Hearts in Hazard Series by M.A. Lee

A Game of Secrets: a sweet Regency romantic suspense. Kate Charteris never expected to become a damsel in distress, yet she becomes just that when she must flee her cousin’s unwanted attentions. While she might be alone in Regency England, her parents deceased and family friends still with Wellington’s army in Portugal and Spain, she is no damsel who faints at the first sight of a dragon-like trouble... moreA Game of Secrets: a sweet Regency romantic suspense. Kate Charteris never expected to become a damsel in distress, yet she becomes just that when she must flee her cousin’s unwanted attentions. While she might be alone in Regency England, her parents deceased and family friends still with Wellington’s army in Portugal and Spain, she is no damsel who faints at the first sight of a dragon-like trouble. On the hunt for the lair of smugglers and spies for Napoleon, Tony Farraday never expected to fall hard for a damsel not quite in distress. He collides with Kate on a city street and feels instant attraction. Yet Kate must catch the mail coach before it leaves, and Tony still needs orders from the spycatcher Giles Hargreaves. Neither expects to meet again at a run-down inn on the English coast. On a crumbling cliffside, they vow to keep each other’s secrets and pretend to be strangers. Yet that initial spark of attraction catches flame strongly and obviously, jeopardizing their pretense. When they realize they are in the smugglers’ very lair, Tony must warn his friend Hargreaves. The French spy arrives, demanding immediate passage across the Channel to take vital information to Napoleon. Kate befriends the spy, but she is playing a dangerous game. Tony hopes to delay the spy long enough for Hargreaves to arrest her and the smugglers—only to be caught in a trap. When Kate’s cousin arrives, can she evade him long enough to help Tony escape? Or have they both lost this Game of Secrets? A sweet Regency historical romance. A Game of Secrets is a complete novel without a cliff-hanger, but the danger continues in A Game of Spies. less

A Game of Spies is 88,800 words. When Josette Sourantine visits her widowed sister-in-law in London, she finds Celeste hosting twice-weekly salons for dancing, flirtations, and gambling on cards. With a talent for whist, she is commanded by Celeste to have charge of the card room. Very quickly she attracts attention from the cynical rake Tobias Kennit as well as the handsome society prize Lord Gordon Musgrove. Yet it is the mysterious Giles Hargreaves who intrigues her. Col... moreA Game of Spies is 88,800 words. When Josette Sourantine visits her widowed sister-in-law in London, she finds Celeste hosting twice-weekly salons for dancing, flirtations, and gambling on cards. With a talent for whist, she is commanded by Celeste to have charge of the card room. Very quickly she attracts attention from the cynical rake Tobias Kennit as well as the handsome society prize Lord Gordon Musgrove. Yet it is the mysterious Giles Hargreaves who intrigues her. Col. Giles Hargreaves, son of the Marquess of Grasmere, has found the émigré spying for Napoleon, but he cannot arrest her until he locates the source feeding her vital government secrets. He attends the Sourantine salons hoping to locate the man stealing the information for Celeste which she then smuggles to France. He decides to dally with Celeste only to be distracted by the lovely Josette. As their mutual attraction turns into flirtation then deepens into something neither wants to name, Giles worries he is blinding himself. Josette is the spy’s sister; how could she not be embroiled in the betrayal of England? Josette fears she is giving her heart to a man who is more of a rake than Tobias Kennit. How can he love her when they have known each other so briefly? When the net begins to close around the spy and her compatriots, Josette is caught up as well. Will Giles lose her just when he’s given is heart to her? A sweet Regency historical. To the Reader: A Game of Spies follows A Game of Secrets, which is a complete novel with no cliff-hangers. While readers may find that reading the first novel creates a fuller experience, it is not necessary to read it in order to enjoy this book. And while the trilogy concludes with A Game of Hearts, another novel that stands on its own, A Game of Spies does not end with a cliff-hanger. less

A Game of Hearts (119,900 words) In Regency England, red-blooded commoners have difficulty opening the doors of the blue-blooded haut ton. Self-made man Rafe Lockhart needs a titled wife to give his daughter Connie the society debut she has dreamed of. A quick marriage to Lady Margaret Symonds, widow of an earl, is the answer to his problem. Her beauty and wit sweeten his plan... moreA Game of Hearts (119,900 words) In Regency England, red-blooded commoners have difficulty opening the doors of the blue-blooded haut ton. Self-made man Rafe Lockhart needs a titled wife to give his daughter Connie the society debut she has dreamed of. A quick marriage to Lady Margaret Symonds, widow of an earl, is the answer to his problem. Her beauty and wit sweeten his plan. Maggie Symonds suffered through twelve years of an emotionally abusive marriage after a rake ruined her during her debut. She hesitates to enter another marriage, especially to a man whose wealth is the sole reason that society accepts him. Yet financial difficulties and her own budding attraction to Rafe drive her to accept his proposal. Neither expects passion to fire up their marriage. Neither expects that surprising passion to last. Maggie’s confrontation with Rafe’s mistress is the first blow. The second comes with Rafe’s suspicions that the rake has lured Maggie back into his bed with protestations of a resumed love. Falling in love with his employer’s daughter Connie was not Roger Denby’s biggest mistake. No, that mistake was giving her a taste of passion. When he rejected Connie, he then had to watch her pursue a gentleman who might be charming her into a snare. Did Roger drive her into that relationship by awakening her desires? All he knows is that he still yearns for Connie. How can he prevent her from ruining herself? Connie Lockhart knew the walls between her and Roger Denby: She was not yet eighteen. She was the boss’s daughter. She was as far out of his reach as marriage into nobility was out of hers. She thought those walls had tumbled down when he kissed her. Yet he rebuilt them even higher than before and returned to being only her watchdog. Believing their relationship hopeless, Connie pursues a titled gentleman who is no longer out of her reach since her father’s marriage to an earl’s widow. And revenge on the snobbish society darlings seems especially sweet. Richard Malbury flatters Connie. He seems charmed by her. Marriage to him is preferable to a fruitless love of Roger. And then Rafe is suspected of murdering a valuable employee, and this Game of Hearts turns more dangerous than Rafe & Maggie and Roger & Connie could have anticipated. A sweet Regency romance. Readers may also enjoy A Game of Secrets and A Game of Hearts. less

Past actions cause present dangers. Eugenie DesChamps thinks she is safe, hidden in the English village of Little Houghton. She paints landscapes to supplement her income. She embarks on a flirtation with Charles Audley. To her the world seems radiant, so very different from eight years ago. No one knows that she once was a toast of Paris, a pretense she used to acquire information to pass on to English spies... morePast actions cause present dangers. Eugenie DesChamps thinks she is safe, hidden in the English village of Little Houghton. She paints landscapes to supplement her income. She embarks on a flirtation with Charles Audley. To her the world seems radiant, so very different from eight years ago. No one knows that she once was a toast of Paris, a pretense she used to acquire information to pass on to English spies. Eugenie hated the corrupt French government that had caused the deaths of her family. Then a French agent discovered her double game. She barely escaped with her life. Eight years ago, Tobias Kennit worked with Eugenie, stealing information about Napoleon’s troop movements. Then their operation crashed. He fled, believing that Eugenie was executed as a traitor to her home country. Toby abandoned his undercover spying and became a gamester and a rake. Yet now the English spycatcher Roger Nazenby has approached Toby once more. He wants him to protect a cryptographer living in the village of Little Houghton. French spies have infiltrated England to capture Charles Audley and return with him to France. Toby agrees to the assignment only because the woman he wants to marry (Melly Ratcliffe) lives in that village. Charles Audley returned to his home village for peace and quiet after stressful years in London developing a series of ciphers for English agents. His latest ciphers led to English victories in the Peninsular War. In Little Houghton, he is charmed by Eugenie DesChamps, a mysterious French artist. Their flirtation distracts him from his cryptography, but he feels no guilt whenever he is in her company. When Toby sees Eugenie, he is shocked. Eugenie is not dead, and he wants answers from a woman he thought was a double agent. Is she in Little Houghton to help kidnap the cryptographer? She convinces him that she is not—but who is the threat to Charles Audley? And can they protect Audley when they do not know when or where the attack will strike? French agent Didier Poulaine has spent eight years weaving together the snippets of threads to help him locate the only two spies who ever escaped him: Eugenie de la Croix and an Englishman masquerading as a French military officer. He tracks them to Little Houghton, the location of the cryptographer he came to England to kidnap—or kill. Poulaine’s threads have woven together. Three lives intersect again and involve a fourth. Blood must be shed before the past is purged. Whose blood? The Dangers for Spies (approximately 49,000 words) is a romantic historical suspense set in Regency England, part of the Hearts in Hazard series. While this novel and The Game of Spies have interconnected characters, D4Spies is a complete work on its own. However, readers will have a richer experience if they have also read The Game of Spies. less

The Dangers to Hearts Do broken hearts destroy all dreams? Years ago, Agatha Helmes’ lover abandoned her. When her baby died at birth, she thought all her hopes for the future had ended. She poured herself into her family’s farm, but in the last year, mismanagement by three different stewards has the farm losing more money than she can pour into it. Jess Carter occasionally crewed for a known smuggler to bring a little extra into his home... moreThe Dangers to Hearts Do broken hearts destroy all dreams? Years ago, Agatha Helmes’ lover abandoned her. When her baby died at birth, she thought all her hopes for the future had ended. She poured herself into her family’s farm, but in the last year, mismanagement by three different stewards has the farm losing more money than she can pour into it. Jess Carter occasionally crewed for a known smuggler to bring a little extra into his home. He fell for a maid working at the Hawthorn Inn. Then the smuggling ring was arrested. The woman he thought he loved married another man. With a bruised heart for company, he packed up all his possessions and left his home. Not knowing where to go, Jess consulted the smugglers’ fence Richard Helmes who directed him to Helmes Farm to assist the current steward. His cousin Agatha Helmes, he says, will hire anyone he sends to her. When Jess arrives, the current steward is assaulting Agatha. He routs the man and finds himself in a job he doesn’t understand, taking advice and orders from a woman. Agatha knows only one thing about her new steward: he doesn’t lie. Jess admits what he knows and doesn’t know about farming. He admits that he is avoiding arrest for smuggling. That is more than she can say about her former stewards and her former fiancé. Trust between Agatha and Jess grows from a seed to a mighty oak. Attraction entwines them with compatibility and grows the first tendrils of love. Then the steward’s cottage is set on fire, and Jess barely escapes. The burned house reveals an old murder as the bones of Agatha’s former lover are discovered—with a bullet hole in the skull. And the deed to Helmes Farm and other documents go missing. With Agatha’s cousin trying to steal her farm, can Jess reveal her cousin hired him to watch out for his interests? Will the constable investigating the new arson and the old murder think Agatha guilty of murdering her lover when he wouldn’t marry her? And will their new love survive the questions and confusion? The Dangers to Hearts is a sweet romantic suspense of approximately 50,000 words. While the novel is the sixth in the Hazards to Hearts series, it is complete and contains no cliffhangers. The character of Jess Carter was introduced in the first Hearts in Hazard book, A Game of Secrets. Reading that novel will enrich your experience, but it is not necessary. less

The Key with Hearts ~ Regency England. Suspense. Murder. Two hearts at odds. Married for money, not for love. A convenient marriage inconveniently causes murder. Six months ago, Beth Corbett married Greville Myers. Her money saved his estate. His nobility raised her station. The couple have achieved an uneasy relationship, tepid and uncomfortable. Then Beth is nearly killed in a failed attempt at murder... moreThe Key with Hearts ~ Regency England. Suspense. Murder. Two hearts at odds. Married for money, not for love. A convenient marriage inconveniently causes murder. Six months ago, Beth Corbett married Greville Myers. Her money saved his estate. His nobility raised her station. The couple have achieved an uneasy relationship, tepid and uncomfortable. Then Beth is nearly killed in a failed attempt at murder. Who wants her dead? • The woman who had expected to marry Greville? • The mother-in-law who hates her? • Someone unknown? • Or her husband, so he can keep her money and marry the woman he loves? Who can Beth trust? When the murderer strikes again and injures someone by mistake, how can Beth discover the truth? Or will she be the next victim? The Key with Hearts is set in Regency England. At 59,000 words, this novel is Book 9 in the Hearts in Hazard series of romantic mystery and suspense by M. A. Lee. Visit the series page or M.A. Lee’s author page for a complete list of the Hearts in Hazard books. For more on books by M.A. Lee, visit www.writersinkbooks.com . No ghostwriters, work-for-hire writers, or other collaborators were used in the writing of this book. 😉 less

Two wives haunt the castle. Will she be the third to die?Vivienne Northrup agreed to a marriage of convenience to reap the benefits of becoming the Countess of Sheldrake. While she explores the ruins of Sheldrake Castle, a falling stone dislodged from a tower nearly kills her.Only then does Vivienne discover that the earl’s previous two wives died tragically. The first had jumped to her death from that very tower... moreTwo wives haunt the castle. Will she be the third to die?Vivienne Northrup agreed to a marriage of convenience to reap the benefits of becoming the Countess of Sheldrake. While she explores the ruins of Sheldrake Castle, a falling stone dislodged from a tower nearly kills her.Only then does Vivienne discover that the earl’s previous two wives died tragically. The first had jumped to her death from that very tower.Or had the woman been pushed? The way the stone nearly killed Vivienne?In the gothic tradition of Victoria Holt and Dorothy Eden, The Hazard with Hearts offers a determined heroine who confronts doubts, superstition, and the dark passions of a killer who wants every countess of Sheldrake dead and buried.The Hazard with Hearts is book 12 in the Hearts in Hazard series of mysteries and suspense, with just a dash of sweet romance. The stories are loosely connected with each story complete in one book.For more information about the books in the Hearts in Hazard series of Regency mysteries and suspense as well as M.A. Lee’s other published books, please visit her Amazon author page or her website https://maleebooks.blogspot.com/M.A. Lee loves writing historical mysteries with a dash of romance. She also pens books on the writing craft as well as fantasies under different pen names. The Hazard with Hearts is Lee’s 19th title under that pen name. Since venturing into indie publishing with A Game of Secrets in 2015, she has published more than 25 works of fiction. She happily says, “I’m living my lifelong dream. I hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them.” less