Another incredible book by Joanna Bourne. It's my favorite of the Spymaster series, but that's a tough choice when they're all so excellent. This one takes place chronologically before the 2 earlier published books but has many of the same characters. What tipped the scales to make this one my favorite, was the hero, William Doyle, a/k/a Guilliame LeBreton. I totally fell for him. Maybe a quirk on my part, because he is described as not conventionally handsome at all, but I am a pushover for heroes who know what they want. I had to go back to The Spymaster's Lady to reread the parts where he was featured. This guy locks onto the heroine like a laser-guided missile and will not let her get away, whatever the obstacles are. And the heroine is fantastic too, smart and intrepid. The plot climaxes with one of my favorite tropes, when the heroine has to rescue the hero, in this case from a French prison.As always with Bourne, the historical detail is incredible, the French Revolutionary setting totally believable, the love scenes sensuous, the plot thrilling and clever and complex. A really touching ending too.If you like to see the heroine rescuing the imprisoned hero, here's a short list of other books using that plot device, all are well worth reading:The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne LongNo Longer a Gentleman by Mary Jo PutneyVienna Waltz by Teresa GrantThe Spy's Bride by Nita Abrams.