The Counterfeit Lady and the Naval Arms Race
by Kate Parker
The idea behind The Counterfeit Lady came from a conversation I had with my brother about the naval arms race of the 1890s. I realize most people don’t discuss historical topics with their brothers, but our parents read widely and we absorbed their interests. My brother’s favorite subject is U.S. History, and my favorite time period is 1890-1914. It’s no wonder after “how’s the family” and “how’s the job,” we start talking about historical figures and issues.
In our family, we find it perfectly normal.
I mentioned something about dreadnoughts, the super battleships first built in 1906, and my brother started talking about the naval arms race that began in 1890. It seems that economic and technological changes in shipbuilding and warfare began an intense competition between Britain, France, and Russia. Britain wanted to keep a numerical superiority over the next two navies combined to preserve her safety as an island and her connection to her colonies.
In 1890, second and third place belonged to France and Russia, and they were also keen to keep their fleets modern. This was the beginning of the age of the battleship.
By the end of the century, the U.S., Germany, Italy, Austria, and Japan were also in the race to build the fastest, most heavily armored battleships with the biggest guns on the ocean.
And that got me thinking. What if a brilliant British naval architect dreams up something as game changing as the dreadnought ten years earlier? And what if spies for some of these rival nations wanted to steal the designs for this new and improved warship?
Georgia Fenchurch and the Archivist Society wouldn’t ordinarily get mixed up in espionage, but what if the naval architect was charged with a murder when a set of the plans disappeared? The Duke of Blackford, a valued member of government because of his seat in the House of Lords and his contacts throughout Europe, would certainly be called in at such a crisis. And the duke would call on Georgia and her friends to bring their special talents to solving the problem.
What if Georgia has a special connection to this ship designer and this murder? What if the murdered woman, the wife of the naval architect, is a cousin of Lady Phyllida Monthalf? Since Georgia has no relatives, Phyllida and Emma Keyes make up Georgia’s “family” and live in her home with her. Phyllida will want her cousin’s killer found. Now solving this murder becomes personal to Georgia, and she’ll be willing to be a counterfeit lady.
It’s amazing what can happen when my brother and I start talking about history.
And so The Counterfeit Lady, coming from Berkley Prime Crime on August 5th, was born.
About the Author:
Kate Parker has held a variety of careers, including microbiologist in two hospitals, insurance fraud investigator, office clerk, telephone line repairer, and emergency medical technician, but her favorite is writer. Only as a writer can she travel to different locales and centuries.
In the last four years, since she switched from Romantic Suspense to Historical Romance, she has finaled three times in RWA’s Golden Heart® contest with three different manuscripts. Now she’s made the switch to historical mysteries with romantic elements, featuring the twists and turns and dead ends of her favorite mystery writers, including Robert Barnard, Simon Brett, Margaret Frazer, Susanna Gregory, and Deanna Raybourn. When she comes back to the present day, Kate finds herself near the coast of North Carolina with her real life hero, nineteenth century architecture and twenty-first century comforts.
Who would suspect antiquarian bookseller Georgia Fenchurch of leading a double life—as a private investigator for the clandestine Archivist Society in Victorian London? When England’s national security is compromised, Georgia must pose as a titled lady to root out a spy…
A cousin of Georgia’s dear friend, Lady Phyllida Monthalf, is brutally murdered in her home during the theft of blueprints of a new battleship designed by her husband—who now stands accused of her murder…and treason. The Duke of Blackford, in service to Whitehall, enlists Georgia and the Archivist Society to assist in the investigation. Playing the part of the duke’s new paramour, Georgia gains entry into the upper echelons of London’s elite, where amidst elegant dinners and elaborate parties a master spy schemes to lay hands on the stolen plans.
The duke is no stranger to the world of international espionage, but Georgia is out of her element in more ways than one. She must not allow her genuine attraction to the duke—or her obsession with finding her parents’ killer—to distract her from her role. But when a mysterious stranger threatens to expose her, the counterfeit lady may be in real trouble…
Jennifer’s Review of The Counterfeit Lady
Review (4.5 Stars): I was immediately drawn into this mystery from the very first page and I have to say that The Counterfeit Lady may be one of my favorite mysteries so far this year. I enjoy historical mysteries and found myself immersed in Victorian London and enjoying the investigative skills of Georgia and The Duke of Blackford. In this story, Georgia is summoned to help clear the name of a dear friend of Lady Phyllida Monthalf, who has been wrongfully accused of killing his wife. All evidence points to his guilt, but Georgia feels that something isn’t quite right with the scene of the crime. Now, Georgia has to infiltrate the elite of society to find the answers that she seeks, but she may have gotten herself involved in something that may put her own life in jeopardy.
The Counterfeit Lady is a captivating historical mystery that will keep you entertained for hours. I loved the fact that Georgia ran a bookstore but also was a private investigator in her spare time. She was smart, loyal and had the gentle yet persuasive type of personality that was able to get her the answers that she was looking for in an investigation. This is the second book in the series so I suggest that everyone start with The Vanishing Thief before this book so you can meet Georgia from the very beginning. Delightful series and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
Loved this book as well as the first one “Vanishing Thief”
I am lost in another world when I open either of these books
am anxious for the next one