Author Michelle Diener has a real knack for bringing history to life. BANQUET OF LIES is set in 1812 and revolves around a top secret treaty between three governments. Giselle Barrington's father is murdered because of it, and she is determined to see it delivered into the right hands. The trouble is, she doesn't know who her father's contact is, and the killer is still out there, looking for her.

Giselle is very likeable, sure of herself and her abilities, and always ready to stand up for the downtrodden. She masquerades as a French chef while she watches her old home and tries to identify her father's government contract. The other staff members and the lord of the manor are all well-drawn characters as well. The shadowy figures that aim to kill Giselle for her secrets present the mystery and the greatest danger against her.

Another thing I loved about this book was how Diener wove folk tales into the plot. Giselle's father concealed his espionage work by presenting himself as a collector of fairy stories and the like. She often likens her situation to those of characters in these old tales, adding another dimension to a rich and intriguing story.

This novel is somewhat a follow-up to Diener's previous novel The Emperor's Conspiracy, which I also enjoyed. I highly recommend BANQUET OF LIES to readers who enjoy historical fiction and romances.

Book Summary

A young noblewoman flees to London and poses as a servant to evade a murderer in this richly detailed and “compelling” (Publishers Weekly) historical novel.

Frightened for her life after her father, a British spy, is murdered, Giselle Barrington flees with the secret document her father gave her for safekeeping. Needing to hide from those now chasing her, and knowing that no one would look for a wealthy young society lady in a kitchen, she takes a job as a cook for a nobleman, determined to use her anonymity to uncover the murderer. Life below stairs gives her a new perspective on the hard realities of servants’ lives, even though she’s a highly paid one. And when her employer is drawn not only into her investigations, but also to her, they find themselves faced with the power imbalance between servant and master.