Vienna Waltz (Malcom & Suzanne Rannoch Historical Mysteries)

Nothing is fair in love and war. . .

Europe's elite have gathered at the glittering Congress of Vienna--princes, ambassadors, the Russian tsar--all negotiating the fate of the continent by day and pursuing pleasure by night. Until Princess Tatiana, the most beautiful and talked about woman in Vienna, is found murdered during an ill-timed rendezvous with three of her most powerful conquests. . .

Suzanne Rannoch has tried to ignore rumors that her new husband, Malcolm, has also been tempted by Tatiana. As a protégé of France's Prince Talleyrand and attaché for Britain's Lord Castlereagh, Malcolm sets out to investigate the murder and must enlist Suzanne's special skills and knowledge if he is to succeed. As a complex dance between husband and wife in the search for the truth ensues, no one's secrets are safe, and the future of Europe may hang in the balance. . .

"A perfect blend of history, mystery, romance, and suspense." --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

"Absolutely gripping. . .historical intrigue at its finest." --Deanna Raybourn

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

A murdered Russian princess creates a diplomatic imbroglio in this magnificent mystery set in the midst of the glittering palaces and ballrooms of the Congress of Vienna. As the heads of state and foreign ministers of Russia, England, Austria, and France gather in the wake of Napoleon's defeat in 1814 to determine the new map of Europe, diplomatic wife Suzanne Rannoch is summoned to the quarters of the beautiful Tatiana Kirsanova. There she discovers her own husband, Malcolm, beside Tatiana's bloody corpse, claiming to have found her only moments before. Despite doubts about her husband's story, Suzanne helps him to untangle the murdered woman's history—a dangerous mix of love affairs and espionage—in the process uncovering the secrets of her uneasy union with Malcolm. With an impeccably researched setting and a cast of historical characters ranging from French diplomatic mastermind Talleyrand to a youthful Franz Schubert, Grant's third novel (after Beneath the Moon, as Tracy Grant) is a brilliantly multilayered mystery and a must-read for fans of the Regency era. (Apr.)
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