Richard has unexpectedly inherited a title and a run down estate from a distant relative. The day he arrives at the estate, the long lost heir, Jamie, and his sister, Emma, also arrive. Although relieved that he is no longer responsible for the estate, he is also troubled by the upheaval of Emma and Jamie’s arrival. Richard is a man who likes life to be orderly and safe. He’s a good person, very proper and a bit dull. Emma is brave, intelligent, obstinate, and always ready to defend her independence. Despite Emma having traveled across Europe to get herself and her younger brother home, was also a dull character. There are some suspicious deaths and someone is trying to kill Richard.

The characters, manners and language of the Regency period were well done. However, I found myself skipping pages, especially when I was a step ahead of the characters in figuring who was behind the attempts at killing Richard.