The royal secret A novel

Joanna Haslam drags herself out of bed for yet another assignment. As a young reporter, she's under the gun to file every story she can get her hands on. Sir James Harrison's funeral is a hot ticket; the beloved actor's career spanned decades, and the star-studded event is sure to attract all of London's attention. But Harrison's service is no ordinary funeral. Joanna uncovers a tie to the royal family, a tie that very dangerous people have been trying to keep severed for many years. As Joanna finds herself drawn deeper into the royal mystery, a simple reporting assignment turns into something much more sinister. Readers familiar with Riley's previous work, including her Seven Sisters series, will recognize her attention to detail and multigenerational plotlines. Plenty of twists, flashbacks, and a dash of romance keep the suspense high. For anyone looking for a dose of palace intrigue or upper-crust scandal, Riley's latest novel delivers on both counts.--Stephanie Turza Copyright 2019 Booklist

A fledgling reporter covering the funeral of famous Irish actor Sir James Harrison finds herself chasing the story of a lifetime-a story that many in power would kill to keep quiet-in this compulsively readable but overlong romantic thriller from bestseller Riley (The Seven Sisters), originally published in 1997 as Seeing Double. Joanna Haslam is recently heartbroken and miserably covering celebrity gossip for the Morning Mail when a mysterious old lady at Sir James's funeral puts her on the trail of what she at first assumes to be a sex scandal from the past. But when the old lady dies and her body goes missing, and Joanna's own apartment is ransacked, she realizes she's on to something big enough to be of grave concern to the British monarchy. Her investigation creates a rift with her lifelong best friend, Simon, and pulls her into the orbit of Sir James's adult grandchildren: Zoe, a single mother guarding a scandalous secret of her own, and Marcus, a womanizer with a heart of gold whose charm Joanna futilely tries to resist. Chock full of shocking, if sometimes unbelievable, twists, this gripping novel is sure to keep Riley's fans and new readers alike turning the pages. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Royal Secret PROLOGUE London, November 20, 1995 "James, darling, what are you doing?" He looked around him, disoriented, then staggered forward. She caught him just before he fell. "You've been sleepwalking, haven't you? Come on, let's take you back to bed." The gentle voice of his granddaughter told him he was still on earth. He knew he'd been standing here for a reason, that there was something urgent he had to do that he'd been leaving right until the last moment . . . But now it was gone. Desolate, he let her half-carry him to his bed, loathing his wasted, fragile limbs, which rendered him as helpless as a baby, and his scattered mind, which had once again betrayed him. "There now," she said as she made him comfortable. "How's the pain? Would you like a little more morphine?" "No. Please, I . . ." It was the morphine that was turning his brain to jelly. Tomorrow, he'd have none, and then he'd remember what it was he had to do before he died. "Okay. You just relax and try to get some sleep," she said, soothing him, her hand stroking his forehead. "The doctor will be here soon." He knew he mustn't go to sleep. He closed his eyes, desperately searching, searching . . . snatches of memories, faces . . . Then he saw her, as clear as the day he'd first met her. So beautiful, so gentle . . . "Remember? The letter, my darling," she whispered to him. "You promised to return it . . ." Of course! He opened his eyes, trying to sit up, and saw the concerned face of his granddaughter hovering above him. And felt a painful prick in the inside of his elbow. "The doctor's giving you something to calm you down, James, darling," she said. No! No! The words refused to form on his lips, and as the needle slipped into his arm, he knew that he'd left it too late. "I'm so sorry, so very sorry," he gasped. His granddaughter watched as his eyelids finally closed and the tension left his body. She pressed her smooth cheek against his and found it wet with tears. Excerpted from The Royal Secret: A Novel by Lucinda Riley All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.