves has been making eyes at Maximus Batten, the Duke of Wakefield; Maximus is more interested in Artemis, Penelope’s sensible cousin, but he feels obligated to marry a titled lady. When Artemis discovers that Maximus is the masked vigilante called the Ghost of St. Giles, she blackmails him into helping get her brother, Apollo, out of Bedlam. Artemis comes to respect and care for Maximus, whose desire for her evenly matches his Batman-like quest to find the villain in St. Giles who murdered his parents years ago. The intense, yet tender love scenes are balanced with danger and suspense, as Maximus will stop at nothing to avenge his parents’ murder, and Artemis risks her reputation for an affair with a man she can’t marry. Richly drawn characters fill the pages of this emotionally charged mix of mystery and romance. Agent: Susannah Taylor, Richard Henshaw Group.

Starred review from September 15, 2013
Artemis Greaves knows she should thank her lucky stars for her job as a companion to her cousin Penelope Chadwick, but honestly, sometimes it seems Penelope really is all beauty and no brains. After all, what person in their right mind would willingly stroll through St. Giles, the most notorious neighborhood in London, after dark? Penelope however, is determined to win a bet, and it is Artemis's job to accompany her. Of course, Penelope didn't plan on running into two very determined thieves. Just when it seems the two ladies may not make it out of the neighborhood alive, a vigilante, the Ghost of St. Giles, saves the day. While all of London is speculating about who is behind the Ghost's mask, Artemis' encounter leaves her with a tangible clue to his real identity, which leads her to Maximus Batten, the Duke of Wakefield. Hoyt continues to set the bar for excellence in historical romance, and the sixth installment in her superbly written Maiden Lane series will have readers riveted with its compellingly flawed characters, exciting action, danger-rich plot, and incendiary sexual chemistry.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)