According to historical record, the fate of the Ninth Legion is unknown. This alone makes them a great focus for a number of works including Susanna Kearsley's latest, The Shadowy Horses.
Verity Grey has accepted an interview for a position with Peter Quinnell's dig in Eyemouth. Little does she know the dig is a continued search on Quinnell's part for the missing Ninth. Reports of a spectral Sentinel have led Quinnell to Rosehill. Verity most definitely does not believe in ghosts but even she can't resist Quinnell's enthusiasm and the draw of local archaeologist David Fortune helps as well. She vows to give the dig a chance and when undeniable evidence of Roman occupation is uncovered, she becomes determined to see the excavation through. But the dig and the charming coastal village hide dangers that Verity is unprepared for.
Kearsley hooked me with just a few lines this spring when I read Mariana and it was the same with Shadowy Horses. She does an amazing job building the tension and suspense in her plots, setting up a gothically tinged atmosphere, spicing it up with a little romance, and completely enthralling the reader in the tale.
My one (minor) complaint was that the end seemed a bit rushed after all of that excellent build. Otherwise, The Shadowy Horses is a fabulous read! I can't wait to jump into more of Kearsley's backlist. I have both The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden in my TBR as we speak. And I hear that Kearsley's next book will feature a return of one of Shadowy Horses's characters.
The Shadowy Horses is actually a reprint/rerelease from Sourcebooks and is due out October 2.
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