The Seven Dials Affair


Book Description

London, 1821. Former spies Malcolm and Mélanie Rannoch have been friends with Bow Street runner Jeremy Roth since they all met in the intrigues of the Peninsular War. Now settled in London, they frequently collaborate. On a chilly night, an urgent summons from Roth takes Malcolm to a tavern in the slums of Seven Dials. He finds Roth standing over the body of a murdered woman. Malcolm offers his assistance with the case, but Roth says Malcolm must investigate alone. When Malcolm asks why, Roth replies—because this is my wife. Malcolm and Mélanie plunge into the secrets of Roth’s estranged wife Allegra. Why did she disappear from England? Where has she been for five years? And why did she return now to the husband she abandoned? Their investigation is a race against time as another Bow Street runner is all too eager to arrest Roth for the murder. And though Malcolm and Mélanie are both convinced Jeremy Roth is not a killer, his story keeps changing. Secrets are nothing new for the Rannochs. But this investigation will force them to question everything they thought they knew about some of those closest to them. And to re-examine the secrets at the heart of their own marriage—before someone else they love falls victim...




The O’Roarke Affair


Book Description

In dazzling Regency London, married spies Malcolm and Mélanie Rannoch find their most challenging investigation may be uncovering the secrets of the cunning spymaster who shaped both their destinies. Spymaster. Revolutionary. Master of disguise. Raoul O’Roarke remains an enigma even to those closest to him. By the age of three, Malcolm Rannoch knew enough of Raoul's life that he wondered if every goodbye would be their last. Thirty years later, Malcolm, now a spy himself, understands a great deal more, but in many ways Raoul is still a mystery. Malcolm’s wife and fellow agent Mélanie has her own complicated relationship with Raoul, who was once her spymaster. When a contact at a dockside tavern warns the Rannochs that powerful forces want Raoul dead, Malcolm and Mélanie are shaken to the core. They’ve barely had time to absorb the revelation when a nearby ship explodes. Rushing to help fight the ensuing fire, the Rannochs find the body of the powerful Duke of Bamford amid the charred wreckage. Bamford, a Tory diplomat and Raoul, a revolutionary, knew each other far better than anyone realized. Their unlikely alliance leads from the French Revolution through Napoleon and Josephine’s glamorous court to the glittering Congress of Vienna, and the horrors of Waterloo. The clues from their past hold the key to Bamford’s murder. As Malcolm and Mélanie connect the pieces, they find as many questions as answers. Raoul has even more secrets than either of them guessed—secrets they need to uncover to prevent his meeting the same fate as the duke. But the process may shake their relationships with him to the core. And their next goodbye could be their final parting.




The Apsley House Incident


Book Description

A Rannoch Fraser Mysteries novella October 1820. As London simmers over the scandalous royal divorce trial, a pistol shot aimed at the Duke of Wellington's carriage shatters the peace of the autumn night. When Malcolm and Mélanie Rannoch learn their friend Robby Simcox has been arrested for the crime, they are convinced it is a miscarriage of justice, but it will require all their resources as former spies to uncover the truth. The race against time to save Robby from the gallows takes the Rannochs across the breadth of London, from the slums of St. Giles to elegant Mayfair to lively Covent Garden, and to Wellington's glittering home at Apsley House. But the culprit proves cleverly elusive. The consequences of their investigation could rip Robby's sister Bet from her aristocratic true love–and may also reveal secrets that threaten all Malcolm and Mélanie hold dear...




The Hanover Square Affair


Book Description

London 1816 Cavalry captain Gabriel Lacey returns to Regency London from the Napoleonic wars, burned out, fighting melancholia, his career ended. His interest is piqued when he learns of a missing girl, possibly kidnapped by a prominent member of Parliament. Lacey's search for the girl leads to the discovery of murder, corruption, and dealings with a leader of the underworld. At the same time, he struggles with his own transition from a soldier's life to the civilian world, redefining his role with his former commanding officer, and making new friends--from the top of society to the street girls of Covent Garden.




A Darkness in Seven Dials


Book Description

March 1820 When James Denis is arrested for murder and lands himself in Newgate, it falls to me to prove his innocence. I have nowhere to start but in a dark street in Seven Dials and the name of the unknown man Denis is supposed to have killed. I soon find myself beleaguered by enemies from Denis’s past, secret societies, and a host of people who want Denis to hang. In addition I receive word from a mysterious young woman I haven't heard from in years who now seeks my help.




The Seven Dials Mystery


Book Description

Gerry Wade had proved himself to be a champion sleeper; so the other house guests decided to play a practical joke on him. Eight alarm clocks were set to go off, one after the other, starting at 6.30 a.m. But when morning arrived, one clock was missing and the prank had backfired with tragic consequences. For Jimmy Thesiger in particular, the words 'Seven Dials' were to take on a new and chilling significance...




Penny Plain


Book Description

The Cinderella story of Jean Jardine, a Scottish girl raising her younger brothers on her own... until a mysterious stranger asks for her hospitality. Part romance, part family story, and part small town semi-satire.




The Secret of Chimneys


Book Description

'The Secrets of Chimneys' by Agatha Christie is a classic mystery novel that unfolds against the backdrop of an English country estate called Chimneys. The story follows the protagonist, Anthony Cade, who becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue and deception. The Narrative kicks off when Anthony Cade, a charming but down-on-his-luck adventurer, is approached by a friend, Jimmy McGrath, to help deliver a political document to the English government. The Secrets of Chimneys is a masterfully crafted mystery novel that keeps readers guessing until the very end. With its intricate plot and cleverly concealed clues, the novel showcases Christie's unparalleled skill as the queen of crime fiction.




A Taste for Scandal


Book Description

The course of true love never did run smooth… Violet Turpin has always lived for adventure and romance, a combination that has more than once gotten her into trouble. Her first attempt at a London debut was short and disastrous because her love of excitement far outstripped her concern for the proprieties. A few months later, she eloped with a sweet-talking fortune hunter and only saved from ruin in the nick of time. Now she’s determined to ride in fox hunts, even though that’s not something ladies do. Knowing all this, her brother asks his friend Lord Rushford to keep a close eye on her during her second attempt at a London Season—a task the earl is reluctant to take on, given his most inconvenient attraction to the madcap Miss Turpin. His task is made harder by Violet’s plans for her time in London. Not only does she hope to find adventure and True Love, she is determined to meet and assist the fabled Saint of Seven Dials, whom she has long idolized. When a plausible rogue learns of her obsession with the Saint, he hatches a plot of his own to take advantage of it—and her. Rush will have his hands full keeping Violet out of trouble as he tries to catch whoever is impersonating the Saint of Seven Dials, all while trying to reconcile himself to the betrothal he unwisely agreed to the previous year. Will he and Violet realize that True Love is right under their noses in time to prevent a lifetime of regrets? Book 3 of the Seven Saints Hunt Club Series!




Middlebrow Feminism in Classic British Detective Fiction


Book Description

This is a feminist study of a recurring character type in classic British detective fiction by women - a woman who behaves like a Victorian gentleman. Exploring this character type leads to a new evaluation of the politics of classic detective fiction and the middlebrow novel as a whole.