Spring 1763. Career diplomat Alec Halsey returns to London to the shocking news his estranged brother, the Earl of Delvin, has not only killed his friend in a duel but is engaged to the woman Alec hoped to marry. The dead man’s mother wants Alec to investigate, so he reluctantly attends a weekend house party celebrating the engagement. Houseguests get more than they bargained for when a lady’s maid is murdered, the bride-to-be is attacked, and a guest is shot dead. Uncovering a connection between these sinister acts and his brother's duel, Alec confronts a cruel twist of fate and why his brother will go to any lengths to ruin him in Polite Society. The Alec Halsey mysteries explore the darker side of Lucinda Brant’s deliciously romantic 18th century world. Along with her trademark wit and high drama there are deeper subplots and even quirkier characters that will have you shuddering and laughing in equal measure!

Autumn 1763. Career diplomat Alec Halsey has been elevated to a marquessate he doesn't want and Polite Society believes he doesn't deserve. And with the suspicion he murdered his brother still lingering in London drawing rooms, returning to London after seven months in seclusion might well be a mistake. So when a nobody vicar drops dead beside him at a party-political dinner, and his rabble-rousing uncle Plantagenet is bashed and left for dead in a laneway, Alec’s foreboding deepens. Uncovering the vicar's true identity, Alec suspects the man was poisoned. But who would want a seemingly harmless man of God murdered, and why? 2016 Goethe International Novel Writing Competition Finalist for Outstanding Works in Post-1750s Historical Fiction 2012 Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year Finalist Full-length novel (114,000 words, about 450 standard printed pages) Non explicit (mild sensuality, mild violence) Character-driven amateur sleuth "Descriptions are so vivid I felt as if I were there, experiencing the sights and sounds of Georgian London. Lucinda Brant gets five stars from me, and I can't wait to read the other books in the Alec Halsey series” — Anne Boling, Readers’ Favorite, rated 5 STARS “Lucinda Brant has crafted a clever and intriguing mystery in [Deadly Affair] which very skilfully pulls together seemingly disparate plot threads to reach a thoroughly satisfying conclusion with a couple of plot twists I most definitely did not see coming. [I am] hooked and eager for more.” — Caz Owens All About Romance, rated a DESERT ISLE KEEPER Connecting Books Many readers enjoy Lucinda Brant's books as part of a wider series since her characters inhabit the same meticulously-researched 18th Century world with people and events cross-referenced throughout. You can explore the details and delve deeper into the history within each book by visiting LucindaBrantAuthor on Pinterest. Should you wish to read each series in chronological order, here is the sequence: Alec Halsey Mysteries Spring 1763 DEADLY ENGAGEMENT (Country house murder and mayhem) Autumn 1763 DEADLY AFFAIR (A poisoned vicar and the mysterious Miranda) Winter 1763 DEADLY PERIL (Bloody intrigue abroad) Summer 1764 DEADLY KIN (Evil lurks in Edinburgh) In progress Salt Hendon Series 1763 SALT BRIDE (Magnus and Jane) 1767 SALT REDUX (Antony and Caroline) SALT HENDON COLLECTION—boxed set with bonus novella SALT ANGEL Roxton Family Saga 1740s NOBLE SATYR (Renard and Antonia) 1760s MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE (Julian and Deb) 1770s AUTUMN DUCHESS (Antonia and Jonathon) 1770s DAIR DEVIL (Dair and Rory) 1770s PROUD MARY (Mary and Christopher) In progress 1780s SATYR’S SON (Henri-Antoine and Lisa) In progress

Winter 1763. Alec, Lord Halsey is sent on a diplomatic mission to Midanich, imperial outpost of the Holy Roman Empire, to bargain for the freedom of imprisoned friends. Midanich is a place of great danger and dark secrets, a country at civil war ruled by a family with madness in its veins. Awaiting him at his destination is the Margrave and his sister, demanding nothing less than Alec’s head on a pike. Deliciously complex, immensely readable, & completely un-put-down-able. If you’re looking for an intelligently written and skillfully crafted historical mystery look no further than Deadly Peril. I promise you won’t regret it. —Caz Owens All About Romance, rated a DESERT ISLE KEEPER My first encounter with her work was mere months ago, and I’ve now read all her full-length books. Every one is worthy of five stars, but I think Deadly Peril is possibly the best yet. It is, quite simply, a perfect combination of mystery, romance, and history . — Lady Wesley Romantic Historical Reviews, rated 5 STARS Enjoy Lucinda’s meticulously researched 18 th century world, where characters, places, and events all intertwine. Alec Halsey Mystery Series Spring 1763 DEADLY ENGAGEMENT (Country house murder and mayhem) Autumn 1763 DEADLY AFFAIR (A poisoned vicar and the mysterious Miranda) Winter 1763 DEADLY PERIL (Bloody intrigue abroad) Summer 1764 DEADLY KIN (Murderous family secrets) Winter 1764 DEADLY DIPLOMACY (Lies, levées, and lovers) In progress Salt Hendon Series 1763 SALT BRIDE (Magnus and Jane) 1767 SALT REDUX (Antony and Caroline) SALT HENDON COLLECTION—boxed set with bonus novella SALT ANGEL Roxton Family Saga 1740s NOBLE SATYR (Renard and Antonia) 1760s MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE (Julian and Deb) 1770s AUTUMN DUCHESS (Antonia and Jonathon) 1770s DAIR DEVIL (Dair and Rory) 1770s PROUD MARY (Mary and Christopher) 1780s SATYR’S SON (Henri-Antoine and Lisa) 1743–77 ETERNALLY YOURS (Roxton Letters Vol. 1) 1772-87 FOREVER REMAIN (Roxton Letters Vol. 2)

Alec is back! Summer 1764. Alec and Selina anxiously await the birth of their first child at their estate in Kent. It should be a time of family celebration, but the death of a young poacher has Alec investigating murder. And when renovations to his sprawling manor unearth a secret burial chamber, a shocking family secret comes to light. Everything Alec thought he knew about his birth is again called into question, and with it the special bond with his irascible uncle Plantagenet. Praise for the Alec Halsey Mysteries Very well written, fast paced, and full of secrets… A cracking good adventure! —Historical Novel Society I challenge anyone not crave more from the handsome Alec Halsey with his high sense of morals, dark good looks, and divine analytical mind. —Reader’s Favorite Quite simply, a perfect combination of mystery, romance, and history. —Romantic Historical Reviews Recent Acclaim for the Series Two times USA TODAY bestsellers, Goethe International Novel Writing Competition Finalist, RONE Finalist for Best Published Mystery, RONE Cover Design: Finalist & Runner-Up, In'Dtale Crowned Heart, three times B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree. Connecting Books Enjoy Lucinda’s meticulously researched 18th century world, where characters, places, and events all intertwine. Alec Halsey Mystery Series Spring 1763 DEADLY ENGAGEMENT (Country house murder and mayhem) Autumn 1763 DEADLY AFFAIR (A poisoned vicar and the mysterious Miranda) Winter 1763 DEADLY PERIL (Bloody intrigue abroad) Summer 1764 DEADLY KIN (Murderous family secrets) Winter 1764 DEADLY DIPLOMACY (Lies, levées, and lovers) In progress Salt Hendon Series 1763 SALT BRIDE (Magnus and Jane) 1767 SALT REDUX (Antony and Caroline) SALT HENDON COLLECTION—boxed set with bonus novella SALT ANGEL Roxton Family Saga 1740s NOBLE SATYR (Renard and Antonia) 1760s MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE (Julian and Deb) 1770s AUTUMN DUCHESS (Antonia and Jonathon) 1770s DAIR DEVIL (Dair and Rory) 1770s PROUD MARY (Mary and Christopher) 1780s SATYR’S SON (Henri-Antoine and Lisa) 1743–77 ETERNALLY YOURS (Roxton Letters Vol. 1) 1772-87 FOREVER REMAIN (Roxton Letters Vol. 2)