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  • Published: 1 March 2022
  • ISBN: 9781496720887
  • Imprint: Kensington
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 448
  • RRP: $49.99

A Counterfeit Suitor




Among the ton of Regency London, one breath of scandal can be disastrous. Enter Rosalind Thorne in this charming mystery series inspired by the novels of Jane Austen and compared to a 19th century Phoebe Waller-Bridge from “Fleabag.” Charming and resourceful, she is a woman adept at helping ladies of quality navigate the most delicate problems and privy to the secrets of high society—including who among the ton is capable of murder...

Among the ton of Regency London, one breath of scandal can be disastrous. Enter Rosalind Thorne in this charming mystery series inspired by the novels of Jane Austen and compared to a 19th century Phoebe Waller-Bridge from “Fleabag.” Charming and resourceful, she is a woman adept at helping ladies of quality navigate the most delicate problems and privy to the secrets of high society—including who among the ton is capable of murder...

“Wilde's heroine is not only a useful woman but a highly entertaining one.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
It is every mama’s dearest wish that her daughter marries well. But how to ensure that a seemingly earnest suitor is not merely a fortune hunter? Rosalind is involved in just such a case, discreetly investigating a client’s prospective son-in-law, when she is drawn into another predicament shockingly close to home.
 
Rosalind’s estranged father, Sir Reginald Thorne—a drunkard and forger—has fallen into the hands of the vicious scoundrel Russell Fullerton. Angered by her interference in his blackmail schemes, Fullerton intends to unleash Sir Reginald on society and ruin Rosalind. Before Rosalind’s enemy can act, Sir Reginald is found murdered—and Fullerton is arrested for the crime. He protests his innocence, and Rosalind reluctantly agrees to uncover the truth, suspecting that this mystery may be linked to her other, ongoing cases.
 
Aided by her sister, Charlotte, and sundry friends and associates—including handsome Bow Street Runner Adam Harkness—Rosalind sets to work. But with political espionage and Napoleon loyalists in the mix, there may be more sinister motives, and far higher stakes, than she ever imagined...

  • Published: 1 March 2022
  • ISBN: 9781496720887
  • Imprint: Kensington
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 448
  • RRP: $49.99

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Praise for A Counterfeit Suitor

Praise for the Rosalind Thorne Mystery Series

“Wilde writes about high society social codes the same way Phoebe Waller-Bridge makes cheeky asides in “Fleabag.”” Bookpage on A Lady Compromised
 
“Complex social networks spark an equally complex puzzle.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW for A Lady Compromised

“Wilde does a good job balancing accurate period detail with a look at such matters as the difference between attraction and compatibility, and the weight of family obligations. Lovers of Regency mysteries and smart female sleuths will be eager for more.” Publishers Weekly on A Lady Compromised

“Wilde's description of people, places, and events create an immersive experience for the reader...A Lady Compromised portrays the outwardly straight-laced mores an complicated social connections of the country gentry vividly through a varied cast of characters.” Mystery Scene on A Lady Compromised

“Wilde delivers an intriguing, well-researched novel that sweeps readers into the not-so-quiet hills of the 19th-century English countryside.” Historical Novels Review on A Lady Compromised

“Rosalind is a great character, sharp-witted, intelligent, and independent-minded.  She has often been compared to Elizabeth Bennet, as is natural, because the series is clearly inspired by Jane Austen’s novels, but I think a closer parallel would be to Anne Elliot in Persuasion.” Aunt Agatha’s Bookstore on A Lady Compromised

““A Lady Compromised is a complex, enthralling mystery that rivals those of Anne Perry and Agatha Christie.” New York Journal of Books

"Rosalind carries the soul of Sherlock Holmes in the world of Elizabeth Bennet, and it's a hard combination to beat." BookPage on And Dangerous to Know

"Wilde has a sure hand on the reins of her prose, which results in a fast-paced and enjoyable story." Historical Novel Society on And Dangerous to Know

"Wilde smoothly mixes historical figures and events into a plot that's sure to keep readers turning the pages to see what happens next. Regency fans will be charmed." Publishers Weekly on And Dangerous to Know

"The Regency frame is skillfully woven through a story that features surprising plot twists and an engaging subplot concerning Rosalind's dilemma over whom to marry—Harkness or a duke who will allow her to reclaim her past." Booklist on And Dangerous to Know

"Impressive... Wilde brings the haute monde of early 19th-century London to vivid life, and the characters she peoples it with are complex individuals whose basic decency, or lack of it, is carefully hidden behind a facade of manners and propriety." Publishers Weekly on A Useful Woman

"Wilde has done a masterful job of recreating the tone and language of Austen's England...Rosalind is a spirited, sympathetic heroine... Wilde has given her just enough modern sensibilities to make her relatable but never oversteps in a way that divorces from the realities of the time...Here is a mystery with a nice balance between the salacious and the sad, the gratifying and the tragic." Criminal Element on A Purely Private Matter

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