Sophie Burgoyne Mysteries

Britain is in shambles, as it recovers from the cataclysm of WWI. Although the war has ended, it takes effort to preserve the peace against hidden enemies striving to undermine or replace the government. There is a desperate need for recruits to fight this invisible war. Sophie Burgoyne can trace her lineage back to the ancient French kings and dukes of twelve centuries ago. A long pedigree doesn't help her when she only has a few pounds in the bank. Sophie knows she must take action, or she and her father, the vicar of sleepy Havering-under-Lyme, will face the horrors of genteel impoverishment. With an entree into the upper echelons of British society through her wealthy relations and knowledge of the world of domestic servants, Sophie crafts a plan for the future. She goes to London to start a business-a rare event and a difficult task for a young woman in 1920. Sophie must face many unexpected challenges and dangers as she steps into a world of murder, mystery, and subterfuge. The rates for domestic servants are competitive, and the service is second to none. So, to solve a servant problem or investigate a sudden death, there is no better choice than . . . Burgoyne's (Secret) Agency.

A fantastic tale of homicide, high treason, and horses, that begins and ends with a bang. Lady Holme-a person, a place, an idyllic setting-the home of Lord and Lady Hazlett. It is also a nightmare haunt of dangerous secrets, both ancient and modern. It's the autumn of 1920 in beautiful southern Hampshire, and the year is fading away. As leaves begin to fall over the landscape, one of the Hazlett party is mercilessly also made to fall, dropping like a leaf before its time. There's no doubt it's murder; it can be nothing else. Why, though? And where will this tragedy lead? While Sophie and her resilient Secret Agents serve the family, they keep their eyes and ears open and learn much more than they ever expected. Much more.

Paper, Paper! Read all about it! Acrobat Murderer eludes police! But the newspaper story cannot tell the reader what is really happening-that this is another episode in the invisible war fought by hidden combatants. As Britain hurtles towards a crisis that must be averted at all costs, the police scramble to find a man who has escaped them. An assassination triggered The Great War. Could the same happen again? With a deadline looming, Sophie, Ada, and Flora are sent undercover to Dredemere Castle-a place poets eulogize for its beauty. There, they discover more dangers and an atmosphere rife with suspicion as the fearful hour approaches. Sophie and her friends struggle to keep up their spirits in the face of unexpected challenges while playing a deadly game of cat and mouse. Can they solve the mysteries that stare them in the face before it is too late?

In a beautiful Belgravia house, Dowager Countess Georgiana intends to celebrate her son's birthday-delightful festivities are planned. Lord Stokely has a different agenda for the occasion, one concerning governance, politics, and the seizing of power. Burgoyne's Agency has yet a third and very dangerous design for the evening-the toppling of Britain's foremost charismatic personality and most photogenic peer-Stokely. Outside of Belgravia, Britain is in a turbulent state. Confidence in the government is shaken, hidden forces are undermining the peace established after the Great War, and the fear of anarchy is entering British homes. The game begins for the intrepid secret agency, and it only grows more hazardous-until it becomes a question of survival for Sophie and her friends. The perils of the investigation are magnified as their enemies multiply around them.