Mission: Improper
By Bec McMaster
Book 1 The Blue Blood Conspiracy
About the Book:
Entire families have gone missing in the East End. When Caleb Byrnes receives an invitation to join the Company of Rogues as an undercover agent pledged to protect the crown, he jumps at the chance to find out who, or what, is behind the disappearances. Hunting criminals is what the darkly driven blue blood does best, and though he prefers to work alone, the opportunity is too good to resist.
The problem? He’s partnered with Ingrid Miller, the fiery and passionate verwulfen woman who won a private bet against him a year ago. Byrnes has a score to settle, but one stolen kiss and suddenly the killer is not the only thing Byrnes is interested in hunting.
Soon they’re chasing whispered rumours of a secret project gone wrong, and a monster that just might be more dangerous than either of them combined. The only way to find out more is to go undercover among the blue blood elite… But when their hunt uncovers a mysterious conspiracy, Byrnes and Ingrid must set aside their age-old rivalry if they have any chance at surviving a treacherous plot.
Review:
If you are a fan of Bec McMaster’s London Steampunk series, hang on to your Kindles because you will love this ride. We first meet Caleb Byrnes in the earlier series. We know he’s controlled, disciplined, and loves to solve puzzles. His previous encounter with verwulfen, Ingrid Miller, left him tied up in knots, and he is eager for payback. They are partnered together to investigate the strange disappearance of groups of people, blue bloods, humans, and others. Given the fragile nature of the relatively new coalition government, these crimes pose a threat to national security. This is post-revolution of the Queen’s consort who was committed to maintaining a blue-blood-privileged society. The Queen’s government, in contrast, is trying to bring equality to all the different factions and move toward a democracy. This government must show that they keep the citizenry safe.
I found the beginning of this book a little slow going, not because the writing is slow but because I had to reacquaint myself with the characters from the previous series. Because it has been awhile since I read my last London Steampunk book, I found myself scrambling to remember the names and relevance of characters. As the first book in a new series, it can and does stand alone. It is not necessary to be familiar with the characters, but I want to map their relationship to last series.
As an adventure, the story is suspenseful with lots of political intrigue. There is a conspiracy led by a new breed of blue blood extremists that are intent on bringing down the Queen’s government. They are faster, stronger, and more terrifying than the former blue bloods. Yup, this is going to be a fun ride.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
