India Black and the Shadows of Anarchy

237 Pages·2013·1.45 MB·English

by  Carr Carol K

P
RAISE FOR
INDIA BLACK AND THE WIDOW OF WINDSOR
“Following a strong debut . . . Carr’s Victorian series just gets better. Featuring
historical authenticity, sharp vocabulary and plenty of parenthetical asides, this
romantic suspense romp delivers both action and guffaws.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“Fans of historical murder mysteries should rejoice at the appearance of a second
India Black adventure and the prospect of more—the madam comes highly
recommended.”
—Open Letters Monthly
“Carr’s second India Black novel is fast, entertaining and funny as well as an
engaging mystery.”
—RT Book Reviews
INDIA BLACK
“A breathless ride through Victorian England . . . You’ll be hooked on this
unique mystery from the very first line.”
—Victoria Thompson, author of Murder on Fifth Avenue
“I loved this cheeky romp—a kind of Fanny Hill meets Nancy Drew—through a
world Dickens would have known. India Black, the witty and resourceful young
madam of a London brothel, is a delightful protagonist. I shall follow her future
career with particular interest.”
—Vicki Lane, author of Under the Skin
“[A] breezy, fast-paced debut.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This saucy debut is a satisfying amusement, with the happy promise of more to
come.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Readers will enjoy this impressive debut novel, which provides a colorful
portrait of Victorian society as seen through the eyes of a strong, intelligent
woman.”
—Booklist
“[A] breakneck romp through Victorian England . . . Provides plenty of laughter
and thrills to keep readers turning pages.”
—Gumshoe Review
“Bone up on your English and Russian history with this witty account of India
Black’s escapades. She’s quite a character!”
—Fresh Fiction
“India is a charismatic character with depth, coyness and an unexpected ability
to get exactly what she wants, no matter what. India Black is also full of
romance for those who enjoy history, romance and mysteries rolled into one.
This is one book that will satisfy all of your needs.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
“Expect to stay up late reading this fascinating and at times hilarious novel of
espionage and intrigue; you won’t want to put it down.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Terrific . . . Entertaining . . . A fast-paced Victorian mystery . . . There are
escapes, cross-country chases by coach and by sled, sharpshooting and danger
on the high seas.”
—My Reader’s Block
“It’s the perfect mix of a great main character, interesting supporting characters,
adventure, intrigue and historical setting—combined with a wonderfully
descriptive writing style and fast pace.”
—Fluidity of Time
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Carol K. Carr

INDIA BLACK
INDIA BLACK AND THE WIDOW OF WINDSOR
INDIA BLACK AND THE SHADOWS OF ANARCHY
Carol K. Carr
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin
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China, B7 Jiaming Center, 27 East Third Ring Road North, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, China Penguin Books Ltd., Registered

Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Copyright © 2013 by Carol K. Carr.
Cover illustration by Alan Ayers.
Cover design by Rita Frangie.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not
participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
®
BERKLEY PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are registered trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime trade paperback edition / February 2013

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Carr, Carol K.
India Black and the Shadows of Anarchy / Carol K. Carr.—Berkley Prime Crime trade paperback edition.

pages cm ISBN 978-0-425-25595-7
1. Brothels—England—London—Fiction. 2. International relations—Fiction. 3. London (England)—History—1800-1950—Fiction. 4.
Spy stories. 5. Historical fiction. I. Title.
PS3603.A7726I54 2013 2012040634
813'.6—dc23
CONTENTS

Title Page
Copyright

PROLOGUE
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
PROLOGUE

“I
t’s a damned shame,” proclaimed Lord Wickard, Earl of Ebbechester, and a
power in the land, “when a feller can’t feel safe in his own country.” He glared
at his companions, who, having just finished an eight-course dinner by Francois,
the Frog chef at the Albion Club, were now meditating upon the mellowness of
the port and the age of the Stilton provided by the same establishment. The earl
drew vigorously on a Romeo y Julieta and breathed smoke on his fellows.
“A damned shame,” he reiterated, more forcefully this time for the sake
of old General Woodcliff, who was deaf as a post. “What the devil is the
government doing letting in all these bloody foreigners? They’re a menace.”
The men round the fire stirred themselves to mutter pensively.
General Woodcliff stroked his magnificent moustache and said, “Venice?
Venice? Lovely town and all that, what with those deuced odd boats and those
grenadiers with the funny hats, poling them along.”
“You mean gondoliers,” corrected one of the diners.
“Impractical design, of course,” added the general. “Hate to attempt a
landing under fire in those tubs.”
“Anarchists!” boomed the earl. “Every one of them anarchists. Tell me
why Scotland Yard hasn’t packed up the lot of them and marched them down to
the cliffs of Dover and kicked them over the edge?”
A diffident voice was heard to murmur that this activity would surely
constitute murder, and not even a Tory government could countenance such
behavior on the part of the police.
The earl plunged on, bitterly. “I wouldn’t scruple at murder. After all,
that’s what these fellers are doing. They cut down poor Carrington the other day
when he was out for a ride. Killed the horse, too. Damned shame, that. Had all
the makings of a good stud.”
This aroused much indignation among the group. One fellow had to
summon the waiter for more port.
“They’ve made threats, you know, to wipe out the entire aristocratic class
of England,” the earl continued.
The general had by now deciphered the conversation. “Balls!” he said.
“Thing to do is send in the Scarlet Lancers. Mow ’em down, like we did the
Sikhs at Goojerat in ’49.”
“Not quite as simple as it sounds,” contributed one of the diners, a minor
government official and cool fellow known as Carsty. “Apparently these chaps
—”
“And women,” interjected the earl. “Some of these chaps are women.”
“And women,” added Carsty. “The point is that the government has
allowed in so many Macaronis and Frogs and Russkis that you can’t tell friend
from foe.”
“Send ’em all back,” said the earl. “Why should we allow a pack of
Russians to settle down in the East End?”
Carsty cracked a walnut. “There is some concern that if they were
returned to Russia, they’d be murdered. You know, because they’re Jews, or
revolutionaries who want to assassinate the tsar. Sometimes”—Carsty pried the
sweetmeat from the shell—“they’re both.”
“Proves my point,” said the earl. “If the Russians don’t want these
troublemakers, I don’t see why we should be forced to put up with ’em.”
“Hear, hear,” said the general, waving his glass. “Ought to put ’em down
like we did the blasted Indians who mutinied in ’57. Catch a few of the crafty
bastards and tie ’em to the barrel of an artillery piece. Makes a hell of an
example for the others, when the bugger’s fired.”
There was universal approbation among the group. The general might be
edging toward senility, but he still had his wits about him when it came to
crushing rebellions.
“I suppose,” said Carsty, “that we’ll all have to keep a sharp eye out for
threats. These anarchists do seem fixed on the idea of destroying our finest
families.”
“What have we ever done to them?” asked young Arbuthnot.
The others looked at him pityingly. A good chap, but not a first-class
intellect. A deuced fine shot, though, and always useful at making up the
numbers for a game of polo.
The earl deigned to enlighten him. “They’re lunatics, Arbuthnot. They
seem to think that every man is fit to rule himself, and governments aren’t