The Clique of Gold
A deadly game of fortune, disguise, and betrayal in 19th-century Paris.

In the grand salons and shadowy garrets of 19th-century Paris, a terrifying conspiracy takes shape.When the enigmatic second-hand merchant "Papa Ravinet" intervenes to save the life of a young woman dying of despair and charcoal inhalation in a wretched attic, he unknowingly opens the door to a sprawling mystery. The girl, Henrietta, is no commoner; she is the daughter of Count Ville-Handry, a wealthy but weak-minded aristocrat recently ensnared by the cunning and dangerously beautiful Sarah Brandon.As Henrietta's lover, the honorable naval officer Daniel Champcey, races against time to expose Sarah's sordid past and protect his beloved, the stakes escalate from mere fortune-hunting to a lethal game of manipulation and ruin. The Clique of Gold is a masterful exploration of upper-crust scandal, the sinister power of greed, and a love that refuses to be extinguished by the deepest betrayals.Who is the true puppet master in this ruthless city? And will the innocent survive the venom of Paris's most brilliant socialite?