Viper in the Nest

London’s streets are sinister. But what if the real danger lies closer to home?

London, June 1759. When a charmless civil servant takes his own life, few are interested in his death. But Lizzie Hardwicke, who plies her trade in the brothels of London whilst also working as an undercover sleuth for the magistrate, can see no reason why a man who had everything to look forward to would wish to end his life.

Lizzie’s search for answers takes her from the smoke-filled rooms of fashionable gambling houses, where politicians mix ambition with pleasure, to the violent streets of Soho, ready to erupt with riots in the sultry summer heat. All the while, she is navigating her complicated feelings for the magistrate’s trusted assistant, Will Davenport, and a disturbing situation at home.

Then a gambling house owner is brutally murdered, and Lizzie finds herself tangled in a chaos that she cannot control. The darkest of secrets threatens to turn Davenport against her forever; its exposure will send her to the gallows.

The third installment of the gripping and vividly imagined historical mystery series set in 18th century London, from the author of acclaimed historical novel The Dazzle of the Light. Perfect for fans of The Household by Stacey Halls and Daughters of the Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, as well as readers of Laura Purcell, Sarah Waters and Diana Gabaldon.

’A wild ride through the seedy side of 1750s London... Lizzie Hardwicke is razor sharp and brilliantly original. I couldn’t put it down’ - JOE HEAP, author of When the Music Stops

’This novel is a refreshing add to the historical mystery genre. Atmospheric and full of authentic details... Brava to this new, engaging voice and her strong woman protagonist!’ - KAREN ODDEN, author of A Lady in the Smoke

’A gripping page-turner with a sassy and fabulously original heroine in the form of Lizzie Hardwicke - I loved it!’ - ANNIE LYONS, author of Eudora Honeysett is Quite Well, Thank You

Georgina Clarke has a degree in theology and completed a PhD in history part-time, while working as a parish priest. Her love of the past is at the heart of her fiction: her Lizzie Hardwicke crime series is set in the mid-eighteenth century, and her latest novel - The Dazzle of the Light - unfolds in 1920s London and is inspired by the real-life activities of the women-led Forty Thieves crime syndicate. In 2021, Georgina began working as a tutor at The Queen’s Foundation in Birmingham, training clergy. She lives in Worcester with her husband, son and two lively cats.