Captain Charles "Chase" Eversea may be one of the toughest, fiercest, most ruthless men on the battlefield, but his insides turn to mush when he’s around one woman:  Rosalind March.  Years after their disastrous encounter, she reappears in his life—just as headstrong (and beautiful) as ever. She comes to him for help in locating her missing sister. Chase has no desire to help her—other desires, yes—but not to get involved in this particular dilemma.

The story of how Rosalind’s pickpocketing younger sister got arrested, incarcerated, and then vanished, however, proves to be too fascinating for Chase to ignore. Especially when one of his closest war buddies, Kinkade, might be hiding answers about the sister’s whereabouts.  So against his better judgment, Chase jumps headlong into the mystery of the disappearing sister—sneaking around a strangely deserted museum at night, enduring grotesque puppet shows, fighting with thugs in unsavory parts of town, handing out coins to a pesky little street urchin who knows more than he realizes, and trying to resist the temptations that Rosalind always provides.

In Since the Surrender, Long combines intrigue, suspense, action, and plenty of romance. The highly memorable story stands out for its humor (bawdy nicknames and situational irony), unusual settings (inside museums and brothels), and attention to detail (descriptions of artwork and puppet shows). In addition, the two central characters prove to be likeable enough and passionate enough to sustain readers’ interest. Although an abundance of well-placed clues make the inevitable conclusion a bit of a letdown, the story remains delightful throughout its 371 pages.