{ "item_title" : "And Only to Deceive", "item_author" : [" Tasha Alexander "], "item_description" : "From New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander, a stunning novel of historical suspense set in Victorian England, meticulously researched and with a twisty plot that involves stolen antiquities, betrayal, and murderFor Emily, accepting the proposal of Philip, the Viscount Ashton, was an easy way to escape her overbearing mother, who was set on a grand society match. So when Emily's dashing husband died on safari soon after their wedding, she felt little grief. After all, she barely knew him. Now, nearly two years later, she discovers that Philip was a far different man from the one she had married so cavalierly. His journals reveal him to have been a gentleman scholar and antiquities collector who, to her surprise, was deeply in love with his wife. Emily becomes fascinated with this new image of her dead husband and immerses herself in all things ancient and begins to study Greek.Emily's intellectual pursuits and her desire to learn more about Philip take her to the quiet corridors of the British Museum, one of her husband's favorite places. There, amid priceless ancient statues, she uncovers a dark, dangerous secret involving stolen artifacts from the Greco-Roman galleries. To complicate matters, she's juggling two prominent and wealthy suitors, one of whose intentions may go beyond the marrying kind. As she sets out to solve the crime, her search leads to more surprises about Philip and causes her to question the role in Victorian society to which she, as a woman, is relegated.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers3.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/0/06/114/844/006114844X_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "18.99", "online_price" : "18.99", "our_price" : "18.99", "club_price" : "18.99", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }

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And Only to Deceive

Fans of period fiction will love Alexander's debut, a richly suspenseful novel set in Victorian London that blends romance, mystery and history. The book features a lovely young heroine named Emily Bromley, who marries Philip, the Viscount Ashton, simply because her mother urges her to do so. Not long after the wedding, Philip dies while on a hunting trip in Africa, a loss that Emily scarcely mourns. As Philip's widow, she has a large fortune at her disposal, so she begins to pursue her late husband's passions—classical literature and ancient Greek culture. While immersing herself in these topics, she makes the acquaintance of wise, witty Cecile du Lac, who becomes a trusted companion. She also crosses paths with Philip's old friends, including the handsome Colin Hargreaves, a suspected art forger, and Andrew Palmer, who asks Emily to marry him even as he hints that Philip may still be alive. There are implications, too, that Philip may have been involved in the theft of some valuable antique art pieces. As Emily and Cecile learn more about the mysterious Viscount, traveling to Greece along the way, Emily finds herself falling in love with him. Weaving in information about archeology and classical civilization without being heavy-handed, Alexander has produced a sophisticated, wonderfully detailed whodunit that displays her promise as a novelist.

A reading group guide is available at www.harpercollins.com.