She dreams of joining the scientific elite. He's desperate to save his business and his sister. Together, they may hold the turnkey to adventure.

Terminus, 1871. Fiona Telfair won't give up her gears and gadgets for the ball and chain of marriage. But her future as a tinkerer comes under attack when nutcracker automatons raid the trade hall masquerade party and kidnap her fellow inventors. With her brilliant engineer father among those taken, Fiona's only hope of rescuing him lies with the captivating rail baron who rescued her from the fray.

Devon Meriweather can only keep his train empire on track if he marries into an influential family. Plus, he needs the connections to make certain his chronically ill sibling is taken care of. So no matter how engaging and beautiful the firmly working-class Fiona may be, he knows she'll only ever be a partner in solving crimes.

As they work closely hunting for clues to the strange aether-powered apparatus and magical mice, the intrepid duo can't deny their budding feelings. But neither can afford a distracting courtship with the growing threat of the nutcrackers and their deadly chompers.

Can Fiona and Devon expose the menacing mastermind behind the machines and make their passion run like clockwork?

Mission: Nutcracker is the second book in the charming Inspector Davidson Mysteries steampunk romance series. If you like plucky heroines, 19th-century mystique, and unusual Christmas fairytale retellings, then you'll love Cecilia Dominic's yuletide triumph.

Buy Mission: Nutcracker to steam headlong into holiday fun today!