Fresh from her adventures abroad, Victorian widow Lucy Lawrence returns to London, eager to start a new chapter. Her world is rocked when an assassin's bullet strikes her new fiancé. As he lies gravely injured, Lucy vows to unmask the culprit...
London, 1888. When a brutal murder occurs at her engagement party, Lucy Lawrence finds herself pulled into a new investigation. All evidence points to a mysterious syndicate of thieves known only by a cryptic calling card left at their crimes: Apollo. With the police eager to pin the murder on an easy target, Lucy and Phineas Stone must unravel a tangled web of lies and misdirection to uncover the truth before the case ruins them.
From glittering Mayfair ballrooms to the deadly rookeries of London's East End to a remote Scottish island, they follow the trail of secrets and deception. As the danger mounts, Lucy realizes the key to solving the case might lie in a simple painting.
A cunning adversary is intent on destroying all who learn their secrets... can Lucy save the man she loves, and expose a deadly killer before it's too late?
An atmospheric Victorian mystery brimming with suspense, passion and plot twists, The Art of Deception raises the stakes for Lucy Lawrence and Phineas Stone!
What readers are saying about The Art of Deception:
"A wonderful, courageous, funny, likeable, heroine in Lucy, I have loved all her adventures... I read the book over a few evenings and loved every minute of it, highly recommend." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Lucy and Phineas really took centre stage together in this one... the banter between them was thoroughly enjoyable." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This is a book that keeps one guessing... hard to put down and takes you from England to Scotland and back. At every turn the story draws you in." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I love Lucy and Phineas. I hope there will be another one soon, can't wait!" Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I've thoroughly enjoyed this series of Victorian crime novels... Another intriguing mystery to solve and lots of peril for our heroes. Kept me guessing to the end. I do hope there will be more books about Lucy and Phin." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lecky, Pam: - Pam Lecky is an Irish historical crime and mystery author. Having acquired a love of reading crime and historical fiction from her father at a very young age, she proceeded to gobble books until one day she realised she might like to write one.Pam lives in North County Dublin, close to the sea, sharing her office (whether she likes it or not!) with two cats, Bertie (Bertie Wooster) and Pip (Pippin the hobbit, of course), and a mad doggie PA who goes by the name of Molly (who is, Pam is convinced, part kangaroo!). Her debut novel, The Bowes Inheritance, was awarded the B.R.A.G Medallion; shortlisted for the Carousel Aware Prize 2016; and longlisted for the Historical Novel Society 2016 Indie Award. She has two popular series; The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries featuring a Victorian amateur sleuth, and the Sarah Gillespie WW2 series. Pam trained as a horticulturist and built a show garden at the Bloom Garden Festival in Dublin in 2008. When not writing, you can find her in her garden or walking the beach. She is a member of The Historical Novel Society, The Crime Writers' Association and The Society of Authors. She is represented by Thérèse Coen, at Susanna Lea Associates, London.
