Title: The Pirate Hunter
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Published in May 2004 by Dorchester Leisure Books
Genre: Historical Romance
IBSN: 0-8439-5280-6
Related Books: (1) The Pirate Next Door
He was a tall, dark, and handsome devil incarnate, and he literally reeked of sin. To say the man was dangerous was, in truth, putting it mildly. Lady Diana Worthing knows that particular fact only too well, as she has run into the man before, but not quite like this. Now the man is totally at her mercy, and although she would rather run him through with his own cutlass, the presence of her daughter and the absence of the afore mentioned cutlass curtails that long dreamed about action. There is nothing she can do at the moment, for he has been burning with fever, and although he is aware of where he is to a certain degree, he is not all together sure that he is safe. Diana knows that makes James more dangerous than usual. The circumstances of him washing up on her beach are still puzzling. The other one, whom James saved from a watery death, has apparently lost his memory, and has no idea of who he is or where he comes from, and is terribly afraid.
James, on the other hand, has spent most of the time so far unconscious, but with Isabeau’s appearance and the signals she is flashing, Diana knows that he is finally regained consciousness, and now the dance begins. She has had three weeks of remembering the kidnapping, the days, and the endless and relentless questions. She also remembers the loaf she threw at him, at the arrogant rake who threatened to seduce her. At the time it was a case of mistaken identity, or so she thought, but she had time to think abut it, and she was no longer sure. There were questions she wanted answered, but she was not sure if the man had the answers she really wanted, or if she would like the ones he might offer. She thought she had escaped from the perils of being Sir Edward Worthing’s unwanted and oft abused wife. It was not her fault the men he allowed into their home wanted to paw over her, and he seemed to have no objections until they were alone. Then he rained blows and abuse on her head, and tried to cut her to ribbons with his cruel and untrue words. When she thought back on that…James Ardmore actually looked good.
The island was where he wanted to be, that much was a certainty. The red-haired angel of his dreams, and his most vivid nightmares, was standing over him when he first awoke. The fact that he was really lost in a world of fever and delirium for three weeks did not improve his temper, but the prospect of crossing swords with the delightful Lady Diana Worthing again was a treat he couldn’t make himself forego. The fiery girl stirred something in James that he didn’t recognize, but he knew it was important. Never a man to settle down, the sea had been his home, the relentless hunt for Black Jack Mallory his only quest. He has survived to fulfill his brother’s final request, the revenge and the vengeance to right the wrong, the horrible murders of his brother’s wife and daughters. It was not as if he hadn’t been looking, but the island that Admiral Lockwood called Haven was thought by many to be a home base for many of the pirates and other unsavory characters that plagued the shipping lanes. James Ardmore was a pirate hunter of fearsome reputation, but he also had the nasty habit of freeing conscripted colonists from British Naval Vessels, and that made him highly unpopular with the Crown.
With his devil may care attitude, James was always ready for battle, and this forced inactivity has gotten on his last nerve. Now faced once more with Lady Diana, his desire to find justice for his brother and his family, James is torn asunder by strange feelings. He has never truly been in love before, but finding that the lovely lady is a widow sure brightens his stay on Haven. Add to that, the mystery of what Admiral Lockwood is hiding on the island, the poor lieutenant without a memory, and the prickly and sassy lady who has captured his mind and imagination, and he is wondering if he really has to leave Haven ever again. If not for his home, and his sister in Charleston, James would be more than content to live his life on Haven, exploring the secrets of the hidden island paradise and the lady as well. Never could James have anticipated the chain of events his appearance on the island would set into motion. Never could he have dreamed the ending for the lieutenant, for Admiral Lockwood, Diana or himself. Could it be that dreams really did come true?
Jennifer Ashley has once again taken us back to England during the colonial period when the new world was being divided between the British and the Spanish, pirates roamed the seas, and the American colonies were establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the world of trade. During this early period of growth, Charleston is a hub of trade and society, and the Ardmores are leaders in the social whirl. The loss of his brother’s wife and daughters to a pirate raid, then the death of his brother has taken its toll on James. In tracking down the pirate responsible for the tragedy, James has stumbled across the enticing lady Diana more than once. The lady is not thrilled to see James, because the last time that they crossed paths, her life went from bad to worse. This time, she feels she has nothing left to loose, but she couldn’t be more wrong. This time it is her heart which is in jeopardy.
The Pirate Hunter is the delightful sequel to The Pirate Next Door, and a book I have been waiting patiently to buy. Well, the waiting is over, and I am not disappointed. Once again Jennifer has given us delightful characters, rich settings, and that special touch of humour that keeps the characters from taking themselves too seriously. Her talent for writing about rogues is quite consistent, and for those who miss Grayson and Alexandra, fear not. If there is trouble on the horizon, and if it involves the sea, Grayson Finley, Viscount Stoke is going to make an appearance. The Pirate Hunter, a May release from Dorchester’s Leisure Books is just another example of the quality of reading we have come to expect. It is a book you don’t want to miss, so look for The Pirate Hunter in a bookstore near you.
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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