Review: A Matter of Grave Concern – Brenda Novak

Bestselling author Brenda Novak unearths love in the darkest of places.

When Maximillian Wilder hides his noble identity and joins the notorious body snatchers known as the London Supply Company, the last thing on his mind is love. He’s worried about Madeline, his vanished half sister, who was last seen in the company of Jack Hurtsill, the gang’s conscienceless leader. Raiding graveyards, stealing corpses, and selling them to medical colleges as dissection material is dirty work, but Max knows he must gain Jack’s trust. He’s determined to find out what happened to Madeline—and to bring Jack to justice if she was murdered for the coin her body could earn.

Beautiful, spirited Abigail Hale, daughter of the surgeon at Aldersgate School of Medicine, detests the challenging, hard-bargaining Max almost as much as Jack. But she must procure the necessary specimens if she is to save the college and her father’s career. She believes she is going to be successful—until Jack double-crosses her. Then she’s swept into a plot of danger and intrigue, one where Max must intervene to protect her, no matter the risk to his plan…or his heart.

Series:
Release Date: October 7th 2014 
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Source: Manic Readers
Reviewer: Michelle
Rating: 4.5

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

Brenda Novak has once again penned a page turner.  Thanks to her newest book I have bags under my eyes from staying up all night reading her novel.  Once I started reading I couldn’t stop.  The storyline and characters were excellent.  It was one of the best romantic suspense novels I have ever read….and it was also humorous.

Abigale Hale is the determined doctor of a noted surgeon.  She is desperate to help her father keep the doors of his school open by purchasing cadavers from resurrectionists.  She meets her match when she buys a cadaver from the London Supply Company.  Or maybe it’s vice versa and they met their match when they double crossed her?  Either way when Abby sets out to right their wrong her life takes a radically different direction.

Maximillian Wilder aka Lucien Cavendish Duke of Rowanberry is determined to find his sister, Madeleine.  What he didn’t bargain for is finding a stubborn woman that refuses to leave without what is due her.  While Max is trying to keep Abby safe he can’t resist her charms.

I loved the way the author allowed Max to try to shock Abigail’s virgin sensibilities.  Then she turned the tables on Max by having Abby actually use his same coarse language to inflame his longing for Abby.  Abby was an innocent, but she was very creative.  The chemistry between the two of them was so strong it felt like it jumped off the page.  The author did an excellent job of writing the love scenes that were so hot the flames leapt off the pages without being overly graphic.

The author took me on a roller coaster ride that included murder, violence, dead bodies, kidnappings, and most of all…love.  It was the perfect balance and brought all of my emotions to the forefront.  I was on the edge of my seat hoping that Max wouldn’t be hurt by Big Jack.  I kept hoping and praying that Max would find his sister, Madeline.  I could actually feel his frustration because each time he would get close the information led to a dead end.  I was so scared that the author wouldn’t give Abby and Max their happily ever after.  I kept thinking that with as much as they had been through they deserved to be together.  So I was totally vested in the characters and the storyline.