Courtly Collusion: A JMM Inquiry Agency novel

by Susan Leona Fisher

As the youngest son and tenth child of a country parson, Piers Nugent soon realises he must make his own way in the world. After six years in the army, he’s looking for a new career and is mystified as to why he gets appointed to join the team of Equerries supporting the busy life of the Prince of Wales. An important part of the role is to ensure confidentiality is maintained in regard to courtly activities, whether he approves of them or not. Meanwhile, he comes into contact with The JMM Inquiry Agency, whose function is to uncover the truth in matters they are hired to investigate. When a case involves yet another troubled marriage in aristocratic circles, in which the Prince of Wales may be implicated, he cannot but come into conflict with the Agency and specifically with Miss Elizabeth Harcourt, the pretty young daughter of the Agency’s founder and owner. He also begins to suspect that she is more than the office administrator she purports to be.

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 2025

About the author

FINALIST! in RoNAs 2018 and EPIC awards 2016, Susan Leona Fisher writes both historical and contemporary fiction with a romantic element. She’s particularly interested in the late Victorian to early Twentieth Century period and the influential women of those pre-female suffrage years, some of whom provide inspiration for her heroines, along with an avid interest in social and political issues of the day, which also feature strongly. More on her website: www.SLFisherAuthor.co.uk

Reviews

[Susan Leona Fisher]

Author’s inspiration: Having created a private detective agency at the end of an 1840s novel (Her Secret Commission) I started exploring the kind of cases such an agency would be dealing with by searching the wonderful British Newspaper Archive. I decided to set the story in the 1870s, by which time there was an established widespread train network around Britain and Europe which would enable my protagonists to move about more easily than in a horse and carriage. All the cases mentioned in the story are based on real examples from that period. The Royal connection? I happened across (as often occurs when searching for one thing and finding another) The Mordaunt Scandal of 1870 and I had my theme - well-respected inquiry agency gets involved in investigating high society marital difficulties involving the Prince of Wales. Although a work of fiction, much of the content is based on actual events written about at the time. You’ll find a bit of a cliff-hanger at the end. I’m working on a sequel. Happy reading, SLF

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scandals, some history, and the workings of the Victorian government

I liked all the nuances found in this story, the characters are very interesting, and I am assuming there is at least one more book to come. The ending was just that, not a cliffhanger but you still want to know what happens with Piers, and the investigation agency.