At her friend Ivy's behest, Lady Emily Ashton reluctantly agrees to attend a house party at the country estate of Lord Basil Fortescue, a man she finds as personally odious as he is politically powerful.  But if she was expecting Lord Fortescue to be the greatest of her problems, she was wrong.  Her host has also included Kristiana von Lange among the guests, an Austrian countess who had once been linked romantically with Emily's fiancé, Colin Hargreaves.  Both Lord Fortescue and the countess take great delight in tormenting Emily, but petty malice turns deadly serious when Lord Fortescue is found murdered, and his protégé, Robert Brandon - Ivy’s husband - is arrested for the crime.

 

Emily’s efforts to clear Robert’s name take her to Vienna.  Glittering balls, sordid back streets, chic cafes, and even the Imperial palace yield fragmentary clues, but not until Emily engages a notorious anarchist in a game of wits does the shocking truth begin to emerge:  The price of exonerating Robert can only be paid by placing Colin in deadly peril.  And the one way Emily can ensure his safety is to strike an unthinkable bargain with her nemesis, the Countess von Lange.

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"A thoroughly enjoyable adventure with both historical texture and emotional depth."--Anne Perry, New York Times bestselling author of At Some Disputed Barricade

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"Alexander cleverly incorporates historical figures and events into a fictional story of European political intrigue, English society, Viennese culture, and plenty of genteel romantic chemistry. A wonderful choice for readers looking for a pleasant diversion from everyday troubles; recommended for all fiction collections." --Library Journal

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"Sparkling wit...This is a captivating addition to the adventures of an irresistible Victorian iconoclast." --Booklist

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"Captivating characters are superbly brought to life in this riveting historical...Alexander's latest Lady Emily mystery is rich in historical detail as she captures the complex social and political climate in Vienna. Her insightful characters understand their human flaws and the compromises they must make. Ms. Alexander weaves fictional characters with the real historical ones in this cleverly plotted and suspenseful mystery." --FreshFiction

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"(Alexander) is on a roll. With each successive work, her writing has become cleaner, tighter and sharper in both wit and tone...Her characters do battle with witty repartee, elevating their exchanges to the level of art." --Nashville Scene

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"(A) multitextured, beautifully written story." --Tuscon Citizen

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"Alexander's novel reaffirms her ability to craft suspenseful situations, create rich, distinctive and compelling characters and make an entertaining story without distorting actual events or eliminating key situations." --Nashville City Paper