Mine at Midnight
by Adele Clee
My review:
I’m going to start by telling you that you should Read This Book. If you enjoy historical romance, “Mine at Midnight’ is a wonderful choice. If it’s not a genre you typically read, it’s an excellent book with which to start. This is the third book in the ‘Ladies of the Order’ series. You need not have read anything else before you enjoy this well-written, perfectly paced story.
Eliza is alone in the world and impoverished because of choices and decisions made by her father, who gambled away his life and her future. She’s been given her first assignment as a female inquiry agent, employment she was very lucky to get. The client is Lord Roxburgh, a man she abhors because of his gambling habits. After all, she knows first-hand the destruction gambling can bring. It doesn’t matter how good Roxburgh looks or that he makes her feel alive in exciting ways … does it? Roxburgh needs help from an inquiry agent because somebody was murdered in his gardens during a party, and his beloved sister has become the subject of ugly gossip because of it. The world sees him as a shallow and callous aristocrat, always in pursuit of every type of indulgence and pleasure. As the story progresses, we along with Eliza, start to see that there is much more to Roxburgh than he wants the world to know. The plot of the book involves murder and mayhem, secrets hidden and secrets uncovered, alliances and betrayals, an evil gaming den owner who seems fixated on Eliza, and surprising developments right through to the end. The relationship between Eliza and Roxburgh starts off with a beautiful slow burn and gradually builds into a blaze that could light up the night. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.
As engaging as the plot of the book is, the characters were even more so. The more you know Roxburgh, the more you love him; he’s irresistibly sexy, charming, funny, serious, sweet, sad and chivalrous. Eliza is similarly appealing – a smart and determined young woman who refuses to give up, no matter how difficult life has been and continues to be. She’s confident in her intelligence, although not confident about her own appearance. Her sharp mind, along with keen intuition and a kind heart, lead her to discover the real man behind Roxburgh’s façade. There are unexpected twists in the story and vivid secondary characters, particularly Roxburgh’s sister. As usual, I can’t wait to read what this author has for us next.