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Carnival
Nothing had prepared her for this
Thick fog seeping off the Devon moor. The brooding ruins of an alchemist's castle. And the carnival itself, whose maze of tents and caravans hid the priceless Saxony jewels -- and the identity of the carny who'd killed for them. Preparing her first criminal case, Lexie Hudson was glad of Australian roustabout Rick Matheson's friendly face -- frankly, the place spooked her.
But Lexie wasn't too scared to pursue any and all leads, and that worried Rick, working undercover for Scotland Yard. His concern wasn't entirely professional -- he was greatly attracted to the young American lawyer, who wasn't experienced enough to know that the gravest threat to her well-being was her burning desire to uncover the truth.
Thick fog seeping off the Devon moor. The brooding ruins of an alchemist's castle. And the carnival itself, whose maze of tents and caravans hid the priceless Saxony jewels -- and the identity of the carny who'd killed for them. Preparing her first criminal case, Lexie Hudson was glad of Australian roustabout Rick Matheson's friendly face -- frankly, the place spooked her.
But Lexie wasn't too scared to pursue any and all leads, and that worried Rick, working undercover for Scotland Yard. His concern wasn't entirely professional -- he was greatly attracted to the young American lawyer, who wasn't experienced enough to know that the gravest threat to her well-being was her burning desire to uncover the truth.
- GenresRomanceCategory Romance
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1990
11 people want to read
About the author
Jenna Ryan
95 books129 followersJenna Ryan was born in Victoria, British Columbia. After long stints in different cities across Canada, she returned home to Vancouver Island where she has lived ever since. She has had thirty-one books published in the Harlequin Intrigue series. Her ideas come from real life, and she is helped in her writing by her sister Kathy.
She enjoys reading and is a big fan of women's fiction, psychological suspense and mystery novels. She also enjoys watching classic suspense movies. She loves strong heroines, heroes with character, romance stories and a good whodunit by the fire on a rainy night.
Her heritage is a blend of English and Irish — which is probably where the gift of blarney comes from. She is unmarried, but involved with a wonderful man. She also has a little white cat named Sheena.
Whenever she is not writing, she travels as much as time and finances will allow. After North America, Europe is her favorite continent to explore, because it was in those countries that many of the myths and legends she drew upon in her early years of writing were born.
Growing up, she considered various careers and dabbled in several of them, including, after university, the travel industry, tourism, sales and modeling. Work in the fashion industry in Toronto and Montreal gave her an interesting peek into various aspects of that world. She learned that where money, power and people come together, there will always be unpredictability — an element she feels is essential to a strong mystery. Add a healthy measure of personal conflict, an intriguing setting and a spicy romance into the mix, and you have the ingredients for what she believes to be the best of all possible stories — a great romantic suspense.
She enjoys reading and is a big fan of women's fiction, psychological suspense and mystery novels. She also enjoys watching classic suspense movies. She loves strong heroines, heroes with character, romance stories and a good whodunit by the fire on a rainy night.
Her heritage is a blend of English and Irish — which is probably where the gift of blarney comes from. She is unmarried, but involved with a wonderful man. She also has a little white cat named Sheena.
Whenever she is not writing, she travels as much as time and finances will allow. After North America, Europe is her favorite continent to explore, because it was in those countries that many of the myths and legends she drew upon in her early years of writing were born.
Growing up, she considered various careers and dabbled in several of them, including, after university, the travel industry, tourism, sales and modeling. Work in the fashion industry in Toronto and Montreal gave her an interesting peek into various aspects of that world. She learned that where money, power and people come together, there will always be unpredictability — an element she feels is essential to a strong mystery. Add a healthy measure of personal conflict, an intriguing setting and a spicy romance into the mix, and you have the ingredients for what she believes to be the best of all possible stories — a great romantic suspense.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 25, 2021
This Harlequin Intrigue is set (naturally) in a carnival on the dark, dreary English moors.
There's been a violent murder committed. American attorney Lexie Hudson has been hired to represent the accused killer, Diana. Then there's Rick Matheson, a handsome casual worker who is anxious to help Lexie seek out clues and also keep her out of harm's way. But Rick is no ordinary laborer; he's a Scotland Yard detective, secretly employed undercover to find the real murderer, as well as the missing treasure that's the motive for the homicide.
Lexie and Rick work together following a labyrinthine trail of clues as they try to solve this mysterious puzzle. In the meantime, they also fall in love, having quite a sexy relationship. Rick was a nice, protective hero, and I really liked him.
Carnival was one of those mysteries with a HUGE twist at the end because the person who committed the crime was the least likely person to execute it. No, it wasn't the hero or heroine. Let's just say, if you've seen , then you'll know who the killer is.
This was a good thriller. It's not super memorable, but still, it's a gripping read that will keep you turning the pages to see who-dun-it.
3 1/2 stars
There's been a violent murder committed. American attorney Lexie Hudson has been hired to represent the accused killer, Diana. Then there's Rick Matheson, a handsome casual worker who is anxious to help Lexie seek out clues and also keep her out of harm's way. But Rick is no ordinary laborer; he's a Scotland Yard detective, secretly employed undercover to find the real murderer, as well as the missing treasure that's the motive for the homicide.
Lexie and Rick work together following a labyrinthine trail of clues as they try to solve this mysterious puzzle. In the meantime, they also fall in love, having quite a sexy relationship. Rick was a nice, protective hero, and I really liked him.
Carnival was one of those mysteries with a HUGE twist at the end because the person who committed the crime was the least likely person to execute it. No, it wasn't the hero or heroine. Let's just say, if you've seen , then you'll know who the killer is.
This was a good thriller. It's not super memorable, but still, it's a gripping read that will keep you turning the pages to see who-dun-it.
3 1/2 stars
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June 27, 2025Interesting read and story. Ryan did a lovely job describing the various locations in a captivating way. The murder investigation had me guessing and double-guessing right up to the revelation of the murderer.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews