Tide of Fortune
By Jane Jackson

      Kerenza Vyvyan’s parents and older sister have been missing for a year following a trading trip, so she is amazed when her father suddenly reappears. He tells her that a ransom must be paid to secure the release of his wife and daughter. Kerenza must accompany him to Tangier, which is bad enough, but when she hears that the commander of the Kestrel is the man who has just jilted her, it seems things cannot get worse. But they can, and Kerenza is going to need all her strength on the coming voyage…

     If you think this is the usual Georgette Heyer type of Regency with balls and beaus, then think again, as you are in for a pleasant surprise. This is far more akin to the delicious gothic suspense-filled tales of Victoria Holt, with their lush descriptions of exotic locales and thrilling adventures. Kerenza at times appears a bit too good to be true as she rises admirably to every occasion, and the hero Nicholas Penrose seems lost in admiration for her when he isn’t being cutting. I’ve read romances with more interesting protagonists, but this notwithstanding, there is plenty to enjoy in the tactile descriptions of life aboard the packet and sun-bleached Tangier. There are several surprises in store, too, and at the end I was wishing that it had been the length of one of Holt’s novels so even more could have been packed in. This ought to appeal to anybody who likes more than just a romance.