It is a fun frolicking adventure in India! In the newest addition of the Pink Carnation
series, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, Penelope Deveraux is stranded in India with
her husband of convenience, Lord Frederick Staines. Lord Frederick is to be the Special Envoy
to the Court of Hyderabad, in reality sent to spy on the Governor General. This sets Penelope
on a course of finding out the truth on her own, using their escort, Captain Reid, as her source
of information and potential villain. Nothing ever goes as planned, foes are often friends, and
Penelope has to navigate the tricky Indian court with only the help of Captain Reid, whom she
had been determined to hate.
In the modern day tale, Eloise Kelly has found her prince charming in Colin Selwick and is
trying to spread the joy by finding a boyfriend for his sister Serena. She is also digging
through old letters to discover the secrets of Penelope Deveraux, who shares the narrative
duties with Eloise.
I enjoy this whole series immensely and The Betrayal of the
Blood Lily is an excellent addition. Like many women, I love
The
Scarlet Pimpernel, and these books are a wonderful extension
of Regency aristocratic spy rings. Blood Lily creates a realistic
picture of Regency India, a place not often visited in fiction.
The story is fast paced and filled with the twists and turns expected
in a spy novel. However, it is uniquely delightful because it is
a woman who is chasing the bad guy and saving the Empire, all the
while weaving her way through the rigors of Society in British India.
You won’t guess the truth until the end and the tale leaves the
reader satisfied and ready for the next book in the series.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, No 1 [review
1] [review
2]
The Masque of the Black Tulip, No 2 [review]
Seduction of the Crimson Rose, No 4 [review]
The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, No 5 [review]
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, No 6 [review]
The Mischief of the Mistletoe, No 7 [Audio]
[Book]
The Orchid Affair, No 8 [review]
The Garden Intrigue, No 9 [review]