a regency widow shouldn't be hunting spectres all night. lady judith avely's magical gift for divining the truth makes her prodigiously good at lying. to absolve a guilty secret, she travels to the exiled duke of sargen's estate, but the last thing she expects is to run into the duke himself, who is lamentably now even more attractive than in his volatile youth. the duke has his own concerns: he has returned home to a haunted house, with skulls floating about and a footman apparently bashed by a book. such vulgar circumstances are best avoided, but the duke needs judith's unique talents to help uncover the culprit - even if it might put her in the sights of a killer. with the help of a tiny vampiric acquaintance and a continuous supply of drinking chocolate, judith should be able to solve the uncanny mystery...if only the duke will stop making improper remarks about her mobcaps. a lady who can discern lies, the duke who lied to her, and a gothic cosy mystery full of bats, skulls and cocoa. lady avely's guide to truth and magic features a mid-life heroine, a slow-burn second-chance romance, and a magical version of regency england.