Description:
Kitchen maid Bronwyn is on the run. Empress Maud's attempted coronation in London has failed, and she and a loyal few are fleeing from an angry mob. Their travels end at Winchester, a stronghold loyal to the empress. But King Stephen's wife, Queen Matilda, has been busy while her husband sits in prison, and her army is marching on Winchester.
Meanwhile, someone is pulling nasty pranks on the empress. From harmless tricks that disturb and distract the empress to serious incidents, a prankster is at her court, hiding in plain sight. Bronwyn's reputation for solving court intrigues has raised her value in the empress's eyes, and she is tasked with finding out who is behind these pranks. But with a suspicious new food taster and courtly figures getting involved in the investigation, Bronwyn's suspect list only grows longer.
Once the queen's army reaches Winchester, Bronwyn is separated from her two favorite squires-the one she fancies and the one she might just love. When Rupert defects and joins the queen's army, they are at odds. And with Theobold working to defend the city from the queen's invading forces, Bronwyn must solve these crimes on her own. But that's difficult when she is captured by the queen's army. And to make matters worse, the prankster has come along too.
Can Bronwyn find the deadly prankster before the queen's army takes over Winchester? She must, or she'll risk losing more than her heart.
Tropes You Love:
- Castle Siege
- Stolen Kisses
- Secret Crushes
- Gossiping Ladies-in-Waiting
- Suspicious Nuns
Winter Murders
Book 1 - Winter's Poison
Book 2 - Winter's Crown
Book 3 - Winter's Prison
Book 4 - Winter's Rose
Book 5 - Winter's Thief
Book 6 - Winter's Flirt
Book 7 - Winter's Fool
Brief description: E. L. Johnson writes historical mysteries. A Boston native, she gave up clam chowder and lobster rolls for tea and scones when she moved across the pond to London, where she studied medieval magic at UCL and medieval remedies at Birkbeck College. Now based in Hertfordshire, she is a member of the Hertford Writers' Circle and the founder of the London Seasonal Book Club. When not writing, E.L. spends her days working as a press officer for a royal charity and her evenings as the lead singer of the gothic progressive metal band, Orpheum. She is also an avid Jane Austen fan and has a growing collection of period drama films.