The Impostor

Buckle your swashes and prepare for bamboozle. Outrageous impostor Max Curtis hits the peak of his career when he bluffs his way into a royal wedding to which even the prime minister is not invited. But Queen Victoria and sharp-tongued princess Hélène of Malrivaux are unimpressed, and Max is packed off to London in disgrace. A brutal murder follows and a horrific kidnapping, and Max finds himself propelled by steam, wind and horse across England, Prussia, Belgium and Luxembourg to rescue Hélène, prevent all out war, and, just possibly, find a way back to the Queen's good graces. The problem is, Max is the last person in the world Hélène would ever trust, and his enemies know it. Swordplay, fakery, and one unforgettable kiss; Max's captivating, self-absorbed narration relates an adventure which is The Prisoner of Zenda meets Three Men in a Boat, or every Errol Flynn movie you ever loved restyled by Oscar Wilde and Hector Hugh Munro.