To Seduce an Angel

To Seduce an Angel
Kate Moore
304 pgs. 2011

Kit Jones, the Marquess of Daventry is the target of a murderer, sent by his grandfather. He shelters a motley crew of young London pickpockets in the family castle. He was a victim of kidnapping as a young boy, and lived on the streets of London with the children. Emma Portland is being blackmailed to gather information on Jones that will lead to his death. Her path includes royal exile, jail and execution.

Lots of mistaken identities, good intentions and general mayhem. The focus of the characters' strong sense of family lifts the story out of the usual gothic melodrama, with which any good historical fiction excels.