(Originally published as
The Bricklayer's Helper by
The Wild Rose Press in 2010)
Nominated (as previous published, The Bricklayer's Helper,
for Best Historical Romance in 2010 by The
Romance Room!
Published:
2015 Archer Family Regency Series: Book 2
A masquerade turns
deadly when a murderer discovers one of his victims survived...
After her family perishes in a suspicious fire, Sarah just wants to stay
alive. So she hides her identity under a man's clothing and works as a
common laborer. But her disguise can't keep her safe when someone from her
past
discovers she survived the flames. Alone and terrified, Sarah trusts William Trenchard, an inquiry agent with Second Sons,
to uncover the arsonist and help her solve the tragic mystery. But while the
charming inquiry agent is intelligent, he is far too handsome and
distracting, and she
soon fears that involving him may be her final~and fatal~mistake.
A wild ride through Regency England heads straight into a decade-old mystery
of murder and deceit.
Reviews (referring to the original title of the book, The
Bricklayer's Helper):
Happily Ever After gives The Bricklayer's Helper five tea cups!
and says, "The
Bricklayers Helper is a fantastic read, the colorful sights, sounds and
characters enhancing the high emotion, drama and heart stopping moments. The
delightful twist at the end caught me by surprise and had me first tearing
up then literally laughing out loud. Well worth reading." Check out
the full
review!
Long
and Short Reviews give it 4.5 books and says, "Not only is The
Bricklayer’s Helper a great romance, but it is also a wonderful blend of
the historical and mystery genres. I found myself mulling over the clues
when I wasn’t reading the book and trying to guess who the mastermind behind
the fires might be. Ms. Corwin had me guessing right up until the end and I
was genuinely surprised when the culprit was revealed.
I thoroughly
enjoyed reading The Bricklayer’s Helper. The characters were unique
and the romance was sweet. Anyone who likes their romance wrapped in a
mystery will definitely want to check out The Bricklayer’s Helper. "
Excerpt
In this scene, William and Sarah are
involved in one of their all-to-common tussles over a lost box that may be
key to Sarah's survival...
He caught her
hands. She twisted, trying to pull them out of his grip.
After all the years
of laying bricks she ought to have been stronger, but he seemed to hold
her easily, all the while smiling down at her, his blue eyes glinting in
the morning sun.
She couldn’t read
his expression. Her heart fluttered. And for one, breathless moment she
stilled in his grip—almost as if waiting for him to press his lips
against hers…
As if he would do
such a thing. He confused her, and that was a fact.
She twisted,
turning her shoulder to him, trying to calm her rapid pulse.
He was free to
think whatever he pleased. She had no need to understand what she saw in
the depths of his eyes. If he could discover what Major Pickering knew,
then Mr. Trenchard could keep his counsel.
“No, Sarah—Miss
Sanderson. You know better than that,” he replied, his tone mild. “All I
want is to keep you alive.” A devilish grin pressed a dimple into his
left cheek. “And see you in a dress.”
She pulled away. “A
dress is unlikely, sir. And staying alive may be just as difficult if we
don’t get that box. Can you…do you think you could get it back for me?
If it hasn’t been opened—if he hasn’t taken the money—I’ve enough to pay
your fee as agreed. But I must get that box!”
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