Evelyn Anthony

Based on the life of Catherine the Great.

Max Steiner is the unhappily married, German-born, Paris-based foreign correspondent for a London paper, and he's on assignment when West German politician Sigmund Walther is shot down beside him by two assassins; the dying man whispers: ""Janus. . . ."" This shocks Steiner who, as a 1945 Hitler Youth, was ordered to execute a man who also died saying, ""Janus. . . find Janus."" Steiner sets out to do just that, with the help of Walther's widow Minna, a middle-aging mother of five who's not too old for a gentle fling with Steiner. Meanwhile, the CIA and West German Intelligence converge on the search for Janus--whom the assassinated Walther had also been tracking down--and the professional hit team that killed Walther (two men working for KGB) is assigned a new list of victims to be taken out, including Max, Minna, and a mysterious nun. What is Janus all about? Whom are they all seeking? Hitler's son, of course--who it turns out is dead. But the son's twin sister still lives--the nun!--and she's a magnetically evil creature who knows who she is and is intent on the coming of the Fourth Reich

285 p. ; 22 cm

This is an intriguing work of historical fiction that centers on the supposed love affair of Cardinal Richelieu and Anne of Austria, who was Queen of France and the sister of the King of Spain. Married to Louis the XIII, who prefers the company of his young male companions, Anne is left to her own devices. Finally, Louis is forced to consummate the marriage, which results in Anne becoming pregnant, only to suffer a miscarriage. After this event, the King leaves Anne alone and treat as her as if she were his prisoner, rather than his wife. This results in Anne intriguing with the Kings mother, Marie de Medici, and the King's younger brother, Gaston D'Orleans, against both the King and Richelieu. Cardinal Richelieu is depicted as a consummate statesman, the true power behind the throne. He knows himself to be a political figure, first and foremost, and a son of the Church, a distant second. He is consumed by his fight for power, as well as his secret passion for Anne. Yet, she will not succumb, as she detests Richelieu, blaming him for all that befalls her at her husband's hands and orders. There comes a time, however, when Richelieu gains the upper hand in the battle of wills, and a passion is unleashed that would have the power to topple a dynasty were it known. Then, an event occurs that would change the stakes for which they are playing. It is now a matter of life or death for both Anne and Richelieu. Seventeenth century France was a turbulent place and time, a hotbed in which rumors and intrigue abounded, providing a great deal of exciting events for the author to weave together into a story that is sure to keep the reader turning the pages. Those who like the historical fiction genre will enjoy this novel, as well as the author's interpretation of the events of the time. [Review by Amazon.com member "Lawyeraau"]

KIRKUS REVIEW The intrigue of the Court of Louis XV is powerfully at work in this romance centered about the saturnine figure of Charles Macdonald, son of James, and Eatherine, exiled from their native Scotland to France after the Stuart rising in the Highlands in 1745. To bring money and leadership to their lands, the elder Macdonalds force Charles to marry his wealthy French cousin Anne de Bernard, who in her turn loves him and is determined to gain his love. The savage Charles accedes to the marriage but will not accept it in good faith: he returns to Versailles and his mistress Louise de Vitale. Louise, to secure his love, has spies in Anne's Paris house, and when Anne's admirer Francis O'Neil leaves for Metz, goes ruthlessly on in her plotting. She defies the fury of Louis' favorite Madame Du Barry by bringing a new girl to his bed, thus securing the notorious lettre de achet that leads to Anne's disappearance and imprisonment. Du Barry and Charles become wise at last; Lucille dies a tortured death for her troubles, while Charles storms the Bastille to escape with Anne and the child she is about to bear. His daughter survives; Anne does not, and he takes the babe in secret to Scotland. The court is seen in all its rouge; the high color of this tale suits it well for an undemanding, feminine fling.