The creator of Oz ventures into dangerous territory. L. Frank Baum, writing under the pseudonym Schuyler Staunton, abandons the Emerald City for the volatile streets of nineteenth-century Brazil in this rollicking political thriller. It's a reminder that Baum was a prolific novelist who tried his hand at nearly every genre before stumbling into the fairy tale that made him immortal. Young Robert Harcliffe accepts what seems like a straightforward gig: private secretary to Dom Miguel de Pintra, a charismatic revolutionary leader plotting to overthrow the Brazilian monarchy. But from the moment he boards the ship to Rio, shadows multiply. Whispers follow him. Documents go missing. Fellow passengers watch him with knowing eyes. As he penetrates deeper into Dom Miguel's inner circle, Robert discovers that loyalty in revolutionary Brazil is a currency that fluctuates hourly, and the price of betrayal is always paid in blood. Between assassination attempts and secret meetings, he finds himself falling for a woman whose family name could get them both killed. The fate of a crown hangs in the balance, and Robert must choose which side of history he's on. It's a wild ride through political intrigue that proves Baum could do more than wizardry.
