1816
When I, cavalry captain Gabriel Lacey, return to London from the Napoleonic Wars, I am exhausted and fighting melancholia, my army career ended.
My interest is piqued when I learn of a man’s missing daughter, possibly kidnapped by a prominent member of Parliament. My search for her uncovers murder and corruption beneath glittering Mayfair society and to dealings with a leader of the underworld.
I also must deal with transitioning from a soldier’s life to the civilian world, redefining my role with my former commanding officer and making new friends and enemies, from the top of society to the street girls of Covent Garden.
USA Today Bestselling author Ashley Gardner is a pseudonym for New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ashley. Under both names—and a third, Allyson James—Ashley has written more than 130 published novels and novellas in mystery, romance, fantasy, and historical fiction. Ashley's books have been translated into more than a dozen different languages and have earned starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist. When she isn’t writing, she indulges her love for history by researching and building miniature houses and furniture from many periods, and playing classical guitar and piano.