“Nancy Bilyeau’s passion for history infuses her books.”
–bestselling historian and novelist Alison Weir
Genevieve Planché returns in The Versailles Formula, the third book in the historical suspense series.
Genevieve has left the dangers of London for a quiet life in the countryside with her husband and young son. But when she is invited to a dinner party at Sir Horace Walpole’s magnificent Gothic estate, she is drawn into a terrifying web of deception, espionage, and murder.
Days after the mysterious dinner party, Genevieve makes a shocking discovery — a secret pigment of the deepest, purest blue is being produced once more. The formula is so rare, it’s the obsession of chemists, royalty, and spies.
Some will kill to possess it. Others will kill to keep it buried.
Early Praise
“A compelling adventure replete with spies, political intrigue, gorgeous Gothic manor houses, romance, impeccably researched history.”
—Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series
“With a cast of real and fictional figures, prose as smooth as French silk, and breathtaking twists, The Versailles Formula is exactly the book any lover of historical fiction would want to have in their hands right now.”
—Mally Becker, author of The Paris Mistress
“In Genevieve Planché, Bilyeau has created a wonderfully willful woman: as smart as she is sensitive, as brave as she is bold. Compelling to read . . . This is a series going from strength to strength.”
—Kate Braithwaite, author of The Scandalous Life of Nancy Randolph
Don’t miss the first two books in the Genevieve Planché Georgian-era Mystery Series:
The Blue and The Fugitive Colours
About Nancy
Born in Chicago and a graduate of the University of Michigan, Nancy moved to New York City to work in the magazine business as a writer and editor. After working for publications ranging from Rolling Stone to Good Housekeeping, she turned to fiction. She wrote the Joanna Stafford trilogy, a trio of thrillers set in Henry VIII’s England, for Touchstone/Simon & Schuster. For her Genevieve Planché novels—The Blue, The Fugitive Colours, and The Versailles Formula—she drew on her heritage to create a Huguenot heroine. Nancy is a direct descendant of Pierre Billiou, a French Huguenot who immigrated to what was then New Amsterdam (later New York City) in 1661. Nancy’s ancestor, Isaac, was born on the boat crossing the Atlantic. Pierre’s stone house is the third oldest house in New York State.
Praise for Nancy Bilyeau’s Books:
The Orchid Hour:
“Bilyeau brilliantly evokes the intoxicating grit and glamour of Jazz Age Manhattan and layers a smooth blend of suspense and romance on top. Historical mystery fans will find this irresistible.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
On the Town & Country List of “41 Must-Read Books of Summer 2023”
“Nancy Bilyeau has created a beautifully layered and utterly seductive tale… and, at its living, tender heart, a strong-willed and magnetic heroine.”
—Emilya Naymark, author of Behind the Lie, finalist for the 2023 Sue Grafton Award
The Crown:
“Bilyeau deftly weaves extensive historical research throughout, but the real draw of this suspenseful novel is its juicy blend of lust, murder, conspiracy, and betrayal.”
—O, The Oprah Magazine, pick of the month
“In Joanna Stafford, Bilyeau has given us a memorable character who is prepared to risk her life to save what she most values.”
—Deborah Harkness, author of Discovery of Witches
The Blue:
“Definitely a winner!”
—Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network
“Transports the reader into the heart of the 18th century porcelain trade—where the price of beauty was death”
—E.M. Powell, author of the Stanton & Barling medieval mystery series
Dreamland:
“I could practically taste the salt-water taffy and smell the ocean air as I read Bilyeau’s latest, set in 1911 Coney Island. Beautifully written and impeccably researched, Dreamland is a rollicking ride.”
—Fiona Davis, author of The Dollhouse and The Chelsea Girls
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