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A Lady Emily Mystery — by Tasha Alexander
Lady Emily Series in Order: 24 books
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And Only to Deceive
Book - 1
Emily agreed to wed Philip, the Viscount Ashton, primarily to escape her overbearing mother. Philip's death while on safari soon after their wedding left Emily feeling little grief, for she barely knew the dashing stranger. But her discovery of hi...
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A Poisoned Season
Book - 2
London's social season is in full swing, and the Victorian aristocracy can't stop whispering about a certain gentleman who claims to be the direct descendant of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. But he's not the only topic of wagging tongues. Drawing r...
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A Fatal Waltz
Book - 3
At her friend Ivy's behest, Emily reluctantly agrees to attend a party at the sprawling English country estate of Lord Fortescue, a man she finds as odious as he is powerful. But if Emily is expecting Lord Fortescue to be the greatest of her problems...
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Tears of Pearl
Book - 4
Looking forward to the joys of connubial bliss, newlyweds Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves set out toward Turkey for an exotic honeymoon. But on their first night in the city, a harem girl is found murdered -- strangled in the courtyard of the Sultan'...
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Dangerous to Know
Book - 5
Set in the lush countryside of Normandy, France, this new novel of suspense featuring Lady Emily Hargreaves is filled with intrigue, romance, mysterious deaths, and madness. Returning from her honeymoon with Colin Hargreaves and a near brush with ...
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A Crimson Warning
Book - 6
Secrets prove deadly in this new novel from Tasha Alexander featuring Lady Emily Hargreaves. Some very prominent people in London are waking up to find their doorsteps smeared with red paint, the precursor to the revelation of a dark secret -- and ...
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Death in the Floating City
Book - 7
Years ago, Emily's childhood nemesis, Emma Callum, scandalized polite society when she eloped with an Italian count. But now her father-in-law lies murdered, and her husband has fled, making him the prime suspect. Alone in her empty palazzo, there's ...
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Behind the Shattered Glass
Book - 8
A ruined abbey on a beautiful estate in Derbyshire, a murdered peer, and a most unlikely romance make "New York Times" bestseller Tasha Alexander's new novel "Behind the Shattered Glass "absolutely irresistible Anglemore Park is the ancestral hom...
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The Counterfeit Heiress
Book - 9
After an odd encounter at a grand masquerade ball, Lady Emily becomes embroiled in the murder investigation of one of the guests, a sometime actress trying to pass herself off as the mysterious heiress and world traveler Estella Lamar. Each small dis...
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Star of the East
Book - 9.5
From New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander comes STAR OF THE EAST, a Lady Emily holiday story that will enchant readers and keep them guessing until the very last page...Emily and Colin Hargreaves make it a rule to spend as little time as...
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The Adventuress
Book - 10
Emily and husband Colin have come to the French Riviera for what should be a joyous occasion - the engagement party of her lifelong friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, and Amity Wells, an American heiress. But the merrymaking is cut short with the sho...
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That Silent Night
Book - 10.5
'Tis the season for murder, mayhem, and mistletoe across the pond from New York Times bestselling author Tasha AlexanderIn this new short story from Tasha Alexander, Lady Emily -- called "Victorian London's most colorful and delightfully eccentric sl...
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A Terrible Beauty
Book - 11
In this gripping new novel in the New York Times bestselling series, Lady Emily travels to Greece where a ghost from her past returns to haunt her amid the ruins. On a quest to distract her lifelong friend Jeremy from his recent heartbreak, Lady E...
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Death in St. Petersburg
Book - 12
From New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander comes the latest installment in the Lady Emily series. Death in St. Petersburg is a gripping new tale that will mesmerize fans of historical fiction and classic mysteries alike. After the fina...
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Amid the Winter's Snow
Book - 12.5
In Amid the Winter's Snow, an uplifting Christmas story in Tasha Alexander's acclaimed series, Lady Emily and her husband Colin take on a case that proves the enduring power of love. Emily and Colin Hargreaves are looking forward to nothing more than...
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Uneasy Lies the Crown
Book - 13
Lady Emily and her husband Colin must stop a serial killer whose sights may be set on the new king, Edward VII. On her deathbed, Queen Victoria asks to speak privately with trusted agent of the Crown, Colin Hargreaves, and slips him a letter with ...
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Upon the Midnight Clear
Book - 13.5
In UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR, a heartwarming new Christmas short story featuring Tasha Alexander's beloved Victorian sleuth, Lady Emily and her husband, Colin, discover a clue in a Christmas cracker that leads to a true holiday miracle.While most of Lo...
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In the Shadow of Vesuvius
Book - 14
In skillfully intertwined storylines from the dawn of the twentieth century and the heyday of the Roman Empire, Tasha Alexander's In the Shadow of Vesuvius, the latest installment to her bestselling series, brings Lady Emily and her husband to Po...
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The Dark Heart of Florence
Book - 15
In the next Lady Emily Mystery, The Dark Heart of Florence, critically acclaimed author Tasha Alexander transports readers to the legendary city of Florence, where Lady Emily and Colin must solve a murder with clues leading back to the time of the Me...
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Secrets of the Nile
Book - 16
In a brilliant homage to Agatha Christie, critically acclaimed author Tasha Alexander sends Lady Emily to Egypt during British colonial rule to investigate a crime that leads back to the era of the Pharaohs.In Secrets of the Nile, Lady Emily and her ...
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A Cold Highland Wind
Book - 17
In this new installment of Tasha Alexander's acclaimed Lady Emily series set in the wild Scottish highlands, an ancient story of witchcraft may hold the key to solving a murder centuries later.In the summer of 1905, Lady Emily, husband Colin Hargreav...
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Death by Misadventure
Book - 18
In the next installment of Tasha Alexander's New York Times bestselling series, Lady Emily must solve a string of high stakes "accidents" while trapped in a lavish villa in the Bavarian Alps.In the winter of 1906, Lady Emily and husband Colin are inv...
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The Sisterhood
Book - 19
Lady Emily investigates the murder of a glamorous debutante in the next irresistible mystery of Tasha Alexander's New York Times bestselling series.London, 1907: When the Season's most accomplished and elegant debutante, Victoria Goldsborough, collap...
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Series Premise
Lady Emily Hargreaves (née Ashton) is a wealthy, titled widow in her twenties who rejects the conventional role of Victorian society women. After her husband Philip’s suspicious death, she discovers he was not the man she thought, and his murder draws her into the world of criminal investigation. She teams up with Colin Hargreaves—a handsome, enigmatic Scotland Yard consultant and later her husband—who provides official resources and a romantic partnership. Together, they solve murders and mysteries that often involve the upper classes, international intrigue, stolen art, ancient artifacts, or literary secrets. Each book follows a classic whodunit structure: a murder or suspicious death occurs (often among the elite or in exotic locales), multiple suspects emerge with plausible motives, red herrings abound, and Emily uses her sharp intellect, research skills, and access to society to uncover the truth. Colin handles the official police side while Emily pursues unofficial leads. The cases frequently tie to historical or cultural elements—Greek antiquities, Egyptian archaeology, Byzantine treasures, Victorian literature, or European nobility—reflecting Emily’s scholarly interests. The series explores themes of gender roles, intellectual equality, the cost of secrets, and the power of love and friendship to overcome societal constraints.
Lady Emily Series Characters
Lady Emily Hargreaves (née Ashton): The protagonist—a brilliant, independent woman in her twenties who becomes a celebrated amateur detective. Intelligent, curious, and fiercely principled; she defies Victorian expectations of femininity while remaining elegant and compassionate. She marries Colin Hargreaves and balances sleuthing with family life.
- Colin Hargreaves: Emily’s husband—a discreet British intelligence agent and Scotland Yard consultant. Handsome, reserved, and deeply honorable; he provides official resources and a passionate, equal partnership with Emily.
- Cécile du Lac: Emily’s closest friend—a witty, sophisticated French widow who offers social entrée, humor, and unwavering support.
- Jeremy Sheffield (Viscount Bentley): Emily’s charming, dissolute childhood friend—provides comic relief and occasional investigative help.
- Supporting/recurring: Emily’s parents (Lord and Lady Ashton), Colin’s family, various Scotland Yard officials, and a rotating cast of suspects, victims, and allies from London society and the international art world.
Setting of the Lady Emily Series
The primary setting is late Victorian and Edwardian England (roughly 1890s–1910s), with a strong emphasis on London and its surrounding countryside. London is vividly portrayed: Mayfair townhouses, foggy streets, gentlemen’s clubs, the British Museum, elegant ballrooms, and the bustling intellectual life of the British Museum Reading Room. Emily’s home in Mayfair and Colin’s estate provide elegant domestic backdrops.
The series frequently travels to exotic and historical locations that reflect Emily’s scholarly interests:
- Greece and the Mediterranean (archaeological digs, ancient ruins)
- Egypt (tombs, antiquities trade)
- Constantinople/Istanbul (Byzantine history)
- Paris (art world, salons)
- Venice, Vienna, and other European capitals
- English country houses, Oxford, and the Lake District
The historical detail is meticulous: fashion, etiquette, transportation (trains, carriages), social customs, and the emerging role of women in intellectual and public life are portrayed with accuracy and atmosphere. The setting is both glamorous and grounded—opulent drawing rooms contrast with the hidden dangers of the criminal underworld.
Tone & Themes of the Lady Emily Series
The tone is elegant, witty, and sophisticated—traditional historical mystery with a modern feminist sensibility and light romantic warmth. Alexander’s prose is polished and immersive: vivid period detail, sharp dialogue, and a dry, Austen-like humor that pokes gentle fun at Victorian conventions. Murders are handled tastefully—discovered discreetly, with focus on motive, psychology, and deduction rather than graphic violence. Suspense is intellectual and character-driven: red herrings, social maneuvering, and hidden motives keep readers guessing, while the romance is passionate but restrained (steamy but not explicit). The books are optimistic and empowering: Emily is never a victim; she is clever, resourceful, and unafraid to challenge authority. Emotional moments (grief, love, friendship) are tender and realistic, and justice is always served with intelligence and grace. The series is uplifting and satisfying—perfect for readers who enjoy intelligent, character-rich historical mysteries with a touch of romance and a strong moral center.
Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily Mystery series is a masterful achievement in historical mystery fiction—15+ elegant, intelligent, and deeply satisfying novels that blend classic whodunit puzzles with lush Victorian settings and a fiercely modern heroine. Through Lady Emily Hargreaves—a brilliant, unconventional woman who refuses to be confined by society’s expectations—and her partnership with Colin Hargreaves, the books deliver clever mysteries, passionate romance, and thoughtful exploration of gender, class, and justice in 1890s–1910s London and beyond. With meticulous historical detail, sparkling dialogue, and emotional depth, the series offers immersive, rewarding reading that celebrates intellect, courage, and the power of love and friendship to overcome even the most entrenched societal barriers. As Emily and Colin continue unraveling secrets across Europe and beyond, the saga remains a timeless treasure—proof that a sharp mind, a loyal partner, and a refusal to accept the status quo can illuminate even the darkest corners of the past.
Books in this series fall into the following genres
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