The Betrayal of the Blood Lily

By: Lauren Willig

Narrated by: Kate Reading

The heroines of Lauren Willig's bestselling Pink Carnation series have engaged in espionage all over nineteenth-century Europe. In the sixth stand-alone volume, our fair English heroine travels to India, where she finds freedom—and risk—more exciting than she ever imagined.

Everyone warned Miss Penelope Deveraux that her unruly behavior would land her in disgrace someday. She never imagined she's be whisked off to India to give the scandal of her hasty marriage time to die down. As Lady Frederick Staines waits, Penelope plunges into the treacherous waters of the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad, where no one is quite what they seem—even her husband. In a strange country, where elaborate court dress masks even more elaborate intrigues and a dangerous spy called the Marigold leaves venomous cobras as his calling card, there is only one person Penelope can trust...

Captain Alex Reid has better things to do than play nursemaid to a pair of aristocrats. Or so he thinks—until Lady Frederick Staines out-shoots, out-rides, and out-swims every man in the camp. She also has an uncanny ability to draw out the deadly plans of the Marigold and put herself in harm's way. With danger looming from local warlords, treacherous court officials, and French spies, Alex realizes that an alliance with Lady Staines just might be the only thing standing in the way of a plot designed to rock the very foundations of the British Empire...©2010 Lauren Willig; (P)2010 Penguin

Not quite up to par with the rest of the series

First of all I LOVE love LOVE this series. I was so excited when I began, but was quickly disapointed. Much too dime paperback like. I just could not adapt to or empathize with the plight of the main character Penelope. she was unlike the character by the same name in the previous novel. Her husband, lord Staines is barely perceptble, outrageously abrasive and all around a huge drag. Predictable plot direction. Even the "uncovering" of the conspirators was a snooze. this book is missing the humor, character likebility and general supporting cast of the previous books. if you have read the rest, well of course you have to find out for yourself- but if you have never heard or listened to only a couple of the books in this series please read the rest first. don't let this one turn you off what is otherwise a witty and smart series.

Not best in the series

I loved this series overall, but this was the weakest link. A series that is very focused in England and France suddenly zips over to India, and with a character its hard to like. I could listen to Kate Reading read classifieds, so it wasn't a total disappointment. If you are stingy with your credits, I'd skip this one.

loved it

I loved the story line. I loved how it was different from all the other ones being placed in India. and I love the resolution of the story

Another good book in a fantastic series.

Good Read, though I expect nothing less from L Willig. You should definitely give the series a try.

An Overall Good Read

Firstly, I have enjoyed all the books in this series and, unlike some of the other reviewers, I enjoyed this one too. Ironically, there was a huge part of me that didn't want to like the book. The heroine is definitely a bad girl her contemporaries' standards. And, I just didn't want to like a love story wherein a couple starts to fall in love and have a relationship while one of them was still married. But, you know what? I did! So, here's the run down. Penelope isn't the most likeable character, but Willig does a good job of helping you understand why she is the way she is. In order to make this plot work, Willig had to make Penelope's husband, Frederick Staines, thoroughly unlikeable and she is successful in that endeavor. The most likeable main character was Captain Alex Reid. He was your classic dark, brooding, yet thoughtful and sensitive male lead.

P.S. If you haven't listened to any of the books in this series, this isn't the one to start with. I recommend starting with books 1-5, or 8.

P.P.S. It was nice to have Kate Reading back as the narrator :)