A Midwinter's Masquerade

Book excerpt: The Rannoch Fraser Mysteries #18 London, December, 1819. After their recent adventures, former spies Malcolm and Mélanie Rannoch are looking forward to spending a quiet holiday season with friends and family. The greatest danger seems to be Mélanie's scandalous debut in a Christmas pantomime, which has shocked Mayfair’s elite. But when an old friend smuggles a fugitive from the Continent into the theatre on opening night, the Rannochs find themselves facing both government agents and a mysterious assassin. As they infiltrate secret meetings, intercept coded documents, and reunite estranged lovers, they quickly realize nothing is quite what it seems. At least, as Mélanie tells her husband, they are spending the holidays with those closest to them—even if they aren’t sure they can trust their nearest and dearest... "Shimmers like the finest salons in Vienna." —Deborah Crombie "Glittering balls, deadly intrigue, sexual scandals. . .the next best thing to actually being there!"— Lauren Willig "A superb storyteller."— Deanna Raybourn