The Berkeley Square Affair
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5.0 • 5 Ratings
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- $3.99
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
In 1817 London, a stolen treasure may hold a clue to a ghastly crime: “Page-turning suspense and a fascinating mystery . . . Masterful.” —Deborah Crombie, New York Times–bestselling author of A Bitter Feast
Ensconced in the comfort of their elegant home in London’s Berkeley Square, Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch are no longer subject to the perilous life of intrigue they led during the Napoleonic Wars. Once an Intelligence Agent, Malcolm is now a Member of Parliament, and Suzanne is one of the city’s most sought-after hostesses. But a late-night visit from a friend who’s been robbed may lure them back into the dangerous world they thought they’d left behind . . .
Playwright Simon Tanner had in his possession what may be a lost version of Hamlet, and the thieves were prepared to kill for it. But the Rannochs suspect there’s more at stake than a literary gem, for the play may conceal the identity of a Bonapartist spy—along with secrets that could force Malcolm and Suzanne to abandon their newfound peace and confront their own dark past . . .
Praise for Teresa Grant’s The Paris Affair
“Twists and turns galore, swashbuckling adventure and suspense throughout . . . for readers in search of smart historical mysteries.” —Tasha Alexander, New York Times–bestselling author
“I loved this book! Superb!” —Deborah Crombie, New York Times–bestselling author
“Unravel the secrets and lies at the heart of an almost impenetrable mystery . . . Thrilling!” —Deanna Raybourn, New York Times–bestselling author
“A treat . . . Readers will be holding their breat
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Grant's unfocused fourth Regency mystery (after 2013's The Paris Affair), Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch, ostensibly retired from espionage work and living in London society, are enjoying domestic pleasures when their friend Simon Tanner appears on their doorstep, the victim of a brutal robbery. Though the value of the document he was carrying possibly a newly discovered version of Shakespeare's Hamlet would explain the crime, a visit from Lord Carfax, Malcolm's onetime spymaster, suggests another motive. Carfax believes the script holds coded clues to a security breach that led to needless deaths during the Irish rebellion decades before and that Malcolm's late father might have been involved. As her husband investigates, Suzanne discovers that secrets she has hidden even from him could be revealed, destroying their marriage. Grant's gifts shine in depictions of the couple and their suspenseful emotional tensions. But the diffuse plot is too reliant on distant backstory to provide effective drama.
