Yet another generic, unoriginal story enlivened by Ms Mallory’s skillful writing but ruined irretrievably by the unfortunate consequences of a bad plotting decision.

As the battle of Waterloo swings in Wellington’s favour, Major Jack Clifton promises his dying friend Tony that he will take care of his widow Eloise. It takes a year or two for Clifton to return to England, where he finds Eloise is not only out of mourning but has earned herself the sobriquet of The Wanton Widow. Having discharged his obligation to return Tony’s ring and two letters, Clifton is all but ready to turn his back on the woman sullying his dead friend’s memory. However, all is not as it seems, and two mysteries unfold, one being the content of a private journal being used to blackmail Eloise, the other the identity of the blackmailer.

For reasons best known to herself, Ms Mallory chooses to telegraph the answers to these mysteries very early in the book. The consequences of this decision are dire.

Clifton is a brave, experienced soldier with a sixth sense for danger, always appearing out of nowhere when Eloise finds herself in trouble. He can read the thoughts and motivations of blackguards but seems totally unable to pick up on the glaring clues to the central mystery. These clues are so obvious that it’s a puzzle the rest of the gossipping ton hasn’t already put two and two together.

In short, when it comes to the central mystery of the book, Clifton proves himself to be a total dim-wit. Surely not what Ms Mallory intended. ( )