England, 1627: A plot in the shadows. A reluctant bride. An explosive new mystery for Alice. 'She is a tiny figure drowned in sumptuous attire ... ' Gregory Norfield is a man with a hidden purpose. When Alice Jerrard meets him and his innocent young sister Melisande, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the maritime trade that is reliant on the nearby gunpowder works. Then Melisande's unexpected betrothal is swiftly followed by the sudden death of her suitor on the border of Alice's land at High Stoke. The hunt for the killer will lead Alice to accept a commission to spy on friend and foe alike. If she succeeds, she'll do more than save her new young friend from an unhappy future. But this is a scheme of smoke and mirrors, and Alice must be certain before she acts - for the truth is likely to be explosive ... A 'mesmerising' historical mystery filled with old foes and new *Praise for Georgia Piggott and historical mystery series The Alice Chronicles*'So exciting ... hard to put down'Mesmerising'Couldn't put it down!'Authentic detail carefully crafted ... absorbing' About the author: Georgia Piggott has a passion for domestic and social history from the early modern period. She loves exploring the relatively undiscovered era between the Gunpowder Plot and the English Civil War, when Charles I is new to the throne and society is undergoing intense change. This is the fifth book in The Alice Chronicles starring investigator Alice Jerrard. Georgia lives in Dorset.