Book Review "Tainted Angel"

 

I've been a fan of Anne Cleeland since I began reading her Scotland Yard series, set in current time. "Tainted Angel" is the first of her historical fiction books I've read. Set in the time of Napoleon, we meet Invidia (or Libby, or Lina) a spy for England, or is it France? Hard to tell throughout the book. Her cohorts are also questionable. Are they with her, or against her? When the handsome, recent widower, Lucien Carstairs sets his sights on her, she can't resist. But is he only doing it to gain secrets, or does he really care? This confusion continues throughout the novel, finally resolving in the last pages. Having read most of her Scotland Yard series, I found it interesting that many of the expressions her British characters use were also used by the characters in "Tainted Angel." Since expressions are a reflection of the time they're in, and their locale, I considered this to be a flaw in this book. If you like historical fiction, and don't mind spy/counterspy stories, you would probably like this one. I think I'll stick to her Scotland Yard series.