Customer Reviews

Lady Killer/Secret Admirer (2 Books in One)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Ms. Jaffe presents a new voice in the sub genre of historical romance with her latest duo of sixteenth century mysteries. In the first, a vampire novel, Miles Loredan, Viscount Dearbourn is averse to complying with his betrothal contract to marry Lady Mariana Nonesuch. When Miles meets the beautiful sleuth, Clio Thornton, cousin of Mariana, he employs Clio as a ruse to keep her in his protection. For the Vampire of London has returned, though Miles thought he had killed him three years prior.

The love scenes are very sensual amidst the backdrop of the wealthy splendor of sixteenth century English nobility. And the mystery of the bodies left behind by the vampire adds a unique twist to the traditional historical romance.

On the flip side of this book is another sixteenth century mystery in which Lady Tuesday Arlington is considered the prime suspect in her husband's murder. Lawrence Pickering, earl of Arden, and England's primary investigator of smuggling begins to follow Tuesday's every move, as she has painted the murder scene where her husband was found. When Tuesday continues to paint more murder scenes, Lawrence starts to become involved with her romantically, though he is bemused by her knowledge of the crime scenes. Is the real murderer stalking Tuesday, possibly using her paintings to stage the backdrop for murder?

Descriptively intimate love scenes are frequent and varied throughout this read. The romantic tension is palpable and reminiscent of Judith McNaught. Add in the mysterious murderer/secret admirer, and you have a true page-turner.

I too really liked Michele Jaffe's earlier books and was eager to read these. But they are not of the same caliber. SECRET ADMIRER is set during the Renaissance, yet the characters behave and speak like modern people. They do not behave true to their time period. It's disconcerting. And the action is abrupt, moving from point to point without taking the reader along. Where oh where was the editor?

I have enjoyed Michele Jaffe's writing style in her first two books. By far The Water Nymph is still my favorite book by her, but these two lived up to my expectations of them. They were suspenseful and spinetingling. While spinetingling is not a word that is usually associated with romance Michele Jaffe makes it so by her masterful descriptions of the ofthen bloody crimes that her characters thwart or solve.

Michele Jaffe's ambitious offering is nothing short of a killer treat for fans who craves paranormal romances with a criminal twist. The two stories set in London in 1500s, Secret Admirer and Lady Killer may be overly sprawling in its plot and numerous twists but the efforts are atmospheric in its surrealistic realm to propel chills and surprises. Secret Admirer tells of Lady Tuesday Airlington who is haunted by dreams of The Lion obsessed with the word W - a murderer who kills her husband and sets out to frame her when Lawrence Pickering, an official to assist the Queen to counter smuggling rings gets caught in the murderer's intricate plot to ultimately destroy him. Lady Killer features a lady sleuth Clio Thornton and her simian partner Toast on the trails of a vampire fiend where innocent females from Devonshire seemed to be the target. Viscount Miles Loredon has supposedly slain off the villain three years ago and when Clio approaches him to solve the mystery together, he finds himself facing his demons yet again. Their blossoming romance is threatened by the prospects of his impending marriage to Clio's cousin and suspected identity of Clio as the vampire itself....

Both romances are sensual and poignant and the murder plots are staged intricately and intelligently - albeit many clues may be too much of a coincidence. Nonetheless, Michele Jaffe has proven her a talent to watch with her crafted crime plots full of shenanigans and delicious red herrings. In the tradition of Gaelen Foley, her narration is clear and focused - and it is double happiness when readers are treated to this hefty but enjoyable read.

I was so excited to see another book by Michele Jaffe. I absolutely loved her first two, but somehow Secret Admirer and Lady Killer were even better. They are really suspenseful and exciting, but best of all they have great characters and fabulous dialogue. I highly recomend them both!

I picked this book up without knowing anything about the author and needless to say I am so glad that I did. These two books are great and I read both books in only a few days - the pages just fly by! I can't wait to read the rest of Jaffe's books. Jaffe transports you into another time and place and gets you hooked on the characters and the mystery as well. I am so pleased to have found a fresh, new, interesting author in Michele Jaffe.

LADY KILLER. Lady Clio Thornton finds the corpse of a young woman with vampire bites on her neck. Numerous witnesses observed Miles Loredon kill the vampire three years ago. As Clio and Miles work closely together to uncover the identity of the culprit they fall in love. However, he is not sure he trusts his sleuthing partner as he has doubts about the evidence though he would risk his soul to keep her safe. This is a tremendous historical romantic mystery that contains two wonderful protagonists and a hint of supernatural elements.

SECRET ADMIRER. Lady Tuesday Arlington paints her nightmares as her only way of coping with Death visiting her every night. When someone kills her spouse in an identical manner to a portrait done by Tuesday, Queen Elizabeth's Special Investigator Lawrence Pickering sees the paintings and believes Tuesday killed her husband. As he digs deeper into her life, he falls in love with her. In spite of the proof provided by the paintings, his heart insists she is innocent, but how will he prove so. This is an exciting historical romance and psychological suspense mystery starring a wonderful duo.

This combo book is the bargain of the year as the readers obtain two superbly written Elizabethan romantic mysteries with indications of the supernatural in each one. Either novel selling solo would be worth the price as Michele Jaffe provides triumphant stories that are winners for the audience.

Harriet Klausner

These are really good, but not great books. There is suspense, intrigue, both plots are wonderful, the sex was hot, the stories move well and the dialogue is good, if not Elizabethan. This, however, is probably a good thing, since Elizabethan writings are usually difficult to decipher. So, for me what stopped these books from reaching greatness is how sex was used in the storyline. Lady Clio caught on a little to fast to the intricacies of sex, or she is the world's fastest study. I also felt Lady Tuesday made the change from: what a horrible person- to the bed very fast. In fairness though: a quick change of emotions is one of my pet peeves. If this type of rapid emotional change doesn't bother you, the books will rate as great, for me they rate really good. ...

I feel like I've been waiting forever for a new book from Michele Jaffe to come out, and to get two at once is an incredible treat. All of the qualities that distinguished The Stargazer and The Water Nymph are back in Lady Killer and Secret Admirer -- fascinating, fun characters, great dialogue, fast-moving plots, and lots of romantic tension. I tore through this double volume in a couple of days -- can't wait for the next one to come out this summer. Two must-reads for lovers of romance and historicals!

OK, I'm not going to re-hash the plots of these two novels. Others do a far better job than I could ever do. I happened to find this double novel by chance and oh what a lucky day that was! The two stories are fully fleshed out. The characters are funny, endearing and at times, heart-breaking (in a good way!) Personally, I could care less about the historical accuracy. These are supposed to be mysteries and love stories, for cryin' out loud, let them be!Trust me, you will enjoy these two delightful novels and hey, it's a two-for-one deal. How bad can that be in today's economic climate?!