The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla

August 1, 2014
The penultimate entry in Willig's popular Pink Carnation series focuses on Sally Fitzhugh, younger sister of the lovably bumbling Turnip, and Lucien, the dashing Duke of Belliston, who has returned to England after a 12-year absence only to find rumors swirling fast and furious about his time away. The most prevalent gossip is that Lucien is a vampire, based in part on the fervor created by the Gothic sensation, The Convent of Orsino. Lucien has returned to solve the mystery surrounding the death of his parents, and he teams up with Sally, who is dismissive of vampire talk, even when they stumble across the body of a young woman with fang marks on her neck. Sally realizes someone is trying to set Lucien up, and soon they enter into a fake betrothal in the hopes that a jaunt to Lucien's family estate will provide answers. Once again, Willig doles out a completely delightful confection of romance and intrigue sure to please her many fans and leave them breathlessly anticipating the Pink Carnation's final adventure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)