Nothing is quite as it seems in this clever novel set against London society's wedding of the season, as a con woman masquerading as an heiress sets her sights on an illustrious family, from the bestselling author of The Housekeepers

“A thrilling and multi-layered story of trickery and deception, truth and lies, poverty and riches, that is sheer delight from start to finish. Absolutely enthralling!”
—Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal

A confidence scheme, when properly executed, will follow five movements in close and inviolable order: I. The Mark II. The Intrusion. III. The Ballyhoo. IV. The Knot. V. All In. There may be many counter-strikes along the way, for such is the nature of the game; it contains so many sides, so many endless possibilities...

1898. Quinn le Blanc, London’s most talented con woman, has five days to pull off her most ambitious plot yet: trap a highly eligible duke into marriage and lift a fortune from the richest family in England.

Masquerading as the season’s most enviable debutante, Quinn puts on a brilliant act that earns her entrance into the grand drawing rooms and lavish balls of high society—and propels her straight into the inner circle of her target: the charismatic Kendals. Among those she must convince are the handsome bachelor heir, the rebellious younger sister, and the esteemed duchess eager to see her son married.

But the deeper she forges into their world, the more Quinn finds herself tangled in a complicated web of love, lies, and loyalty. The Kendals all have secrets of their own, and she may not be the only one playing a game of high deception...

“Audacious, cunning, quick-witted—this is a jewel of a book from the seriously talented Alex Hay. I was rooting for the Queen of Fives from the very first line.”
—Louise Candlish, author of The Other Passenger