In this Edwardian mystery, a woman must uncover the truth that will rescue her fiancé from claims of treachery against the English crown.
For heiress-turned-sleuth Ursula Marlow, the stakes have never been higher. Lord Wrotham, love of her life and the man she is to marry, stands accused of treason. Worse, a vow of secrecy keeps her beloved from even attempting to save himself from the gallows. It will be up to Ursula to find the evidence that will return Wrotham to his rightful place by her side.
But with the authorities convinced that Wrotham is behind a plot to sell naval secrets to Kaiser’s Germany and liberate Ireland from English rule, Ursula partners with prickly Chief Inspector Harrison to delve into Wrotham’s mysterious past. . . .
Drawn into the shadowy world of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and a web of espionage and betrayal, Ursula must race against time to clear Lord Wrotham’s name and thwart a plot that threatens not only British national security, but her life.
Praise for the Ursula Marlow series
“An engaging heroine, the lure of romance, a rapid pace and the requisite period detail.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Introduces an intriguing new female sleuth with broad appeal. . . . Readers of cozies and historical mysteries will find much to enjoy.” —Booklist
“Dorothy Sayers would be proud of her Oxford sister.” —Rhys Bowen, New York Times–bestselling author of the Molly Murphy Mysteries
“Showing an admirable grasp of social and political history, Langley-Hawthorne closes her tightly knit tale with an unexpected twist.” —Publishers Weekly
Clare Langley-Hawthorne was raised in England and Australia. She was an attorney in Melbourne before moving to the United States, where she began her career as a writer. Her first novel, Consequences of Sin, featuring the Oxford graduate, heiress, and militant suffragette Ursula Marlow, was published in 2007. The second book in the series, The Serpent and the Scorpion, was published in 2008. Consequences of Sin was a San Francisco Chronicle Bay Area bestseller and a Macavity Award nominee for best historical mystery. Langley-Hawthorne now lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, twin boys, and collie, Hamish.