A FATAL WALTZ

Newly married Gilded Age diva Ella Shane and her Duke return to New York for Ella’s Metropolitan Opera debut, and his investigation of a decades-old mystery that could threaten the succession to the British Throne—only to be drawn into a blackmail plot closer to home. Now, Ella and Gil will have to figure out what happened when the Prince of Wales visited the City in 1860…and protect a friend who is trying to maintain a family connection with his brother, a man who is living as a woman. And protect themselves, too, because people connected to the Prince’s story keep ending up dead. With real history as a jumping-off point, it’s an unexpected adventure that keeps the entire cast guessing, and in danger, until the final twist.

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“I am in awe of Kathleen Marple Kalb’s masterpiece, A Fatal Waltz! ‘What sacrifice would you be willing to make to discover the truth…or suppress it?’ Ella Shane, the duelling Duchess of Leith, and her husband are newlyweds who find themselves in the midst of two desperate situations. One is close to home, affecting the sister of a dear friend because of a quandary of identity that could result in a career-ending and damaging scandal. The other is an investigation given to the Duke regarding a decades-old youthful indiscretion between the British Royalty and the New York high society.

"Both require finesse but show the underbelly of deep-seated prejudices bolstered by diverging views of Christianity and Justice. Once again, the Duke and Ella are caught in the deadly crosshairs of those who would do anything to suppress the truth… even murder. A fantastic read that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Who are the devils, and who are the angels?”  

~ Wendy Bayne, author of the Crimes Against the Crown Series