"Imperial Scandal" Give Away!
The wonderful Tracy Grant is blogging on History Hoydens today about spy stories and she has also– drum roll, please!– provided an ARC of her latest, Imperial Scandal
One of the things I love about Tracy’s Napoleonic suspense novels is that they feature a husband and wife team, sometimes working in concert, at other times at cross purposes, much like Sir Percy and his Marguerite or Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia and Emerson.
Her latest, Imperial Scandal, is set around the battle of Waterloo. You can read an excerpt here.
Imperial Scandal comes out on March 27th (the day before my birthday!), but you can read it now.
For a chance to win a copy of Imperial Scandal… who are your favorite guy/girl detective or spy teams?
One person who comments will be chosen at random to receive an advance copy of Imperial Scandal
Hm … I must say, since it started airing, it would have to be Modern Sherlock (with all his hate for blogging and his awsome disguises!) and Watson .. though Dirk Gently and McDuff are close seconds (Douglas Adams fangirl, I am), and the cancelled television show Undercovers – I liked the Mr. and Mrs. Smith dynamic.
Thanks for the contest! 🙂
Ammy Belle
Looks awesome! 🙂
Urbane, sexy, charming, funny, chic, and smart…that pretty much sums up Nick and Nora Charles. I’ve been a fan for years, and still find an afternoon spent immersed in their adventures as stimulating as a perfect dry martini, shaken to waltz time.
There are too many lovely pairs to choose just one. Right now I have been enjoying Rhys Bowen’s Lady Georgianna and Darcy O’Mara. I do confess to having a lasting soft spot for the Emersons — Amelia and Ramses in particular…
I’m going to go old school and say Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. The series written in the 1990s of the three of them working together still brings me great joy. <3
I have always really enjoyed Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and his secretary, Miss Lemon. They aren’t exactly a team, but they do work together on certain aspects of the mysteries they solve and their interaction is very enjoyable and sometimes hilarious. If a tv team counts, Richard Castle and Detective Kate Beckett in ABC’s Castle tv show are great to watch!
I really like Lady Emily and Colin from Tasha Alexanders books!
I have an ARC of this book that I won on Tracy’s site but I just wanted to say that it was GREAT and the lucky winner will enjoy it!
And just for fun, I also have a soft spot for Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. I always hoped that Nancy would dump Ned for Frank Hardy.
There are so many good ones to choose from, but I think I like reading Charles & Melanie from Tracy Grant’s books. I realize they are named Malcolm & Suzanne in the newer books, but I still think of them as Charles & Mel!
I agree with Amy, the new BBC Sherlock 🙂 my hubby and I love it! Great contest!!
Happy (Early) Birthday!!! 🙂
Lady Emily and Colin from Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series – love them!
I’m a big fan of Castle and Detective Beckett. I think they’re so great together! Love the tension and the witty banter.
I have three favorite “teams”:
Lady Julia Grey & Nicholas Brisbane from Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia series
Lady Emily Ashton & Colin Hargreaves from Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (I know this is a movie but I love their bickering when they try to work together)
I’d choose Hamish Macbeth for male and Agatha Raisin for female. Actually, I love all detectives I meet in every book, I highly enjoy reading detective stories. It’s like the characters are real, and as if I’m working with them, like we’re on a team!
Amelia Peabody and Radcliffe Emerson.
Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves – especially in “Tears of Pearl”!
I have to say that Lady Emily and Colin are soooo great! I discovered them recently but I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two of them!
And Tracy Grant’s Charles and Melanie…. loved them at first sight, or almost!
I love Dan Brown’s “DaVinci Code”… Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu were really interesting to read. I actually like all of Brown’s character pairings, though the plots for his books tend to get repetitious. Thanks!
Well Virginia stole my first idea…:)
But I have to go with Maddie Hayes and David Addison on Moonlighting. They really had the love/hate thing mastered and always found themselves in the wackiest predicaments.
Kate Stanely and Ben Pearl from Interred With Their Bones are a favorite spy team of mine!
Alas! I apparently am not unique for I too would say that nothing beats Nancy Drew and the hardy Boys. They are the best spy teams. I always loved the super mysteries where they all worked together!!
My 10 year old grandson, bless his heart, devours Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.
Have to agree with Castle and Beckett. My kids and I pile into my bed every Monday night to watch them!
Hmmm…Nick and Nora Charles but Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane work well together, too.
But for my very favorite, I’ll have to go with Lauren’s very own Geoff and Letty – the master spy and the fast-learner! 🙂
Lynley/Havers: Elizabeth George
March/Lake: Amanda Quick
Kincaid/James: Deborah Crombie
My Favorite, though not girl/guy is Morse and Lewis. I love those Colin Dexter books/tv series.
I agree with the Castle duo.
It’s almost impossible to choose just one pair, but not quite. I’d pick Harriet Van and Lord Peter Wimsey. The progress of their relationship is beautiful, as they both refuse to be bound by the stereotypes that still plague us: Harriet’s choice of work for consolation instead of a good cry on Lord Peter’s shoulder, for example. And they both work together so perfectly in spite of their issues.
I hope this counts because it’s from a movie…I loved 1993’s Undercover Blues with Kathleen Turner & Dennis Quaid. So much fun!
I’m a sucker for Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, too. I read so many of their books when I was a kid!
Alec Fletcher and Daisy Dalrymple, by Carola Dunn
Good call Sheila! I love Carola Dunn.
Nick & Nora!
Nefret and Ramses! I think I even prefer them over Amelia and Emerson! Sorry! But they are really great together.
Wow, I like so many of the ones already mentioned but, to add something different, I’ll say Laura Holt and Remington Steele.
Scarecrow (aka Lee Stetson) and Mrs. King might be in the mix, too!
For detective duos, my favorite would have to be Harriet Vane and Lord Peter but I also love Castle and Beckett. And I have to mention Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes in the Mary Russell series by Laurie King.
Departing from the male/female duos, the new ‘Sherlock’ is awesome!
Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane!
Hate to be the non creative one, but you can’t beat the classics:
Sir Percy and Marguerite from The Scarlet Pimpernel all the way, man!
Castle and Beckett for sure! I love the way they work together – and it’s nice to see the woman playing the hard-nosed detective for once! The fact that the amazing Nathan Fillion plays Castle is just the icing on the cake
Amelia Peabody Emerson and her beloved Emerson, although Nefret and Ramses are right in there…and I like the Remington Steele/Laura Holt suggestion, too. But I do miss new Amelia stories….
I just love the dynamics of Rick Castle and Kate Beckett in the show Castle. So interesting to see how their characters have evolved over the years.
I have really been looking forward to this book! I love Nick and Nora Charles, but Tommy and Tuppence are still my favorites,
I really like Malcolm and Suzanne and am definitely looking forward to this book!
I can’t believe no one has mentioned Anne Perry’s Charlotte and Thomas Pitt ….
One of my favorites is Lord Devlin and his wife Hero from the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries by C S Harris. The latest book, When Maidens Mourn, is fantastic!
My favorite books all have guy/gal spy teams:
Tracy’s Charles/Malcolm and Melanie/Suzanne, of course
Deanna Raybourn’s Julia and Brisbane
Tasha Alexander’s Emily and Colin
P.B.(Patricia) Ryan’s Nell Sweeney and Will Hewitt
Just typing that made me very happy!
I’ve read lots of books with spy couples in. However, the ones’ that I truly loved and adored was Lord Adrian and Lady Sophia Smythe from Shana Galen’s book, “Lord and Lady Spy”. These two were simply amazing. I’m now anxiously awaiting the follow up to this
I can’t wait for Imperial Scandal!
Nick and Nora Charles are a wonderful duo with their fabulous dry wit (and dry martinis…) and Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane- love them!
One of my favorite detective couples is Anne Perry’s Thomas Pitt and his wife Charlotte. And of course, Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriett Vane. Another one is Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver, Christie’s self-caricarute. Lots of fun.
I have been very much enjoying Lady Emily and the dashing Colin! Cruising through that series!! I too love Charles and Mel!
As far as TV…love Tony and Ziva on NCIS!
But my favorite of all would gave to be Scooby Doo and the gang!!
There are too many to pick! Nick and Nora, Lord Peter and Harriet Vane, Tommy and Tuppence… If I had to pick just one pair though I think I’d go with Tommy and Tuppence
Wow, what a hard call!
I’m an avid reader of the Charles/Malcolm and Melanie/Suzanne series (still can’t get used to the name change), along with Lady Julia and Brisbane, and Lady Emily and Colin. And all of the wonderful Pink characters, too!
To go out on a limb… I’m choosing James Bond and M. She keeps him in line!
Nick and Nora Charles, of course! A loving/comedic duo, the 1930s, and a dog…what’s not to love?
I think it needs to be said that there are many spy couples to adore/admire in literary fiction. Most recently, I’ve come to love Henrietta Selwick and Miles Dorrington of Pink Carnation and Black Tulip fame. Lauren, I know this giveaway is over, so I have no horn to blow in telling you that I simply adore your characters. Full-bodied and beautiful, argumentative, stuffy and sensuous, intelligent, brave and snoopy…I just love them!
Thanks so much, Deborah! That is lovely of you.