This is my first book by this author.  I'm not even quite done yet and I'm already blown away!  What a powerful book.  I didn't realize how tired I was of the same old historicals set in same old England until I read this tour de force set in the new south wales penal colony.  Involves a convicted murderess who is "transported" to new south wales (Australia) and assigned to work as a wet nurse on a rural plantation in the colony for a man whose wife died and left an infant son.  Doesn't sound appealing, but it is.

My question is this--are her other books as good?  If so, I've been missing out!

That's the only one of hers I've read and it was awesome! I tried another--a New Orleans mystery, Midnight Confessions?-- but couldn't get into it.

Candace Proctor also writes historical mysteries under the name C.S. Harris.  They are very good and have some romance thrown in as well.  I am in love with her hero Sebastian St. Cyr the reluctant heir to an Earldom.  He's the youngest son but through 2 seperate tragedies he ends up the only living son and an Earldom he doesn't want.  He'd rather marry his actress/former prostitute mistress and solve crimes.

Bequest is another of her books that is really good.

Great, now I have to go order it.  *sigh*  My TBR mt never seems to get smaller.....

IIRC, she was pregnant when she was transported and the baby died.

I've been hearing a lot of the St. Cyr books - would like to try them when I feel like I have the energy to take on a series.

Night in Eden is one of her best.  I think a lot of people picked it up on my reco.  Whispers of Heaven, Bequest, and September Moon are also great books.  I liked Beyond Sunrise, but have to admit the heroine is a massive pill:P  The Last Knight is decent, but not her best stuff, and Midnight Confessions is kinda blah.  Like Willa said.  I didn't really enjoy it much either.  The mystery is a little on the silly side if you ask me.  The C.S. Harris stuff, I have no idea about.  Mary has read them & likes them though, and I trust her judgement.

They are very good.  I recently read the 3rd one and there was a big plot twist cliff hanger. 

The romance in it is kind of a continuing story.  He is hopelessly in love with his mistress. He doesn't want to be the heir.  But she won't marry him because she think it will ruin his life-an Earl marrying a prostitute.  He was happier being the ignored 3rd son.  He sort of stumbles into mystery solving.

These are not cozy mysteries I should warn you. 

Thanks for the recommendations ladies!

Just finished Beyond Sunrise and Whispers in Heaven.  I'm impressed with those too. 

I really wish she had written more historicals.  She had moved on to mysteries before I even discovered her.