Darius Benton-Smith is loosely based on Kim Philby, arguably the greatest spy in history. Most secret agents are motivated by money, but Philby was a firm ideologue, believing from his days at Oxford that communism would benefit the British people. His astonishing story is brilliantly told in Ben Macintyre’s A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal. Finally, Colin’s superior, Sir John Burman, is named in honor of John Mortensen Burman, longtime supporter of the Albany County Library in Laramie, Wyoming. He is missed by friends, family, and colleagues every single day.
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ALSO BY TASHA ALEXANDER
In the Shadow of Vesuvius
Uneasy Lies the Crown
Death in St. Petersburg
A Terrible Beauty
The Adventuress
The Counterfeit Heiress
Behind the Shattered Glass
Death in the Floating City
A Crimson Warning
Dangerous to Know
Tears of Pearl
A Fatal Waltz
A Poisoned Season
And Only to Deceive
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
About the Author
Tasha Alexander is the author of the New York Times bestselling Lady Emily mystery series. The daughter of two philosophy professors, she studied English Literature and Medieval History at the University of Notre Dame. She and her husband, novelist Andrew Grant, live on a ranch in southeastern Wyoming. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Acknowledgments
Author’s Note
Bibliography
Also by Tasha Alexander
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by Minotaur Books, an