Deryn Lake es una aclamada novelista histórica conocida por su apasionante serie John Rawlings Mysteries, que la situó firmemente entre los escritores de detectives históricos populares. Más allá de su ficción detectivesca, también crea cautivadores romances históricos que han obtenido un gran reconocimiento. La obra de Lake se caracteriza por sus inmersivos escenarios históricos y sus atractivas narrativas, transportando a los lectores a épocas pasadas vívidamente recreadas.
1773. Apothecary John Rawlings arrives in Boston, Massachusetts, to pursue a new business venture. He finds the place riven with tension and unrest - and the seething resentment spills into outright rebellion during the notorious Boston Tea Party. But has someone taken advantage of the chaos to commit an act of cold-blooded murder?
John Rawlings and his father, Sir Gabriel Kent, embark on a trip to Hotwell where Rawlings plans to investigate the reappearance of a long lost step-son in posession of a vast inheritence.
A secretive society known as the Hellfire Club harbors dark and dangerous secrets that threaten to unravel lives. As members indulge in their hedonistic pursuits, a web of intrigue and betrayal unfolds. The story delves into themes of power, corruption, and the hidden depths of human nature, as characters navigate the treacherous waters of ambition and desire. Tension builds as the protagonist seeks to uncover the truth behind the club's sinister activities, leading to shocking revelations that challenge their very existence.
When a medieval fair in the sleepy village of Lakehurst is ruined by the discovery of a corpse attached to the maypole, it is up to the Reverend Nick Lawrence and Detective Inspector Dominic Tennant to find out who would commit such a horrific crime - and why . . .
The residents of the sleepy Sussex village of Lakehurst are abuzz with the news of the arrival of Gerry Harlington, a flamboyant American actor and the new owner of Abbot's Manor, with his glamorous wife. The local dramatic society recruits him as their director for their new show, but his ideas are met with violent protest from the amateur actors. So when a corpse is discovered after the grand opening night, Reverend Nick Lawrence doesn't have to look far to find potential suspects . . .
"Charles Edward Stuart was the Bonnie Prince from overseas, risking all to fulfil his people’s destiny, while enjoying love affairs with some of the most fascinating women of the age. For while Charles was undoubtedly dedicated to the Jacobite cause, he was also devoted to the pursuit of women. Whether they were married or single, older or younger, mattered not to Charles as he cavorted his way across Europe with the same gusto he applied to fighting for the English and Scottish crowns. But perhaps his greatest love was reserved not for any sweetheart, but for his daughter. Torn from his arms as a child, Charlotte grew up an outcast and lived in scandal as a result. "--Publisher.
En voyage de noces dans le Devon avec Emilia, l'apothicaire John Rawlings rencontre Jan Van Guylder et ses enfants, son fils, Richard, et sa fille Juliana, une beauté très courtisée. D'une beauté fatale : John retrouve bientôt le cadavre mutilé de la jeune fille, sur un navire déserté par son équipage. Mêlé à l'enquête, John s'aperçoit que les suspects ne manquent pas: Tobias, le fiancé officiel de Juliana, différents amis de son frère - jeunes gens fortunés -, le capitaine du port de Topsham, ainsi qu'un vieillard très désireux de l'épouser. Et quel rôle joue dans l'affaire cette bande de hors-la-loi qui terrorise la ville d'Exeter, et ce carrosse fantôme qui hante la campagne ? Après la découverte d'un matelot du navire abandonné, qui succombe, puis d'un rescapé du même navire, sauvagement attaqué chez la femme qui l'a recueilli, John décide de tendre un piège au meurtrier...
