Fatal Masquerade

Masked danger…

Lady Alkmene Callender has always loved grand parties, but when she receives an invitation to a masked ball thrown by Franklin Hargrove – oil magnate, aviation enthusiast and father of her best friend, Denise – she’s never seen such luxury. The estate is lit up with Chinese lanterns in the gardens, boats operated by footmen float across the pond and the guest list features the distinguished, rich and powerful!

But below the glamour, evil is lurking. When a dead body is discovered, it forces Lady Alkmene to throw off her mask and attempt to find the true killer before Denise’s family are accused. If only her partner, Jake Dubois, weren’t hiding something from her…

This case might just be more dangerous than either of them could have imagined.

Available from Vivian Conroy

A Lady Alkmene Callender Mystery series

A Proposal to Die For

Diamonds of Death

Deadly Treasures

Fatal Masquerade

A Country Gift Shop Cozy Mystery series

Dead to Begin with

Grand Prize: Murder!

Written into the Grave

Cornish Castle Mystery series

Death Plays a Part

Rubies in the Roses

Fatal Masquerade

Vivian Conroy

ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES

VIVIAN CONROY

discovered Agatha Christie at thirteen and quickly devoured all the Poirot and Miss Marple stories. Over time, Lord Peter Wimsey and Brother Cadfael joined her favourite sleuths. Even more fun than reading was thinking up her own fog-filled alleys, missing heirs and priceless artefacts. So Vivian created feisty Lady Alkmene and enigmatic reporter Jake Dubois, sleuthing in 1920s London and the countryside, first appearing in A Proposal to Die For. Vivian also writes the contemporary Country Gift Shop Mysteries, set at a British gift shop in smalltown Maine, and the contemporary Cornish Castle Mysteries, about a costume designer from London and her perky dachshund taking a summer job at a castle on a tidal island off the coast of Cornwall. For the latest bookish news, with a dash of dogs and chocolate, follow Vivian on Twitter via @VivWrites.

Contents

Cover

Blurb

Book List

Title Page

Author Bio

Acknowledgements

Note

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Excerpt

Endpages

Copyright

Acknowledgements

Thanks to all editors, agents and authors who share insights into the writing and publishing process.

Thanks to my fantastic editor, Victoria Oundjian, for her continued enthusiasm for Lady Alkmene’s adventures, and to the design team for the fabulous cover.

A special thanks to all book bloggers and readers who have left reviews for the first three books in the Lady Alkmene series or have reached out to say how much they love the character dynamics. Nothing makes me happier than to know my books bring the same sleuthing fun to readers as I experience myself when I dive into a mystery.

Note

Writing mysteries set in the 1920s, I’m grateful for all online information – think dress, transportation, etiquette and much more – to ensure an authentic period feel. Psychology plays a significant part in this story, and although some scenes and theories discussed are inspired by real-life developments at the time, Lady Alkmene’s world is fictional and the characters and their behaviour – whether ethical or unethical – the fruit of my imagination.

Chapter One

‘Can’t this thing go any faster?’ Denise Hargrove snapped at the driver. During the ride she’d consulted her watch over and over again, exuding a nervous energy Lady Alkmene Callender found hard to place.

It seemed odd that Denise was so anxious to get home. Her relationship with her father had never been close, and she endured her stepmother, a woman who was but a few years older than she herself was, making for an awkward atmosphere whenever the two women were forced to spend time together.

Denise’s stepmother would probably soon bear the male child who would push Denise from her current position as her father’s sole heir, leaving her with little more than an annual sum of money until she married. In the circumstances, one might have expected that Denise would have no wish to go home and spend time with her family, but just at the moment it seemed she couldn’t wait to get to the Hargrove estate.

Of course there was a masked ball on tonight, the kind of frivolous pastime Denise lived for.

Still, the ball wouldn’t begin for five hours, and Denise’s fidgeting suggested worry more than happy anticipation.

‘Is anything wrong?’ Alkmene asked in a low tone so the driver wouldn’t overhear.

‘Wrong?’ Denise gave her a wide-eyed look from under her new hat. ‘Why would anything be wrong?’

‘You seem so anxious to get to our destination.’

Denise laughed: a high-pitched, insincere sound. ‘My dress is getting crinkled in the trunk. It has to be put out and cared for. My make-up and wig will also take time. I just wish Cecily hadn’t insisted on having a formal dinner with the house guests before the other guests arrive for the ball.’