Spyfall (The King’s Rogues Book 2)

Elizabeth Ellen
Carter
Genre: 
Historical

Susannah Moorcroft runs from her murderous husband, who is intent on killing her. As they run through the bog, he falls into chest-deep water and his venomous spewing turns to cries for help. Susannah watches as her husband sinks into the swamp, breathing his last. Later, Susannah changes her last name and purchases a decrepit inn, to begin life anew with her maid. Nate Payne is confined in a French prison, nearly starved to death, when an unknown man assists his escape. He makes it back to England where he finds himself at the Queen’s Head Inn, home of Susannah. He contacts the family of a fellow prisoner, passing on a message, having no idea it is in code. This gets him involved with the King’s Rogues and is once again entangled in the intrigue of the war. He proposes to Susannah before he leaves, and she refuses him. Stormily leaving her, Susannah questions, will she ever see him again?

The prologue of “Spyfall” is action packed and pulls the reader into the story of an abused wife. The main characters, Susannah, Peggy, and Nate are well rounded with excellent back-stories. One can tell the author has done her research while writing this epic tale. Unfortunately, the action leaves off after the prologue and settles into the mundane life of Susannah and her maid, Peggy. The other characters tend to be flat, cardboard characters with little life to them. Extraneous detail bogs the story down and slows down the pace of what could otherwise be a brilliant story. It is a treat to see characters from the first book reintroduced in this novel.

Belinda Wilson