When Rees Phillips of the British Foreign Office is sent to pose as the countess's butler and discover where her true loyalties lie, he is confident he will uncouver the truth. But the longer he is in her fashionable townhouse in London's West End, the more his staunch loyalty to the Crown begins to waver as he falls under Lady Wexham's spell.
Will he find the proof he needs? And if she is a spy after all, what then will he do?
With sharp wit, fast-paced dialogue, and infectious intrigue, Ruth Axtell deftly creates a world where blacka nd white bursts into a confusion of colors - and no one is who they seem.
Review: With springtime coming, I have been spending a lot of time outside playing in the warm - but not too hot - weather. I've been riding my horse, biking, hiking, and simply enjoying myself. I've been looking at my "to be read" pile with a sense of dread simply because I really don't feel like sitting around and reading. I have too much energy!
However, once I picked up "Moonlight Masquerade" and read a couple of pages into it, I was hooked. I wandered upstairs, flopped down in a ray of sunshine that was coming through the window, and lost myself in Lady Wexhams' luxurious and intriguing life. I was completely absorbed by this novel and read it in one, four-hour sitting. Considering my recent attention span, this is testament to how lovely this novel was.
Lady Wexham is so gracious and kind, yet beneath her sweet exterior you do find yourself wondering what sort of double life she is leading. She's clever enough and resourceful enough that, as a reader, you can't fully believe that she is up to nothing. Despite what logic dictates though, I found myself hoping that she wasn't a spy. She is simply too likable to wish any ill towards - a sentiment that Rees Phillips certainly seconds!
Rees isn't your typical 'James Bond' spy. He's clever and quick-thinking but his main job back at the Foreign Office is paperwork. He really isn't a field agent - a fact that he's quite aware of. Despite that, he does quite a remarkable job of fitting into the household - with the exception of a few goof-ups. Poor Rees. He wanted so badly to find a spy for England and advance his career, but his ambitions didn't stand a chance in front of Lady Wexham's charm and beauty. As I read, I couldn't blame him at all for falling for her, and actually was quite impressed with his level of perseverance trying to do his job.
I really enjoyed this book and would certainly recommend it.
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group"
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