Holly West – författare

London, 1678Isabel, Lady Wilde, a mistress to King Charles II, has a secret: she makes her living disguised as Mistress Ruby, a fortune-teller who caters to London''s elite. It''s a dangerous life among the charlatans, rogues and swindlers who lurk in the city''s dark corners, but to Isabel, the risk is worth the reward.Until magistrate Sir Edmund Godfrey seeks Mistress Ruby''s counsel and reveals his unwitting involvement in a plot to kill the king. When Isabel''s diary containing dangerous details of his confession is stolen, she knows she must find it before anyone connects her to Mistress Ruby. Especially after Sir Edmund''s corpse is discovered a few days later…Isabel is sure that whoever stole her diary is Sir Edmund''s killer—and could be part of a conspiracy that leads all the way to the throne. But as she delves deeper into the mystery, not even the king himself may be able to save her.81,000 words

London, 1679Isabel, Lady Wilde, mistress of King Charles II, has made a good living disguised as fortune teller Mistress Ruby, counseling London''s elite. But after the murder of one of her customers, business has taken a downturn, and Isabel is on the verge of accepting the king''s offer to move into the palace.Isabel''s plans are interrupted when a beggar girl named Susanna shows up at her home, claiming to be her niece. Isabel always believed that her older brother, Adam, died alone during the plague. When Susanna reveals that Adam was actually murdered, Isabel is compelled to take up an impossible task: discover the truth about her brother''s death, twelve years after it happened.Isabel''s investigation leads her through the gamut of London society, from bear-baiting matches and brothels to the realm of wealthy bankers. But as she uncovers her brother''s dark secrets, Isabel begins to wonder whether the past is better left buried—especially when uncovering the truth could lead to her own funeral.79,000 words