Victorian Society

On a quest to distract her lifelong friend Jeremy from his recent heartbreak, Lady Emily organizes a holiday in Greece. As a lover of all things Greek, she quickly finds herself occupied with tours of ancient ruins, lively debates with Margaret, a devoted Latinist, and slightly more scandalous endeavors with her dashing husband, Colin Hargreaves. But the pleasantries are brought to an abrupt halt when a man long believed dead greets the party at their island villa. Lord Philip Ashton, Colin's childhood best friend and Emily's first husband, has returned.

Emily and Colin Hargreaves make it a rule to spend as little time as possible with her parents in Kent, but are unable to refuse Lady Catherine Bromley’s invitation to join them for a pre-Christmas party that includes the family of Ala Kapur Singh, a powerful Punjabi maharaja who has come to England after receiving the Order of the Star of India.

Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon, has settled into domestic bliss. Of course, being Alexia, such bliss involves integrating werewolves into London High society, living in a vampire's second best closet, and coping with a precocious toddler who is prone to turning supernatural willy-nilly. Even Ivy Tunstell's acting troupe's latest play, disastrous to say the least, cannot put a damper on Alexia's enjoyment of her new London lifestyle.

After an odd encounter at a grand masquerade ball, Lady Emily becomes embroiled in the murder investigation of one of the guests, a sometime actress trying to pass herself off as the mysterious heiress and world traveler Estella Lamar. Each small discovery, however, leads to more questions. Was the intended victim Miss Lamar or the imposter? And who would want either of them dead?

About the Book: Beatrice Webb, a pioneering social reformer and co-founder of the London School of Economics and Political Science, left behind a rich intellectual legacy. This insightful study examines her autobiography, My Apprenticeship, not just as a historical account but as a work of literary significance. By tracing Webb’s journey of self-discovery, her critique of class structures, and her evolving engagement with the working class, the book underscores the depth of her narrative. Placing her work alongside other literary and intellectual figures of her time, this research ...

Harry Armstrong has spent years in Egypt. Now, he’s back in England with a new title and a new purpose: penning his exploits. But his efforts are overshadowed by London’s favorite writer about Egypt - a woman they call "The Queen of the Desert". Worse, her stories - serialized in newspapers and reprinted in books - are complete rubbish. Miss Sidney Honeywell didn’t set out to deceive anyone. It’s not her fault readers assumed her tales were real! The earl of Brenton challenges her to travel to Egypt to prove her expertise.

After the final curtain of Swan Lake, an animated crowd exits the Mariinsky theatre brimming with excitement from the night's performance. But outside, the scene is somber. A ballerina's body lies face down in the snow, blood splattered like rose petals over the costume of the Swan Queen. The crowd is silenced by a single cry - "Nemetseva is dead!" When the dead ballerina's aristocratic lover comes begging for justice, Emily must apply her own set of skills to discover the rising star's murderer.

In Secrets of the Nile, Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, have joined his formidable mother on a holiday to visit the exotic treasures of Egypt. Their host, Lord Bertram Deeley, is a renowned amateur British collector of antiquities, who has invited his closest friends on a lavish cruise up the Nile to his home at Luxor. But on the first night of their journey, he suddenly collapses after offering a welcome toast, a victim of the lethal poison cyanide. Who amongst this group of his nearest and dearest would want to kill their generous host?

A thrilling mix of espionage, danger, and the supernatural, The Vampire Spy box set follows Nora Kelly as she trades the backstreets of London for the shadowy world of spies. Book 1: The Vampire Spy When an English gentleman offers Nora Kelly a new life, she soon discovers her work involves more than intelligence gathering; after all, this elite team of spies also happen to be vampires. Once a woman of the night, now an agent of the crown, Nora joins Lord Alfred Covington’s elite team of vampires spies sworn to protect the Realm. Her first mission? Hunt down a ruthless adversary ...

In the foreboding halls of Worthington Manor, eighteen-year-old Briar has always known she was different. Raised by a stern housekeeper and a reclusive uncle, her only friend the housekeeper's daughter, Briar's sheltered life is shattered when she stumbles upon a chilling secret. Every week, a mysterious coach leaves the manor at midnight. But where does it go? And what sinister purpose does it serve? As Briar delves deeper into her family's shadowy past, she uncovers a legacy of dark rituals and otherworldly power. With each revelation, the line between reality and the supernatural blurs, ...

When Queen Victoria stepped onto the throne of Great Britain and Ireland in 1837, gone were the days when the monarch had supreme authority over the kingdom. Victoria ruled at the head of a government with which she was meant to converse, debate, and ultimately guide, and it was a job she sometimes struggled to perform. Victoria described herself as an emotional creature and blamed her gender for what she believed were her shortcomings as a monarch.

When a mysterious gentleman arrives on his doorstep, Alexander Moreland is astonished to discover that the stranger is not a gentleman at all but a beautiful young woman disguised as a man and in great need of assistance. The woman remembers nothing except her own name, Sabrina, and has only the contents of her pockets as clues to her identity. Sabrina is certain that she is on the run from someone or something - how else to explain the bruises on her face and the pervasive sense of dread she feels?

After 10 years of adventure, Colin Smith, the bastard son of a viscount, returns to the place he most despises - London. But only until he can sell off some of his treasures. He has no use for the stifling rules of the ton, but he's more than happy to play the game if it gets him what he wants.

"Keeper of Secrets" is a mystery book set in London and the English countryside during the late 19th century. This captivating novel transports readers back in time, exploring the intersections of class, youth, and the timeless power of female resilience. The story is anchored by four orphaned sisters - each representing a unique thread in the intricate tapestry of life, love, and secrets. The Tale In the heart of the city to the quaint corners of rural England, Agatha, Gwendoline, Tina, and Elfrida navigate the tumultuous sea of life post the death of their beloved Aunt Mildred. In the ...

When Frederick, an American expatriate traveling in Europe, meets the commonplace, newly rich Miller family from New York, he is charmed by the daughter, Daisy, and her "inscrutable combination of audacity and innocence". The Millers have no perception of the complex code that underlies behavior in European society, and Winterbourne is astonished at the girl's unworldliness and her mother's unconcern when Daisy accompanies him to the Castle of Chillon.

Sexy bartender Seth Marino is the epitome of the allure and sophistication for which the town of Lavender Shores is known. For 20 years, Seth has found contentment and happiness as co-owner of the Blue Blossom Bed and Breakfast. Seth’s kind heart, good looks, and humor charm both locals and tourists - except the one person who despises him. Charley Perez began building the life of his dreams a few years before Seth moved to town.

A detective mystery novel set in London during the late 19th century, "Dead Diamond" brings readers into the gritty, desperate world of Paddington, where a struggling writer's life becomes entangled in an intricate web of crime, desperation, and love. The narrative thrusts protagonist, Andrew Thomas, into the heart of an intriguing criminal investigation set against the backdrop of poverty-stricken London. Thomas, a struggling writer fighting poverty, pawns his father’s treasured items and encounters the enigmatic Zillah, the impressive granddaughter of pawnbroker Daniel Stevens. This ...

Medicine in the early 1800s was a brutal business. Operations were performed without anaesthesia while conventional treatment relied on leeches, cupping and toxic potions. It was said of one surgeon, 'His surgical acquirements were very small, his operations generally very badly performed and accompanied with much bungling, if not worse.' It was lucky, for the doctor at least, that his deafness made him immune to his patients' dying groans. Into this milieu came John Elliotson, the dazzling new hope of the medical world.

A historical fiction novel set in the Five Towns of England during the late 19th century, Three Penny Sunday offers an engaging journey into the life of an intriguing character, Edward Henry Walker, born in 1867. Tracing his trajectory from a modest upbringing in Bursley to prominence, the novel weaves a rich tableau of the era's local pottery industry often referred to as "potbanks", and the tight-knit, gossip-ridden community that shapes the town's social and political landscape. Henry's Course Initially an ordinary boy, Henry secures a surprise scholarship at twelve, albeit through ...

Meg Swift has a tiny problem with stealing. What else is she to do when her uncle triples the estate rents? She learns how to mend roofs, plant turnips—and how to steal. She's too busy for her godfather's parade of single gentlemen at the Cinderella Ball. Dougal Black has just been plucked from a millhouse as the last of the Thorncroft duchy bloodline. And if he's not married by the end of the year, the Prince of Wales will choose his bride for him. But Dougal doesn't know the rules of this new world. Luckily, Meg does.