A whodunit set in the filthy, rat infested, foggy London of 1699. Anastasia Ashby de la Zouche, Baroness Penge, Countess of Clapham, former mistress to Charles II, is an aristocrat on her uppers. Cast into the Fleet Prison, she is forced to turn to journalism. But the Countess and her maidservant encounter more intrigue than they bargained for.'Hilarious 17th century romp, which combines an authentic slice of history with a tantalising storyline. An authority on the era, Morgan has created an inventive book which wears its learning lightly. Colourful turns of phrase and witty descriptions –like a bawdy P.G.Wodehouse leave you with a keen sense of the period. This is a frolicking good read.' DAILY MAILTESS GERRITSEN: A delicious, rollicking romp of a mystery that kept me enthralled. Fidelis Morgan writes just the sort of story I love, full of sensuous details that make history come alive. I can't wait to read her next oneVAL MCDERMID: A heady compound of wit, wisdom and wildnessPETER LOVESEY: I challenge you to open a Fidelis Morgan at any page and not to be grabbed and plunged into a story where the action is non-stop and outrageous. The Countess Ashby de la Zouche books are a joy, written with tremendous energy and flair. It goes without saying that Fidelis has done her history homework, but no one ever made history more funTHE GUARDIAN: A perfect historical menu of crime and mystery, with the bonus of laughs aplenty
