One such visitor is Simon Atwood, Lord Granger. A former spy for His Majesty, Simon was captured and tortured by the French and has returned to England a veritable recluse. A friend engages him to spy on Lady Harwood and learn whether she has inappropriate designs on that friend's younger brother. Simon accepts the job reluctantly and hires Jane Chatham as an informer. But their simple business arrangement is seriously disrupted by their undeniable mutual attraction. When an attempt is made on Simon's life, he realizes spies are using Lady Harwood's gatherings to trade information. Before Simon and Jane can resolve their feelings for one another, they must work together to figure out what secret is worth killing one of them.
HIS DARK AND DANGEROUS WAYS is a delightful traditional Regency romance. Although the story alludes to Simon's abuse as a prisoner, Edith Layton keeps the tone light, adding a dash of humor to Jane's naïve misunderstanding of Simon's injuries. Ms. Layton did a fine job of prolonging the suspense between the two lovers, keeping them apart nearly to the very end of the book, but I enjoyed rooting for them to get together.
