First published 2020
Veronica Speedwell accepts an unusual proposition from Lord Templeton-Vane, her colleague Stoker's brother. He wants her to pretend to be his fiancée at a house party on a remote Cornish island. The lure of a rare butterfly convinces her to agree. The gathering takes place at the castle of Malcolm Romilly, but this is no ordinary social event. Three years earlier, Malcolm's bride Rosamund vanished without a trace on their wedding day. Now Malcolm has assembled everyone who knew her, each person a potential suspect in her disappearance. The island castle holds dark secrets, from poisonous plants in the sister's garden to the towering battlements above. Veronica and Stoker realize they must uncover what happened to Rosamund before the killer strikes again. The investigation becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse with someone who has already committed murder and will kill to protect their secret.
Genres: romance, adventure, suspense, mystery, 19th-century, amateur-sleuth
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating
Setting: Cornwall, Island Castle
Period: 19th-Century
332 pages · Paperback · Berkley Books