Gilded Deceit - Paperback

by Tracy Grant (Author)

A Malcolm & Suzanne Rannoch Historical Mystery 13

The secrets of Suzanne Rannoch's scandalous past have forced Suzanne and her husband Malcolm- also a spy - to flee London's intrigues and ballrooms. Suzanne fears they will go mad from boredom in their gilded refuge on Lake Como. But before they even reach the villa, they are attacked by bandits who think the Rannochs possess a mysterious treasure. Are their past deeds catching up with them or were they mistaken for someone else?

As they settle in at the lake, they encounter Italian revolutionaries, gun smugglers, an English nobleman living in self-imposed exile with a beautiful contessa, and Lord Byron and Percy and Mary Shelley, who have their own reasons for fleeing Britain. The exquisite beauty of the villas and gardens holds layers of deceit, tied to the very enemies the Rannochs sought to escape. When a golden afternoon on the lake turns crimson with murder, Malcolm and Suzanne realize that boredom is the least of their concerns...but they may have to fear for their lives and the lives of those closest to them...

"Shimmers like the finest salons in Vienna." -Deborah Crombie

"Meticulous, delightful, and full of surprises." -Tasha Alexander

"Glittering balls, deadly intrigue, sexual scandals. . .the next best thing to actually being there!"- Lauren Willig

"A superb storyteller."- Deanna Raybourn

Author Biography

Tracy Grant studied British history at Stanford University and received the Firestone Award for Excellence in Research for her honors thesis on shifting conceptions of honor in late-fifteenth-century England. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her young daughter and three cats. In addition to writing, Tracy works for the Merola Opera Program, a professional training program for opera singers, pianists, and stage directors. Her real life heroine is her daughter Mélanie, who is very cooperative about Mummy's writing time. She is currently at work on her next book chronicling the adventures of Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch. Visit her on the web at www.tracygrant.org