The Meddlers
By June Drummond

      When Dominic Barr’s father and elder brother are killed in a freak accident he suddenly finds that he is the new Lord Barr, but he is also penniless. His nearest neighbor is Kate Safford, the heiress to a vast fortune and a childhood playmate, but he cannot marry her for her money, and she does not seem keen on him anyway. But when she tells him of her father’s dying wish to find the Twyford Gold, a legendary Saxon treasure possibly buried on his lands, then the pair of them begin a hunt. This will put them both in danger, for Dominic has incurred more than one enemy.

     This is a well above average and entertaining Regency, with a most engaging hero and heroine who manage to avoid a battle of the sexes and falling into the more obvious situations. Instead, this is one of those books that actually immerses the reader in a particular time and place. This ought to appeal to anybody who likes more than just a romance, although if you want searing passion then you will not find it here. So settle back and enjoy a gentle but unusual adventure with a fine sense of history and plenty of local knowledge.