Pawn in Frankincense

In this book, the light-hearted, mischievous fun of the previous books in the series is gone. In its place, we are given deepening loss and sadness. In previous books, Francis Crawford was the character who possessed secret information on which the plot turned, and that, along with his extraordinary talents, made him powerful. In this book, there are layers of secret information that give others power over Crawford, or that simply make Crawford aware that his world is not quite what he thought it was.

The story is engrossing, as it takes its cast of characters from Europe to North Africa to Constantinople, in their mission to destroy Crawford's enemy, Sir Graham Reid Malett, and to find the child they believe he is holding hostage. The young English girl, Philippa Somerville, becomes a major character as she matures.