Lady Arianna Hadley is on a mission to unearth her father's murderer and bring the man to justice. Luckily, she is quite skilled at disguise, and she currently finds herself employed as a French chef. Unluckily, she is soon to be questioned for her role in the poisoning of the Prince Regent. Apparently, the chocolate dish that she served was tampered with which leaves her as the prime suspect. Her ruse as a man is quickly seen through by the investigator, and she is placed in a precarious position. Is there some compromise that will keep her out of trouble? Can she talk herself out of this mess so that she may continue her investigation?

Alessandro De Quincy, the Earl of Saybrook, is brought in to bring a quick resolution to the prince's poisoning. Conscious of political strategy and agenda advancement, he is aware of everything that is at stake should the prince die. However, he did not expect a female to stand in his way, or even for her to offer to help. Now each of them has a role to play, and a murderer to flush out. They stumble along a slippery path through the bright lights of society into the dark dank alleys that not only may lead them closer to the truth, but also to their own demise. How tangled is the web they wish to unravel? Will they reach the end before it reaches them?

Andrea Penrose whips up a scrumptious chocolaty treat for her debut historical mystery. I was quickly whisked into this fabulous historical and immediately enchanted by the quirky sleuths. Lady Arianna will not rest until her quest to clear her father's name and find his murderer is complete. The Earl of Saybrook will leave no stone unturned in his pursuit of the prince's poisoner no matter where it will take him. Together, with their shared love of cooking, chocolate, and their unquenchable thirst for answers, they make a formidable alliance that is not easy to trifle with. Ms. Penrose layers politics, murder, history, suspense, romance, and recipes to concoct an intoxicating mystery. I greedily devoured every mouthwatering morsel of this delectable story, and I am impatiently waiting for a second helping. SWEET REVENGE spoons out a potent cocktail laced heavily with sordid intrigue and unconventional characters that will have you savoring every last drop. This was a terrific tale that will definitely have a spot on my keeper shelf.

Book Summary

England, 1812: Lady Arianna Hadley acts the part of a French chef in one of London's aristocratic households to find her father's murderer. But when the Prince Regent falls ill after consuming Arianna's special chocolate dessert, she finds herself at the center of a scandal. It soon becomes clear that someone is looking to plunge England into chaos-and Arianna to the bottom of the Thames...