Can Dorcy escape the clutches of the madman cloaked by London's fog?
Excerpt
Dorcy rushed through the doorway, grabbing the hand railing to keep from falling down the slippery steps. Swirling fog cocooned her, the impenetrable moisture abruptly halting her frenzied flight.
Mr. Davenport!
The scream resonated long and loud inside her mind. With stunning clarity the image she’d seen rammed into her consciousness—a figure sprawled on the library floor, white shirt soaked with blood, the hilt of a knife stuck in his belly.
Numb with shock, she stood unmoving as the air erupted with noise. Hooves clattering against the cobble-stoned street signaled an approaching rider. Through a parting in the shifting fog she stared toward the corner gas lamp. Beneath its arcing light trotted a snorting gelding, a shrunken visage of a man hunched over the animal’s neck.
“A body’s been found in Mitre Square.”
Raising his prune wrinkled face, the old man shrilled out his warning. “Lock yer doors. Stay inside.”
He spurred the horse down the street and the pair disappeared into the mist. His high, thin cry merged with the fading echo of the steed’s departing hoof beats.
Dorcy inhaled a shuddering breath, the sudden odor of human body sweat alerting her to someone’s presence. A deep, unfamiliar voice said, “Madame, I have some business with you.”
Gasping, she whirled to flee. But a strong hand gripped her arm and flung her against the wall of the house. Knocked breathless, she opened her mouth to scream.
“Oh no, my pretty lady.” Vise-like fingers clamped on her throat, preventing sound. “I think you’ll be telling no one that you saw me.”
Professional Reviews
E.A. West
All the good things I've heard about Miss Mae's writing and her ability to create a suspenseful mystery were proven true by this book. Dorcy caught my attention and had my sympathy right from the beginning of the story. As Gareth showed a gradual softening toward her, I kept hoping Dorcy would look past her fear to find her hero. Every time it looked like she would, something happened to reinforce her fears.
The mystery is just as well-crafted. For much of the story, I couldn't figure out who might have killed Mr. Davenport. Then, just when I thought I had it all figured out, the story took another twist and I was left wondering again. When the identity of the murderer was finally revealed, I was just as stunned as Dorcy.
Miss Mae has written an amazing story in See No Evil, My Pretty Lady. An interesting cast of characters and vivid descriptions bring this story to life, and the many twists and turns keep the reader guessing until the very end and wondering if there will be a happily-ever-after for Dorcy and Gareth. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves a good romantic whodunit.
Dublin 1941. A brutal murder. Mistaken identity. And barman Eamon Foley is running for his life.
Nine months later Foley is in a crowded pub, and his brother-in-law is shot dead.
The Six Bells of Madame Lin is the first book in The Witch of Marigold Hall Trilogy, a fictionalized account of the struggles of Lin Mang, a blind woman who manages to navigate the world during the Mongol conquest of China in the 13th Century. Withou
