Miranda Carter

"India, 1837. William Avery is a young soldier with few prospects except rotting away in campaigns in India; Jeremiah Blake is a secret political agent gone native, a genius at languages and disguises, disenchanted with the whole ethos of British rule, but who cannot resist the challenge of an unresolved mystery. What starts as a wild goose chase for this unlikely pair--trying to track down a missing writer who lifts the lid on Calcutta society--becomes...

Draws on correspondence and diaries to trace the parallel stories of William II of Germany, George V of Britain, and Nicholas II of Russia, who at the onset of World War I wrongly counted on their family relationship to safeguard European interests.

"Investigative team Blake and Avery find themselves entangled in a case involving political conflicts, personal vendettas, and England's first celebrity chef. London, 1842. Captain William Avery is persuaded to investigate a mysterious and horrible death at the Reform, London's newest and grandest gentleman's club--a death the club is desperate to hush up. What he soon discovers is a web of rivalries and hatreds, both personal and political, simmering...