The Emperor's Candlesticks by Baroness Emmuska Orczy is a captivating historical novel set in the 18th century Austrian Empire. The story follows the thrilling adventures of a spy who is tasked with retrieving a pair of valuable candlesticks that have been stolen from the Empress.

The author's writing is rich and descriptive, transporting the reader to a time of lavish balls, dangerous secrets, and political intrigue. The characters are well-developed and engaging, particularly the clever and resourceful spy who must navigate a web of deceit and betrayal to complete her mission.

Orczy's attention to detail and intricate plotting keep the reader guessing until the very end, as the spy races against time to recover the stolen candlesticks and uncover the true culprit behind the theft. Overall, The Emperor's Candlesticks is a thrilling and immersive read that will appeal to fans of historical fiction and espionage novels.

Book Description:
When a group of Russian anarchists kidnap a Russian prince in Vienna there are repercussions. On learning that the Cardinal d'Orsay has agreed to convey some hollow candlesticks from the Emperor to the Princess Marionoff in St Petersburg, two spies both see the possibility of using them to convey messages safely into Russia. One is an eager young idealist involved in the plot against the prince, the other is Madame Demidoff, a beautiful agent of the Tsar. When the candlesticks go missing at the border, the two engage in a race to get them back, both realizing that their very lives could depend on the retrieval.