The Viper in the Nest

Viper in the Nest

Behind the virtues of polite society, there are secrets worth killing for.

 

London, 1759.

When a charmless civil servant takes his own life, few are interested in his death. But Lizzie Hardwicke, harlot and informer for the magistrate, is desperate to satiate her curiosity and find out why.

Lizzie’s search for answers takes her from the smoke-filled rooms of fashionable gambling houses, where politicians mix ambition with pleasure, to the violent streets of Soho. All the while, she is navigating her complicated feelings for the magistrate’s assistant, Willam Davenport, and secretly planning her retirement from her increasingly dangerous life at Mrs Farley’s Bawdy House. 

But when the gambling house owner is brutally murdered, Lizzie finds herself tangled in a web of affairs far more complex than she had ever imagined. The darkest of secrets threaten to turn Davenport against her forever and if exposed, could send Lizzie to the gallows. 

 

Viper in the Nest is the latest instalment of the gripping and vividly imagined Lizzie Hardwicke mystery series.

Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Enola Holmes, echoing the atmospheric pull of a Nancy Drew–esque mystery.

One Step Ahead_Front

One Step Ahead

Jill Towers died in an accident. At least, that is what the newspaper suggests.

After Jill Towers falls to her death from a cliff during the Island Walk, the glue that held her friend group is gone forever. Two years later, mourning her death, four friends come back to Jersey for a charity walk.

But broken friendships have prominent cracks and these cracks hold dark secrets that come up to the surface when Haydon, Yesenia, Gary and Maisie reunite. After all, Haydon left the island soon after the death, Yesenia withdrew into her shell, Maisie ran until her heartbeat overpowered the thought of Jill’s death…and Gary went on about his business dealings as if it was just another Tuesday.

Their friendship goes through another test when they all set off for the Island Walk, but it seems like they all have their own agenda to finish the walk, which may or may not have to do with Jill.

With Jersey Beans, the local news portal, dishing out one scoop after the other, tension rises with the entire island scrutinising their every action. Will the gruelling 48.1 mile get them before the truth does? Will one of them crack and reveal what actually happened on that day? Or was it really just a freak accident?

C. L. Peache’s One Step Ahead pulls you in for a walk of a lifetime , as secrets get revealed with every step to finding out the truth. A story about loss wrapped up in suspense where everyone had something to gain…