Introduction

For fans of Steve Berry, Dan Brown, Robert Harris and Kate Mosse's historically accurate thrillers, a riveting page-turner questions if the Romanov dynasty really ended, suggesting the 'one designated by blood' may still be alive.

  Ipatiev House, Ekaterinburg Siberia, July 1918:  On the eve of his execution, in a desperate attempt to save the Romanov Dynasty, Tsar Nicholas II signs in secret his last Ukase, an irrevocable royal edict, bestowing untold riches and power on his legitimate heir, 'the one designated by blood'.

  New York City, 1970:  Christina Gartner, a young socialite divorcee befriends her new neighbor, Mme. Antonova, an elderly White Russian émigré who escaped the Russian Revolution with her two children. The charming Mme. A. captivates Christina with stories of her escape, but are they the truth?

  The friendship catapults Christina into a cat and mouse game with a ruthless aging Bolshevik on the hunt for the Tsar's long lost and explosive Ukase so he can take control of the Russian government and the country's mining riches.

  It's up to Christina and a NYC cop to find the Ukase and the secrets of the Blood Stiller, before the sinister émigré conspiracy in contemporary New York does.

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Excerpt

In marked contrast to the cluttered room, the breakfast table was shielded on one side by the grand silver samovar which frequently gave off steam, hissing like an offended duchess. At the tables opposite end, two sets of battered mahogany shelves held old sepia photographs, most in polished art nouveau style silver frames. These shining barriers kept out the chaos of exile, like sentries marking off the archaeological remains of a former life. In this nimbus of gleaming silver, the table set with remnants of cracked Sevres china, the old Russia would come alive. I can still taste the crumbly thick slices of dark pumpernickel bread smothered with butter and honey and the hot sweet tea served up with her tales. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. What foreshadowing occurs to make you suspect Mme. A is not telling the truth and is hiding a secret?
2. How is Christina drawn into the dangerous conspiracy?
3. Are the different time periods effective in telling the story? ?

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