Emmeline Kirby/Gregory Longdon Mysteries: Book 10
Publication Date: December 6, 2025
Lost, found, stolen, dead…
In a den of enemies, there’s nowhere to hide
Debonair jewel thief/insurance investigator Gregory Longdon has always relied on his wits to extricate himself from tricky situations. But when he’s kidnapped and framed for murder in Amsterdam by Russian mafia boss Bogdan Kozlov, living on a knife’s edge stops being a game. Meanwhile, his wife, journalist Emmeline Kirby, is stirring up trouble—as usual—with articles about Kozlov’s diamond smuggling operation and the Golden Tulip, a looted 130-carat yellow diamond with a long, colorful past.
As husband and wife fight to clear Gregory’s name, they stumble into a web of blackmail and cover-ups that reaches the highest echelons of the British government and society. Rival under-world figures and the rich and powerful all have designs on the Golden Tulip. Emmeline and Gregory soon learn that running into danger means running for their lives.
Secrets Lie in Wait by Daniella Bernett is the tenth book in the Emmeline Kirby/Gregory London Mystery series, and I can’t wait for more stories involving this married duo. I’ve only missed reading three of these books, but they are in my library waiting for me to get to them.
I love when series stay true to their history, and this one didn’t disappoint. We pick up where we left off. Previous plots and outcomes are referenced, and many characters we’ve met before are back, playing key roles. Family and friends are essential to the story, with multiple storylines and depth to both.
Once again, Emmeline and Gregory jump in feet first, no matter the danger involved and what criminal element they might run into, and end up ruffling their feathers. Gregory is missing for a few days, and Emmeline has to be reminded that she’s pregnant and can’t be all in as usual, but that of course doesn’t stop her from rallying her troops and wielding her pen since she’s a journalist. Emotions are high, and there is often an adrenaline rush.
The story is fast-paced with a good flow and centers on the missing diamond piece, the Golden Tulip, that Gregory is focused on finding. Some vivid details and descriptions sparked my senses and interest. There are clues found and discarded, and people who are not as they seem. There are murders and crimes to solve, and to find out whodunnit, while tossing red herrings that muddy the waters.
Set in London and Amsterdam, I felt I was there. The police and spies, along with the good guys and the bad, were at loggerheads, and the action was riveting. There are politics galore to wade through. Truths were revealed a little at a time, and there was closure before the epilogue set the stage for their next adventure.
Secrets Lie in Wait is an international thriller filled with crimes, murders, and lots of gems, intrigue, and mystery that will keep you turning the pages to see what they are up to next!
DANIELLA BERNETT is a member of the Mystery Writers of America New York Chapter and the International Thriller Writers. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Journalism from St. John’s University. LEAD ME INTO DANGER, DEADLY LEGACY, FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE, A CHECKERED PAST, WHEN BLOOD RUNS COLD, OLD SINS NEVER DIE, VIPER’S NEST OF LIES and A MIND TO MURDER are the books in the Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series featuring a journalist and a jewel thief. She also is the author of two poetry collections, TIMELESS ALLURE and SILKEN REFLECTIONS. In her professional life, she is the research manager for a nationally prominent engineering, architectural and construction management firm. Daniella is currently working on Emmeline and Gregory’s next adventure. A CHECKERED PAST was featured as Novel of the Week on Art in Fiction.
