Sergeant Joe by Mary Jane Staples

3.5 Stars

Sergeant Joe is another fun read with some surprising twists and turns by one of my favorite authors, Robert Tyler Stevens (a.k.a. Mary Jane Staples). In this story you'll find a lot of cheeky banter, a sprinkling of romance and a mystery involving Russian Reds and an attempt on the German Kaiser during the Queen's coronation in London.

So basically, an ex- Dragoon, self named Sergeant Joe, is out walking during a thick "pea souper" when he crashes into an orphan cockney woman (think Eliza Doolittle) on the run from pinching a man's wallet. She stumbles in the collision and sprains her ankle; Joe, being the gent, takes her under his wing while she heals.

Really, they're two peas in a pod, Dolly the pickpocket and Joe, who has his own dubious dealings concerning literary forgeries,(which serve him some amusement while feathering his nest). But while we are chuckling at the witty bantering between them, there are more serious events forming, and complications arise in the form of a Russian beauty, a question of identity and the safety of the Monarchy and the Tsar of Russia.

By the way, fans of Robert Tyler Stevens will be pleased to know that Alexandra Petrovna (from The Summer Day Is Done) appears in this story as well.

CONTENT:

SEX: None, although there's some flirting and innuendos
VIOLENCE: A murder is committed
PROFANITY: Liberal sprinkling of British slang/cusses

MY RATING: G-Mild PG