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 city’s 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 life—specifically 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 she’s lived in for
years, or to take a painful and risky leap toward a
happiness she never thought possible.