Expertly recreating the social and political upheavals of late medieval Europe, acclaimed author Candace Robb introduces a new series starring Kate Clifford, a woman forged on the warring northern marches of fourteenth-century England.
Political unrest permeates York at the cusp of the fifteenth century, as warring factions take sides on who should be the rightful king--Richard II or his estranged, powerful cousin in exile, Henry Bolingbroke. Independent-minded twenty-year-old Kate Clifford is struggling to dig out from beneath the debt left by her late husband. Determined to find a way to be secure in her own wealth and establish her independence in a male-dominated society, Kate turns one of her properties near the minster into a guest house and sets up a business. In a dance of power, she also quietly rents the discreet bedchambers to the wealthy, powerful merchants of York for nights with their mistresses.
But the brutal murder of a mysterious guest and the disappearance of his companion for the evening threatens all that Kate has built. Before others in town hear word of a looming scandal, she must call upon all of her hard-won survival skills to save herself from ruin.
About the Author :
Candace Robb did her graduate work in medieval literature and history, and has continued to study the period while working first as an editor of scientific publications and now for some years as a freelance writer. Candace has published thirteen crime novels set in fourteenth-century England, Wales, and Scotland.
Review :
"A tasty brew of political intrigue, larceny, and murder set within the walls of medieval York. Candace Robb's latest historical mystery is steeped in the atmosphere of the late fourteenth century, and in Kate Clifford she's given us a no-nonsense heroine and sleuth who is not only smart, but fierce when those she cares about are threatened. You're going to love her."
-- "Patricia Bracewell, author of the Emma of Normandy trilogy"
"Candace Robb has created another wonderful, strong character in Kate Clifford, a widow of York...With plot twists as tangled and unexpected as the streets of medieval York, this gritty story kept me enthralled and guessing up to the end. Robb's thorough knowledge of the time and place brings a texture to her portrayal of York that brings the reader into Kate's life as if transported through time."
-- "Sharan Newman, Macavity Award-winning author of Death Comes as an Epiphany"
"Robb's deft hand creates a realistic political and commercial climate as King Richard II's reign draws to a close in 1399...a satisfying historical read...Comparable to Sara Poole's Poisoner mysteries and Ariana Franklin's Adelia Aguilar series, with its strong political setting and multiple plot strands."
-- "Booklist"
"The novel resonates with its compelling portrayal of an England on the brink of crisis."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
