London and other parts of England - November 1835 through March 1836

Penelope Ashford, the youngest sister of Viscount Calverton, is not your typical society miss. She prefers never to marry and, instead, devotes her time and attention to the Foundling House, acting as its administrator. The house takes in orphans who are usually from the East End. However a problem with their charges has recently arisen; four of the boys who should have been coming to the Foundling House have been kidnapped the very day they were to be picked up. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and rescue the children with whose care she has been entrusted, Penelope seeks out a gentleman whose sleuthing skills are quickly becoming legendary, Barnaby Adair.

Barnaby is the third son of the Earl of Cothelstone, and as such, not exactly the type of man one would suspect of solving crimes among the ton, but he has proven his skills and agrees to help Penelope. After all, it is winter and most of the criminals, much like the ton, seem to be taking the season off. The task of locating these urchins should take his mind off his recent boredom and dissatisfaction with his life.

WHERE THE HEART LEADS is often a mystery, and in the case of this book, a mystery is exactly what it will take to bring together four very unlikely compatriots, chief among them Barnaby and Penelope. Barnaby quickly pegs Penelope as a strong-minded woman with an indomitable will. She, in turn, recognizes that unlike many men of the ton, Barnaby isn't a dolt; in fact, he just may be her match in intellect. It quickly becomes clear that Penelope will be an integral part of the investigation, she’ll allow nothing less. Barnaby has to admit, with her vital good looks and quick mind, it’s possible that she could be a great help. What he’s concerned about, however, is her ability to distract him, something no young lady of the ton has been able to do so far. For her part, Penelope admits, if only to herself, that the moniker some of the ladies of the ton have given to Barnaby, that of Adonis, fits him quite well. Not that it matters, for she is above desires of the body, and if her body doesn’t realize that, well, her will is strong and she’ll soon convince it. Watching these two fall in love as they pursue the men preparing to carry out a diabolical plan with the boys as helpless pawns will entertain readers mightily. Will Barnaby and Penelope give in to their destiny and become the brilliant crime fighting couple they could so easily become, or will their strength of will protect them from perils of the heart?

It’s a bit hard to consider Inspector Basil Stokes and Miss Griselda Martin as secondary characters as they quickly join Barnaby and Penelope in their fight for justice. Stokes is with Scotland Yard, and a more dedicated policeman you won’t find. Griselda is a milliner who was raised in the East End; her connections there will be invaluable in the investigation. Mostyn is Barnaby’s gentleman’s gentleman. He cares for Barnaby, and the feeling is mutual. Mrs. Keggs is the matron at the Foundling House, and along with the others who work there, she is dedicated to the orphans and is loyal to Penelope. Of course, I can’t forget Mr. Alert, a dangerous fellow to be sure, and unfortunately for our heroes, he’s not lacking in the intellect department himself.

Though a gentleman, a lady, a milliner, and an inspector may seem like an unlikely quartet to fight for justice, this book is just the beginning. A spin-off of the wonderful Cynsters series, this book tells about just one of Barnaby, Penelope, Stokes, and Griselda’s cases; keep an eye out for more stories from the Casebook of Barnaby Adair. If you haven’t yet been convinced to buy this wonderful book, let me give you a bit more incentive; in addition to the mystery at the center of this story, readers are treated to not one, but two romances. A treat to be sure, and yet another reason to get your copy of WHERE THE HEART LEADS.

Lori Ann