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.