The Water Nymph
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- ¥650
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- ¥650
発行者による作品情報
A man out to save his own skin meets a woman who may be the end of him in a rollicking historical romantic mystery that "will utterly delight the reader" (Abilene Reporter-News).
As one of Queen Elizabeth I's most trusted spies, the daring Crispin Foscari never leaves anything to chance. So, he's surprised when he's told he has two weeks to clear his name of treason, or his neck will meet the executioner's noose.
Sophie Champion is a hero to women of London, dedicating her seemingly endless resources to free them from their bondage to men. But when her investigation into the death of her godfather places her in danger, she herself is liberated from danger by Crispin—also known as the notorious "Earl of Scandal." Not that she would ever admit she needed his help.
Even as his mind warns him to stay away from the seductive siren, Crispin offers a proposal. By day, they will pit their equally sharp wits against a calculating enemy, and by night they will fight their searing mutual attraction. But as they grow closer to identifying the killer, they grow closer to one another. Unfortunately, that is only going to make it easier for their foe to finish them both off.
With peril, passion, and swashbuckling to spare, this fast-paced romantic adventure from "a writer to watch" is sure to keep you riveted until the thrilling climax (Publishers Weekly).
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Like the Scarlet Pimpernel, outrageously handsome and brilliant Crispin Foscari, the earl of Sandal, who first appeared in Jaffe's The Stargazer, has carefully built a wastrel's reputation while making quite another as Phoenix, invaluable spy for her majesty, Queen Elizabeth I. Now, however, he is in a spot: he has been given only a little more than a fortnight to find the person who's accusing him of treason. Meanwhile, he is investigating a beautiful and brilliant woman, Sophie Champion, who is suspect in Elizabethan England because she has seemingly endless resources, is a heroine to the street people and may have had something to do with her godfather's death. Crispin is smitten, however, and Sophie assures him she is neither a murderer nor any kind of malefactor, but she cannot be sure that he is above suspicion. Their rollicking adventures, detailed lovemaking and spirited sparring make for a great read, despite episodes of purple prose and predictable plot developments. It is clear from the very start, for example, that Crispin and Sophie will wind up together, and there are far too many references to the heroine's "tender bud." And Sophie's station in life is a stretch of the imagination: she becomes exceedingly rich at age 16, but keeps her wealth secret; she buys an old abbey with a gorgeous room full of stained glass, and fills it with needy women. And she's beautiful to boot. Still, Jaffe's second historical romance marks her as a writer to watch. While the novel calls for a bit more suspension of disbelief than readers may be willing to give, the protagonists are captivating, and one hopes that Jaffe will focus next on Crispin's intriguing family.
