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On a Desert Shore: A Regency Mystery (Regency Mysteries #4)
by S. K. RizzoloProtecting an heiress should be an easy job for Bow Street Runner John Chase. But the heiress—daughter of rich London merchant Hugo Garrod and a slave-housekeeper on his Jamaican property—is no conventional society miss. Educated to take a place among Regency England's upper crust and marry well, she has failed at London's social scene and lives isolated among the Garrod family in Clapham. And someone is playing her malicious tricks, some of which recall her island heritage of Obeah.John Chase needs to determine whether Marina is indeed a victim—or is herself a delusional and malicious trickster. If the trickster is real, is it her rejected suitor and cousin Ned Honeycutt? His demure sister? Their devoted aunt who acts as the Garrod housekeeper? A clergyman friend? Everyone around Hugo Garrod has a stake in how he disposes of his immense wealth.Meanwhile Mrs. Penelope Wolfe, an abandoned wife, flouts convention by earning her living with her pen. She's in love with barrister Edward Buckler and hesitant to further scandalize society by breaking any more rules. Hugo Garrod invites her to join his household and put her pen to work. Her assignment takes her into an exotic world where menace lurks at every turn of the garden path and the façade of propriety masks danger.To solve the case, Chase must grasp the enigma of Marina, an expert in self-concealment, who challenges his assumptions and confronts him with difficult truths. And, with the aid of Penelope and Edward Buckler, Chase must reveal a clever killer. On a Desert Shore stretches from the brutal colony of Jamaica to the prosperity and apparent peace of suburban London. Here a father's ambition to transplant a child of mixed blood and create an English dynasty will lead to terrible deeds.
On a Quiet Street: A Dr. Pepper Hunt Mystery (A Dr. Pepper Hunt Mystery)
by J.L. DoucetteWhen the fiancée of a prominent attorney is murdered, Dr. Pepper Hunt joins forces again with Detective Beau Antelope of the Sweetwater County Sheriff&’s Department to search for the killer. Prosecutor Connor Collin&’S dreams are shattered when Stacy Hart is found strangled in their home a month before their wedding. He&’s convinced Jack Swailes, the contractor who found the body, killed her in a jealous rage. And Jack looks guilty when he mysteriously disappears later that day. The investigation takes a different turn when Pepper uses her clinical skills to probe below the surface of the perfect couple&’s lives. Chilling secrets and sinister motives that lead back to unsolved crimes with a direct link to Stacy&’s murder are finally brought to light. If you enjoy reading Ann Cleeves, Sophie Hannah and Louise Penny, you'll love the Dr. Pepper Hunt Mysteries.
On a Quiet Street
by Seraphina Nova GlassA New York Times Book Review Summer Read and Edgar Award nominee! Don&’t miss this unputdownable psychological thriller! Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware!When you really start to look beyond the airy open floor plans and marble counters, Brighton Hills is filled with secrets. Some big, some little, some deadly. And one by one, they&’re about to be revealed… &“A writer to watch.&” —Publishers WeeklyThe perfect neighborhood can be the perfect place to hide…Who wouldn&’t want to live in Brighton Hills? This exclusive community on the Oregon coast is the perfect mix of luxury and natural beauty. Stunning houses nestle beneath mighty Douglas firs, and lush backyards roll down to the lakefront. It&’s the kind of place where neighbors look out for one another. Sometimes a little too closely…Cora thinks her husband, Finn, is cheating—she just needs to catch him in the act. That&’s where Paige comes in. Paige lost her son to a hit-and-run last year, and she&’s drowning in the kind of grief that makes people do reckless things like spying on the locals, searching for proof that her son&’s death was no accident…and agreeing to Cora&’s plan to reveal what kind of man Finn really is. All the while, their reclusive new neighbor, Georgia, is acting more strangely every day. But what could such a lovely young mother possibly be hiding?Looking for another heart-pounding thriller? Find out how far the shady residents of the Sycamores will go to keep the stranger in their midst from uncovering their deadly secrets in bestselling author Seraphina Nova Glass&’s upcoming thriller, THE VACANCY IN ROOM 10!Other thrillers from Seraphina to keep you up all night: The Vanishing Hour Such a Good Wife Someone&’s Listening
On a Raven's Wing: New Tales in Honor of Edgar Allan Poe by Mary Higgins Clark, Thomas H. Cook, James W. Hall, Rupert Holmes, S. J. Rozan, Don Winslow, and Fourteen Others
by Stuart KaminskyTwenty contemporary writers commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe with chilling stories inspired by the master himself.Nearly two centuries after they were penned, Edgar Allan Poe's macabre tales are still working their eerie magic on readers of every stripe—thrill-seekers, filmmakers, even fellow writers of suspense. Collected here to honor and celebrate Poe's genius are original stories by some of the best mystery writers at work today.A son attempts to connect with his dying father in Thomas H. Cook's "Nevermore." John Lutz's "Poe, Poe, Poe" combines elements from several of Poe's stories in a twisted tale of madness and mayhem. "Poe, Jo, and I," by Don Winslow, examines the curious bond literature can form between the most unlikely of friends. And in Jon L. Breen's "William Allan Wilson," getting even has never felt so good.With contributions by Mary Higgins Clark, Jeremiah Healy, Peter Lovesey, P. J. Parrish, Daniel Stashower, and Angela Zeman, among others, On a Raven's Wing is a fitting tribute to the one and only Edgar Allan Poe.
On Beulah Height (The Dalziel and Pascoe Mysteries #18)
by Reginald HillA New York Times Notable Book: A girl’s disappearance unearths old crimes for the Yorkshire detectives in this “multilayered masterpiece” (Publishers Weekly). Reginald Hill “raised the classical British mystery to new heights” when he introduced pugnacious Yorkshire Det. Inspector Andrew Dalziel and his partner, the callow Sgt. Peter Pascoe (The New York Times Book Review). Their chafing differences in education, manners, technique, and temperament made them “the most remarkable duo in the annals of crime fiction” (Toronto Star). Adapted into a long-running hit show for the BBC, the Gold Dagger Award–winning series is now available as ebooks. It’s been fifteen years since three girls were abducted from Dendale. Just as long since the village was flooded to create a reservoir. Haunted by the cold case, Andrew Dalziel believes the truth was submerged forever. But now, with a drought, the ruins of Dendale are reemerging—along with its mysteries. And as if by a terrible twist of fate, another child has vanished from a nearby hamlet. For Dalziel to finally solve an unspeakable crime, he must once again stir the dread of a still-traumatized community—and all its secrets. “Weaving their pain into his densely textured story of Dendale’s cursed past and haunted present, Hill creates a tragic tale of loss and regret and the persistence of grief” (The New York Times Book Review). On Beulah Height is the 18th book in the Dalziel and Pascoe Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
On Blazing Wings
by L. Ron HubbardLaunch into the action with this gripping tale. American David Duane long ago gave up his dream of being a professional artist. Instead, there's something else he's good at, something that countries will pay good money for--his services as an ace fighter pilot on sale to any country whose business is war, regardless of its politics.Duane's cold-edged neutrality takes him to Finland--combating Russian Communists bent on destroying a supply base. After leading multiple attacks against the Russians and pushing them further and further back, his luck runs out when his plane is shot down. Instead of crashing in flames, Duane finds himself in an elusive netherworld--a mystery-enshrouded city of luxury and golden minarets. There, Duane discovers his true destiny, one that he half-remembers but must struggle to reject in order to save the woman he loves--a woman who happens to be an officer . . . in the Russian ranks."His stories also give the feel of experience and firsthand knowledge of the subject matter." --Baryon* An International Book Awards Winner
On Borrowed Crime: A Jane Doe Book Club Mystery (A Jane Doe Book Club Mystery #1)
by Kate YoungA shoe-in read for fans of Ellery Adams and Kate Carlisle, On Borrowed Crime is the first in Kate Young's new Georgia-set, sweet tea filled, Jane Doe Book Club mysteries.The Jane Doe book club enjoys guessing whodunit, but when murder happens in their midst, they discover solving crimes isn't fun and games... Lyla Moody loves her sleepy little town of Sweet Mountain, Georgia. She likes her job as receptionist for her uncle's private investigative firm, her fellow true crime obsessed Jane Doe members are the friends she's always wanted, and her parents just celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. But recently, with her best friend Melanie on vacation, and her ex-boyfriend and horrible cousin becoming an item and moving in next door to her, her idyllic life is on the fritz. The cherry on top of it all is finding Carol, a member of the club, dead and shoved into a suitcase, left at Lyla's front door.Unusual circumstances notwithstanding, with Carol's heart condition, the coroner rules Carol's death undetermined. But when they discover the suitcase belongs to Melanie, who had returned from her vacation the following morning, Sweet Mountain police begin to suspect Lyla's best friend. Determined that police are following the wrong trail, to clear her friend's name, and to not allow Carol become one of the club's studied cold cases, Lyla begins to seek out the real killer. That is, until she becomes the one sought after. Now, finding the truth could turn her into the killer's next plot twist, unless she wins the game of cat and mouse.
On Borrowed Time (Library Lover's Mystery #5)
by Jenn MckinlayThe New York Times bestselling Library Lover's mysteries continue with a hot new case... <P> Loving a good cup of coffee runs in the family for Briar Creek library director Lindsey Norris. But when her brother, Jack, a consultant for a coffee company, goes missing, her favorite beverage becomes a key clue in a dangerous mystery. <P> Between preparing the library for the holidays and juggling the affections of ex-boyfriend, Captain Mike Sullivan, and her new crush, actor Robbie Vine, Lindsey has her hands full. But the mysterious disappearance of her world-traveling playboy brother takes precedence over all. <P> Afraid that involving the police could brew trouble for Jack, Lindsey takes matters into her own hands. But as her quest for her brother embroils her in a strange case involving South American business dealings and an enigmatic and exotic woman, it'll take the help of both her library book club--the crafternooners--and her eager-to-please suitors to keep Jack from ending up in hot water... <P> INCLUDES READING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS
On Call: An Original Short Story (Dr. Lou Welcome Ser.)
by Michael PalmerAn exclusive ebook novella of medical-political suspense featuring Dr Lou Welcome by the New York Times bestselling author, for fans of Robin Cooke and Michael Connelly.When a murder victim is discovered in the On Call Room at Dr Lou Welcome's medical school, he is shocked to find himself a lead suspect in the investigation. Working with a classmate - and fellow suspect - to clear his name, Lou will soon discover the circumstances behind this tragedy are not what they seem...
On Conan Doyle: Or, The Whole Art of Storytelling (Writers on Writers #6)
by Michael DirdaFrom Pulitzer Prize–winning critic Michael Dirda, a delightful introduction to the creator of Sherlock HolmesA passionate lifelong fan of the Sherlock Holmes adventures, Pulitzer Prize–winning critic Michael Dirda is a member of The Baker Street Irregulars—the most famous and romantic of all Sherlockian groups. Combining memoir and appreciation, On Conan Doyle is a highly engaging personal introduction to Holmes's creator, as well as a rare insider’s account of the curiously delightful activities and playful scholarship of The Baker Street Irregulars.On Conan Doyle is a much-needed celebration of Arthur Conan Doyle’s genius for every kind of storytelling.
On Dangerous Ground (Sean Dillon #3)
by Jack HigginsAs 1997 approaches, England's prime minister learns of a secret document signed by Mao Tse-tung that could delay the Chinese takeover of Hong Kong for an additional 100 years. The British hire former terrorist Sean Dillon to keep the document from coming to light, before parties in Hong Kong retrieve it and destroy the balance of world power.
On Dangerous Ground
by Lesley HortonDI Handford and Sergeant Ali face their most shocking investigation yet...When a young boy and then a girl are cruelly murdered within a few days of each other, Handford and Ali uncover not only the desperate plight of children trapped in Bradford's harsh criminal underworld, but murderous corruption and twisted minds in the most respected sections of the community. Handford and Ali form a distinctly uneasy partnership against a background of urban and racial tensions, and struggle daily to repress their mutual suspicion. But they must put aside their differences and, with the rest of their team, probe into the dark and seedy lives of those who hold positions of trust, and stop a cold-blooded serial killer from fulfilling his dreadful mission. But the culprit may be closer than they think...
On Dangerous Ground: A 2-in-1 Collection
by Sharon Sala Delores FossenHis most important mission… A Place to Call Home by New York Times bestselling author Sharon Sala Detective Judd Hanna came to the Wyoming high country for a few days of peace and solitude, away from the dark shadows of big-city crime. But even here, peace was hard to find. For Charlotte "Charlie" Franklin and her adorable little girl were in mortal danger. And before Judd could hope for a future with Charlie, he had to make sure she lived to see tomorrow… FREE BONUS STORY INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME! Grayson by USA TODAY bestselling author Delores Fossen Sheriff Grayson Ryland wasn&’t easily shocked. But then his old flame, Eve Warren, returns to Silver Creek for the sole purpose of asking him to impregnate her. Before he can reject her, the two are thrust into a dangerous murder investigation—and an even more dangerous liaison. In the heat of the moment, Grayson may be able to forgive Eve…but is he willing to give her what she so desperately wants? New York Times Bestselling Author Sharon Sala USA TODAY Bestselling Author Delores Fossen Previously published as A Place to Call Home and Grayson
On Deadly Ground
by Lauren NicholsDanger in the darknessThe prowler on the construction site of her new camp didn't frighten Rachel Patterson...at first. Fear comes when her home is torched-and worsens when a body is unearthed on the campgrounds. Someone's trying to cover up a murder, and if Rachel can identify the intruder, she might be the only witness. Her neighbor, Wildlife Conservation Officer Jake Campbell, is determined to keep the lovely widow safe. But when a misunderstanding separates the pair, their distance risks more than the growing feelings between them. It leaves Rachel alone and unguarded, which could be just the chance the killer needs...
On Deadly Ground: A J.D. Books Mystery (J.D. Books Series #0)
by Michael NormanProtecting an heiress should be an easy job for Bow Street Runner John Chase. But the heiress—daughter of rich London merchant Hugo Garrod and a slave-housekeeper on his Jamaican property—is no conventional society miss. Educated to take a place among Regency England's upper crust and marry well, she has failed at London's social scene and lives isolated among the Garrod family in Clapham. And someone is playing her malicious tricks, some of which recall her island heritage of Obeah.John Chase needs to determine whether Marina is indeed a victim—or is herself a delusional and malicious trickster. If the trickster is real, is it her rejected suitor and cousin Ned Honeycutt? His demure sister? Their devoted aunt who acts as the Garrod housekeeper? A clergyman friend? Everyone around Hugo Garrod has a stake in how he disposes of his immense wealth.Meanwhile Mrs. Penelope Wolfe, an abandoned wife, flouts convention by earning her living with her pen. She's in love with barrister Edward Buckler and hesitant to further scandalize society by breaking any more rules. Hugo Garrod invites her to join his household and put her pen to work. Her assignment takes her into an exotic world where menace lurks at every turn of the garden path and the façade of propriety masks danger.To solve the case, Chase must grasp the enigma of Marina, an expert in self-concealment, who challenges his assumptions and confronts him with difficult truths. And, with the aid of Penelope and Edward Buckler, Chase must reveal a clever killer. On a Desert Shore stretches from the brutal colony of Jamaica to the prosperity and apparent peace of suburban London. Here a father's ambition to transplant a child of mixed blood and create an English dynasty will lead to terrible deeds.
On Deadly Tides: A Penny Brannigan Mystery (A Penny Brannigan Mystery #11)
by Elizabeth J. DuncanWith a picturesque black and white lighthouse, pebble beaches and stunning views of sea and mountains, the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales is the perfect place for an idyllic mid-summer painting holiday.And watercolour artist, businesswoman, and amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan is enjoying the retreat enormously - until she discovers the body of a New Zealand journalist on a secluded beach just as the tide is going out, threatening to take the body with it. The post mortem reveals the victim died from injuries "consistent with a fall from a great height," and the death is ruled accidental. But Penny thinks there's more to the story. Curious how the victim came to such an untimely end at this most inhospitable spot, she uncovers a link to a mysterious disappearance several years earlier. And as her holiday romance with a wildlife photographer turns to love, she learns some truths about herself, too, that surprise her. As the winds of change blow through Penny's own life, she sets sail on a friendly tide for a future she never dreamed possible, in a beautiful place she never imagined
On Desperate Ground
by James R. BennDanger reigns supreme as Nazi Germany braces for a final showdown in this WWII thriller from the author of the Billy Boyle mysteries. On Desperate Ground is the story of men and women caught up in the death throes of Nazi Germany, struggling to maintain those things precious to them—life, an end to killing, and even sanity itself. Colonel Johann Faust has lost everyone he ever loved and feels he is going inexorably insane. He hears the haunting voice of his dead fiancée and the demons that roar through his mind as he perfects a plan to save Nazi Germany from defeat and insure a greater and deadlier new world war. Captain Dieter Neukirk, once a protégé of Faust&’s, is more concerned with saving the lives of his remaining men than sacrificing them in a fanatical last stand. Meanwhile, Elsa Klein, Dieter&’s lover and the chief social worker at a Berlin hospital, is engaged in her own dangerous work, providing medical care and identity papers to hidden Jews in the city. American Captain Mack Mackenzie, pulled from a military hospital before his wounds are healed, is assigned to investigate reports of a secret Nazi operation. Wanting only to make it home alive, Mack finds himself in a life and death struggle with unlikely allies and a ferociously determined opponent. Americans and Germans alike are drawn to a hilltop in the remote German countryside, where they find themselves between powerful armies and forced into a terrible decision that could end one war or begin a new one.
On Edge: A Novel (An Alex Klear Thriller, Book 2 #2)
by Albert AshforthMurderous conspiracy linked to largest bank fraud in historyWhen a former Army buddy is murdered by an Afghan military colleague, U.S. Army Special Investigator Alex Klear is called back into action in Afghanistan to investigate what is thought to be a classic “green-on-blue” killing. Alex finds Kabul in a state of chaos, partly under government control, partly controlled by the Taliban.From the beginning, he suspects that the Army has identified the wrong man as the killer, and that an innocent Afghan soldier has become the victim of a complex frame-up. His suspicions are solidified when he discovers that his friend had been investigating a massive fraud at Kabul Bank. As Alex is drawn into the epicenter of the biggest bank fraud in history, he finds his efforts systematically thwarted by both the American and the Afghanistan governments.In the lawless streets of Kabul and into the far outreaches of Afghanistan, Alex relentlessly hunts his friend’s killer—and uncovers the truth. In real-life, an incident kept mostly out of the media—a monumental embarrassment to both countries.
On Edge
by Barbara FisterKonstantin Slovo knows his way through the dark. He knows what it's like to live on the edge--of tragedy, of sanity, of humanity. A Chicago cop, Slovo's own life had come violently apart with the shooting death of his partner. Here on the picture-perfect Maine coast, he thought he could outrun his past. But amid the crying of gulls, he has found something even worse.Twenty years ago in Brimsport, Maine, police investigated a ring of sexual predators--and left behind a town seething in secrets and rage. Now children are disappearing from Brimsport--in ways that buckle the knees of hardened investigators...and plunge the town back into a nightmare. Now Slovo, a man who's already seen too much, must peer into the darkness of a town torn apart by fear...to glimpse the secrets in the shadows--the glitter in a killer's eyes.From the Paperback edition.
On Edge: A Freerunner Mystery
by Gin PriceWhen a serial-killing graffiti artist starts painting your picture all over town...it puts a girl On Edge. Emanuella "LL" Harvey puts her gymnastic skills to good use as a member of her brother's Parkour group. Freerunning, jumping, and climbing over their corner of the city like it's an obstacle course gives them something to take pride in and keeps them out of trouble-sort of. But trouble finds LL when she runs into Haze, a talented graffiti artist whose sister Heather was murdered two years before. Freerunner and Writer promptly fall in love, but they decide to hide their relationship till they're sure it's the real thing-and until they can find a way to placate LL's hotheaded brother, who has it in for Haze and his gang. But when portraits of LL-done in Haze's distinctive style-start popping up on city walls, all hell breaks loose. LL's brother threatens a gang war, which LL tries to avert by identifying the Writer who is really responsible for the paintings. But when another teen is murdered, it looks bad for Haze, especially when LL discovers that Heather's killer and her portrait-painter are one and the same.
On Fire
by Carla NeggersIn a tragic accident, Emile Labresque's research ship went down, killing a wealthy philanthropist and four crew members. Emile, his granddaughter, Riley St. Joe, and the captain, Sam Cassain, barely escaped with their lives. But a year later, when Sam's body washes up on a beach, it looks as if someone is trying to cover up murder...and all evidence points to Emile. Riley can't believe her grandfather is capable of the vicious crimes, and she is determined to clear his name. But when Emile disappears, Riley turns to the only person willing to help-John Straker, an FBI special agent, who is compelled to help Riley because of his friendship with the old man. Riley and Straker are total opposites from different worlds, but they have something in common-a determination to expose a murderer and save Emile's life...and a passion they're finding harder and harder to ignore.
On Folly Beach
by Karen WhiteFolly Beach, South Carolina, has survived despite hurricanes and war. But it's the personal battles of Folly Beach's residents that have left the most scars, and why a young widow has been beckoned there to heal her own... To most people, Folly Beach is simply the last barrier island before reaching the great Atlantic. To some, it's a sanctuary for lost souls, which is why Emmy Hamilton's mother encourages her to buy the local book store, Folly's Finds, hoping it will distract Emmy from the loss of her husband. Emmy is at first resistant. So much has already changed. But after finding love letters and an image of a beautiful bottle tree in a box of used books from Folly's Finds, she decides to take the plunge. But the seller insists on one condition: Emmy must allow Lulu, the late owner's difficult sister, to continue selling her bottle trees from its back yard. For the most part Emmy ignores Lulu as she sifts through the love letters, wanting to learn more. But the more she discovers about the letters, the more she understands Lulu. As details of a possible murder and a mysterious disappearance during WWII are revealed, the two women discover that circumstances beyond their control, sixty years apart, have brought them together, here on Folly Beach. And it is here that their war-ravaged hearts can find hope for a second chance...
On Harrow Hill: A Dave Guerney Novel (Dave Gurney #7)
by John VerdonWhen an old colleague comes to him for help solving the mysterious death of his town's most prominent resident, retired NYPD detective Dave Gurney must use all of his analytical skills to hunt a murderer who just might be killing from beyond the grave.The idyllic community of Larchfield is rocked to its core when Angus Russell, its wealthiest and most powerful citizen, is found dead in his mansion on Harrow Hill. A preliminary analysis of DNA gathered at the crime scene points to the guilt of local bad boy Billy Tate, whose hatred for the victim was well known. Except that Tate fell from the roof of a local church and was declared dead by the medical examiner the day before Russell was killed. When police rush to the mortuary, they discover Tate's coffin has been broken open from the inside, and the body is gone.A series of murders soon follows as Larchfield loses its collective mind. Gun sales explode. Conspiracy theories and religious fundamentalism spread. The once-peaceful town becomes a magnet for sensation seekers, self-proclaimed zombie hunters, TV producers eager for ratings, and apocalyptic preachers rallying the faithful for the end of days. His quiet retirement shattered, ex-NYPD detective Dave Gurney finds himself not only facing down a murderer, but struggling to restore order to the town rapidly spiraling out of control.
On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service
by Rhys BowenIn the new Royal Spyness Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Crowned and Dangerous, Lady Georgiana Rannoch juggles secret missions from the Queen, Darcy, and her mother. But it’s all in a day’s work when you’re thirty-fifth in line to the British Crown. When Darcy runs off on another secret assignment, I am left to figure out how to travel to Italy sans maid and chaperone to help my dear friend Belinda, as she awaits the birth of her baby alone. An opportunity presents itself in a most unexpected way—my cousin the queen is in need of a spy to attend a house party in the Italian lake country. The Prince of Wales and the dreadful Mrs. Simpson have been invited, and Her Majesty is anxious to thwart a possible secret wedding. What luck! A chance to see Belinda and please the queen as I seek her permission to relinquish my claim to the throne so I can marry Darcy. Only that’s as far as my good fortune takes me. I soon discover that Mummy is attending the villa party and she has her own secret task for me. Then, Darcy shows up and tells me that the fate of a world on the brink of war could very well depend on what I overhear at dinner! I shouldn’t be all that surprised when one of my fellow guests is murdered and my Italian holiday becomes a nightmare...
On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service
by Rhys BowenLady Georgiana Rannoch juggles secret missions from the Queen, her beau, and her mother in this mystery in the Royal Spyness series.When royal sleuth Georgie Rannoch receives a letter from her dearest friend Belinda, who's in an Italian villa awaiting the birth of her illegitimate baby, she yearns to run to her side. If only she could find a way to get there! But then opportunity presents itself in a most unexpected way-her cousin the queen asks her to attend a house party in the Italian Lake Country. The Prince of Wales and the dreadful Mrs. Simpson have been invited, and Her Majesty is anxious to thwart a possible secret wedding.What luck! A chance to see Belinda, even if it is under the guise of stopping unwanted nuptials. Only that's as far as Georgie's fortune takes her. She soon discovers that she attended finishing school with the hostess of the party-and the hatred they had for each other then has barely dimmed. Plus, she needs to hide Belinda's delicate condition from the other guests. And her dashing beau, Darcy's (naturally) working undercover on a dangerous mission. Then her actress mother shows up, with a not-so-little task to perform. With all this subterfuge, it seems something is bound to go horribly wrong-and Georgie will no doubt be left to pick up the pieces when it does.