Heart of Lies: A Novel

By M.L. Malcolm

“A sweeping saga reminiscent of Jeffrey Archer and Susan Howatch, Heart of Lies is brilliantly researched and beautifully written. I could not put this book down.”
—Karen White, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on Legare Street

 

A smart, exciting historical suspense novel set in Europe, Shanghai, and New York before World War II, Heart of Lies is a breathtaking introduction to M. L. Malcolm. This extraordinary new writer immediately takes an honored place among Frederick Forsyth (The Day of the Jackal), Ken Follett (Eye of the Needle), Susan Howatch (Glittering Images), and other masters of compelling historical fiction. Inspired by true events in the author’s family’s past, Heart of Lies is an extraordinary reading experience that Library Journal praises as, “A superbly crafted story, creatively capturing a slice of history with eloquence and realism.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jun 8, 2010
• ISBN: 9780061998010

M.L. Malcolm

M. L. Malcolm has won several awards for short fiction, including recognition in the Lorian Hemingway International Short Story Competition, and a silver medal from ForeWord magazine for Historical Fiction Book of the Year. Malcolm has lived in Florida, Boston, Washington, D.C., France, New York, and Atlanta, and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Reviews for Heart of Lies

[datrappert · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After receiving this book as an early reviewer, it took me a long time to get around to reading and reviewing it, but I'm glad I did. The fact is, I have so many books double-stacked on my shelves, that I just lost it for a while!This is a fascinating story of an enigmatic Hungarian, Leo Hoffman, a wizard at learning languages, who becomes naively involved with revolutionaries in Hungary and ends up fleeing to Shanghai in the 1920s--the only place in the world someone like him could go without a Visa.I will avoid plot spoilers, but before fleeing from Paris, where the revolutionaries had taken him to act as a translator, he falls madly in love with a German girl. Communication is no problem, since Leo speaks German and French, which she also speaks, as well as Russian, English, and Hungarian. In any case, the rest of the book concerns the trials and tribulations of Leo, the girl, and their daughter in Shanghai and beyond up until the eve of America's entry into World War II. Of course, the war had affected Shanghai long before that, turning it from the paradise of adventurers into a dangerous place where the large international community found itself caught in the growing war between China and Japan, not to mention the conflict between the Chinese Nationalists and Communists. Those who could get out did, but others, like Leo and Shanghai's growing Jewish community, were stuck.Ms. Malcolm has thoroughly researched her history, and the story is woven around a series of true events starting in Hungary and extending into China. Having been privileged to live in Shanghai for a couple of years and having studied its history, this was a big attraction of the book. However, it was also an annoyance, since my foreknowledge left me waiting (literally) for the next bomb to drop. However, for someone not so familiar with the history of Shanghai, that shouldn't be a problem and the book will even be educational.The other main problem I had with the book was that its last third was greatly accelerated as if the author had a limited number of pages allotted or was in a hurry to get finished. As the focus of the book shifts from Leo to his wife to his daughter, some of the strength of the story is lost, although the power of the events depicted is still captivating. I will also admit to falling spell to the books more sentimental aspects and being moved (though not quite to tears) on a couple of occasions. There is a lot of great stuff here and Ms. Malcolm is an excellent storyteller.As the book speeds to its conclusion, it becomes evident that a sequel is needed, and the author confirms this in the interesting interview at the end of the volume.

[iubookgirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Though the decisions made in Heart of Lies have far greater consequences, I found some similarity between it and the last book I reviewed, The Privileges. Both are the story of a man doing what he thinks he must in order to protect the people he loves. In Heart of Lies, we follow Leo Hoffman from 1919 shortly after the close of World War I to 1939 and the dawn of World War II. The future Leo expected for himself vanishes following World War I. When an opportunity for advancement comes his way, he takes the chance. Unfortunately for Leo, things do not work out the way he planned. Instead, he must flee to Shanghai and find a way to rebuild his life with the woman he loves.Malcolm did a great deal of research to ensure the historical accuracy of the novel and it shows. The horrible events of the era are faithfully depicted and make the extremely difficult decisions Leo must make easier to accept. There were moments when I was on edge waiting to see if Leo could survive the setback currently facing him. The final pages had me sobbing. Despite Leo's flawed character, I found myself rooting for him every step of the way.I didn't realize until the end that Malcolm was setting up a series of books. The next is called Heart of Deception and comes out in April 2011. I look forward to following the saga of Leo's life and hope you will join me on his journey.

[yourotherleft_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Leo Hoffman has a gift for languages, and that's where his problems begin. As Heart of Lies begins, Leo has contented himself with using his talent to coddle the rich guests of the Budapest hotel where he works as a concierge, pleased to have a steady job in the wake of World War I. Little does Leo know, when the father of an old flame approaches him about a meeting with a group of powerful men, that his life is about to be turned totally upside down. Within a few days, Leo has met (at first sight) his one true love, been unintentionally involved in a major crime, and comitted a major crime of his own. With his life and his new love in jeopardy Leo flees to the one place he knows where no one will ask questions about his past, Shanghai. Leo will do anything to make the happily ever after he promised Martha, his young German lover, but when the Chinese civil war rocks the international settlements of Shanghai, Leo's carefully constructed life begins to crumble.There are two halves to the whole of Heart of Lies, the love story half and the international intrigue half, and one is vastly more compelling than the other. Leo getting caught in the treacherous web of Hungarian fascists, making his way to Shanghai and building his fortune through precarious business dealings with the most dangerous of men, and his ascent to social prominence among the elite of Shanghai are the stuff of great storytelling. The characters Leo is up against are deliciously evil, and Leo is a sympathetic, if conflicted and not altogether righteous, hero as he navigates a new world that never seems quite far enough from his former one. Malcolm brings many locales to glittering life from Paris at Christmas to the wild contradictions that made up early 20th century Shanghai.He took Martha's hand in his and led her back to the all but empty dance floor. They paused for an instant to catch the rhythm of the music. Then with one quick step backward, Leo and Martha floated into the dance. They moved in effortless unison, gliding in swift circles around the room, stepping and turning as though the music emanated from them, as if their dance granted the spectators permisson to share, for a moment, the magic of their special union.Unfortunately, the love story didn't live up to the standard set by the rest of the book. Leo spends only a day or two with Martha, but it only takes hours for him to decide that she is the only one for him. While the idea of a love at first sight tale beginning in Paris at Christmastime is terribly romantic, Leo and Martha's love story comes off as shallow at times and as overdramatically unrealistic at others. It is not until the two reunite in Shanghai and the occasional reality begins to set in amid their wedded bliss that the couple begins to seem genuine. For the first portion of the book, the two main characters are much more compelling and realistic apart than they are together. When they come together, all rationality falls away and the loving platitudes and sweet nothings they level at each other border on the cringeworthy. Fortunately, however, the history and the intrigue come out on top and render Heart of Lies an overall good read that I found difficult to put down until I'd turned the last page.

[zibilee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After a secret assignation gone wrong, Leo Hoffman is headed to Shanghai to begin life anew. But just before leaving Europe, Leo meets the alluring and irresistible Martha, who he has to leave behind in his haste to escape. After settling in Shanghai, Leo sends for Martha, who makes the difficult passage by herself to share her lover's new fortune. Soon Leo and Martha are living in delicious style in 1920's Shanghai, sharing the best of what life has to offer them. But Leo is not being completely truthful with Martha and has to keep the real reason for his fortune a secret from her. When Martha gives birth to a daughter, the little family seems to be on the path to true happiness. Then one day, a horrible accident wipes away all of their shared happiness and the couple's young daughter, Maddy, is shuttled off to America with Leo's promise that he will soon join her. But things in Leo's past hold him back and he is not able to leave Shanghai as planned. This forces Maddy into the clutches of a selfish and scheming woman who desires Leo above all else. When the events of Leo's life finally leave him free to make the journey to America, he finds that Maddy has grown beyond her love for him and he must make a painful decision that will have repercussions for father and daughter alike. In this historical tale of intrigue, one man must make very difficult decisions regarding the life he longs to leave behind and the daughter who lives only for his love.I don't know what it was about this book. Usually, I love historical dramas that showcase places and times with which I am less familiar, but in the case of this book I think there was some kind of disconnect. While I found the story interesting enough and the characters were agreeable and intriguing, I felt that somehow this book missed its mark with me.One of the problems I had with this book was the fact that I couldn't really get invested in the characters' plights. They all seemed very one-dimensional and their emotions just didn't resonate off the page. There were times I found it hard to empathize with the characters because they didn't seem to reflect any deep feelings at all and they never seemed to reflect upon their emotions. I think the problem was that they never had any meaningful perceptions and revelations about their emotional situations. They never grew as a result of their experiences and instead remained static and unmovable. As as reader, I was told that Leo felt sad dejected, and hurt, but I never really bought it because he just seemed so disaffected all the time. It was definitely a case of telling instead of showing and because of this most of the characters seemed less than sincere.I really liked the plot of the book for the first two-thirds, but when the accident happened and the book focused more on Maddy and her plight in America, I began to lose interest. I felt that the story had taken a turn and the characters I had grown to like were being replaced by the sad plight of a child. This was not bad per se, its just not what I had been expecting and I found myself wanting to skim these sections, although I did not. One thing that hampered me with Maddy is that I felt she was very spoiled for most of the middle section of the book and she seemed almost precocious at times. When her fortunes turned, I just couldn't scare up a lot of sympathy for her and her plight. I did not get on well with her and the fact that the book focused so much on her during its closing section made me feel a little disgruntled.Although some things didn't work well for me, there were some great aspects that I really enjoyed about the book. First off, I felt that there was a lot of good intrigue sprinkled throughout the plot and things were far from predictable. I liked the way the action that centered around Leo's business dealings was so clearly delineated and full of suspense. I was rooting for his success and disentanglement during these sections and felt that the author did a wonderful job of perking up the plot through the uses of Leo's particular problems and his reactions to them. I also really liked the relationship between Leo and Martha. Leo was incredibly romantic at times, and as a reader, it was nice to see a man who was not too masculine to be tender within the pages. Though he did some things that I was not exactly thrilled with, I found Leo's love for Martha to be one of the brighter spots of the book.In writing this review, I realize that the main reason for my disconnect with the book is probably because the story tried to straddle too many genres. At first, it seemed like a historical mystery and suspense story but then it quickly morphed into a tale of domestic intrigue. Towards the end, the tale moved more into the realm of melodrama. I think any one of these would have been fine had the author stuck to it, but the effect of placing them all into one story made the book feel disorganized and overcrowded. I think the rapid shifts of perspective and storyline were a bit confusing to me and it was hard to feel connected to any of the stories because of it. While I did like the book, I was not wowed by it and would probably not continue on and read the sequel.Though this book didn't really work for me, I do believe that it might work for other readers out there. If you are fond of stories that feel very fluid and that will keep you guessing, then this is the book for you. I also think those who love a good love story might like this book. While I found the story to be a little less interesting to me, I do feel that there are some things that the author really excelled at in the book and because of that, I am glad to have read this novel.

[knittingmomof3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From My Blog...Heart of Lies by M.L. Malcolm is a beautifully crafted historical fiction novel spanning both world wars and several continents bringing the reader an adventure unlike any other. The story begins in Budapest, the year is 1919 during a period of tremendous political turmoil and economical decline where loyalist and proud Hungarian Leo Hoffman must conceal his Jewish identity to survive. Fast-forward to 1925 and Leo, the head concierge at the Hotel Bristol, finds himself accepting a job to be an international translator and spy for arms dealers. While on his first assignment in Paris he meets and falls in love with Martha Levy. Unfortunately Leo was a little too eager and far too trusting and found himself not only involved in an international fraud but also a wanted man who narrowly escapes to Shanghai. At this point the novel takes off at a rapid fire pace, entertaining the reader with brilliant twists and turns leaving one to wonder just who can be trusted.Heart of Lies is filled with an array of characters from the loving to the unscrupulous. Malcolm's depiction of her characters, countries, and historical time-line is well done as she weaves together stories that will capture the reader's attention and keep the reader engaged until the last page. Of all the many character my favourite character is Maddy. To others who have read the novel, I would very much like to hear your impressions of Martha, Amelia, and some of the decisions made by Leo as clearly I cannot say more without adding spoilers. Heart of Lies is a book I would not hesitate to recommend and one I would highly recommend to book discussion groups, as I truly would have liked to discuss this novel with others.

[vivalaerin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started this novel. It was good; I really enjoyed Malcolm's style of storytelling and it was easy to connect to the characters as people. I think I was expecting more of a spy story, and it kind of morphed into a romance. Which is also not the whole story. Martha and Leo were an incredible couple, but I wanted more intrigue about Leo's work all over. It was interesting to read a story about the daily life of a family between the world wars. It just showed the ways that people can be connected no matter their place in the world. I want to know more about Leo's life as a spy, past and present, as well as how Maddy will grow up. She really is a perfect combination of her parents, and I want a sequel to see how they move on.

[morryb_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My presupposition in reading this book, was that it was a historical novel along with intrigue, action and adventure. The truth is, it is a romance novel that makes an attempt to have some of these elements. The primary focus was the romance and the relationships, and I found the romance to be sophomoric and lacking any depth. It was a guy sees girl and immediately falls for her and is in love with her. They have a conjugal date which afterwords the woman immediately falls for the man and know he is the only one who can maker her happy. Al. l this and she never tells anyone about him. Not her father, not her sister, and no friends. Leo comes across as unlikable and Martha comes across and dim witted and shallow. It seemed like it could have been a really good story. But the main focus of the romance, which just had no depth to it, dragged the story down.

[ricefun · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Beautifully drawn book. Malcolm has combined talented descriptive writing with well-researched historical fiction to make this book a pleasure to read. There are some sections that drag a bit, but the interest generated in the characters, particularly the main character Leo and his swirling cloud of relationships, keeps the text interesting. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, and am looking forward to reading the sequel when it is released.

[jkruger_19 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I got a copy of M.L. Malcolm’s new book, Heart of Lies at BEA. I am a huge fan of historical fiction and this new book has become one of my all time favorites. Malcom has an amazing ability to develop rich interesting characters who you come to care about as if they were real people. Heart of Lies also includes a variety of historical details which brings this interesting period of world history to life. The result is a deeply moving love story filled with adventure and set in a momentous period of history. I learned new things about the exodus of Jewish immigrants from Europe to Shanghai before World War II. My only regret is the book ended too soon with many more stories to tell. I am informed that a sequel is in the works to be published next year and I can’t wait.

[tararay_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Heart of Lies is riveting! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! My usual taste for books is a quick-read murder mystery, and historical fiction makes me yawn, but Heart of Lies drew me in and kept me up late into the night reading. M.L. Malcolm’s writing style is fast-paced and her characters are deep and introspective, (brilliant dialogue) but the story doesn’t linger too long in one place. The action is intense, and the love scenes are very tasteful *blush*. I’m now addicted to Leo’s and Martha’s romance and can’t WAIT until the sequel to the book, but Hollywood will make a movie out of Heart of Lies before the sequel to the book IT’S THAT GOOD. Do yourself a favor and buy this book - find a cozy corner on the couch or a soft spot in the sand under a beach umbrella – and get ready to teleport to WW I and WW II Europe and Asia.

[girlwithafacee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Heart of Lies is an intriguing story. The author seamlessly switches back and forth between many points of view. The constantly rising and falling action keeps your attention tightly, while the storyline remains believable. A story of love, pain, and war - placed far away from the majority of stories heard written about this era - Heart of Lies is purely unique.

[keristars_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When I saw this novel listed on ER, I was interested in the promise of an intrigue-type plot, involving some suspense and mystery and lots of historical grounding. What I got was a romance novel with a historical setting and a little bit of a "running from the law" plot for flavor.By not expecting the romance plot, I was pretty much blindsided when it rushed in and displaced everything to do with Hungarian Communists or Leo's linguistic skills or secret smuggling rings. I couldn't understand why it was so important to the story I had thought I was reading, and I kept expecting it to develop into something completely different than it did - at least, until a solid two thirds of the way through the novel, when I finally realized the nature of the book. It took me quite some time to feel comfortable reading this, and not just because I was confused by the book not meeting the expectations I had from the copy on the back cover. For one, a lot of the dialogue and narrative felt awkward, though it didn't seem to be wrong or anything. It just didn't feel like it had a natural cadence - I wasn't sure if it was because of Malcolm's writing style, or if it was a reflection of the way people spoke in the 1920s, or if it was intended to remind the reader that the characters weren't speaking English. The other big reason was that I didn't like any of the characters. I didn't particularly feel interested in learning more about them, and I couldn't sympathise with Leo. Actually, I kind of wanted to smash his face in from the beginning, I disliked him so much. And I was never entirely sure if he was meant to be unlikable, or if there was a disconnect between what Malcolm intended and what I was reading.In the end, I feel that the strongest points of this book are the things based on historical fact, rather than the fictional events and characters. The most compelling parts were of Shanghai in the last third, once General Chiang has been introduced, and the residents begin to be wary of a Chinese civil war - and then, later, once the Japanese begin their attack.

[solestria · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was excited to read Heart of Lies; it sounded original and interesting, spanning Europe, Shanghai and America prior to World War II. The places and historical background is indeed quite well-researched.However, the plot, characters and writing leave much to be desired. Leo, the main character, is set up when getting involved with unsavory characters, and I could see the set-up coming from the start. The author really lost me when Leo falls in love at first site with Martha in Paris; he sees her outside and is prepared to run after her.The events seem orchestrated by the author, instead of occurring as part of the story; much of it feels like a deus ex machina, where the author intends for X thing to happen, and so arranges for it. The events seem contrived, obvious, and lacking any sense of realism.The same can be said of the characters. They're all given notable characteristics, but not actual personalities. I found it impossible to emotionally connect with any of them or what they were going through.Overall, while not a hard read, this book was a little tedious. The author clearly shows some promise with historical research, but could use a good deal of work with everything else.

[fuzzy_patters · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The author did a very nice job of researching historical events such as the Hungarian counterfeiting scam of the 1920s and the 1937 bombing of Shanghai. According to the author's interview at the library, she did most of her research in the library using primary sources on microfiche, which I enjoyed as a history major in college. It is refreshing to see someone do their own work rather than relying on internet information that is not always accurate.She uses this historical research to drive a plot in which Leo Hoffman, a Hungarian national who speaks five languages, is used in several nefarious international plots that lead to love, heartbreak, and final redemption. The history serves to make the plot more interesting, which it needs. Malcolm's characters get to be wooden and it is difficult to make a connection with them as a reader. This novel would not stand by itself without the historical research, which was the most interesting part of it.Additionally, the novel seems to be very shallow. Other then a general theme of forgiveness, there is little that a reader can take away from this novel except for escape from real life for a few hours. In this regard, it is not much better than most of the escapist television that is on during prime time television on the major television networks. Malcolm is planning a sequel, but I doubt that I will read it because I was not particularly impressed with Heart of Lies outside of the interesting slice of history.

[rjrutstein · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This novel has some interesting plot ideas which I found poorly fleshed out, the characters seem thin, and the prose is pedestrian. I cannot recommend this book. This writer has potential,but I do not feel this book was worth publishing. I think a good editor would have had much of this book reworked.

[buchowl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable book.It follows the formula of:Leo is charming, sophisticated and has a gift for learning languages.That's good.No, that's bad. Those qualities cause him unknowingly to become involved with a counterfeiting ring.That's bad.No, that's good. He meets Martha, the love of his life, due to that involvement.That's good.No, that's bad. He is framed for a crime and has to flee Europe leaving Martha behind perhaps never to meet again.That's bad.No, that's good. He manages to escape and is eventually able to reconstruct his life (after a fashion).And so on......Fast paced and beautifully set in pre-World War II Europe and Asia, the love story of Leo and Martha is passionate and heart wrenching. The story epitomizes the saying "Fate makes fools of us all" and shows that morals and principles are often sacrificed on the altar of survival. Leo has to make impossible choices and Martha becomes an unwitting pawn to fate and yet their love manages somehow to survive it all....almost.I very much enjoyed reading this book. M.L.Malcolm writes the characters honestly yet sympathetically and perfectly captures the flavor of the time. I was reminded of stories I heard as a child from German and Hungarian relatives. The only problem I had with the book was that the climax of the story came somewhat before the ending and the plot line was not as strong after that. I kept thinking that it was being set up for a sequel and it turns out I was right (Malcolm confirms that in "Conversation with M.L.Malcolm" in the back of the book). This plot line problem was relative due to the strength before the climax.I recommend this book for anyone who likes books about international intrigue, historical fiction set in the time between the two World Wars and mostly for those who enjoy a really good love story. Good read and I look forward to the sequel.

[addictivelotus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found this to be a good light read; something of a palate cleanser, actually. After a long term of heavy graduate school reading and research texts, I always welcome a quality piece of fluffy literature and I believe that is what I found in "Heart of Lies".Following Leo Hoffman through the time period between WWI and WWII is an exciting little adventure. While I get the sense that Malcom wants him to appear dark and anti-heroic, I found him to actually be a likable character (if only by the virtue that he seems to have some personality something his poor love-interest Martha seems to sorely lack) -- his crimes all being out of necessity or pure naivety. I think this darkness could have been fleshed out with more attention to his often alluded to back-story, but that may have thrown off the novel's already delicate pacing.Overall, while "Heart of Lies" did have some issues namely in the form of pacing and character cliches (for example, the Irish family in New York fit nicely into almost every stereotype that exists), I still found the book enjoyable. I read it quickly and probably could have finished in one sitting. Pure cotton-candy commercial fiction to be sure, but sometimes that's just what you need.

[maebsly · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was so excited to read Heart of Lies. The back cover description sounded exciting and full of action with intrigue and international chases but the cover is somewhat misleading. There isn't much action at all, and in fact it moves kind of slow. The majority of the book seems to focus more on the relationship between Leo and Martha which was one never-ending cliche after another. That is true for a lot of the story (the crooked cop was short and fat with a badly cut suit). The writing seemed to jump around a bit and is at times inconsistent. The casual use of a certain racial slur throughout the book was off-putting and didn't seem necessary, even though it may have been tolerated during the period in which the book was set.I really wanted to feel something for the characters but they didn't seem to have enough depth. Leo really had no personality and Martha seemed just simple and flighty (but the reader is reminded numerous times how beautiful she is).The story does have good points though: The premise is really good and the little bits of history randomly thrown in are interesting.

[hairball_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The premise of this book is interesting, but the execution is a bit lacking.Heart of Lies follows Leo Hoffman from the end of WWI to the 1939 and the beginnings of WWII (a sequel is in the works, apparently). He's a Zelig-like character, showing up in a number of interesting places at interesting times, including Hungary, Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and New York. Hoffman is supposed to be "morally challenged," but ultimately motivated by the deep love he feels for the woman he falls in love with at first sight in Paris. That love story, in many ways, is the book's downfall: the portions dealing with Hoffman and Martha tend towards the hackneyed and unbearable. As for his morality, he's incredibly naive for a man whom various factions are intent upon acquiring as a spy--he's less amoral than a combination of just trying to survive and sometimes not the brightest bulb. (One feels, when reading this novel, that if he were a brighter bulb, the book would not be able to move along.)The author dips in and out of the twenty years from 1919-1939, so the narrative is episodic: happy times! bad times! But it also focuses on various characters--albeit briefly, which doesn't always work in a book of such a short length. (The typesetting looks almost double-spaced; granted, it's a prepub proof, but that doesn't mean it will be longer post-pub.) I felt like the book was lacking--as if more attention could have been paid to the characters and the places, and less to the truly tedious love story.

[reneebooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Set in Elizabethan England, Vivian Swift and her brother, Nick, rule the underworld of the Southwark area of London. Viv is Queen of the Klink and oversees the smuggling, prostitution, gambling, thievery, and assorted crimes of that time in her own corner of London. She's an extremely strong character and I admired her which surprised me because I'm not a fan of criminals as heroes/heroines. But she is very loyal to Queen Elizabeth who she considers her counterpart. Into her domain comes Rafe Fletcher who earns her trust to become her bodyguard. But he is hiding secrets and eventually betrays her in the most intense emotional scenes. The book is filled with political intrigue, betrayals, treason, murder and revenge but it is very fast paced and totally absorbing. All the characters, both real and fiction, are three dimensional and complex. HOD was an compelling read and very hard to put down. Very steamy too. (Grade: A)