Indio Stump, seven years old, has just come across "a monster in the garden". The beast in question is Apollo Greaves, Viscount Kilbourne, who four years prior, lost everything: his freedom, his title and his money. He was sent to Bedlam, and put in chains for a crime he didn't commit, and while in jail, he was beaten so badly his larynx was damaged and he lost the use of his voice. He managed to escape the King's men, and he has been hiding under the guise of a gardener. A friend, Asa Makepeace, owner of a Harte's Folly, a theatre in which Apollo is an investor, gave him a way to earn his keep and stay safe. Lily Stump, Indio's mother, is a famous actress, but she has been unable to find any work for months, and has almost no money left. She, Indio, and Lily's old nursemaid have been living in two rooms of Harte's Folly, the theatre where Lily worked until it burned down. When Lily first meets the Beast, he is coming out of a pond, completely nude, and she rather likes what she sees. Indio has become fast friends with the Beast, and Lily gets to know the mysterious man who haunts her garden, who is far from a beast. DARLING BEAST is the latest instalment in the wonderful Maiden Lane series, and once again Ms. Hoyt does not disappoint. Her writing style is simply exquisite; stunningly beautiful, it brings an entire era to life. The author's attention to historical accuracy makes the story very appealing, especially when it comes to the dialogues, which are absolutely delightful. Her writing skills are so remarkable that something as trivial as transplanting a tree becomes sheer poetry.

Besides the gorgeous prose, one of the main strengths of this book is the complexity of the characters: no one is perfect, and it is precisely their flaws that make the characters so compelling: Apollo is a huge and not particularly handsome man, and even though Lily is beautiful, her chosen profession is rather frowned upon by society. I simply loved a secondary character: the delightfully foppish Duke of Montgomery; unforgettable! And while you are completely under the spell of the characters' stories, the mystery slowly builds into a great suspense. DARLING BEAST is the sort of book that, upon finishing, makes you feel like standing up and applauding!

Book Summary

A MAN CONDEMNED . . .

Falsely accused of murder and mute from a near-fatal beating, Apollo Greaves, Viscount Kilbourne has escaped from Bedlam. With the Crown's soldiers at his heels, he finds refuge in the ruins of a pleasure garden, toiling as a simple gardener. But when a vivacious young woman moves in, he's quickly driven to distraction . . .

A DESPERATE WOMAN . . .

London's premier actress, Lily Stump, is down on her luck when she's forced to move into a scorched theatre with her maid and small son. But she and her tiny family aren't the only inhabitants-a silent, hulking beast of a man also calls the charred ruins home. Yet when she catches him reading her plays, Lily realizes there's more to this man than meets the eye.

OUT OF ASH, DESIRE FLARES

Though scorching passion draws them together, Apollo knows that Lily is keeping secrets. When his past catches up with him, he's forced to make a choice: his love for Lily . . . or the explosive truth that will set him free.

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