The Rival Queens — Fidelis Morgan

London 1699. Countess Ashby de la Zouche and her maid, the faithful Alpiew, are dashing around, plying their trade as scandal-mongers. Happily, scandals are falling in their laps like ripe plums. But scandal takes on some gravitas when the Countess and Alpiew are hired to solve the murder of a popular leading lady. Amidst an ever-changing cast of actors, hooligans, servants, noblemen, and lunatics, the identity of the murderer remains a true mystery until the end. 'A 1699 version of bawdy London is splendidly brought to life in Fidelis Morgan's The Rival Queens, the second rollicking novel to feature the wiles and conniving intrigues of Countess Ashby de la Zouche and her maidservant Alpiew... Restoration comedy and action, artifice, gunpowder and Samuel Pepys a perfect historical menu of crime and mystery, with the bonus of laughs aplenty.' The Guardian; 'Steeped in period detail and wit, it's a mystery that is as much fun to read as it is to try to solve.' Minneapolis Star Tribune