Shady Lady (The Men from Special Branch Book 5)

I've been a long time ET fan but somehow missed this book when reading them all back in the day. I'm glad to see I still enjoy her books and writing style now- she was the first Romance author I read 15 years ago (Perfect Princess- highly recommend), and I've grown more critical over the years. As always she has good chemistry between characters, a dynamic murder mystery plot with some plot twists. I kinda figured out the main one but the personal twist got me haha. Some familiar Special Branch characters make apperances. Some parts of it felt like I was re-reading some of her other books with the newspaper, garden club, and kid all thrown together again- but didnt detract from the story.I must say though, it cracked me up the hero's name was Waldo. Might be historically accurate maybe but still cracked me up.

I KNOW Elizabeth Thornton is capable if more than this. This was very...not written well.First of all, I liked the characters, they were fine, in fact I loved Jo. She deserved a great love story. Unfortunately, it took forever. The romance went sooooooooooooo slow. After one kiss, they didn't do anything at all, until the last third of the book. Nothing. No touching, no kissing, no little sensual gaze from across the room where the author takes a few pages to write what the other one is thinking about the other, making the moment so intense, none of that. The mystery could have been good, except this was supposed to be a romance novel, so whether or not it was good should never make up for a disassociated romance.Toward the end, when she has that realization about John, she FINALLY goes to Waldo and initiates intimacy. Unfortunately, Waldo stupidly says no, thinking she's just using him. Where did that come from? Why in the world would he think that?When I found myself skipping pages by the second quarter of the book, I knew I was not going to be pleased with the story. I thought Jo deserved a lot better, she was such an interesting and passionate character, and this story was just...slow and flat. It was hardly a romance story. There's no tension to make their first deeply intimate scene seem explosive. At that point, I thought, Oh, they're gonna do it NOW? They've barely touched each other or kissed.Thornton can do better than this.

Reasonable romance with average adventure and mystery combine in the last novel of the series. Nothing spectacular but if you have got this far you might as well finish the series. Generally enjoyable. 3 stars

Elixabeth Thornton always writes well. This story is a mystery with attractive heroine and hero of character. I enjoyed the resolution of the mystery.

thiis is a great book. I never get tired of this author she has great storytelling skills I love it

Setting - England, 1817 --- Jo Chesney, editor of the Avon Journal has enough on her mind trying to put her latest issue `to bed' but when an infuriated Waldo Bowman, war hero and purported rake starts in attacking her and her paper for discussing him in the paper's gossip column - she fights back. Naturally, he was stunned to discover that the editor, J.S. Chesney is a woman. A widow no less who has kept the paper going as a tribute to her late husband, and in spite of her shrewish tongue, he secretly admires the termagant and is determined to discover the identity of the gossip columist, Lady Tellall.Lady Tellall, is actually Jo's best friend, Lady Chloe Webberly, who unbeknownst to Jo has run into trouble. Two weeks have elapsed before a mysterious message from Chloe arrives telling Jo to be careful, that they could both be in mortal danger and to look for Chloe's diary for answers. With no further word from Chloe, Jo receives a letter from another acquaintance who has noticed the disappearance and is worried. After a mysterious break-in occurs at the newspaper (which Jo attributes to Waldo trying to ferret out the identity of Lady Tellall) Jo and her aunt travel to London to discover what they can from the people who last saw Chloe.Along the way, Jo and her aunt, get caught up in another adventure culminating in Jo's arrest for kidnapping, assault and resisting arrest. With nowhere else to turn she engages the assistance of Waldo whom she knows has connections to the Special Branch. Now, Waldo has the task of not only keeping her out of trouble but of guarding her from her own follies. When she turns around and uses her paper to set a trap for the killer Waldo realizes that she is unlike any woman he has ever known and he cannot lose her before he can convince her that they belong together.This is a wonderful regency romantic intrigue in which the mysteries, twists and turns will keep you turning the pages well into the night. Subtle hints throughout will give you your own ideas of what prompts the villain, but I am also sure that the ending will be as much of a surprise to you as it was to me. Thornton has always done character development extremely well and this is no exception with interesting and varied secondary characters enhancing the story. As expected, this book will grab the reader right from the start and keep you in suspense right to the very end in this, Thornton's latest extremely entertaining romantic intrigue. --- Marilyn Rondeau, Official Reviewer for [...]

Elizabeth Thornton is one of my favourite authors. Her writing is unobtrusive, grammatical and a perfect vehicle for her murder mystery historical romances. Once again, I was drawn into a situation and a group of people which I was happy to believe in, as the story coiled around and around.Jo Chesney was a strong woman - a widow who had taken over her husband's newspaper, and made it successful. She had instituted a London Society gossip page, with a friend of hers who moved in the top circles writing the articles for her. One day, Jo was accosted in her office by a society gentleman, irate over the stories carried about him and his many flirts, and threatening legal action. Waldo Bowman irritated her - and she annoyed him! So started an unexpected attraction between the two.There is a young boy who needs rescuing from a bad beating at his boarding school, and a friend, Chloe - who wrote the Society page - disappearing, leaving a note saying she, and perhaps Jo, could be in danger. There is also the growing attraction between our hero and heroine. When Jo has a tussle with the law over the 'abducted' schoolboy, she has to call on Waldo to release her from a prison cell. Horrified that she has been released into his care, with him responsible for her good behaviour, she nevertheless has to agree to work with him. She is devoted to the memory of her late husband - he has spent the last two years playing fast and loose with the willing females of high society following many years of privation in the Army in Spain. Can they solve mystery of Chloe's disappearance, as it grows increasingly likely that she may have been killed? Jo realises that her life is in danger because of revelations in Chloe's diary, which is missing. Can Waldo use his military skills to protect Jo and solve the murder? Can they overcome their past and find a life together?I read the book with enthusiasm, and could hardly put it down. It joins others written by Ms Thornton at the top of my Regency novels list, and I would certainly recommend it to other readers of this genre.

England, 1817, and our story starts in the mind of a murderer, intent on silencing one of the guests at a country house party. A couple of weeks later, Jolie Chesney, the editor of a Stratford newspaper, receives an urgent warning from her friend - they are both in danger. The trouble is, Jo's friend has gone missing and nobody has seen or heard of her since the last night of the house party...And so begins Jo's quest to track down her friend and eliminate the shadowy danger against herself. In this she is aided by supposed rake and ex-war hero Waldo, who earlier that day had burst into her offices to warn her against printing any more salacious gossip about him in her journal's society column. An unlikely pairing of mutual mistrust quickly turns into attraction, admiration and respect as the two join forces to solve the mystery of 'Lady Tellall's' disappearance, and the growing threat to Jo's own life.A good pacy story with plenty of plot twists to keep you interested. There was one at the end that I personally found unnecessary, and which didn't seem to have any relevance or fit with the rest of the intricate storyline. But overall, the characters and the story itself provide a satisfying read, a good romance and a nice bit of danger thrown in. Enjoy!

Good