I am a big fan of Kerrigan Byrne's books and I have been waiting for Ms. Byrne to tell us Inspector Morley's story. Morley has been a secondary, but intriguing character in Byrne's Victorian Rebels series of books. Sir Carlton Morley is the much-admired but ruthless Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard. Inspector Morley commands respect with his reputation as a sharpshooter and his heroism in battle. He is a complex, multi-faceted character. The reader learns early in the book that as a boy, Carlton Morley endured hunger and abuse until a tragedy reshaped him. Morley's story, told in A Dark and Stormy Knight, was worth the wait!

Morley encounters prim and proper Prudence Goode under unexpected circumstances as Prudence, expected to live a life of drudgery after her impending marriage, decides to embark on a night of illicit adventure. She encounters Morley and mistaking him for a male prostitute decides he is the one to debauch her. Initially, Prudence seems to be an unlikely match for Morley as she is a typical, sheltered society miss. At the beginning, Prudence does not seem to be as complex a character as Morley. However, the couple have a lot of chemistry and as the plot develops, the character of Prudence also develops. Although Prudence brings out Morley's protective side, he has to work hard to trust her while he investigates a series of murders.

As with the other couples in Byrne's Victorian Rebels series who find their HEA, Carlton Morley and Prudence Goode are an unlikely couple. They meet by chance and are forced to live together and to learn to trust each other. Add in a murder mystery to solve and you have an exciting who-done-it that will keep you up nights reading until the very end.

Five stars! This was a terrific book and I was happy to have an ARC from Net Galley to review.

Dark romance.
Hero is the chief inspector, with a night past time.
Prudence knew her duty to family, but wanted a night for herself.
Her and Carlton have instant chemistry.
A spicy read. Glad to finally know what makes Inspector Carlton tick.

I would read series before this one.

If you’ve been reading the Victorian Rebels series since the beginning, which I highly recommend (!!), then, like me, you’ve been waiting with bated breath for Chief Inspector Sir Carlton Morley to get his own book. Byrne has skillfully crafted his development as a secondary character throughout the previous six books, and it was finally, FINALLY time for Morley to get his moment.

As always, I bow down to the strength of Kerrigan Byrne’s writing. Her descriptions transport me to the dregs of London. Her ability to weave the characters’ complex and deeply human emotions throughout the book fully invests the reader in this book.

Prudence Goode was the perfect match for the complex and often cold Morley. Their “meet-cute” LOL was SO HOT. One of the hottest scenes I’ve read so far this year. Prudence was relatively mild-mannered, but that made it even more fun when she stood up for herself and started to find her voice. I mean, when you’re married to “Victorian-era Batman,” you have to figure out your own life.

Morley was everything I wanted him to be and more. His devotion to Prudence, even when he wasn’t sure he could trust her, made me fall a little bit in love with him. Plus he was just such a good guy (TM) I was cheering for his HEA the whole time.

I do have to say, I wanted a little more. This book was only 266 pages compared to the 360+ page average of the other books in the series, and it showed. I wanted a little more oomph with the plot, and Byrne’s descriptive writing style demands a longer book to encompass a fully fleshed out plot.

Overall, this book was trope-tastic and super fun. Maybe a little less dark than previous books in the series? But not in a bad way. Honestly, the Victorian Rebels is one of my very favorite series of recent years, and I never want it to end.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

A dark and stormy knight by Kerrigan Byrne is another eArc I received from Netgalley. Kerrigan Byrne has lately been on my radar. I heard a lot of good things about her books and writing. Her books are dark romances with the regency period as its setting. She has made her books stand out because of how she combined these elements well. A dark and stormy knight is the seventh book to the Victorian rebels series. I read it without reading the other previous books. It is also my first read by Kerrigan Byrne and it did not disappoint.

The story was different from the usual regency romance novels I read. Prudence is a heroine who decides on her own. She was also able to convince her husband Carlton to trust her 3/4 in the story. As for Carlton, I like his character. He is the uptight person in his group of friends. However, his hidden personality breaks the rules every night which earned him the moniker “knight of shadows”. Prudence and Carlton met in an unusual circumstance. The trope of the story was a marriage of convenience with a baby on the way. I liked the combination and the author’s execution of the story. Also, how they were able to profess their love was swoon-worthy. I was expecting it but I was not certain I would be blown away. However, I was wrong since I love it.

For the first read by Kerrigan Byrne, I loved it. It was a story which I know my mother and grandmother would like. The characters were not perfect but they are perfect for each other. As for the writing, it was well done. From now on, I will read any book Kerrigan Byrne will bring out. I gave this story a four hearts rating because I am using this as a marker for the other books I will read from her. She could have more amazing books than and those would deserve a higher rating. I’m also curious about Honoria, Prudence's sister, she might have a story of her own. For the previous books of this series, I’m on the lookout for physical copies. They are an instant-read and buy for me.

I have loved Bryne’s Victorian Rebels series from the beginning and from the beginning, I have been intrigued by Morley. I had to wait years but he finally got his book and his HEA. We find out Morley’s back story, what he has survived, and what drives him to act as he does. Inspector by day, he is a vigilante at night.

Prudence Goode starts off heartbroken and feeling ill used by her father and her fiancé. There is a chance meeting between Pru and Morley early in the book that shows their passion.

I loved every single thing about this book. The chemistry between Pru and Morley was palatable. I am already looking forward to my next Bryne novel.

Sir Carlton Morley, first met by lust and pain, takes Prudence Goode in a night of passion in a dark garden. But as Scotland Yard’s Chief Inspector, he seeks to bury his desires and to hold true to his responsibilities. Despite a tragically broken past shaped by abuse and murder, Morley strives to prove himself responsible above all others. This could prove to be a real challenge to him as he still has activities that could prove to be questionable.

Pru has had her chance to make a good marriage match, and despite the opportunities that were presented to her on more than one occasion, it just never happened. Determined to have at least one night she can remember, she gives into the temptation presented to her in the arms of a complete stranger. Later, due to her actions, Pru’s life hangs by a thread. Morley steps in and makes her an unbelievable offer, a marriage of convenience that he could make happen due to his position.

Having seen bits of Morley throughs the series, and loving each and every one in Kerrigan Byrne’s Victorian Rebels story, I was more than pleased to read his story. Settling for a loveless marriage did not seem his due, but no doubt this excellent story gives both Morley and Pru what they need. One thing I love about the pair is how imperfect and also how heartbroken they are and how they fight whatever it is that seems determined to remove emotion from their bond.

While this connected story had a few of the characters from previous stories, there wasn’t the full sense of family I have grown used to. Nonetheless, I loved Morley and Pru together, especially when that moment of their intense chemistry reignited. I have just binge read this series over the course of a few days, so with an undetermined release date, I am more than eager to continue the series with The Earl on the Train, which is Sebastian Montcrieff’s book. Readers might remember him from the sixth book in the series, The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo.

Many thanks to Gnarly Wool Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

-- Read this review, and others, on my blog www.hookedbythatbook.com –

Prudence Goode is engaged to be married, and she was quite excited about it, until she heard her sister and a friend talking about her husband-to-be and his reputation. Suddenly the usually well-behaved Pru wanted to have a night just for her own pleasure before she binds the rest of her life to one unfaithful man. She happens upon Sir Carlton Morley, who was in the middle of an investigation, and mistakes him for a Stag of St. James. Morley was only too happy to oblige the lady. Fast forward to three months later, and Pru and Morley meet again at her wedding, where she is found holding the bloody knife that had killed her fiancée. The evidence is stacked against her, and after being released from prison, Pru finds herself married to Morley. The marriage will help quell any scandal, and also enable Morley to keep a close eye on her.

This was a very exciting read. The first chapter showed us Morley as a teenager, and the heartbreaking story of his twin sister’s fate. It gives us a lot of insight into the inspector and his motivations. Morley is a wonderfully multi-faceted character. Pru appeared to be very dutiful, and obedient. But she had her moments of rebellion, such as her night of passion with Morley, and deciding to fight for their marriage.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing is well done, the characters are complex and there was a lot of history to unpack. It also had its fair share of suspense, trying to figure out who really killed Pru’s fiancée. Characters from the previous books also made an appearance and added to the general feeling of the story.

I can definitely recommend the entire series.

Thank you to Gnarly Wool Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars - Top Pick

A Dark and Stormy Knight is the seventh book in Kerrigan Byrne’s Victorian Rebels series. Sir Carlton Morley has pulled himself from the gutters of London to be a respected Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard. By day he protects the city with the law as his weapon. By night he stalks the streets as the Knight of the Shadows, a vigilante for justice. While investigating a case as his alter ego, Prudence Goode literally falls into his lap. He doesn’t have time for distractions, even beautiful raven haired distractions like Pru. However, he finds her irresistible and in her he finds his one weakness.

Kerrigan Byrne has become a one-click author for me, because she writes historicals that are full of action, passion, and emotion. I’m especially a fan of any romance that gives me a good mystery as a subplot to the love story, and Kerrigan always manages to weave the two stories together in a most enjoyable way. I came late to the fandom, so I have not read all of the novels in this series but when I saw this drop on NetGalley I had to snatch up A Dark and Stormy Knight.

Fair warning, I usually try to remain as professional as possible when I write these reviews, but I just have to exclaim one thing. This hero is literally Victorian Batman! His double life as the Chief Inspector and the vigilante gave a lot of insight into the type of man Carlton was, and I loved it. Carlon was as sexy as Bruce Wayne and as mysterious as Batman, with all the buttoned up propriety of a Victorian gentleman. After a lifetime in the gutter he felt duty bound to save those who could not save themselves any way possible. Before he meets Pru his entire being is consumed with finding justice for victims of crime, mostly out of penance for those he could not save. I am a sucker for this type of hero and Carlton sucked me in from the first word on the page.

Prudence is a typical sheltered and pampered miss from a good family. Her father has a small title and is the Commissioner of Scotland Yard, making him Carlton’s direct superior. I don’t want to spoil their meeting, but I can say that the manner is definitely not how one would expect to meet the daughter of a police commissioner and it’s probably my favorite first meeting between a couple in 2020. I struggled a bit with connecting to Pru since she was a bit more one-dimensional than Carlton in the beginning of the book. We don’t get to know much about her other than the fact she was engaged to a philandering Earl and she’s always felt like an outsider in her family. As we go along in the book, Pru eventually finds her way out of her shell and she becomes a very strong and likable character in the story.

The mystery surrounding this story was told very well, and Kerrigan kept me guessing right up until the reveal. I liked how this mystery plays a big role in Carlton and Pru’s relationship, and eventually leads Pru to demanding exactly what she deserves from him. What did bother me in a very minor way was that in the later half of the book a lot of the relationship between Pru and Carlton gets fast forwarded, I think in service to getting the mystery solved on page. This means that we miss out on 2 weeks of them bonding that I would have liked to see on page. I prefer to see major milestones and initial bonding on page, and not skipped over with a quick time jump.

Overall, I loved this book and I’m giving it a 4.5, just because I was a glutton for Carlton and Pru and I really wanted to see more of their love story get page time. This only slightly diminished my extreme love for this book, and my general fandom for this writer. If you love dark and steamy historical novels like Sarah Maclean’s Bare Knuckle Bastards series or the Highland Guard series by Monica McCarty you’ll love this series and this book. I dare you not to fall in love with Victorian Batman 😉

~ Lindsey

A Victorian rebel winner!

I just adore the Victorian rebels! Byrne rocks when it comes to these edgy noir romances. Cutter/Carlton Morely's story is another tribute exhibiting Byrne's considerable talent.
Sir Carlton Morley, the Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard, is the one character we don't know much about. He's driven, he's a force to be reckoned with. He's a friend who can be depended on, an enemy you'd never want.
When Morley falls into an unlooked for liaison with Prudence Goode, daughter of the lesser nobility, it's for one night only. He doesn't know who she is, he doesn't want to know and their paths will never again cross. It's a moment of unlooked for madness, going right against the hard won control that Morley normally exhibits.
Determined to have a night of freedom before she's reluctantly married to the Earl of Sutherland, whom Pru had adored until she discovered his perfidy, Pru seeks out a house of pleasure, Stags of St. James, designed specifically for women. She's looking for illicit gratification, knowing it will be her only chance before her now unwanted marriage.
An innocent aboard, Pru enters the gardens chaste and exists having partaken of illicit pleasure, not with one of the stags, but with Morley whose nighttime activity is hunting down a criminal, the Knight of Shadows. No way was Morley looking for a liaison, but something about Pru called to him. He found himself unable to resist this determined and naive siren.
The next time they meet is on Pru's wedding day. Pru covered in blood!
A fresh chapter of life opens up for Morely, an unlooked for chance of redemption could he but know it. But trust is a hard won commodity for Morley, who's come up through the street of hard knocks. Very few deserve it. Will Pru? Their physical relationship is incinindary, their emotional one barely present.
How that is turned around, how the once street urchin Cutter having gained a modicum of respectability to become Sir Carlton Morley, is freed up to reach for more, is a worthy addition to the Victorian Rebels series.
Beset with dangerous problems, nothing comes together until Pru is almost lost.
A great addition to this addictive pantheon! I feel a series reread looming!

An Xpresso Book Tours ARC via NetGalley

Another great entree in this Victorian rebels series! I flew through this book, enjoying every moment. This book focuses on the story of Chief Inspector Sir Carlton "Cutter" Morley and Prudence "Pru" Goode, whose lives are changed forever after a chance encounter in a scandalous garden, where Morley is searching for clues in a series of murders, and Pru is looking for a moment of passion. The story has passion, murder, and mystery. The author does an amazing job of eliciting the emotion of the reader, keeping me invested in the characters and the story. I can't wait to see what comes next in this series!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Prudence is on the verge of marring a man she admires that is at until she over hears he’s a womanizer and he already fathered bastard children. Pru decides to take matters into her own hands when she hears of a house of pleasure called the Stags of St. James decides to lose her virginity on her terms. Sir Carlton Morley is famously possessed of extraordinary will and skills of catching criminals, but one night while he doing so surveillance in the shadows of the Stags of St; James looking for a murder he is approached by a beautiful young woman for a night of pleasure. Carlton can’t seem to resist Pru, and then he can’t forgot their one night of unbridled passion. Their paths cross again when Pru is accused of murder. I love the chemistry between Morley and Pru as the story takes you into many different twist and turns in directions both emotional and romantic. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this amazing story.

This book took me on an emotional ride, and I loved every minute of it.

Chief Inspector (and vigilante) Carlton Morley is a man who plays by the rules, yet lives and breathes justice that sometimes has to be dealt in unconventional ways. This is his way of coping with tragedy and horror he witnessed as a child. Prudence Goode beams rays of sunshine to Morley's life that has been lived in the shadows for 40 years. Together they fit and they better each other. The beginning of the book, their first meeting, starts with a bang and the action and romance doesn't stop.

The meat of this story is the relationship between Morley and Prudence, how they learn to trust and love. Morley is just the right amount moody and, dare I say, adorable? The way he wanted to make sure all of Prudence's needs and wants were met, was swoon worthy. From the beginning his mission was to keep her safe and happy, and when he finally allowed himself that same happiness, it was glorious.

The mystery into the murder was really secondary to the building of the characters and their relationships, and I was ok with that. There was just enough to keep the plot moving forward. Though I don't understand why Prudence's father would't have been in the story more, considering his position within the police.

I have only read one other book in this series, but after the great interactions in this with the rebel brotherhood and their wives, I'm going to rectify that soon.

Great story! Lots of heart, action, emotions, and very steamy scenes. The dark and gritty is perfectly balanced with the humor and hope. I wish the epilogue took us a little further into Morley and Prudence's future though.



Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book, the thoughts and opinions in this review are totally my own.

A Dark and Stormy Knight is book #7 in the Victorian Rebels series. You can read it without knowledge of the previous books, although many characters from previous books show up along the story. The series is about men who have been considered outlaws at least once (One of my favorite stories in this series is book #1).
Prudence Goode is a proper miss, not the prettiest in her family, but attractive in her own way. She believes her fiancé, an earl, is a proper gentleman too, until she gets to know he's been unfaithful and intends to go on like this after their marriage. Feeling betrayed and unhappy, as her parents insist that she must marry the earl, Prudence - contrary to her name - decides she must know what being desired is and visits a place for "high class" gigolos. Being there, she literally lands in the lap of a dark and mysterious man.
However, this dark man is no gigolo at all. Actually, he's Sir Carlton Morley, Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector. Carlton, as a boy, had a heartbreaking life on the streets of London, one he overcame once he joined the army. Now he's powerful, but not happy - he "patrols" London streets at night searching for justice not easily achieved through legal ways. He lives for his work.
This is such a beautiful story about two lonely people who meet by chance, are forced to be together and learn to trust each other in spite of the circumstances of their previous lives. I wish there would be a new series about Carlton and Prudence investigating crimes together - OK, not very creative, but I believe they would be involved in many interesting stories.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars. This was a really good book! A Dark and Stormy Knight is the seventh book in the Victorian Rebels series and is Sir Carlton Morley's book. Morley has been a character in the other books in the series and is a chief police inspector who also does vigilante justice in his spare time. He has a tragic past and is a lonely man, but his world changes one night when he meets Prudence Goode. Prudence is engaged to a philandering man and sees an unhappy, loveless marriage in her future. She seeks out one night of passion before she marries and, in an error of communication, spends the night with Carlton. They don't think they will ever meet again, but fate has other plans when Pru's fiance is murdered on her wedding day, with her as the prime suspect. I don't want to give too much of the story away so I can't say much more about the plot. But Pru and Carlton have quite a bit to work through before they eventually get their HEA.

A Dark and Stormy Knight is a darkish historical romance with some of my favorite tropes- marriage of convenience and surprise pregnancy, with a dash of murder mystery. The story was very good. I liked Prudence and Morley. They were good together. It did take Morley a bit long to open up to Pru, but he did come around. Prudence was very sweet and brave, despite her difficult circumstances. She was just the breath of fresh air Carlton needed in his life. I enjoyed the couple's relationship progression and was happy that they both got the HEA they deserved. There were some really sweet and sexy moments with a dash of suspense too.

Overall, this was an entertaining, very enjoyable book. I am a big fan of this series and can't wait to see what Ms. Byrne comes up with next!

A Dark and Stormy Knight by Kerrigan Byrne
Victorian Rebels #7

The prologue tells of the horrors of a child living on the streets in 1855 London. So much hunger, pain and loss are experienced by Cutter and yet all of it will lay the groundwork for him to become the man he later becomes. Though dark, gritty, and sad tis part of the story did provide insight necessary to make this story all that it was.

Twenty-five years later we meet Prudence Goode. She is the second daughter in a family of four daughters and feels second in all things from birth order to beauty to just about everything else. When she overhears gossip related to her fiancé, she soon makes a decision that will set in motion a future unlike the one she had expected.

Carlton and Prudence’s meeting made a huge impact on both of them…knowing they would meet again at some point had me eagerly reading to find out how and when and then…well, the story picked up pace and kept me reading without stop till I finished the last page

What I liked:
* That I felt I was there and could relate to everything that happened
* Carlton: an honorable man with secrets that became all that he was meant to be. He became whole when he and Prudence finally managed to connect fully
* Prudence: a strong, warm-hearted, caring woman that was perfect for Carlton…once he wised up.
* Seeing Argent, Dorian and Ash – and some of their wives. Their stories were told in previous books and remembering was a treat
* The fact that Prudence and Carlton had to work for their happiness…it made the story more complex and deeper because it was not all smooth sailing
* The slow growing romance between Carlton and Prudence – there was chemistry from the beginning, but they needed time to truly know one another
* The real feel of the story
* All of it really except…

What I did not like:
* The bad guy…so glad he was caught
* Knowing that even today the lives of some children in the world are as bad as those described in the prologue of this book
* Having to say goodbye to the characters when the story ended

Did I enjoy this book? Definitely!
Would I read more in this series? As soon as the book is written!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gnarly Wool Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

I stayed up for days reading this !
Kerrigan Byrne is such a wonderful author. Her style draws you in . A dark , fragile heart beckons you in ... a mystery within a mystery . You as a reader crave the completion of the story you have found yourself drawn into .

This is book seven of Victorian Rebels. While i think you could wing it as a stand alone , you will value it more as read in the series. You won't regret starting from book one.
In the past ...
Cutter Morley is a orphan . A street rat begging for scraps , running the game with his best friend Dorian Blackwell , stealing , pickpockets you name it . Caroline is Cutter's twin . She has turned to the female arts of selling her body to make it , at such a young age.
Caroline is found dead the next morning , bound and tied up , floating in the river . A waste of such a young life. This event starts the change in Cutter , he will never be the same.
Chief Inspector Carlton Morley has pulled him self up from the gutter. He is a responsible police man . Always in control , nerves of steel . At night he's pulled out a alter ego . The Knight Of Shadows . Sometimes you have to remember how to be the criminal to catch one.
Prudence Goode is a young woman excited to become married . Until she finds out her fiancé has been cheating on her with everyone in london . To have HER time she hired a make escort . Carlton just happens to be in the right place sneaking around as the knight of shadows. The heat between Prudence And Carlton is immense. A hot one night stand, with consequences.
Prudence now stands accused of her soon to be finances murder . Can Carlton help her ? Does he even believe her? Can he let her thru his tough facade?

Such a wonderful read . I have to say ... this book made me appreciate Carlton in a way i never did before. I hated his character from book one . This really shows that Kerrigan Byrne played the long game here .

4.5 stars. I'm so glad Kerrigan Byrne gave us Morley's story! This was different from what I was expecting, but I absolutely loved it. As a character that started off the series as a possible villain (at least in the context of Dorian and Farrah's story), it was interesting to see how Morley's own backstory -- which we learned a bit about in the Duke with the Dragon Tattoo -- sheds a new light on his actions throughout the series. Morley's guilt over not being able to save his twin sister and his desire to atone for his childhood crimes drove him to view the world through a strict lens of good vs. evil. His association with the series' other characters has made that line slightly more flexible, but it's not until he meets and falls in love with Pru -- who is the lead suspect in a murder investigation by the time he formally meets her (no spoilers as to their first encounter) -- that he is forced to confront his own past and reconcile his feelings about what's truly important. I liked Pru and she served as a good foil to Morley. She brought out his softer and protective side, which was a refreshing and unexpected twist given Morley's role in the series so far.

I hope Byrne continues writing more books in this series, as there are many other side characters I would love to learn more about! Getting to revisit the previous couples is also an added bonus.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

KB does not let you down with Dark and Stormy night, a wonderful addition to the Victorian Rebels series.

The author is one of my favorite because she takes her writing seriously as well as her readers and writes compelling narratives with memorable characters with no loose ends. I have read each one of the Victorian Rebels series and still cannot pick a favorite because the stories are well written each with an indelible stamp. I am in awe of such fiction.

This is the story of orphan Cutter Morley who grew up with the other grossly poor rebels including Dorian, Rook, Christopher, as they claw their way out of childhood poverty, Newgate and finally to current lives where the narrative begins after a prologue. Sir Carlton (Cutter) Morley is now the Chief Inspector who is single and fights crime legally during the daytime and by night is the stalks takes the renders justice to those who cannot fight for themselves in flawed legal system.

In comes Prudence Goode, soon to married to An Earl with loose morals, many mistresses and bastards. Here is where the Authors brilliant story telling takes off. It’s not a simple he meets she but the secondary characters intervene creating an intriguing narrative which leads to a plot of murder, who did it, the heroine is seen with the murder weapon. Why do they marry in haste and lead separate lives, what role does Pru’ s sited the married And beautiful Viscountess Honoria and her husband Viscount William (best friend of the now dead Earl) have to do with Pru’s unfortunate situation.

The mystery and romance is intertwined and the rest of the rebels join to help solve the puzzle. The romance is not straightforward either. The book does not dither or meander. It’s crisp, just enough romance for the character such as Cutter, and just right presence of previous characters.

A definite must read for Ms Kerrigan Byrne fans and new readers if historical genre is of interest.

I did review this as an ARC from netgalley. And my motto is, I write reviews if I enjoy reading a book. If the book is off putting, I do not review.

“You are the epitome of every desire or dream I’ve conceived of since before I can remember, and that is a very specific kind of torment. An unparalleled beauty, a superb lover, a woman of grace and kindness and intellect whom I can only respect and admire. A fantasy in the flesh.”

Sir Carlton Morely may not consider himself a poet, but Prudence Goode certainly inspires beautiful prose from him in ‘A Dark and Stormy Knight.’

Readers first met Morely in ‘The Highwayman,’ and while he wasn’t exactly a villain, he wasn’t very lovable. Throughout The Victorian Rebels series, readers get glimpses of the man behind the badge as well bits and pieces of his past. I should have known I’d be half in love with Morely by the time he got his own book.

Morely and Pru have instant, undeniable chemistry. Like each book in this series, there’s action and mystery and surely men and strong women. There are also wonderful cameos from series favorites. Despite this being book seven in the series, Byrne manages to keep it fresh with a brand new storyline and unique elements. I loved this one.

Well I’m very pleased that the author decided to revisit Chief Inspector Morley because I had previously felt sorry for him when he didn’t get the lady he thought he loved. In this book he not only gets to star but also we learn of his backstory which greatly added to my enjoyment. Whilst investigating Morley meets Prudence a very proper young lady intending to do a very improper act ! Morley cannot resist her charms and they share a brief moment of madness. Fast forward a few months and Morley is called to a murder scene and the chief suspect is Pru . You would find that fact extraordinary enough but finding out he left Pru with child makes Morley up and marry her !
So much happened at the beginning and then not a lot really happened which leaves me a bit dissatisfied. There’s no real action as such and the solution to the murder was very obvious and felt like an afterthought. I do enjoy this series but this has to be my least favourite which is such a shame but I will continue to read her books because usually they are outstanding.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair