Synopses & Reviews
The author of Murder at Westminster Abbey and Murder at Hatfield House is back with an absorbing and surprising new Elizabethan Mystery
1559. Elizabeth has been on the throne for six months, and life in England seems newly golden. But for the Royal Court, murder and betrayal are foretold in the stars....
Kate Haywood, the young queens personal musician, has been keeping busy playing for a merry round of summer parties where famed astrologer Dr. John Dee and his fantastic horoscopes are all the rage. However, Elizabeths favorite stargazer fails to predict the discovery of a skeleton in the queens gardenand that the victims identity will call his own innocence into question.
When the doctors pupil is the victim of a second murder, the concerned queen enlists her trusted Kate to clear the accused killer of wrongdoing. But will the stars align to light Kates path through a tangled thicket of treachery to save Elizabeths prized astrologer and protect the queen from those who threaten her reign?
Review
Praise for the series:
"Meticulously researched and expertly told...Amanda Carmacks talent for creating a richly drawn setting, populating it with fully realized characters, and giving them a tight and engaging narrative is unparalleled. An evocative and intelligent read." --New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander
Review
Praise for Murder at Hatfield House:
“Meticulously researched and expertly told, Murder at Hatfield House paints a vivid picture of Tudor England and a young Princess Elizabeth. Amanda Carmacks talent for creating a richly drawn setting, populating it with fully realized characters, and giving them a tight and engaging narrative is unparalleled. An evocative and intelligent read.”—New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander
“Amanda Carmack writes beautifully. . . . I enjoyed Murder at Hatfield House and recommend it; it is a cozy excursion into Tudor times with a lively heroine.” —Historical Novel Society
“Historical suspense with a solid murder mystery and very enjoyable heroine. Near perfect.”—Mysteries and My Musings
“We see the action unfold through Kate the musicians eyes, but the most exciting revelation is not the unveiling of the mystery, but the unveiling of Elizabeth.”—Heroes and Heartbreakers
“I enjoyed this novel, with the rich descriptions and the lively and interesting cast of personable characters. I think that this is going to be a great series to follow and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy a bit of history to their mystery!” —Sharons Garden of Book Reviews
Synopsis
Read India Black's blog and other content on the Penguin Community. When Sir Archibald Latham of the War Office dies from a heart attack while visiting her brothel, Madam India Black is unexpectedly thrust into a deadly game between Russian and British agents who are seeking the military secrets Latham carried.
Blackmailed into recovering the missing documents by the British spy known as French, India finds herself dodging Russian agents-and the attraction she starts to feel for the handsome conspirator.
Synopsis
When second-rate illustrator Ernie MacGuffin's artistic works triple in value following his apparent suicide off the Brooklyn Bridge, Dorothy Parker smells something fishy. Enlisting the help of magician and skeptic Harry Houdini, she goes to a séance held by MacGuffin's mistress, where Ernie's ghostly voice seems hauntingly real...
Synopsis
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!
1558. Kate Haywood, a simple musician in the employ of a princess, will find herself involved in games of crowns as she sets out to solve the murder of the queens envoy....
England is in tumult under the rule of Queen Mary and her Spanish husband. Confined to house arrest at Hatfield House, young Princess Elizabeth is the countrys greatest hope. Far from court intrigues, Elizabeth finds solace in simple things: the quiet countryside and peaceful recreation, including the melodies of her chief musician and his daughter, Kate Haywood.
But Kate will prove herself most valuable when an envoy of the queensent to flush out heretics in the princesss householdis found dead on the grounds of Hatfield. Acting as Elizabeths eyes and ears, Kate is sent out on the trail of a killer whose mission could destroy her family, friendsand the future of England.
Synopsis
1559. Elizabeth is about to be crowned queen of England and wants her personal musician Kate Haywood to prepare music for the festivities. New to London, Kate must learn the ways of city life
and once again school herself as a sleuth.
Life at the center of the new royal court is abuzz with ambition and gossipvery different from the quiet countryside, where Kate served Elizabeth during her exile. Making her way among the courtiers who vie for the new queens favor, Kate befriends Lady Mary Everley. Mary is very close to Elizabeth. With their red hair and pale skin, they even resemble each otherwhich makes Marys murder all the more chilling.
The celebrations go on despite the pall cast over them. But when another redhead is murdered, Kate uncovers a deadly web of motives lurking just beneath the polite court banter, and follows the trail of a killer whose grievance can only be answered with royal blood.
About the Author
Amanda Carmack is the author of the Elizabethan Mystery novels including Murder at Westminster Abbey and Murder at Hatfield House. Amanda Carmack is a pseudonym for a multipublished author. Her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in Oklahoma.