April Lady Read online

  Royal Escape

  After Cromwell’s forces defeated King Charles II at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, the young king embarked on a daring flight to France. For six weeks, Charles hid in the English countryside disguised as a servant, unable to find a way across heavily guarded borders, until two young women finally helped him escape. His courtiers were in constant fear for his life as he defied their warnings and flirted with disaster at every stage of his journey.

  The Spanish Bride

  The Spanish Bride follows hot-headed Brigade-Major Harry Smith and the spirited young Spanish noblewoman he met and instantly married during the Peninsular Wars, when the Duke of Wellington’s forces fought Napoleon’s army in Spain and Portugal. Heyer illuminates in fascinating detail the wearying marches, hand-to-hand battles, wildly varying camp conditions and stolen moments of leisure, in a stirring account of the life of a military wife who “followed the drum” during the Regency period.

  An Infamous Army

  In the summer of 1815, Brussels is a whirlwind of parties, balls and soirees, as Napoleon Bonaparte marches down from the north and the Duke of Wellington struggles to cobble together an army to meet the threat. At the center of the glittering social scene is the beautiful, outrageous young widow Lady Barbara Childe. Even her betrothal to the dashing Colonel Charles Audley fails to curb her wild behavior—but as the Battle of Waterloo begins to rage, Lady Barbara discovers where her heart truly lies.

  Georgette Heyer Mysteries now available from Sourcebooks

  Behold, Here’s Poison

  It’s no ordinary morning at the Poplars—the master is found dead in his bed and it turns out that his high blood pressure was not the culprit. From the dotty Zoe Matthews to her wonderfully malicious nephew Randall, every single member of the quarrelsome Matthews family has a motive and none, of course, has an alibi. The suspects maneuver, mislead, quibble and prevaricate as the amiable Detective Inspector Hannasyde sifts through the evidence trying to discover the murderer before the next victim succumbs. Heyer’s dialogue is a master class in British wit, sarcasm and the intricacies of life above and below stairs. A truly fiendish plot tests the ingenuity of the quietly resourceful Inspector Hannasyde and leads to a clever and unpredictable conclusion.

  The Unfinished Clue

  At first glance, it should have been a lovely English country-house weekend party. But it’s the guest list from hell and the host, Sir Arthur Billington-Smith, is an abusive wretch who everyone at the party turns out to have a reason to hate. When he’s found in his study, stabbed to death and clutching a torn check in his hand, the unhappy guests and estranged family find themselves under the scrutiny of Scotland Yard’s cool-headed Inspector Harding. The unlikely cast of characters is sketched with Georgette Heyer’s usual brilliant wit and insight into human nature. Inspector Harding emerges as an unlikely hero, following red herring after red herring and finding his own happiness in the process.

  Why Shoot a Butler?

  In a classic English country-house murder mystery with a twist, it’s the butler who’s the victim of murder. When local barrister Frank Amberley stumbles upon the scene of the crime, on impulse he protects the young woman he catches there. In the course of ferreting out the real killer, Amberley’s disdain for the bumbling police adds comic relief, and he displays true brilliance at solving a crime in which every clue complicates the puzzle, and the police are typically baffled. The conclusion will come as a surprise and delight to Heyer aficionados and general mystery lovers alike.

  No Wind of Blame

  Wally Carter’s murder seems impossible—no one was near the murder weapon at the time the shot was fired. In typical Heyer fashion, everyone on the scene seems to have a motive, not to mention the wherewithal to commit murder, and alibis that simply don’t hold up. The superlatively analytical Inspector Hemingway is confronted by a neglected widow, the neighbor who’s in love with her, her resentful daughter, a patently phony Russian prince, and a case of blackmail that may—or may not—be at the heart of the case…

  Death in the Stocks

  A bobby on his night rounds discovers a corpse in evening dress locked in the stocks on the village green. Superintendent Hannasyde is called in, but sorting out the suspects proves a challenge. Everyone in the eccentric, exceedingly uncooperative Vereker family had motive and means to kill the unpopular Andrew Vereker. One cousin allies himself with the inspector, while the victim’s half-brother and sister, each of whom suspects the other, markedly try to set him off the scent. To readers’ delight, the killer is so cunning that his (or her) identity remains a mystery until the very end…

  Georgette Heyer’s Regency World

  by Jennifer Kloester

  Immerse yourself in the resplendent glow of Regency England and the world of Georgette Heyer…

  From the fascinating slang, the elegant fashions, the precise ways the bon ton ate, drank, danced, and flirted, to the shocking real life scandals of the day, Georgette Heyer’s Regency World takes you behind the scenes of Heyer’s captivating novels.

  As much fun to read as Heyer’s own novels, beautifully illustrated, and meticulously researched, Jennifer Kloester’s essential guide brings the world of the Regency to life for Heyer fans and Jane Austen fans alike.

  Praise for Georgette Heyer’s Regency World:

  “An invaluable guide to the world of the bon ton. No lover of Georgette Heyer’s novels should be without it.” —Katie Fforde

  “Detailed, informative, impressively researched. A Heyer lover writing for Heyer fans.”—Times Literary Supplement

  For more Jennifer Kloester books, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  The Private World of Georgette Heyer

  by Jane Aiken Hodge

  An internationally bestselling phenomenon and queen of the Regency romance, Georgette Heyer is one of the most beloved historical novelists of our time. She wrote more than fifty novels, yet her private life was inaccessible to any but her nearest friends and relatives.

  Lavishly illustrated and with access to private papers, correspondence and family archives, this classic biography opens a window into Georgette Heyer’s world and that of her most memorable characters, revealing a formidable, energetic woman with an impeccable sense of style and, beyond everything, a love for all things Regency.

  Praise for The Private World of Georgette Heyer:

  “The Georgette Heyer bible… This is a must-have book for any Georgette Heyer lover.” —Historically Obsessed

  For more Jane Aiken Hodge books, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com