Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch have fled with their family from fog-drenched England to golden Tuscany as the secrets of Suzanne's past unravel. On their way to their villa on Lake Como, they seek refuge with Suzanne's friend, Hortense Bonaparte, daughter of the Empress Josephine, stepdaughter of Napoleon.





The Rannochs arrive at Hortense's elegant château to find Hortense terrified and desperately in need of their services. And so, Suzanne and Malcolm find that even on the run from danger they are not done playing the spy game—or being drawn into intrigues that could affect the future of crowns and countries.



"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



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