A cousin of Georgia’s dear friend, Lady Phyllida Monthalf, is brutally murdered in her home during the theft of blueprints of a new battleship designed by her husband—who now stands accused of her murder…and treason. The Duke of Blackford, in service to Whitehall, enlists Georgia and the Archivist Society to assist in the investigation. Playing the part of the duke’s new paramour, Georgia gains entry into the upper echelons of London’s elite, where amidst elegant dinners and elaborate parties a master spy schemes to lay hands on the stolen plans.
The duke is no stranger to the world of international espionage, but Georgia is out of her element in more ways than one. She must not allow her genuine attraction to the duke—or her obsession with finding her parents’ killer—to distract her from her role. But when a mysterious stranger threatens to expose her, the counterfeit lady may be in real trouble.
Bismarck's Spies and The Counterfeit Lady
by Kate Parker
Georgia Fenchurch and the Archivist Society find themselves up against Europe's premier spy network in The Counterfeit Lady. In the story, Germany's spymaster in England is Baron von Steubfeld. In reality, Bismarck's espionage network across Europe was set up by an enterprising lawyer named Wilhelm Stieber.
Bismarck's goal was to unify all the little German states under the Prussian king, with himself as chancellor. To do this, he started three strategic small wars with Denmark, Austria, and France. Before each one, Stieber went into the region and gathered information and built a spy network. This helped Prussia win quickly and decisively, impressing the rulers of the little German states.
Stieber's spy networks were made up of shopkeepers, servants, train personnel, and peddlers. It is said he even set up brothels aimed at foreign soldiers in an attempt to learn the secrets of foreign armies.
Once Germany was unified under the Prussian king, Bismarck continued to use Stieber's spy network. Now this network was spread to every country in Europe, including Britain. Because of Stieber's groundbreaking work, Germany was far ahead of every other country except Russia. That was because Stieber set up their espionage apparatus, too!
At one time early in his career, Stieber had to leave Prussia due to his dishonesty and he went to Russia. There he helped set up Ohkrana, the foreign section of the Tsar's secret police that hunted down dissidents who had escaped Russia. Ohkrana was the forerunner of the KGB. Once a new king ruled Prussia, Stieber was free to return and built the German espionage network that was of great use in both world wars. It's not an overstatement to say Stieber, who died in 1882, greatly affected events for the next century.
He also affected events in The Counterfeit Lady.
Baron von Steubfeld, my Prussian spymaster, wants the plans to the warship designed by the foremost British naval architect. When a murder occurs and a set of the plans disappear, the British government suspects the baron of playing a role in these events. They put a watch on the German embassy and tail the employees, including von Steubfeld.
If the plans make it to a foreign government, Britain will lose her new-found advantage over other countries' navies. And in the late 1890s, no nation wanted to gain on Britain's navy as much as Germany did. The Duke of Blackford, often called on by Queen Victoria and her government in a crisis, brings in Georgia Fenchurch and the Archivist Society.
The duke has a special role in mind for Georgia. He plans for her to take center stage in his plot to retrieve the ship design before it can leave the country. That means Georgia must cross paths with the baron and his friends at every opportunity.
Georgia is more concerned with finding the murderer, because the victim is a cousin of her good friend Lady Phyllida. But the supposed killer is already behind bars. He's the naval architect of the missing plans and the husband of Lady Phyllida's cousin. Lady Phyllida doesn't believe he's the killer, which makes Georgia suspect Baron von Steubfeld orchestrated both the theft and the murder.
Now it's up to the Duke of Blackford to turn Georgia into The Counterfeit Lady, available August 5th from Berkley Prime Crime.
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