A Pretty Deceit

“A historical mystery to delight fans of Agatha Christie or Daphne du Maurier.” —Bookpage In the aftermath of the Great War, the line between friend and foe may be hard to discern, even for indomitable former Secret Service agent Verity Kent, in award-winning author Anna Lee Huber’s thrilling mystery series. Peacetime has brought little respite for Verity Kent. Intrigue still abounds, even within her own family. As a favor to her father, Verity agrees to visit his sister in Wiltshire. Her once prosperous aunt has fallen on difficult times and is considering selling their estate. But there are strange goings-on at the manor, including missing servants, possible heirloom forgeries, and suspicious rumors—all leading to the discovery of a dead body on the grounds. While Verity and her husband, Sidney, investigate this new mystery, they are also on the trail of an old adversary—the shadowy and lethal Lord Ardmore. At every turn, the suspected traitor seems to be one step ahead of them. And even when their dear friend Max, the Earl of Ryde, stumbles upon a code hidden among his late father’s effects that may reveal the truth about Ardmore, Verity wonders if they are really the hunters—or the hunted . . . Praise for Anna Lee Huber’s Penny for Your Secrets “Stellar mystery . . . a great read for fans of the series and all who enjoy Downton Abbey-era fiction.” —Booklist

“A historical mystery to delight fans of Agatha Christie or Daphne du Maurier.” —Bookpage In the aftermath of the Great War, the line between friend and foe may be hard to discern, even for indomitable former Secret Service agent Verity Kent, in award-winning author Anna Lee Huber’s thrilling mystery series. Peacetime has brought little respite for Verity Kent. Intrigue still abounds, even within her own family. As a favor to her father, Verity agrees to visit his sister in Wiltshire. Her once prosperous aunt has fallen on difficult times and is considering selling their estate. But there are strange goings-on at the manor, including missing servants, possible heirloom forgeries, and suspicious rumors—all leading to the discovery of a dead body on the grounds. While Verity and her husband, Sidney, investigate this new mystery, they are also on the trail of an old adversary—the shadowy and lethal Lord Ardmore. At every turn, the suspected traitor seems to be one step ahead of them. And even when their dear friend Max, the Earl of Ryde, stumbles upon a code hidden among his late father’s effects that may reveal the truth about Ardmore, Verity wonders if they are really the hunters—or the hunted . . . Praise for Anna Lee Huber’s Penny for Your Secrets “Stellar mystery . . . a great read for fans of the series and all who enjoy Downton Abbey-era fiction.” —Booklist

England, 1919. In Anna Lee Huber’s latest mystery, former Secret Service agent Verity Kent is finding that life after wartime offers its own share of danger . . . The Great War may be over, but for many, there are still obstacles on the home front. Reconciling with her estranged husband makes Verity sympathetic to her friend Ada’s marital difficulties. Bourgeois-bred Ada, recently married to the Marquess of Rockham, is overwhelmed trying to navigate the ways of the aristocracy. And when Lord Rockham is discovered shot through the heart with a bullet from Ada’s revolver, Verity fears her friend has made a fatal blunder. While striving to prove Ada’s innocence, Verity is called upon for another favor. The sister of a former Secret Service colleague has been killed in what authorities believe was a home invasion gone wrong. The victim’s war work—censoring letters sent by soldiers from the front—exposed her to sensitive, disturbing material. Verity begins to suspect these two unlikely cases may be linked. But as the connections deepen, the consequences—not just for Verity, but for Britain—grow more menacing than she could have imagined. Praise for Anna Lee Huber’s Treacherous Is the Night “A thrilling mystery that supplies its gutsy heroine with plenty of angst-ridden romance.” —Kirkus Reviews “A splendid sequel. . . . Huber combines intricate puzzles with affecting human drama.” —Publishers Weekly “Masterful. . . . Just when you think the plot will zig, it zags. . . . Deeply enjoyable.” —Criminal Element

All is far from quiet on the home front in USA Today bestselling author Anna Lee Huber’s captivating mystery series, in which former Secret Service agent Verity Kent receives a visitor—who is being trailed by a killer . . . November 1919.A relaxing few weeks by the seaside with her husband, Sidney, could almost convince Verity Kent that life has returned to the pleasant rhythm of pre-war days. Then Verity’s beloved Great-Aunt Ilse lands on their doorstep. After years in war-ravaged Germany, Ilse has returned to England to repair her fragile health—and to escape trouble. Someone has been sending her anonymous threats, and Verity’s Secret Service contacts can only provide unsettling answers. Even deep in the Yorkshire Dales, where she joins Verity’s family for the holidays, Ilse encounters difficulties. Normally peaceful neighbors are hostile, seeking someone to blame for the losses they’ve endured. When Ilse’s maid is found dead, Verity must uncover whether this is anti-German sentiment taken to murderous lengths, or whether there is a more personal motive at work. Could Verity’s shadowy nemesis, Lord Ardmore, be involved? And if so, how much closer to home will the blow land when he inevitably strikes again? “…A treat for WWI buffs and the legion of fans who have grown fond of Verity.” —Publishers Weekly Praise for Anna Lee Huber’s Penny for Your Secrets “A historical mystery to delight fans of Agatha Christie or Daphne du Maurier.” —Bookpage “Stellar mystery . . . a great read for fans of the series and all who enjoyDownton Abbey-era fiction.” —Booklist

A WWI widow investigates murder—and her late husband’s secrets—in “this engrossing series launch” by the Daphne Award-winning author (Publishers Weekly). England, 1919. Verity Kent’s grief over the loss of her husband pierces anew when she receives a cryptic letter suggesting her beloved Sidney may have committed treason before his untimely death. Determined to dull her pain with revelry, Verity’s first impulse is to dismiss the claim. But the mystery sender knows too much—including the fact that during the war, Verity worked for the Secret Service, something not even Sidney knew. Lured to Umbersea Island to attend the engagement party of one of Sidney’s fellow officers, Verity discovers dark secrets among the veterans—along with a murder meant to conceal them. Relying on little more than a coded letter, a dashing stranger, and her own sharp instincts, Verity pursues a deadly trail that leads her to a shocking truth. . . “My favorite new mystery series!”– Alyssa Maxwell, USA Today bestselling author “Sure to please fans of classic whodunits and lovers of historical fiction alike.”–Jessie Crockett, author of Whispers Beyond the Veil

"Charming... Four interconnected visits to a world of danger, wit, beauty and genuine romance. Treat yourself!"—ANNE PERRY, internationally bestselling author A stellar line-up of historical mystery novelists weaves the tale of a priceless and cursed gold watch as it passes through time wreaking havoc from one owner to another. As the hours and years pass, the characters are irrevocably linked by fate, each playing a key role in breaking the curse and destroying the watch once and for all. From 1733 Italy to Edinburgh in 1831 to a series of chilling murders in 1870 London, and a lethal game of revenge decades later, the watch touches lives with misfortune, until it comes into the reach of one young woman who might be able to stop it for good. As much a book of curses as a book of destinies, The Deadly Hours is a breathtaking anthology rich with atmosphere and intrigue that encapsulates the exquisite destruction, heartbreak, and redemption wrought by fate. This outstanding collaboration of authors includes: Susanna Kearsley - New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of compelling time slip fiction. C.S. Harris - USA Today bestselling author of the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series. Anna Lee Huber - award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries. Christine Trent - author of the Lady of Ashes Victorian mystery series. More praise for The Deadly Hours: "A fantastic read."—Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author "What a treat!"—Victoria Thompson, USA Today bestselling author

A London séance sets a lady spy on a deadly mission across Europe in this post-WWI Era mystery by the Daphne Award-winning author of This Side of Murder. Verity Kent can sympathize with those eager to make contact with lost loved ones. After all, she once believed herself a war widow. But now that she’s discovered Sidney is very much alive, Verity is having enough trouble connecting with her estranged husband, never mind the dead. Still, at a friend’s behest, Verity attends a séance with a medium claiming to channel sensitive information from a surprising source: a woman Verity once worked with in the Secret Service. Refusing to believe her former colleague is dead—let alone divulging secrets—Verity is determined to uncover the source of the medium’s top-secret revelation. But her investigation is thwarted when the spiritualist is murdered. As once-trusted Secret Service agents turn their backs on her, Verity heads to war-torn Belgium, with Sidney by her side. But as they draw ever closer to danger, Verity wonders if she’s about to learn the true meaning of till death do us part. “Huber combines intricate puzzles with affecting human drama.”—Publishers Weekly

Explores the author's theorized evolutionary basis for self-deception, which he says is tied to group conflict, courtship, neurophysiology, and immunology, but can be negated by awareness of it and its results.