Morgan Pendray is a career soldier, a Welshman serving in the English Parliamentary army sent to invade Scotland. Hannah Kincaid is a Royalist spy who spirits away Scotland’s crown jewels from under Cromwell’s nose. Is it love that blossoms between them, or a deadly game of cat-and-mouse?
Highland Betrayal (The House of Pendray Book 1)
By annamarkland
An absolutely fantastic Scottish tale! 5 stars
Anna Markland did an amazing job researching history for her novella, HIGHLAND BETRAYAL. Written with words that flew off the pages, this action-packed Scottish tale really pleased me, and grabbed my attention from the first page until the very end. This author never disappoints me! If you love a story filled with adventure, danger, and historical facts, you’ll find all of these elements with a touch of romance in HIGHLAND BETRAYAL. This is an intriguing tale that will surely captivate your heart! HIGHLAND BETRAYAL is based on the true story of the rescue of Scotland’s Crown Jewels from Oliver Cromwell’s clutches, and according to historical details, it appears that a woman had a key role in this theft. The plot is well paced to keep readers interested with all the twists and turns during the heroine and hero’s perilous journey.
The heroine, Hannah Kincaid, a brave and smart woman, is a Royalist spy who is tasked with a mission to steal the King’s crown, sword, and sceptre. The hero, Morgan Pendray, is a Welsh soldier whose mission is to invade Scotland. During a brief moment, he spots her and becomes fascinated by this brave woman. Who is she? Will destiny have their paths crossed? Will a single kiss do it’s magic? Who is the traitor? There is no denying that there is a beautiful chemistry between Hannah and Morgan!
Lovers of Scotland’s history will love HIGHLAND BETRAYAL! Anna Markland’s Scottish adventures are always fun to read!
Highland Betrayal is book one in The House of Pendray series by Anna Markland. I absolutely loved it! I think I fell in love with the hero Morgan Pendray who serves in the English Parliamentary army. He is a man of strength and integrity. An Alpha male with compassion. The heroine Hannah Kincaid is likable and at times feisty.
“She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. As long as she lived she’d never forget the vision of him emerging from the water like a powerful sea-god, the wet linen clinging to his thighs, his maleness…”
Markland is a true historian. She weaves actual events into her stories and she has done so here as well. I can’t wait to read the next in the series.
Will Hannah and Morgan find each other when they are separated by warring armies in motion?
SETTING: Fortress of Dùn Fhoithear, Scotland, Interregnum. The Royalists are fighting in defense of the Fortess of Dùn Fhoithear against Oliver Crowell’s army. A Royalist spy, Hannah Kincaid, pretending to gather crabs and seaweed alongside the seaside of the castle, received the Scottish Crown Jewels and secrets them in her basket. As she leaves, she sees (and is seen by) the captain of the artillary, who assumes she is just gathering items from the seacoast. They are close enough to gain a fair look at each other, so that when they next meet they recognize each other. By that point, the fortress had fallen, the Jewels could not be found, and Captain Morgan Pendray begins to suspect the woman of having made off with them. Were it to be made known he saw her, did not stop her, then the Captain would face severe punishment, as the capture of the Jewels was an obsession with Cromwell.
An accident severely injures the Captain’s batman, and Hannah, seemingly a camp follower, volunteers to aid the youth, preventing a needless amputation by a drunken surgeon. Thus, Morgan and Hannah begin their association. What follows is a wonderful story built on the skeleton of the history of that time, with the hardships and heartaches that come from 2 people on opposite sides of the same conflict, with the additional aspect of Hannah being a spy, always in danger of being exposed as such.
CRITIQUE: EXCELLENT storyline, with accurate historical details, and realistic human interactions. One is swept right into the flow of the story, and navigates the rapids with the characters. As I had previously read “The Kingslayer’s Daughter” and “The Jewel”, I enjoyed reading this, the backstory to both of these books. Once again, I am impressed with the skill with which Ms. Markland weaves history into her story, which makes it so much more rewarding to the reader. I highly recommend this book to lovers of history and Historical Romance, and to any who just enjoy a good story. (Would recommend a mature audience.)
What an amazing audiobook! Greg Patmore, the narrator, made me feel I was watching the story unfold and really held my interest! This is a story of Hannah, a Scottish Spy who follows the drum with the English who are invading her lands. She absconds with important heirlooms to the Scots and tries to hide her identity. Morgan, a welsh soldier in the British army struggles to make the right decisions in this war against the Scots. When he sees Hannah, all thoughts are lost as he forms strong emotions toward her. This story is set during times that are part of history and Anna Markland makes you feel part of the story with the conflicts and emotions that develop between Morgan and Hannah, who should be enemies. You will enjoy listening to this story and not want to “pause” it for a moment!! I received this audiobook for free to listen and offer a review. But I did purchase the ebook also!