Chemistry of Evil

An ancient evil rises again to seek revenge for centuries of imprisonment…

Readers who have enjoyed Lynne Connolly’s Richard and Rose series may be surprised that her latest release is not a historical but a contemporary murder with Gothic undertones. Her fans will be far from disappointed as she delivers an enthralling story with elements of Arthurian pagan English ritual and magick. Erotic moments are plentiful and quite explicit; these scenes are used to extend and intensify the attachment of the main characters. As always, the author’s writing style is faultless and readers will be captivated, as if they were onlookers, right from the opening chapters.

Sophie Adams has been waiting for the right time to tell her fiancé of five years that she no longer wishes to marry him. The marriage was to take place the following week. Gradually her passion had died as she outgrew his narrow-minded male attitude of superiority. Even though she had excelled in college and moved up from archaeology to working with the FBI in forensic archaeology, Archie never acknowledged her talents. His overbearing nature and patronizing attitude was wearing thin. If not for his raw sex appeal, Sophie would already have left him. Back in the US, she had been working on the case of a ritualistic serial killer but came to England with Archie to help out with his archeological digs and to prepare for their wedding. They are searching the ancient ruins of a castle, where King Arthur is rumored to have been born, when Sophie finds a strange musical pipe. Archie brushes it off as unimportant, once again trying to belittle her.

The spirit of Mordred, the legendary King Arthur’s treacherous son, has been imprisoned for centuries as punishment for an attempt to overthrow Arthur. He must wait for a mortal to play “the Pipe” to release him. He is hell bent on taking out his revenge on society; all he needs is a vessel. He hopes that it will be a male body with admirable form.

Sophie’s life is changed forever when the well-built, darkly handsome Evan Howell enters the tent at the archaeological dig site. He is a CIA agent working for a covert US government agency concerned with telepathic and other psychic skills. Although Sophie claims to have no abilities, her intelligence and instincts have been noticed by the head of Department Fifty-Seven, Evan’s boss, Cristo. Events come to a head after she jokingly blows into the musical pipe. Archie almost dies, and later that night, cruelly takes a female assistant up to their room at the inn. He is acting like a different person so Sophie gladly ends the engagement. Whilst Evan offers Sophie some sympathetic company, he also explains that he would like some personal insight into the murder investigation. The following morning, Cristo arrives with tragic news that Sophie’s flat mate is the killer’s latest victim. Sophie returns to the US with Evan and Cristo, and an offer to join their team to track down ! the killer from a different angle. She has no idea of what she is walking into but she hopes that Archie will not follow her.

Many unexpected plot twists and surprises make this story fast-paced and hard to put down. Readers are kept guessing how the ritualistic murders link back to the Arthurian legend as they are gradually shown isolated and unexplained clues. In the midst of the turmoil, a tender and deserving romance has begun between two unlikely partners. Sophie knows that she should not be starting a new relationship so quickly and heedlessly but her feelings are too strong to deny. Past experience has taught Evan to tread cautiously, yet if he doesn’t act quickly the woman that he has begun to love may die before his eyes. The unusual combination of mythology, murder, and an erotic modern day romance make Chemistry of Evil a definite keeper. I have thoroughly enjoyed Lynne Connolly’s first contemporary book and highly recommend it.

Reviewed by: Naomi