The Queen and the Knave

by Sarah M. Eden Narrated by Justine Eyre

Overview

Romance and mystery come full circle in the fifth and final book of Sarah M. Eden's bestselling Victorian Proper Romance series.

London, 1866.

Móirín Donnelly has spent the last five years working in the shadows for the Dread Penny Society, a secret fraternity of penny dreadful authors who use their profits, influence, and street smarts to protect the poor and vulnerable of Victorian London. But spending so much of her life in secret is taking its toll on her soul-and her heart.

When members of the Dread Penny Society begin disappearing, Móirín turns to her friend Detective Constable Fitzgerald Parkington for help. The two have developed a friendly rapport, and Móirín feels like she can trust him, though perhaps not with all of her secrets.

Fitzgerald Parkington has a sixth sense when it comes to tracking down criminals, which is why he's recently been transferred to the Detective Department at Scotland Yard. But when roadblocks and red tape keep him from tracking down the criminal mastermind known as “The Tempest", he must rely on the one woman who has unexpectedly captured his heart-the brash, bold, and fiery Irish lass, Móirín Donnelly.

As the Tempest's deadly reach threatens to overwhelm all of London, Móirín and Fitz are caught in an elaborate game of cat and mouse that leads down back alleys, through dark London buildings, and right to the gates of Kensington Palace. Móirín has one chance to save Fitz and the Dread Penny Society from the Tempest, and she might have to sacrifice her one chance at love to do so.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

07/31/2023

The dastardly antics of a mysterious female crime lord bring together a headstrong Irishwoman and a stalwart constable in Eden’s thrilling fifth Dread Penny Society Victorian romance (after The Bachelor and the Bride). When members of the Dread Penny Society, a group of penny dreadful authors who “secretly fight for the good of the poor and voiceless,” start disappearing, their leader, Móirín Donnelly, suspects the Tempest, “London’s criminal overlord,” and turns to her friend, Constable Fitz Parkinson, for help. For Fitz, catching the Tempest would provide closure to the mystery of his grandfather’s disappearance years before, but as they home in on her, the Tempest reveals that she knows a dark secret about Móirín’s old life in Ireland. Bringing her to justice means risking letting the truth come out. The stakes are high and the plot takes many exciting turns as Móirín and Fitz decipher cryptic clues to the Tempest’s identity, and chase her and her lackeys across the city, falling in love all the while. The mystery is just as strong as the romance and the chemistry between the leads is palpable, despite the lack of sex scenes. Eden packs a punch with this one. (Sept.)

Booklist

"Eden wraps up her Victorian-set Dread Penny Society series in style with a perfectly matched pair of protagonists and a danger-infused, sweetly romantic story line that includes cameo appearances from starring characters featured in previous books as well as delightful extracts from two penny dreadful stories sprinkled into the plot."

Library Journal

★ 07/01/2023

The Dread Penny Society's members are disappearing thanks to the crime boss known as the Tempest. Móirín Donnelly, secret leader of the Society, must outwit the Tempest before her friends and family wind up dead, so she recruits Fitzgerald Parkington, the newest detective at Scotland Yard. Fitz's promotion is due in part to bringing in criminals who work for the Tempest, so he's happy to team up with Móirín. Working together, their mutual admiration grows, complicated by the fact that Fitz is tasked with finding an Irish fugitive wanted for murder, who happens to be Móirín. Meanwhile, the Tempest stays one step ahead, kidnapping more Dread Penny members and Móirín's family and friends, until Móirín allows herself to be bait. VERDICT Eden's final Dread Penny Society novel (following The Bachelor and the Bride) thrills with Fitz and Móirín racing to solve the Tempest's deadly hide-and-seek games, while their witty and playful banter keeps their love story as spirited as the characters themselves. Highly recommended, but read the series in order.—Eve Stano

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159754134
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	09/05/2023
Series:	The Dread Penny Society Series , #5
Edition description:	Unabridged

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