Society miss Charlotte Raven has a hidden past, and her secret life takes her into London's seamiest streets in the dark of night. Edward, Lord Durnham has secrets, too, as he carries out an urgent mission for the Crown. When the fate of three small boys brings them together, it sets off a chain of events that puts both their lives at risk and threatens England's future.
THE EMPEROR'S CONSPIRACY is a breakneck thriller that takes you from London's sparkling ballrooms to its darkest gutters. Author Michelle Diener has crafted an intricate knot of a plot, and as one character points out early on, you can't trust anybody.
The novel was inspired by historical events: Napoleon really did try to topple England's economy by illegally exporting its gold, and the situations some of the lower-born characters find themselves in were all too real in the 19th century. Diener makes it all come to life through vivid descriptions of a world populated by strong, three-dimensional characters. Even some of the most dangerous figures will tug at your heart.
THE EMPEROR'S CONSPIRACY is an excellent blend of historical fiction, romance, action, and mystery. I hated to turn the final page, because I wanted to keep reading about these intriguing people and the worlds they inhabit. I highly recommend it.
Set in early nineteenth-century England, this vivid and
romantic historical novel goes from the most elegant
ballrooms of London to the cityβs most tawdry slums, as a
spirited young woman helps unravel a plot by Napoleon to
bleed England of all its gold. Through good fortune,
Charlotte Raven escaped the poverty of the London slums and
is now an educated, wealthy Society lady. But she lives
between two worlds, unable to completely turn her back on
her old lifeβspecifically Luke, her childhood protector and
now a ruthless London crime lord.
When Lord Edward Durnham is asked to investigate the
alarming movement of gold out of England, his search leads
him to London, and his recent acquaintance with Charlotte
affords him access to a dark world he barely knew existed.
As they delve deeper into the underbelly of London, danger
lurks at every turn, and Charlotte must navigate between her
two worlds to save England. And soon she faces a defining
choice: to continue in the familiar limbo sheβs lived in for
years, or to take a painful and risky leap toward a
happiness she never thought possible.
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