Valentin and The Widow: The Mandrake Machine Paperback – 10 Oct. 2017

Two rollicking tales in a single volume, these are the adventures of rugged Russian sailor Sacha Valentin and intrepid English widow Lady Eleanora Rosewood. Both with troubled pasts and an urge to do the right thing, they find themselves travelling the world, combatting criminal masterminds and imperialist conspiracies wherever they lurk - and they really do lurk everywhere.All the action and suspense of classic pulp stories but with a modern spin on the hoary old cliches of the genre, this is a delightful read, full of evocative details, snappy wit and memorably drawn characters. Will Eleanora ever unravel the many mysteries of her late husband's double life? Will Sacha ever find a man who will love him without wanting to enslave the world later? I can't wait for the next novel in the series to find out.

A great read especially for those who like the vintage feel of 1920s-1950s books and/or brawny Russian sailors.

Loved it.