Just how far will a man go to grab an inheritance not his own? How far will a relative take his insane plans? Unlawful imprisonment? Conspiracy? Murder? Lisa Marie Wilkinson's, Fire at Midnight, holds the answers to these and other such terrible questions.

Wrongly imprisoned in an infamous insane asylum, Rachel is a victim of an evil uncle's plans. At the same time, the smuggler, Sebastian Falconer, who swears to exact a harsh revenge, seeks after her. These are just some of the harrowing predicaments facing young Rachel Penrose. Can she survive them? Can she tred her precarious way through Byzantine plots and counterplots, and somehow win through to safety? Or, are Rachel and her baby brother destined to be murdered, victims of her uncle's terrible conspiracies?

Fire at Midnight is Lisa Marie Wilkinson's story of Rachel Penrose, an innocent young woman who languishes in Bedlam, that most terrible of insane asylums, having been sent there by her Uncle Victor. He plans to eventually murder her and her younger brother, and then seize their inheritance. But Rachel finds the aid of a trusted friend, Tarry Morgan, and makes her escape.

During this break for freedom, she falls into the hands of yet another enemy, the enigmatic and handsome Sebastian Falconer. He is a smuggler who erroneously believes poor Rachel is responsible for many of his friends' recent arrests. Again, she escapes, this time from him, but now she finds herself in an impossible predicament, the mere pawn of others' schemes and machinations. With enemies on all sides, and few friends remaining, Rachel somehow must find a solution, a way out for her and her little brother. To fail in this endeavor means certain death for them both. However, there is yet another problem complicating things. Despite her best intentions, Rachel now realizes she is falling in love with Sebastian Falconer, her sworn enemy, a man who hates her and seeks her downfall.

Lisa Marie Wilkinson has written a bold and exciting tale in Fire at Midnight. She weaves an intricate story, one of startling complexity of plot, and generous proportions in the creations of her characters, for they are very real to the reader. Moreover, Lisa Marie Wilkinson does it so well! Fire at Midnight is a real romantic thriller, one with new twists at every corner, and so is a marvelous read!

Occasionally in Fire at Midnight, Lisa Marie Wilkinson's descriptive passages can border on the edges of purple prose and this is somewhat distracting. In addition, events can appear just a little too coincidental at times, as with Rachel's escaping Bedlam, only to be accidentally handed over to the very man, Sebastian Falconer, who is intent upon finding her. However, these are minor flaws in an otherwise seamless work of romance and adventure, one with obviously a lot of historical research involved in it, as well. If you are looking for a book that you simply can't put down, one that takes you back in time, keeps your heart pumping, and thrills you with its love interest, you will adore Fire at Midnight by Lisa Marie Wilkinson.

Fire at Midnight, by Lisa Marie Wilkinson, justly deserves a rating of 9 out of 10. This is the perfect book for reading when seated all cozy by a lit fire on a cold winter's night and with a box of chocolates nearby. Settle down and enjoy Fire at Midnight by Lisa Marie Wilkinson. I think you will find it is truly worth the read!
 
Reviewed by Rob Shelsky
© December 2008