B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree!

A dangerous step-brother … a letter from a Venice … a secret key … and London’s most fashionable portraitist. Dark doings and deceptions surround an unexpected legacy … and an equally unexpected love story.

Upon learning that his step-sister, Mariella Talbot, is the beneficiary of a surprise inheritance, Sir Jerome Farrell decides to seize it for himself.
Already struggling to thwart her step-brother’s other wicked intentions, Mariella realises two things; to claim the Montesoro legacy, Jerome must make a lengthy journey … but without a certain item in her possession, he will return empty-handed.
Successful, sought-after and contemplating marriage to a lovely, young widow, Leo Brandon’s commission to paint Charlotte Farrell, takes him to Surrey for three days. Had he known in advance how those days would re-arrange his life, he might have made the catastrophic mistake of staying in London.
Meanwhile, the agents of M Section are interested in Sir Jerome for reasons of their own ... and, unlike Mariella, are less than delighted when he leaves the country.

“This author has a consistently high standard of writing and story-telling. Her use of appropriate language, manners and social mores of the day are meticulously researched and when I read her books, I am instantly transported to another, earlier time.” Book Readers Appreciation Group Review

"My sister, my son, and my nephew are all autistic. Sadly, I am usually disappointed with the 2-dimensional characters and stereotypical behaviours most authors use. This author captures conversation with a person with autism perfectly. I actually laughed because Donato reminded me so much of people I know .... how annoyed he gets when he's interrupted, his inability to remember to use social niceties and being rude without realising it. I think Stella Riley did a fabulous job of portraying autism and making us understand that, while Donato is clearly intelligent, his functioning is impaired by his lack of social skills." Amazon 5 Star review