A USA Today bestseller!
"[Penrose] mixes well-thought out mysteries, early forensic science,
great details of the era and a slow burning attraction creating a
compulsive read." --The New York Public Library
A thrilling new mystery novel from the acclaimed author of Murder at
Queen's Landing*, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anne Perry*!
In the fifth installment of Andrea Penrose's acclaimed, atmospheric
mystery series, 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 and breakfast menus 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 . . .
