Ghost Fire

The exciting 28th Courtney novel (after 2018’s Courtney’s War) from bestseller Smith, with an assist from Harper (Black Harbor), opens in 1754 Madras, India, where 16-year-old Constance Courtney and her 15-year-old brother, Theo, are enjoying a life of privilege as members of the English elite, until the outbreak of fighting with the French in the Seven Years’ War that leads to their parents’ death in an attack on the local fort. An unscrupulous cousin betrays the siblings, first by ensuring that they lose their inheritance. Amid the harsh reality of a country at war, Theo believes he sees Constance die, and the cousin, who seduces the girl, tells her that Theo is dead. Constance winds up in Paris, where she thrives in the world of money and high fashion, though she suffers abuse from a number of men. Meanwhile, Theo travels to America, where he joins the British in their fight against the French and suffers his share of heartbreak. Readers won’t be surprised when, years later, fate reunites the siblings in war-torn America. Smith once again displays his storytelling powers. Fans of old-fashioned adventure yarns who don’t mind some graphic sex and violence will be satisfied. Agent: Kevin Conroy Scott, Tibor James & Assoc. (U.K.). (Sept.)