Two rival spies must brave pirates, witches, and fake matrimony to save the Queen.
Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice’s capabilities. She has a steely composure and a plan always up her sleeve (alongside a dagger and an embroidered handkerchief). So when rumors of an assassination plot begin to circulate, she’s immediately assigned to the case.
But she’s not working alone. Daniel Bixby, otherwise known as Agent B and Alice’s greatest rival, is given the most challenging undercover assignment of his life— pretending to be Alice’s husband. Together they will assume the identity of a married couple, infiltrate a pirate house party, and foil their unpatriotic plans.
Determined to remain consummate professionals, Alice and Daniel must ignore the growing attraction between them, especially since acting on it might prove more dangerous than their target.
This third book in the series by India Holton is completely witty and dangerously good. Just like the first two books, The Secret Service of Tea and Treason, is captivating and clever. The main characters Bixby and Alice are fun but also complicated, given childhood’s raised by spies and being treated like weapons but their interactions in the pursuit of investigating the pirates leads them to new thoughts and ideas. And as they spend time with each other, feelings develop. The romance is handled well and the villain of the piece is unexpected as is the resolution of the story.
One of the best parts of the book is the message of being true to yourself despite what people and the world will force you to be. Daniel Bixby and Alice have to learn that it is okay to accept love and learn to be true to themselves. They also learn that they can change even late in life and learn to be happy. The dialogue is witty but the story is beautiful. If you like novels that are witty and dangerously good, I recommend checking out this book but you may want to check out the first two books first.
Rating: 5 out of 5 guns
