A Terrible Beauty
A Lady Emily Mystery
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4.0 • 41 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
In this gripping new novel in the New York Times bestselling series, Lady Emily travels to Greece where a ghost from her past returns to haunt her amid the ruins.
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. But can Philip really be who he claims, even if he has the scars and stories to prove it? Where has he been for all this time? And will his undying love for Emily drive him to claim what's his?
Intrigue mounts as Philip reveals that he has been plagued for the past few years by an illegal antiques trader who believes he is in possession of a piece of Achilles' helmet, a priceless relic that was stolen from him moments after he unearthed it on an archaeological dig. Emily must employ all of her cunning and expertise to thwart thieves who threaten not only her own safety, but that of those precious artifacts she holds so dear. A trail of overheard conversations, murderous assailants, and dead bodies leads her on a chase to uncover more than one buried truth.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Alexander's agreeable 11th Lady Emily mystery (after 2015's The Adventuress) finds Lady Emily Hargreaves and her husband, Colin, looking forward to a trip to Greece with friends. But their pleasant excursion becomes a nightmare when Emily's first husband, long-believed-dead, shows up at the door of their villa on the island of Santorini. Is he really Lord Philip Ashton, who supposedly died so long ago in Africa? A decade changes a man, but he can relate details of their life together that only Ashton would know. When a ruthless dealer in black market antiquities sends an assassin to Santorini to retrieve a priceless relic he believes is in Philip's possession, Emily is suddenly in danger of losing all she holds dear. The story falters at the unlikely way Emily manages to unravel Philip's secret. Still, Emily is an appealing protagonist and a believable Victorian woman. Some interesting twists, a vivid setting, and engaging characters fill out a tale sure to please historical mystery lovers.
Customer Reviews
well-balanced, highly entertaining and enjoyable adventure to devour.
A Terrible Beauty was my first read in the Lady Emily series but it won’t be my last. No pre-series reading was required to completely enjoy this story…but after reading it, it is a series that I would like to revisit.
Lady Emily decides to take a trip to her deceased 1st husband’s, Lord Philip Ashton’s, villa in Santorini to help him get over a failed engagement. Her husband Colin Hargreaves, Lord Philip Ashton’s best friend, and Emily’s best friend Margaret also join her on this trip.
Quickly after arriving in Santorini, Emily is confronted with Philip alive and a dead man in one of the rooms in the villa. And so the mystery begins…where was Philip all these years, who killed the man in the villa, while Emily struggles to deal with the reemergence of her “dead” husband.
This is a marvelous historical mystery that is not only entertaining but a novel of substance with a good dose of romance and humor as well. Making this a well-balanced, highly entertaining and enjoyable adventure to devour.
I received this ARC copy of A Terrible Beauty from St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books in exchange for a honest review.