Caro Peacock

A remarkable debut novel rich in atmosphere, color, and suspense, Caro Peacock's A Foreign Affair is an irresistible blend of history, adventure, and ingenious invention that brings an extraordinary new writer—and a truly endearing and unforgettable heroine—to the literary stage. The year is 1837. Queen Victoria, barely eighteen, has just ascended to the throne of England, and a young woman named Liberty Lane has just had her first taste of true sorrow. Refusing to accept that her gentle, peace-loving father has been killed fighting a duel, she vows to see justice done. . . . The trail she follows is a twisting and dangerous one, leading the spirited young Englishwoman into an intricate weave of conspiracy. Contacted by secret agents, she is asked to pose as a governess in order to infiltrate cold, rambling Mandeville Hall and spy on its master, Sir Herbert Mandeville, who is at the center of a treasonous plan. Nothing at the hall is what it seems, and every turn reveals another deceit, another surprise, another peril, leaving Libby to wonder who to trust and embroiling her in a deadly affair that could destroy the young queen and place Libby herself in mortal peril. . . .

A Foreign Affair

Duelling, derring-do, and dastardly deeds are all in a day's work for Liberty Lane, a new heroine for fans of Georgette Heyer and Sarah Waters's Victorian novels.

Death of a Dancer

Gillian Linscott

Novice private investigator Liberty Lane is hired to help prevent a royal scandal involving Prince Albert's brother Prince Ernest, while she searches for a young man's missing fiancâe in the midst of an 1839 London filled with tales of the devil's chariot preying on young women walking alone at night.

When the Devil Drives

Duelling, derring-do, and dastardly deeds are all in a day's work for Liberty Lane: Deranged aristocrat Lord Brinkburn is nearing death and his elder son, Stephen, is expecting to inherit the title. But Lady Brinkburn's sudden announcement that Stephen is illegitimate throws the family into turmoil. All much to the musement of London society .

A Corpse in Shining Armour

Caro Peacock, the acclaimed author of A Foreign Affair, once again ingeniously blends history, suspense, and adventure and returns an endearing and exceptional heroine to the fictional fold. In Victoria's England, there are perilous intrigues a proper young lady would do well to avoid . . . Liberty Lane, still in her early twenties, is doing her best to make a new life for herself in London after being bruised by loss and treachery. But there's no chance for her to settle down as a conventional young lady. First, a disturbingly attractive young politician, Benjamin Disraeli, wants her to use her contacts in the theatre world to find out more about a prima ballerina with a notorious love life called Columbine. He hints that some important interests may be at stake. Then Columbine is murdered in her dressing room, after an on-stage brawl with a younger and less successful dancer, who becomes prime suspect. Liberty is at the center of the investigation because one of her dearest friends, Daniel Suter, is convinced of the girl's innocence and will put his own neck in danger to save her. Liberty's determination to save them from the gallows leads her from the upper reaches of the aristocracy to some of London's lowlife haunts, posing the question: How far would you go to save a friend?

A Dangerous Affair

Private investigator Liberty Lane faces the most challenging case of her career in this absorbing mystery - London, 1840. Private investigator Liberty faces a conundrum when her younger brother Tom, an East India Company employee, is unexpectedly summoned to London to give evidence at an official enquiry into the murder of a wealthy merchant’s assistant, found with his throat cut en route to Bombay. A connection between the dead man and escalating rows with China over the lucrative opium trade has caused the government concern. Can Liberty solve a murder that took place six months previously almost five thousand miles away?

Keeping Bad Company

Duelling, derring-do, and dastardly deeds are all in a day's work for Liberty Lane: a new heroine for fans of Matthew Hawkwood and Sarah Waters's Victorian novels. Thomas Jacques Lane -- radical, romantic, scholar and devoted father -- had led an unconventional life but of one thing his daughter, Liberty, is certain: he would never have taken part in a duel. So when she receives a note informing her of his death in just such a manner, Liberty ignores all advice and sets off in pursuit of the truth. With no resources bar her wits, she travels to the Continent and back in search of her father's killer. And as the nation prepares for the coronation of a young Victoria, Liberty uncovers murder and treachery at the very highest levels!

Death at Dawn

June 1837. The king has just died and 18-year-old Victoria is now on the throne. Liberty Lane is sent to Calais to retrieve her father's body after receiving an anonymous note. In her quest to learn the truth of her father's murder, she finds an unhappy marriage, damaged children, more murder, an elopement, and a treasonable plot.

A series of anonymous letters leads to a case of cold-blooded murder for 19th-century private investigator Liberty Lane. September, 1841. A new arrival has taken London society by storm. Lord Byron’s handsome illegitimate son, George, recently arrived from the exotic island of Cephalonia in the company of his guardian, the mysterious Mr Vickery, has been setting female hearts aflutter. But not all the attention George attracts is welcome. Mr Vickery has been receiving disturbing letters from a woman who calls herself Helena, and he hires Liberty Lane to find out who Helena is and what she wants. As Liberty is to discover, there is more to this case than meets the eye. Is George really Lord Byron’s son – or is he an imposter? And who exactly is Mr Vickery? What is his agenda? When Liberty comes across a body shot dead near Mr Vickery’s home in Muswell Hill, the investigation takes a shocking turn.

Fool's Gold

Featuring private investigator Liberty Lane September, 1840. Novelist and patron of the arts Lady Blessington has hired Liberty Lane to escort a French gentleman to The Hague. For he has in his possession important papers that will assist in the forthcoming trial of Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, the late emperor's nephew who has failed in an attempt to seize power in France. Plans for the undercover expedition are disrupted however when a body is found hanging in the attic at Gore House, Lady Blessington's Kensington mansion. Uncovering evidence that the murder was meticulously prepared for and planned well in advance, Liberty determines to track down the killer. But she is about to find herself plunged into a highly dangerous game involving blackmail, treachery, espionage - and cold-blooded murder.

a Liberty Lane mystery

Friends in high places

July, 1847. Now a happily married mother-of-two, Liberty Lane is undertaking very few private investigative assignments. But when she is kidnapped from outside a smart London townhouse, where she had been attending a dinner party with her husband Robert, she must call on all her old investigative skills to discover who has taken her, and why. As Libby tries to formulate a plan of escape, her old friends, former street urchin Tabby and groom Amos Legge, desperately search for her. Convinced that somebody in the Maynard household, where the dinner party was held, knows something about Libby's disappearance, Tabby keeps watch on the house - and makes a truly shocking discovery.

The killing site

July, 1840. Did young Jack Picton, a known rebel and political agitator, kill governess Mary Marsh? Private investigator Liberty Lane has left London for Cheltenham to find out, sharing the magistrate's doubts. Picton is, however, hiding something, but what? As Liberty is about to discover, behind Cheltenham's genteel facçade lies a hotbed of vice. It is a place where the poor are driven to desperate lengths to escape the horror of the workhouse, a place which is harbouring a ruthless killer. Can Liberty uncover the truth in time?

The path of the wicked

Held captive by a ruthless gang of kidnappers, Liberty Lane must call on all her investigative skills to discover who has taken her – and why. July, 1847. Now a happily married mother-of-two, Liberty Lane is undertaking very few private investigative assignments. But when she is kidnapped from outside a smart London townhouse, where she had been attending a dinner party with her husband Robert, she must call on all her old investigative skills to discover who has taken her, and why. As Libby tries to formulate a plan of escape, her old friends, former street urchin Tabby and groom Amos Legge, desperately search for her. Convinced that somebody in the Maynard household, where the dinner party was held, knows something about Libby’s disappearance, Tabby keeps watch on the house – and makes a truly shocking discovery.

The Killing Site

Duelling, derring-do, and dastardly deeds are all in a day's work for Liberty Lane, a new heroine for fans of Georgette Heyer and Sarah Waters's Victorian novels. The Augustus theatre likes to put on a good show. But when a public spat erupts between two dancers on the London stage, it comes to a dramatic conclusion that definitely wasn't part of the script: one dead, the other arrested for murder. As far as the jury's concerned, it's an open-and-shut case, but Liberty Lane believes otherwise. Soon she's leading her own investigation, in a desperate race against the hangman's noose. And while the criminal underworld may be no place for a lady, there's no place for a criminal to hide once Liberty's on the case!

Private investigator Liberty Lane’s latest case takes her to rural Gloucestershire to uncover the truth of a brutal murder July, 1840. Liberty Lane has left London for Cheltenham, where she’s been hired by a local magistrate to establish the guilt or innocence of young Jack Picton, who stands accused of killing governess Mary Marsh. Picton is a known rebel and political agitator. But is he a murderer? Liberty shares the magistrate’s doubts as to whether the right man is in the dock. But how can she help Picton when he refuses to reveal his whereabouts on the night of the murder? He’s certainly hiding something. But what? As Liberty is about to discover, behind Cheltenham’s genteel façade lies a hotbed of vice including gambling, drunkenness and illicit love affairs. A place where the poor are driven to desperate lengths to escape the horror of the workhouse. A place which is harbouring a ruthless killer. Can Liberty uncover the truth in time?

Path of the Wicked

September, 1841. Lord Byron's son, George, arrives with Mr Vickery, who has been receiving disturbing letters from Helena. Liberty Lane is set to discover who Helena is and whether George is really Lord Byron's son. But when Liberty finds a body shot dead near Mr Vickery's home the investigation takes a shocking turn.

Caro Peacock

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