The Rival Queens (A Countess Ashby de la Zouche mystery) - Hardcover

Fidelis Morgan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0007116357 ISBN 13: 9780007116355

Publisher: Collins Crime, 2001

Synopsis

The sequel to Fidelis Morgan s hugely entertaining debut, Unnatural Fire, again featuring the irrepressible Countess Ashby de la Zouche and her stupendously bosomed former maid, Alpiew, on the trail of murder and mayhem in early 18th-century London

Once again Anastasia Ashby de la Zouche, Baroness Penge, Countess of Clapham, former mistress to Charles II, finds herself embroiled in the darker side of 18th century London.

The Rival Queens is a tale of actresses, syphilis, juvenile delinquency, artifice, hot drinks and murder... not to mention The Passions and the doings of Samuel Pepys.

About this title

Review:

Fidelis Morgan s tale of love and greed and alchemy in 1699 is a heady compound of wit, wisdom and wildness. It s an unsentimental warts-and-all portrait that reeks of authenticity, written with a brio that reflects the age
Val McDermid

Hilarious 17th century romp, which combines an authentic slice of history with a tantalising storyline. An authority on the era, Morgan has created an inventive book which wears its learning lightly. Colourful turns of phrase and witty descriptions like a bawdy P.G. Wodehouse leave you with a keen sense of the period Daily Mail

A lusty, audacious historical romp ...all the bawdiness of London at the turn of the 18th century is brought to life Maxim Jakubowski, Guardian

Thigh-slapping, exclamatory stuff ... loudly, lustily, enthusiastically done Literary Review

The perfect autumn read Marie Claire

--Marie Claire

From the Back Cover:

"A perfect menu of historical crime and mystery"
'Guardian'

It's 1699 and those intrepid heroines the Countess Ashby de la Zouche and her maidservant Alpiew are once more scavenging for scandal for that scurrilous rag, the 'London Trumpet'. But with the bailiffs in hot pursuit they are reduced to seeking refuge at a concert hall. No sooner have they settled down for an evening of tedium than one of the players staggers onto the stage, her hands dripping with blood – a doyenne has been decapitated under their very noses.

The unlikely sleuths find themselves with an abundance of suspects: players, ruffians in pink ribbons, a Punch and Judy man – not to mention a painter with a silver proboscis. Their pursuit of the culprit takes them from the Tower of London to Bedlam, with a brief detour via the wilds of Wapping. With a little help from Pepys and a lot of laughs and mayhem along the way, they uncover a web of corruption that extends to the highest echelons of society.

"Colourful turns of phrase and witty descriptions – like a bawdy P.G. Wodehouse – leave you with a keen sense of the period"
'Daily Mail'

About this edition

• Publisher: Collins Crime
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0007116357
• ISBN 13: 9780007116355
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384