Danger's Kiss

Sarah McKerrigan

4/20/2008

When Desiree was a young girl, her parents sold her to Hubert Kabayan so they could buy food and continue to live. Since then she has learned to be an excellent pickpocket and thief. She and Hubert live by their wits in thirteenth century England. Now she is 18 and they are in Canterbury. He's in jail after getting caught robbing a lord's home. He sends her out of town to meet a contact. She realizes she's been duped and returns to Canterbury in time to see him hanged for murder.

Nicholas Grimshaw is the shire-reeve of the area. His job is to carry out the punishment of convicted criminals. He may put them in the stocks, use torture, make sure they attend church, or hang them. He is the tax collecter. He is one of the most hated, yet necessary men in the area. He doesn't believe Hubert Kabayan committed the murder. But Kabayan doesn't deny the charges and instead asks that Nicholas watches over Desiree. Nicholas promises to do so.

Against her wishes, Nicholas takes Desiree to him home to be his maid servant until he can establish her in some lawful position. She does what she can to make his life miserable. In the meantime, she tries to determine the best way to unmask the real murderer of the man at the lord's home. Between tormenting Nicholas and learning more about the local gentry, she is busy. Can she protect herself from either one?

Boy meets girl. Girl hates boy; boy hates girl. They get to know one another; Soon, boy loves girl; girl loves boy. Then girl is accused of murder and boy must hang girl...wait a minute... What?

Danger's Kiss uses a standard romantic formula set in 1200's England. Presumably Sarah McKerrigan has done her research to make the era realistic. The shire-reeve, the local enforcer of convictions, is a feared and hated man. Nicholas Grimshaw is actually a merciful, kind man who must maintain appearances. I had not realized how difficult it must be to be the executioner who everyone is made to fear. McKerrigan does an excellent job rounding out the role and the man in it.

Because of her role as thief, Desiree's strong, independent character is believable even for the time period. She had to live by her wits and learned to use men's desire rather than be dominated by them.

The writing is true to the genre. It is escapism to satisfy the romantic. Enjoy Danger's Kiss.

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Notice: Explicit sexual situations

Provided for review