The Thief of Mardu

Isa Araye is a thief and her job tonight is to steal a valuable object from the home of Statesman Klin on Mardu. But the map given to her by her contact seems to be wrong, and she is delayed by having to hide in a closet, and then being stuck there while the Statesman’s wife and her current lover “consult” with each other – loudly and at length. Isa just wants to do her job and get it over with, and these two people going at it like bunnies is delaying her! When the fireworks finally wind down, Isa sneaks out to the Statesman’s office, and discovers his recently murdered body and an empty safe. She’s got a sneaking suspicion that someone is trying to set her up for the fall.

Catam of Mardu is a bounty hunter, and second-in-command on Captain Mara’s ship. His brother Sernal, in charge of the Peacemakers of Mardu, has asked Catam to take on a special assignment -- he wants Catam to find out who killed Statesman Klin, and bring the person in for judgment. Catam is the best in the business – he always gets his target – but once he finds the criminal, will he be able to give her up?

I really enjoyed this story and thought it was a great sequel to Lurin’s Surrender, in which Catam first appeared. This novel is definitely romantica, but with a solid framework of science fiction. Both the characters of Isa and Catam are realistically drawn, and they behave in accordance with the personalities the author has given them. In addition to the solving of a crime, and plenty of romance, the author also adds a punch of humor to the story. The many male/female love scenes are extremely sexy and graphic, but are also emotionally satisfying.

Reviewed by: Jean