A Fatal Waltz (Lady Emily Series #3)

( 70 )

Overview

At her friend Ivy's behest, Emily reluctantly agrees to attend a party at the sprawling English country estate of Lord Fortescue, a man she finds as odious as he is powerful. But if Emily is expecting Lord Fortescue to be the greatest of her problems, she is wrong. Her host has also invited Kristiana von Lange, an Austrian countess who was once linked romantically with Emily's fiancé, the debonair Colin Hargreaves. What Emily believes will be a tedious evening turns deadly when Fortescue is found murdered, and ...

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A Fatal Waltz (Lady Emily Series #3)

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More About This Book

Overview

At her friend Ivy's behest, Emily reluctantly agrees to attend a party at the sprawling English country estate of Lord Fortescue, a man she finds as odious as he is powerful. But if Emily is expecting Lord Fortescue to be the greatest of her problems, she is wrong. Her host has also invited Kristiana von Lange, an Austrian countess who was once linked romantically with Emily's fiancé, the debonair Colin Hargreaves. What Emily believes will be a tedious evening turns deadly when Fortescue is found murdered, and his protégé, Robert Brandon—Ivy's husband—is arrested for the crime.

Determined to right this terrible wrong and clear Robert's name, Emily begins to dig for answers, a quest that will lead her from London's glittering ballrooms to Vienna's sordid backstreets. Not until she engages a notorious anarchist in a game of wits does the shocking truth begin to emerge: the price of exonerating Robert can be paid only by placing Colin in deadly peril. To save her fiancé, Emily must do the unthinkable: bargain with her nemesis, the Countess von Lange.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

In Alexander's charming third novel of romantic suspense set in late Victorian England (after The Poisoned Season), Lady Emily Ashton is at a country house party when someone shoots her noxious host, Lord Basil Fortescue, with a dueling pistol. After the husband of a good friend is accused of the murder, Emily determines to find the real killer. The only clue, a threatening letter promising a political assassination, drives Emily to Vienna, where she meets the painter Gustav Klimt and shares stolen moments with her fiancé, diplomat Colin Hargreaves. But Emily never forgets her urgent mission-in the service of which she must match wits with double agents and anarchists as well as ally herself temporarily with Colin's former lover, the sexually sophisticated Kristiana von Lange. The appealing Emily at times comes across as too modern for even the most unconventional Victorian character, and the plot sags in mid-story despite several clever subplots. Still, the book's entertaining voice and accurate period detail will seduce most readers. (June)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Library Journal

Set in late 19th-century England, Alexander's third historical (after And Only To Deceiveand A Poisoned Season) to feature Lady Emily Ashton begins at a country-house party at which political powerhouse Lord Basil Fortescue is shot and Robert Brandon, his protégé, stands accused of the murder. Emily attends the party with her fiancé, agent of the Crown Colin Hargreaves. While Colin is engaged in uncovering a plot against England, Emily, a close friend of Robert's wife, doesn't hesitate to look for the real killer. When Emily and Colin both wind up in Vienna mingling with anarchists and artists alike, the two are surprised to find how well they work together. Alexander cleverly incorporates historical figures and events into a fictional story of European political intrigue, English society, Viennese culture, and plenty of genteel romantic chemistry. A wonderful choice for readers looking for a pleasant diversion from everyday troubles; recommended for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ2/1/08.]
—Stacey Hayman

Kirkus Reviews
Port-swilling sleuth Lady Emily Ashton embroils herself in an international intrigue that might just start World War I two decades early. In the third of Alexander's series (A Poisoned Season, 2007, etc.), Lord Fortescue, a powerful advisor to Queen Victoria, invites Emily and friends to a hunting party at his country house, apparently for the sole purpose of insulting them all weekend. Too soon, a major source of suspense-wondering when Fortescue's guests will storm out en masse-is dispelled by someone putting a bullet through the host's head. Although Fortescue had dirt on nearly everyone in England, the most immediate suspect is his former political protege, Robert Brandon, husband of Emily's dear friend Ivy. Clapped in Newgate prison, Robert begs Emily to find the real killer. Fortescue had received death threats from Vienna, he reveals. Fortunately for Emily's vast wardrobe, the Waltz season is in full lilt there, so it's all aboard the Orient Express. Accompanying our redoubtable amateur detective are her childhood friend and would-be lover Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, and her French copine Cecile, herself a pal of Austria's bereaved empress Sissi, who's mourning her son's death in a supposed suicide pact. Once in snowy Vienna, Emily befriends a struggling artist who leads her to Gustav Schroder, an anarchist who knows of Fortescue's nefarious plot to lead England into war with Germany by fomenting a bombing during the Kaiser's visit to Vienna. Emily's betrothed Colin, often absent on clandestine spying missions, stops by occasionally to kiss her soulfully and commiserate about their delayed nuptials, postponed by Emily's mother until Queen Victoria can fit them into her socialcalendar. Emily dodges Harrison, a sinister cohort of Fortescue's who leaves bullets in her hotel room, purse, favorite cafe, etc., just to show he can. The convoluted plot verges on impenetrable, and rich, cosseted Emily remains a heroine whose mettle is in serious need of testing. Tantalizing but ultimately tepid. Agent: Anne Hawkins/John Hawkins & Associates
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780061174230
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 6/23/2009
  • Series: Lady Emily Series , #3
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 320
  • Sales rank: 97322
  • Product dimensions: 5.31 (w) x 8.00 (h) x 0.72 (d)

Read an Excerpt

A Fatal Waltz A Novel of Suspense
By Tasha Alexander
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2008 Tasha Alexander
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780061174223


Chapter One

I had not noticed it when she first arrived: the way she leaned too far towards him as he kissed her hand, the hint of surprised recognition in his eyes. But having spent an afternoon in the same room as them, watching the effortless manner in which they fell into familiar conversation—two striking individuals against an equally spectacular backdrop—I could not deny that they were more than casual acquaintances. Never had I suspected my fiancé was so close to another woman.

I was accustomed to, and often amused by, the parade of young ladies who flirted with Colin Hargreaves at every opportunity. The fact that he looked something like a Greek statue of ideal man—by Praxiteles, of course—made him irresistible to debutantes. His enormous fortune, family lineage that could be traced to the time of William the Conqueror, and well-tended estate ensured that he was equally attractive to their parents. But until today, I'd never seen him react to a woman the way he did to the Countess von Lange.

"And you know, Schatz, the Baroness Meinz thought that Tintoretto had done the doors of the Duomo in Florence. Can you imagine?" she asked. Schatz? I was shocked to hear her use a term of endearment in such an intimate tone of voice.

"Well, perhaps she's no scholar of art, but—," Colin began.

"Scholar?Darling, she's absolutely hopeless. Why, even you know who Tintoretto is, don't you, Lady Ashton?"

"Of course," I said, my lack of knowledge of Renaissance art making it impossible for me to add anything more.

"You understand, I hope, why Tintoretto couldn't have done the doors?" she asked, her green eyes dancing as she looked at me.

"My expertise is in classical art, countess," I said. "I'm afraid I'm unable to discuss the nuances of the Italian Renaissance."

"Nuance has nothing to do with it. Tintoretto was a painter. Ghiberti was a sculptor. He did the doors—Michelangelo called them 'gates of paradise.'" She pushed against Colin's arm playfully. "You are going to have to educate her. I can't have you married to someone who's as foolish as the baroness. It would be unconscionable."

"You've nothing to fear on that count," he said. "Emily's brilliant."

"Spoken like a man in love." She had turned so that her back was almost to me, cutting me out of the conversation.

"Will you excuse me?" I asked. There are moments when one is overwhelmed with a feeling of awkwardness, when grace and sophistication and even coherence are goals more remote than that of a woman in evening dress climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or of my mother convincing me to adopt her definition of a successful life. This was one of those moments, and I had no desire to prolong it. As I stood up, my heel caught the silk hem of my gown, and I tripped. Not daring to look at the countess, I mustered as much dignity as possible following what was a decidedly inelegant recovery and headed for the tea table.

Every inch of the mahogany surface was covered by dainty china platters heaped with sandwiches, biscuits, and cakes. Although I did not doubt for an instant that it was all delectable, none of it appealed to a stomach seared by embarrassment. I poured myself a cup of tea, my unsteady hands sloshing the golden liquid onto the saucer, and took a seat on the other side of the parlor.

"Stunning woman, the countess, wouldn't you say, Lady Ashton?" Lord Fortescue dropped onto the chair across from me, its delicate frame bowing under his weight. "Great friend of Hargreaves's. They've known each other for years. Inseparable when he's on the Continent."

I'd had the misfortune in the past year of drawing the attention and ire of Lord Fortescue, confidant of Queen Victoria and broadly considered to be the most powerful man in the empire. I despised him as much as he despised me, and wondered how I would survive for days on end trapped at Beaumont Towers, his extravagant estate in Yorkshire. Ignoring his question, I looked across the drawing room at a gentleman sprawled on a moss green velvet settee. "Is Sir Thomas asleep? That can't bode well for this party."

"So unfortunate that you had to postpone your wedding," Fortescue drawled. "But we needed Hargreaves in Russia. Couldn't be avoided." Colin and I had planned to be married as soon as possible after I'd accepted his proposal, but he was called away just two days before the wedding—no doubt by Lord Fortescue—to assist with a delicate situation in St. Petersburg. This had caused a considerable amount of gossip, as we'd bowed to family pressure to invite several hundred guests.

"Mrs. Brandon tells me that Sir Thomas has a terrible habit of dozing in Parliament. I marvel that his constituents continue to reelect him." I turned my head to stare out the window across the moors.

"I wouldn't expect Hargreaves to be in a hurry to marry you now that he's renewing his acquaintance with the countess." He tapped on the side of his empty glass, which a footman immediately refilled with scotch. As soon as the servant had stepped away, my adversary resumed his offensive. "I've no interest in protecting your feelings, Lady Ashton. You will never make an appropriate wife for him, and I shall do everything in my power to make sure that he never marries you."

"I wonder if I could fall asleep in Parliament," I said, refusing to engage him. "I shouldn't think the benches are that comfortable, though it's not difficult to believe many of the speeches are tedious enough to induce even the most hearty soul to slumber. But I'd wager the House of Commons is more lively than the House of Lords." Across the room, the countess had pulled her chair closer to Colin's, her hand draped elegantly over his armrest.

"You will not avoid conversation on this topic," Lord Fortescue said, his voice sharp, his already ruddy complexion taking on an even brighter hue.



Continues...

Excerpted from A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander Copyright © 2008 by Tasha Alexander. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 70 )
Rating Distribution

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(33)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 70 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 2008

    Superb!

    I adore this series. Alexander has done a splendid job gradually letting Lady Emily's character grow. She began as a realistically naive and rash young woman in And Only to Deceive and is properly slowly maturing. In fact, all of the characters in the series 'ring true'. This is one reason the Lady Emily novels are so compelling. The other is Alexander's apparently effortless way of naturally and accurately portraying the period. Fatal Waltz kept me reading. I was lost to everyone and everything else. When, oh when, will Alexander's next book be published?

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Tue Dec 09 00:00:00 EST 2008

    more from this reviewer

    exciting late Victorian amateur sleuth

    At the request of her friend Ivy Brandon, Lady Emily Ashton attends a party at the country manor of odious advisor to the Queen Lord Basil Fortescue, a toad Emily loathes. Making what would be an evening of torturous boredom worse is Austrian Countess Kristiana von Lange who is also attending. She allegedly has had her moments with Emily¿s fiancé, royal investigator of potential embarrassing situations Colin Hargreaves. ---- However, ennui is the last thing that occurs that night as someone kills the host. Ivy¿s spouse Robert is the prime suspect as he had motive, means and opportunity being the repulsive Basil¿s political follower. For Ivy¿s sake and believing Robert is innocent though an aristocratic traditionalist throwback, Emily investigates the homicide. Her only potential clue is a letter describing an assassination in Austria. Emily leaves London for Vienna, where Colin is stationed. In Vienna, Emily and Colin enjoy their reunion, but she places both of them in danger as spies and anarchists without conscience are everywhere and eliminating a nosy English lady is fine as far as all these agents are concerned. --- This is an exciting late Victorian amateur sleuth tale that uses famous Austrians like Klim to anchor time and place. The story line is fast-paced and filled with plenty of twists especially since double agents abound one spin in particular is wonderful as Emily teams up with her rival the Countess. Although thoroughly modern Emily seems more twenty first century than late nienteenth, fans will enjoy her spunk and courage as she investigates in Austria, an English country murder (see AND ONLY TO DECEIVE and THE POISONED SEASON for her previous sleuthing). --- Harriet Klausner

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Tue Nov 12 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Very, very good!

    Very, very good!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Mar 24 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Greatly enjoyed this book

    The Lady Emily books co ntinue to get better. I found this installment more exciting than the previous ones, and more suspenseful. The mystery was a good one, and I didn't guess the out come until almost the end. Lookingforward to the next book in the series.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Feb 21 00:00:00 EST 2013

    I enjoyed this book. It kept me reading. I am not fond of Coli

    I enjoyed this book. It kept me reading. I am not fond of Colin and would prefer to see Emily with Jeremy - I can only hope. I plan to read more books of this series.

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  • Posted Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Good Read

    A good book for ladies.

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  • Posted Thu Aug 11 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    Must read in the series. Loved it!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Nov 02 00:00:00 EDT 2010

    Loved it

    if you love the Lady Emily series, this third installment doesn't disappoint. when i finished, the only let down was that there was only one more book in the series. i hope the author writes more.

    this book takes lady emily away from London for most of it. very interesting, suspensful and fun!

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  • Posted Sun May 23 00:00:00 EDT 2010

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    A Poisoned Season (Lady Emily Series #2)
    And Only to Deceive (Lady Emily Series #1)

    to save a man...

    I must admit that going into the third book of the lady emily series, I had not expected the plot to follow the path that it did. It was a little slow catching one's attention at first, but as soon as the story begins to play out, you really get caught up in the mystery. I was thoroughly enamored with Lady Emily's determination to free Robert of his convictions. The lengths that she went through, including the pain she suffered, both physically and emotionally had me on edge through the last quarter of the book. Lord Bainbridge's unrequited love from Lady Emily was a very nice addition to the storyline, yet also sad in its own way as well. I'm very glad I stumbled upon this series and am looking forward to reading Tears of Pearl next, as well as the upcoming 5th addition to the Lady Emily Series (Dangerous To Know). All in all, this book out of the three was my favorite, not only because the leading and supporting characters end up the way they do, but because it was truly a touching love story amidst all the suspense.

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  • Posted Wed May 05 00:00:00 EDT 2010

    Too Much Romance, Too Little Mystery

    This is a series I have enjoyed until the most recent installment. An intelligent, well written series of thoughtful mysteries tripped into an out of character (for Emily) sappy romance. It seems Emily's marriage lowered her IQ by thirty points.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Jun 09 00:00:00 EDT 2008

    A reviewer

    I have always been a fan of victorian mysteries, but was pleasantly surprised to find that Tasha Alexander has taken this genre to a whole new level. I bought her first novel, 'And Only to Decieve', on a whim. I quickly ordered her next novel, 'A Poisoned Season'. It was even better than the first! I just finished 'Fatal Waltz', and I have to say it is my favorite so far. I have passed these books along to my gal pals, and we are quickly forming our own little book club. Tasha Alexander writes a beautifully entertaining story that is rich in history and antiquities. The story is never slow or tedious. There is just the right amount of tasteful and dignified romance (never lowering itself to the smutty romance novel status). I would recommend reading all three in the 'Lady Ashton' series. You will love these novels. My friends and I couldn't put them down, and even with our hectic schedules we all managed to read each book in about two days! (A hint: check out Tasha Alexander's official websites to links of photos related to the locations and museum pieces mentioned in her novels!)

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Jun 05 00:00:00 EDT 2008

    Very entertaining book!

    I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have read the two previous books in the series which were excellent. This is a nice Victorian cozy that has it all -- a little mystery, romance, travel to exotic locales and a happy ending. The main characters, Emily and Colin are extremely likeable, as are the more minor characters in the book. As someone who reads alot of books, I also have to comment on how well written this author's books are. Though it would be nice to have a new book from her more than once a year, it's worth the wait to get an entertaining, well executed and well written book like this one.

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    Posted Wed Dec 30 00:00:00 EST 2009

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