Tasha Alexander – författare

Looking forward to the joys of connubial bliss, newlyweds Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves set out toward Turkey for an exotic honeymoon. But on their first night in the city, a harem girl is found murdered - strangled in the courtyard of the Sultan's lavish Topkapi Palace. Sir Richard St. Clare, an Englishman who works at the embassy in Constantinople, is present and recognizes the girl as his own daughter who was kidnapped twenty years earlier. Emily and Colin promise the heartbroken father they'll find her killer. As a woman, Emily is given access to the forbidden world of the harem and quickly discovers that its mysterious, sheltered walls offer no protection from a ruthless murderer: soon, the Valide (mother to the Sultan) is found strangled with a silken bowstring and the head Eunuch is brutally slain. When the killer strikes again, kidnapping a concubine and threatening to kill her unless Emily agrees to meet him in secret, she cannot wait for Colin or the authorities to come to her rescue. In a heart-stopping finale, Emily must rely on her own sharp wits if she is to stop a killer bent on taking revenge no matter how many innocent lives he leaves in his wake.

Originally published in hardcover: New York: Minotaur Books, 2010.

Newly returned to her home in Mayfair, Lady Emily Hargreaves is looking forward to enjoying the delights of the season. The delights, that is, as defined by her own eccentricities - reading "The Aeneid", waltzing with her dashing husband, and joining the Women's Liberal Federation in the early stages of its campaign to win the vote for women. But an audacious vandal disturbs the peace in the capital city, splashing red paint on the neat edifices of the homes of London's elite. This mark, impossible to hide, presages the revelation of scandalous secrets, driving the hapless victims into disgrace, despair and even death. Soon, all of London high society is living in fear of learning who will be the next target, and Lady Emily and her husband, Colin, favourite agent of the crown, must uncover the identity and reveal the motives of the twisted mind behind it all before another innocent life is lost.

When the body of a prima ballerina is discovered in the snow, Lady Emily races through Saint Petersburg to solve the murder, while a ghostly dancer appears to take the lost ingenue's place.

Some corpses lie undisturbed longer than others. But when Emily discovers a body hidden in plain sight amongst the ruins of Pompeii, she sets in motion a deadly chain of events that ties her future to the fate of a woman whose story had been lost for nearly two thousand years.Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, have accompanied her dear friend Ivy Brandon on a trip to Pompeii. When they uncover a corpse and the police dismiss the murder as the work of local gangsters, Emily launches an investigation of her own. She seems to be aided by the archaeologists excavating the ruins, including a moody painter, the enigmatic site director, and a free-thinking American capable of sparring with even the Duke of Bainbridge. But each of them has secrets hiding among the ruins.The sudden appearance of a beautiful young woman who claims a shocking relationship to the Hargreaves family throws Emily’s investigation off-course. And as she struggles to face an unsettling truth about Colin’s past, it becomes clear that someone else wants her off the case - for good. Emily’s resolve to unearth the facts is unshakable. But how far below the surface can she dig before she risks burying herself along with the truth?

London, 1907: When the Season's most accomplished and elegant debutante, Victoria Goldsborough, collapses and dies at her engagement ball, the great and good of London Society prepare to mourn the tragic loss of an upstanding young woman. But all is not what it seems, and after a cup of poisoned tea is revealed to be the cause of death, the king himself instructs Lady Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves to unearth the truth.Who would want to harm one of the most popular women of the year? Is it her fiancé with whom she had an unusually brief courtship; a rival for his affections bitter at being cast aside; her best friend who is almost certainly hiding a secret from Colin and Emily; a disappointed suitor with a hidden gambling habit; or a notorious jewel thief who has taken a priceless tiara from the Goldsborough home? When a second debutante succumbs to poison, the race is on to find a ruthless killer.Emily and Colin’s investigation leads to a centuries old tomb in the center of London with a mysterious link to another death dating back to Roman times and the violent reign of Boudica, ancient Britain's fearsome warrior queen. As the stakes rise and the clock ticks down, Emily must find the killer before they strike again.

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?Emily and Colin’s investigation soon reveals that even his closest friends had reasons to want him dead: was it the archeologist whose dig Deeley was poised to fund until he suddenly withdrew support? The powerful politician whose career Deeley had secretly destroyed? The dyspeptic aristocratic English spinster whose hired travelling companion seems determined to protect her employer? Or could it be Mrs. Hargreaves herself, who may have spurned the advances of Lord Deeley when they were both younger?A key clue may lie with several ancient ushabtis, exquisite three-thousand-year-old sculptures that played a role in a hidden story from the time of Ancient Egypt, one of a sister’s unshakeable loyalty to her brother, a tale of betrayal and revenge. In an unforgettable finale, Emily and Colin gather their fellow travelers together to unmask a killer whose motive is as shocking as it is brilliant.

In the winter of 1906, Lady Emily and husband Colin are invited to the opulent home of Baroness Ursula von Duchtel in the Bavarian alps. Outside is a mountainous winter wonderland with a view of Mad King Ludwig’s fairy tale castle. Inside, the villa hosts a magnificent but eclectic art collection - as well as an equally eclectic collection of fellow guests, among them a musician, an art dealer, a coquette from the demi-monde, and Kaspar, the Baroness’ boorish son-in-law, whom, it begins to appear, someone wants dead.Almost forty years earlier, Niels, a young German lord, sings to himself in the forest surrounding those same alps, capturing the attention of a not-yet-mad King Ludwig. Niels and the king become fast friends, their relationship deepening into something more as their time together stretches on. But while King Ludwig is content to live out a fantasy where their responsibilities don't matter and the outside world doesn't affect them, Niels knows that their bliss cannot last forever...Decades later, Emily continues to investigate Kaspar's increasingly lethal “mishaps' when tragedy strikes, ensnaring the guests in a web of fear and suspicion. It’s up to Emily to sift through old secrets and motivations, some stretching far into the past, to unmask the killer.

In the summer of 1905, Lady Emily, husband Colin Hargreaves, and their three sons eagerly embark on a family vacation at Cairnfarn Castle, the Scottish estate of their friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge. But a high-spirited celebration at the beginning of their stay comes to a grisly end when the duke’s gamekeeper is found murdered. Handsome Angus Sinclair had a host of enemies: the fiancée he abandoned in Edinburgh, the young woman who had fallen hopelessly in love with him, and the rough farmer who saw him as a rival for her affections. But what is the meaning of the curious runic stone left on Sinclair’s forehead?Clues may be found in the story of Lady MacAllister, wife of the Laird of Cairnfarn Castle, who in 1676 suddenly found herself widowed and thrown out of her home. Her sole companion was a Moorish slave girl who helped her secretly spirit her most prized possessions - a collection of strange books - out of the castle. When her neighbours found a poppet - a doll used to cast spells - and a daisy wheel in her isolated cottage, Lady MacAllister was accused of witchcraft, a crime punishable by death.Hundreds of years later, Lady Emily searches for the link between Lady MacAllister’s harrowing witchcraft trial and the brutal death of Sinclair. She must follow a trail of hidden motives, an illicit affair, and a mysterious stranger to reveal the dark side of a seemingly idyllic Highland village.

Set in the lush countryside of Normandy, France, the fifth Lady Emily mystery is filled with intrigue, romance, mysterious deaths, and madness . . .Returning from their honeymoon and near brush with death in Constantinople, Lady Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves are relaxing at his mother's beautiful estate in Normandy. But the calm she so desperately seeks is shattered when, out riding her horse, she comes upon the body of a young woman who has been brutally murdered; and whose wounds are identical to those inflicted on the victims of Jack the Ripper. Pursuing a trail of clues and victims to the beautiful medieval city of Rouen, Emily begins to fear for her own sanity. She hears the cries of a young girl she cannot find and discovers blue ribbons left in the child's wake. And as Emily is forced to match wits with a brilliant and manipulative killer, only her courage and instincts can prevent her from becoming his next victim . . .Praise for Tasha Alexander'Historical mystery at its best' Fresh Fiction'Immediately engrossing and thoroughly entertaining' Crimespree'Sometimes touching, sometimes funny and always absorbing, this Victorian-era mystery hits all the right notes' Romantic Times'Enchanting... Alexander keeps readers guessing until the very end' Publishers Weekly'Tasha Alexander is one to watch - and read... despite her cliffhanger climaxes and witty repartee, there's a depth of sensitivity that sets her apart' The Huffington Post'Alexander's love for the Victorian era elevates a captivating mystery into an unforgettable tale. Dangerous to Know is the perfect novel to curl up with and chase away the world' examiner.com'Readers who enjoy historical mysteries with strong female characters will find much to enjoy here' Booklist'Lady Emily Hargreaves is our favorite Victorian detective. If you love high society crimes then don't miss this series by Tasha Alexander, one of today's best mystery writers' BookManBookWoman'Infused with wit and charm, with just the right amounts of danger, romance and detection blended in' Denver Post

The past does not give its secrets up easily...Years ago, Emily's childhood nemesis, Emma Callum, scandalised society when she eloped with an Italian count. Now her father-in-law lies murdered, and her husband has fled, making him the prime suspect. Alone in her empty palazzo, Emma realises there's no one she can turn to for help but Emily, who leaves at once for Venice, with her husband.When a fifteenth-century ring is found in the hand of the slain man, the mysteries of past and present become entwined, and in order to find the murderer, Emily must first unravel the secret of a centuries-old love affair...

Anglemore Park is the ancestral home of Lady Emily Hargreave's husband Colin. But the stately calm of country life is destroyed when their neighbor, the Marquess of Montagu, bursts through the French doors from the garden and falls down dead in front of the shocked gathering. But who has a motive for murdering the young aristocrat? The lovely cousin who was threatened by his engagement, the Oxford friend he falsely accused of cheating, the scheming vicar's daughter he shamelessly seduced or the relative no one knew existed who appears to claim the Montagu title? Who is the mysterious woman seen walking with him moments before he was brutally attacked? The trail takes readers into the gilded world of a British manor house and below stairs to the servants who know all the secrets. One family's hidden past and a forbidden passion are the clues to a puzzle only Lady Emily can solve.

Set amid the beauty and decadence of the Ottoman Empire, Lady Emily's next adventure is full of intrigue, treachery, and romance.Looking forward to the joys of connubial bliss, newlyweds Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves, diplomats of the British Empire, set out toward Turkey for an exotic honeymoon. But on their first night in the city, a harem girl is found murdered, strangled in the courtyard of the sultan's lavish palace. Sir Richard St. Clare, an Englishman who works at the embassy in Constantinople, recognizes the girl as his own daughter who was kidnapped twenty years earlier. Emily and Colin promise the heartbroken father that they'll find her killer, but as the investigation gains speed, they find that appearances can be all too deceiving.As a woman, Emily is given access to the forbidden world of the harem and quickly discovers that its mysterious, sheltered walls offer no protection from a ruthless murderer. As the number of victims grows, Emily must rely on her own sharp wit if she is to stop a killer bent on exacting vengeance - no matter how many innocent lives he leaves in his wake.Praise for Tasha Alexander'The fourth book of Alexander's Victorian-era series has a lush setting and beautiful details. . . . The romance and lovely writing sweep the readers along. [Emily's] voice and the accurate historical details will keep the reader enthralled' Romantic Times'The strong female lead and historically accurate details will please readers of Anne Perry, Laurie R. King, and Deanna Raybourn seeking a new fan-favorite author' Library Journal"In this book, despite murder and mayhem and treason (oh my!) it's all gorgeous gowns, rippling water, veils of silk and veils of hair . . . Whatever Emily decides to do with herself I am only too happy to come along for the ride' Fiction Nation'Alexander doesn't miss a beat. Tightly woven plots, flowing prose and three-dimensional characters make Tears of Pearl a must-read. Readers won't be able to stop themselves from racing through the pages as they search alongside Lady Emily for the killer' examiner.com'Infused with wit and charm, with just the right amounts of danger, romance and detection blended in' Denver Post

Paris – the city of romance… where Lady Emily struggles to unmask a murderer amid a case of assumed identities and shadowy figures.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 traveller 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? As Emily and her husband try to make sense of all this, a larger puzzle begins to emerge: No one has actually seen Estella Lamar in years, since her only contact has been through letters and the occasional blurry news photograph. Is she even alive? Emily’s investigation of this double mystery takes her from London to Paris, where, along with their friend Cécile, she must scour the darkest corners of the city in search of the truth.

From New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander comes a stunning novel of historical suspense set in Victorian England, meticulously researched and with a twisty plot that involves stolen antiquities, betrayal, and murderLady Emily's first mystery . . .For Emily, accepting the proposal of Philip, the Viscount Ashton, was just an easy way to escape her stifling home life and overbearing mother. So when her new husband dies on safari soon after the wedding, she feels little grief. After all, she barely knew the man. Now, nearly two years later, she discovers that Philip was a far different man from the one she had married so cavalierly. His journals reveal him to have been a gentleman scholar and antiquities collector who, to her surprise, was deeply in love with his wife. Emily becomes fascinated with this new image of her dead husband and immerses herself in his intellectual pursuits, studying Greek and spending time in the quiet corridors of the British Museum.But there, amid priceless ancient statues, she uncovers a dark, dangerous secret involving stolen artifacts from the Greco-Roman galleries - and as she sets out to solve the crime she discovers even more surprises about the husband she never knew . . .Praise for Tasha Alexander'This engaging, witty mix of Victorian cozy and suspense thriller draws its dramatic spark from the endearingly headstrong heroine's growth in life and love. A memorable debut' Booklist'Enchanting... Alexander keeps readers guessing until the very end' Publishers Weekly'Tasha Alexander is one to watch - and read... despite her cliffhanger climaxes and witty repartee, there's a depth of sensitivity that sets her apart' The Huffington Post'Fans of Anne Perry and Elizabeth Peters will welcome this debut novel' The Denver Post