Through the Smoke
Novak (Home to Whiskey Creek) delivers a pulse-pounding tale of a disgraced earl and the shopkeeper he falls for, set against the backdrop of labor organizing in 1840 England. Truman Stanhope, Lord Druridge, is accused of killing his wife, who was pregnant with another man's child. Villager Rachel McTavish comes to Truman seeking aid for her ailing mother. Truman believes Rachel knows who set the fire that killed his wife. While Rachel admits that her father was approached to do the deed, she claims he had an attack of conscience. Could the murderer be Wythe, Truman's sneaky cousin—even though Wythe saved him from the same fire? And what part will missing paintings play in the proceedings? Truman is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, even as he falls for Rachel, while she must dodge powerful enemies who distrust all nobles and those who associate with them. This compelling tale delivers many surprising twists on its way to a solid conclusion. Agent: Dan Raines, Creative Trust Literary Group. (Oct.)