Ein kaltherziger Mörder macht die Straßen Londons unsicher ... Der erste Fall für Wrexford und Sloane im historischen England. Der Earl von Wrexford verfügt über einen brillanten Verstand, aber Langeweile und Stolz verführen ihn regelmäßig zu rücksichtslosem Verhalten. Als der aufgeblasene Reverend Josiah Holworthy ihn öffentlich anprangert, schlägt Wrexford zurück. Ihr Wortgefecht eskaliert und Londons populärster satirischer Karikaturist A.J. Quill macht beide zum Mittelpunkt seiner neuesten Karikatur. Dann wird der Geistliche tot in einer Kirche aufgefunden - sein Gesicht von Chemikalien verbrannt, seine Kehle von Ohr zu Ohr aufgeschlitzt - und Wrexford findet sich als Hauptverdächtiger wieder. Die eigenständige Künstlerin Charlotte Sloane ist heimlich in die Rolle ihres verstorbenen Ehemannes geschlüpft, indem sie dessen Pseudonym A.J. Quill benutzt. Als Wrexford ihre wahre Identität herausfindet, fürchtet sie, dass dies ihr Verderben sein könnte. Doch stattdessen schließen sich Lord Wrexford und die mysteriöse Mrs. Sloane zusammen, um einen gerissenen Gegner in die Falle zu locken - bevor ein neues Opfer folgt.
The upcoming marriage of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane promises to be a highlight of the season, if they can first untangle-and survive-a web of intrigue and murder involving the most brilliant scientific minds in Regency London . . .
One advantage of being caught up in a whirl of dress fittings and decisions about flower arrangements is that Charlotte Sloane has little time for any pre-wedding qualms. Her love for Wrexford isn't in question. But will being a wife-and a Countess-make it difficult for her to maintain her independence-not to mention, her secret identity as famed satirical artist A. J. Quill?
Despite those concerns, there are soon even more urgent matters to attend to during Charlotte and Wrexford's first public outing as an engaged couple. At a symposium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a visiting botanist suffers a fatal collapse. The traces of white powder near his mouth reveal the dark truth-he was murdered. Drawn into the investigation, Charlotte and the Earl learn of the victim's involvement in a momentous medical discovery. With fame and immense fortune at stake, there's no shortage of suspects, including some whose ruthlessness is already known. But neither Charlotte nor her husband-to-be can realize how close the danger is about to get-or to what lengths this villain is prepared to go . . .
With the epic victory at Waterloo behind them, Arianna and Saybrook are looking forward to a quiet summer of scholarship, far from the turmoil of war and politics. But little do they know that an even more dangerous battle is about to test their mettle.
The shocking news that Lord Grentham, the steely minister of state security, has been accused of treason and is on the run from arrest takes them and their close circle of friends by surprise. Arianna and Saybrook don't want to believe it. Despite their fraught past with the minister, they've developed a grudging friendship . . .
Or has Grentham deceived them? They're shown damning evidence that proves his guilt beyond question. And yet, their friend Sophia Kirtland refuses to accept it. Arianna can't help but have her doubts, too-even when a midnight encounter with the fugitive minister tells her otherwise. Saybrook is less certain, but his sense of honor compels him to join their quest to prove him innocent . . .
The trail leads to Paris, a city now seething with international intrigue. Rumors are rife; loyalties are for sale as the European powers scheme against each other. Can they uncoil the tangle of serpents and find the truth? The challenges turn even more dangerous when Arianna is forced to confront an old Russian enemy . . . and a sin from her father's past.
With the threat of war looming over the Continent now that Napoleon has re-seized the throne of France, London is abuzz with intrigue as diplomats from the European powers gather to negotiate a military alliance against him. But Lady Arianna and her husband, the Earl of Saybrook, are intent on staying clear of the conflict, deciding it's a battle for nations and armies to fight . . .
Until things turn very personal. When a Prussian diplomat is murdered, two items found in his pocket force Arianna and Saybrook to once again become reluctant allies with the shadowy head of British security and undertake a rescue mission to Brussels, where lies and deceptions swirl within the ballrooms of the British expatriate community as the armies of Wellington and Napoleon prepare to clash.
Love, friendship, loyalty. Trust will be tested as Arianna and Saybrook race against time to unravel a secret code which may hold the key to defeating the advancing French army. And as Arianna finds herself matching wits with Napoleon, it will once again all come down to a matter of Luck . . .
With the hunt for a diabolical traitor finally over, Lady Arianna is looking for some peace and quiet in which to resolve lingering tensions with her husband over her daredevil exploits during the final chase. But an unexpected late night visit from The Dragon-Saybrook's feisty and independent great aunt-puts her in the middle of a very difficult dilemma . . .
Constantina confesses that some very private personal letters, along with some sensitive diplomatic documents, have been stolen from her French paramour. She's desperately hoping Arianna can help get them back, but says it must be discreetly and without anyone knowing-including Saybrook.
Yes or No? The task is made even more daunting when Arianna discovers that the political intrigue may entangle her with some very dangerous old enemies . . .
Ah, but Arianna can't resist a challenge, and when she learns that a diplomatic party will provide the perfect opportunity to steal the documents back, she and Constantina, along with their friend Sophia Kirtland, quickly devise a plan to prove the ladies can best the gentlemen at their own devious games . . .
Now that peace reigns in Europe and Napoleon has been exiled to the island of Elba, Lady Arianna and her husband, the Earl of Saybrook, are determined to put government sleuthing aside. But the head of British security has other ideas . . .
Rumors are rife that Napoleon may be plotting to take back the French throne and plunge the Continent into another war. So when Saybrook learns that his Spanish cousin has gone missing on the island under mysterious circumstances, he and Arianna feel they have no choice but to undertake a secret mission to Elba for the government and unravel the serpentine tangle of truth and lies.
Friend or Foe? From the start, they find themselves up against treachery and deceptions. And for Arianna, things become even more difficult when she encounters ghosts from her past, forcing her to make fundamental choices about love, loyalty, family, and friendship. Once on Elba, she and Saybrook-along with some unexpected allies-must match wits with a deadly enemy and the great Napoleon himself. And with the clock ticking, all the last-minute machinations come down to a question of Luck . . .
A diabolical traitor who's always out of reach . . .
England, 1814. Lady Arianna Hadley and her husband, the Earl of Saybrook, want nothing more than to savor a quiet life embellished by the occasional cup of the finest chocolate. However, when they receive orders to travel to Scotland and capture an elusive traitor, they feel their duty to the Crown must come first.
In a laboratory in Scotland, they discover the corpse of a chemistry professor-and cryptic papers hinting at a dangerous new discovery now in enemy hands. Racing against time, Arianna and Saybrook pursue their most cunning and dangerous adversary yet through a complex network of intrigue involving exotic chocolates, daredevil aviators, a missing inventor, and a secret recipe that must be recovered at any cost . . .
Lady Arianna, now the Countess of Saybrook, is settling into married life with her new husband. To celebrate his birthday, she finds the perfect gift: a rare volume of botanical engravings on Theobroma cacao-or chocolate-in an exclusive bookshop. But she is forced to fight off a stranger who tries to steal it way from her.
Arianna forgets about the strange incident-until she and her husband attend an important government party on a country estate, where her assailant reappears and turns out to be a Russian diplomat. Events grow more ominous when Arianna discovers sensitive government documents hidden in the book's binding-documents that suggest someone she and Saybrook hold dear is a traitor to King and country.
Murder. Treason. Money. Power. Once again, Arianna and Saybrook are drawn into a shadowy world of international intrigue. To unmask the real villain, they journey to the Peace Congress in Vienna, where amid the seductive pomp and pageantry of Europe's royalty they must root out a cunning conspiracy-armed only with their wits and their expertise in chocolate . . .
When Lord Wrexford discovers the body of a gifted inventor in a dark London alley, he promptly alerts the watchman and lets the authorities handle the matter. But Wrexford soon finds himself drawn into the murder investigation when the inventor's widow begs for his assistance, claiming the crime was not a random robbery. It seems her husband's designs for a revolutionary steam-powered engine went missing the night of his death. The plans could be worth a fortune . . . and very dangerous in the wrong hands.
Joining Wrexford in his investigation is Charlotte Sloane, who uses the pseudonym A. J. Quill to publish her scathing political cartoons. Her extensive network of informants is critical for her work, but she doesn't mind tapping that same web of spies to track down an elusive killer. Each suspect-from ambitious assistants to rich investors, and even the inventor's widow-is entwined in a maze of secrets and lies that leads Wrexford and Sloane down London's most perilous stews and darkest alleyways.
Lady Arianna Hadley's desire for revenge has brought her back to London from exile in the West Indies. Determined to find the men responsible for her disgraced father's murder, she disguises herself as a man and contrives to be hired as a chef in one of London's aristocratic households. But when the Prince Regent is poisoned by Arianna's special chocolate dessert, she finds own quest has become intertwined with a far more deadly intrigue.
Because of his expertise in chocolate, the Earl of Saybrook is asked by the government to investigate the crime. Though he, too, is fighting inner demons, he reluctantly agrees. His first confrontation with Arianna has them at daggers drawn. But when someone tries to kill them both, they become reluctant allies in the hunt to discover what evil is afoot.
As their investigation takes them from the glittering ballrooms of Mayfair to the slums of St. Giles, they uncover a cunning plan of fraud that could throw the government into chaos. Determined to bring the culprits to justice, they set an elaborate trap, but they find themselves dancing on a razor's edge-and one false step will prove fatal . . .
The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. He does not suffer fools gladly. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London's most popular satirical cartoonist, A. J. Quill, skewers them both. But then the clergyman is found slain in a church-his face burned by chemicals, his throat slashed ear to ear-and Wrexford finds himself the chief suspect. An artist in her own right, Charlotte Sloane has secretly slipped into the persona of her late husband, using his nom de plume A. J. Quill. When Wrexford discovers her true identity, she fears it will be her undoing. But he has a proposal-use her sources to unveil the clergyman's clandestine involvement in questionable scientific practices, and unmask the real murderer. Soon Lord Wrexford and the mysterious Mrs. Sloane plunge into a dangerous shadow world hidden among London's intellectual enclaves to trap a cunning adversary-before they fall victim to the next experiment in villainy . . .
