Cleopatra Fox Series by C.J. Archer

It was the most fashionable place to stay in London, until murder made a reservation. Solve the puzzle in this new cozy historical mystery from USA Today bestselling author of the Glass and Steele series. December 1899. After the death of her beloved grandmother, Cleopatra Fox moves into the luxury hotel owned by her estranged uncle in the hopes of putting hardship and loneliness behind her. But the poisoning of a guest on Christmas Eve throws her new life, and the hotel, into chaos... moreIt was the most fashionable place to stay in London, until murder made a reservation. Solve the puzzle in this new cozy historical mystery from USA Today bestselling author of the Glass and Steele series. December 1899. After the death of her beloved grandmother, Cleopatra Fox moves into the luxury hotel owned by her estranged uncle in the hopes of putting hardship and loneliness behind her. But the poisoning of a guest on Christmas Eve throws her new life, and the hotel, into chaos. Cleo quickly realizes no one can be trusted, not Scotland Yard and especially not the hotel’s charming assistant manager. With the New Year’s Eve ball approaching fast and the hotel’s reputation hanging by a thread, Cleo must find the killer before the ball, and the hotel itself, are ruined. But catching a murderer proves just as difficult as navigating the hotel’s hierarchy and the peculiarities of her family. Can Cleo find the killer before the new century begins? Or will someone get away with murder? less

She was admired by women and desired by men, until jealousy and past secrets took center stage. Help Cleo and her friends solve the murder of one of London’s leading actresses. When a hotel guest’s mistress is found dead in the stalls of the Piccadilly Playhouse, a verdict of suicide is given. Convinced his lover didn’t kill herself, Lord Rumford wants the truth uncovered. Against his better judgement, he hires Cleo Fox to find the murderer... moreShe was admired by women and desired by men, until jealousy and past secrets took center stage. Help Cleo and her friends solve the murder of one of London’s leading actresses. When a hotel guest’s mistress is found dead in the stalls of the Piccadilly Playhouse, a verdict of suicide is given. Convinced his lover didn’t kill herself, Lord Rumford wants the truth uncovered. Against his better judgement, he hires Cleo Fox to find the murderer. Cleo needs to solve this case if she wants to make a living from being a private detective. But she quickly learns that the truth is buried beneath years of secrets; secrets that powerful people want desperately to keep. With the help of her friends from the Mayfair Hotel, Cleo exposes the bitter rivalry and jealousy of London’s West End. But can she find the killer before the final curtain closes on the Playhouse? less

Scandal, secrets and bawdy photographs are uncovered when the wife of a politician is murdered. Untangle the lies with Cleo and her friends and find the killer. When Harry Armitage passes an investigation to Cleo involving adultery, they both think it will end in divorce. But when the client’s wife is found stabbed in her drawing room, it becomes clear that marital problems are only part of the story... moreScandal, secrets and bawdy photographs are uncovered when the wife of a politician is murdered. Untangle the lies with Cleo and her friends and find the killer. When Harry Armitage passes an investigation to Cleo involving adultery, they both think it will end in divorce. But when the client’s wife is found stabbed in her drawing room, it becomes clear that marital problems are only part of the story. Reluctantly joining forces, Cleo and Harry realize the wrong person was targeted, but the police think they have their killer and refuse to look elsewhere. Taking on the investigation themselves, they peel back the lies and expose the sordid details of a marriage in tatters, and see firsthand how gossip and politics fuel the machinations of high society. Meanwhile, at the Mayfair Hotel, expansion plans are on the menu, causing tensions to heat up in the kitchen between the chef and Cleo’s uncle. To make matters worse, Cleo’s family notices her spending less time at the hotel and more time investigating – and some members don’t like it. less

As fashion designer to London’s elite, she had an eye for detail and a flare for the dramatic. But there’s nothing stylish about her cold-blooded murder. With the social season just around the corner, the women in Cleo’s family are having new outfits made by the most sought-after designer in the city. Madame Poitiers is bold, self-absorbed and not French, despite her claims. When Cleo stumbles on her dead body in the salon, she is in a unique position to gather clues and speak to witnesses... moreAs fashion designer to London’s elite, she had an eye for detail and a flare for the dramatic. But there’s nothing stylish about her cold-blooded murder. With the social season just around the corner, the women in Cleo’s family are having new outfits made by the most sought-after designer in the city. Madame Poitiers is bold, self-absorbed and not French, despite her claims. When Cleo stumbles on her dead body in the salon, she is in a unique position to gather clues and speak to witnesses. But she doesn’t expect to find Harry Armitage’s business card in Madame’s possession. What is the alluring private detective’s connection to the victim? And why is he avoiding Cleo? As she peeks behind the veil of lies, Cleo uncovers the secrets Madame Poitiers tried to hide. But which secret led to her murder? And which one of the suspects turned the fashion icon into a fashion victim? less

In this 5th installment of the bestselling mystery series, Cleopatra Fox gets entangled in a web of betrayal and blackmail that leaves the high society matchmakers scandalized. When a notorious cad is bludgeoned to death with a candlestick in the library at the most important ball of the London social season, Cleo finds herself in the prime position to solve the crime. After all, she stumbled across the body soon after the victim’s demise and is a witness to the evening’s events... moreIn this 5th installment of the bestselling mystery series, Cleopatra Fox gets entangled in a web of betrayal and blackmail that leaves the high society matchmakers scandalized. When a notorious cad is bludgeoned to death with a candlestick in the library at the most important ball of the London social season, Cleo finds herself in the prime position to solve the crime. After all, she stumbled across the body soon after the victim’s demise and is a witness to the evening’s events. But when a footman is arrested with a stolen painting in his possession, she finds her services are not required. Yet several things don’t add up, and the lead detective is convinced the man he was forced to arrest isn’t guilty. With the aid of Harry Armitage and her friends from the Mayfair Hotel, Cleo sets out to uncover the truth. They’re soon neck-deep in the scandalous secrets the victim unearthed about members of society. Secrets that could ruin marriages, reputations and futures if exposed. But which secret is worth killing for? And which suspect is hiding the most explosive secret of all? less

A wealthy businessman with a reputation for taking risks rose from the slums to the height of success. But success comes at a price, especially when it’s achieved at the expense of others. When a former guest of the hotel is found dead in a dockside tavern, the police rule it suicide. After all, some say his negligence caused one of his company’s ships to go down in a storm, along with all its cargo and several members of the crew. The guilt would be too much for many... moreA wealthy businessman with a reputation for taking risks rose from the slums to the height of success. But success comes at a price, especially when it’s achieved at the expense of others. When a former guest of the hotel is found dead in a dockside tavern, the police rule it suicide. After all, some say his negligence caused one of his company’s ships to go down in a storm, along with all its cargo and several members of the crew. The guilt would be too much for many. But when evidence of murder is uncovered, Cleo feels compelled to bring the killer to justice. With Harry Armitage on a separate case that involves many of the same suspects, their paths cross and sparks fly. And there are more suspects emerging every day. With a victim whose past was shrouded in mystery, who was a bully to some and a brilliant businessman to others, it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction. As Cleo and Harry peel back the layers of lies, one fact is undeniable—a man’s past follows him to the grave, something Harry knows all too well. less

The sport of kings is the backdrop for a game of murder where one player loses more than the match. Can Cleo solve the case, or will the murderer win? Summer has arrived along with a plethora of social events that keep Cleo and her cousins busy. Between balls, dinners, concerts and picnics, they attend the final match between two proud polo clubs. When the winning team’s captain is found murdered in the stables, everyone assumes the opposing team’s captain killed him... moreThe sport of kings is the backdrop for a game of murder where one player loses more than the match. Can Cleo solve the case, or will the murderer win? Summer has arrived along with a plethora of social events that keep Cleo and her cousins busy. Between balls, dinners, concerts and picnics, they attend the final match between two proud polo clubs. When the winning team’s captain is found murdered in the stables, everyone assumes the opposing team’s captain killed him. After all, he was found holding the murder weapon, and everyone knows they hated each other. But Cleo isn’t convinced. She sets out to prove his innocence alongside Harry Armitage, who was employed to investigate the accused man’s family. With their cases overlapping, it makes sense to work together. The more they get to know the victim, the more they realize the handsome athlete sported a dark side that few people saw. Those who did had a reason to kill him. Which suspect struck the victim with his own polo mallet? His wife, lover, friends or colleagues? Or did the rivalry between two opposing captains spill over to their personal lives, and lead to murder? less

The staff in high society households are expected to be unobtrusive, but a dead butler in the dining room tends to get noticed. Did he die of natural causes or was he poisoned? Cleo is hired by the housekeeper at a Mayfair residence after the police rule the sudden death of the butler was the result of natural causes. Not convinced by the verdict, she wants Cleo to prove foul play was involved... moreThe staff in high society households are expected to be unobtrusive, but a dead butler in the dining room tends to get noticed. Did he die of natural causes or was he poisoned? Cleo is hired by the housekeeper at a Mayfair residence after the police rule the sudden death of the butler was the result of natural causes. Not convinced by the verdict, she wants Cleo to prove foul play was involved. Considering he was acting mysteriously around some of the guests, and they were equally mysterious when they saw him, murder is a possibility. When the investigation leads Cleo to another decades-old murder and the sudden disappearance of the primary suspect, she’s even more determined to uncover the truth. But the rich and powerful don’t like airing their dirty laundry, and her efforts are thwarted at every turn. Enlisting Harry Armitage to assist her, Cleo matches wits with her suspects in an effort to discover the secrets they’re trying desperately to hide. less

Gossip, scandal and murder collide on the express train to London. Did the journalist fall from the first-class carriage, or was she pushed? Cleo’s holiday with her family to the seaside resort town of Brighton is everything she hoped it would be…until she receives a blackmail note. The blackmailer demands Cleo help her or a story revealing Cleo’s investigating will appear in the newspaper... moreGossip, scandal and murder collide on the express train to London. Did the journalist fall from the first-class carriage, or was she pushed? Cleo’s holiday with her family to the seaside resort town of Brighton is everything she hoped it would be…until she receives a blackmail note. The blackmailer demands Cleo help her or a story revealing Cleo’s investigating will appear in the newspaper. With her uncle warning her to keep her detecting activities private, Cleo agrees to meet the blackmailer when they return to London. But when the woman is seen getting on the train but not off, Cleo grows concerned. She enlists the help of the hotel staff to search for the body along the railway line. Finding it confirms her suspicions and leads her to discover that her blackmailer was a gossip columnist. What scandal had the victim uncovered that led to her death? And which fellow passenger had a secret worth killing for? With Harry Armitage’s assistance, Cleo attempts to track down the murderer. Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on the hotel staff to host a society wedding that will be featured in the social pages for all the right reasons. less

The genteel tranquility of a country house party is shattered when the gamekeeper is shot. Was his death the result of his recent indiscretions, or long-buried secrets? The weekend was supposed to be an enjoyable time with her family at the neo-Gothic manor of Lord and Lady Kershaw, but when the gamekeeper is murdered, Cleo can’t rest until the killer is caught... moreThe genteel tranquility of a country house party is shattered when the gamekeeper is shot. Was his death the result of his recent indiscretions, or long-buried secrets? The weekend was supposed to be an enjoyable time with her family at the neo-Gothic manor of Lord and Lady Kershaw, but when the gamekeeper is murdered, Cleo can’t rest until the killer is caught. As a witness herself, she’s frustrated with the incompetence of the local police who lay the blame on a man who conveniently disappeared. When she realizes their ineptitude is a result of Lord Kershaw’s influence, she focuses her investigation on the earl and his family, against the wishes of her uncle. The arrival of her suspects at the Mayfair Hotel allows Cleo to continue the investigation after the country house party ends, but what she discovers unnerves her. The gamekeeper’s reputation for seducing young women has left a trail of broken hearts, from the lowest maid to the highest lady. But could there be another reason for his murder? Meanwhile, the hotel staff have secrets of their own to hide. As loyalties are tested on several fronts, Cleo needs her friends more than ever if she is to unravel the mysteries, both old and new. less

When a patient is electrocuted by a medical therapy device, the manufacturer proves it was tampered with. Who killed her? And what grudge did they hold against her doctor, whose reputation now lies in tatters? The medical profession’s faith in electric shock therapies for treating female nervous conditions is shaken after a patient dies while connected to one such device. Harry Armitage is hired by the doctor arrested for her murder, and he invites Cleo to help him uncover the truth... moreWhen a patient is electrocuted by a medical therapy device, the manufacturer proves it was tampered with. Who killed her? And what grudge did they hold against her doctor, whose reputation now lies in tatters? The medical profession’s faith in electric shock therapies for treating female nervous conditions is shaken after a patient dies while connected to one such device. Harry Armitage is hired by the doctor arrested for her murder, and he invites Cleo to help him uncover the truth. After all, the doctor is the same one who tried—and failed—to treat Cleo’s aunt. As they dig deeper, it becomes apparent the doctor has failed other patients too, and those patients’ loved ones want revenge. Did that desire for revenge lead to the death of an innocent patient? Or did the victim have enemies of her own? As Cleo and Harry unravel the multi-layered mystery, they realize not everyone is who they seem. Suspects are hiding secrets that, if exposed, could shatter reputations and relationships. Meanwhile, the manufacturer of a popular but highly addictive medicine has booked the Mayfair Hotel for a major presentation to important clients. As the day of the event looms, Cleo and Harry learn of a plot to sabotage it. Can they solve the mystery and save the presentation? Or will it be ruined? And will someone get away with murder? less