Murder in the Merchant's Hall (The Mistress Jaffrey Mysteries Book 2)

The intriguing new mystery featuring Tudor sleuth, Mistress Rosamond Jaffrey. When Lina Walkenden is found clutching a bloody knife over the dead body of her brother-in-law and guardian, there's only one person she can turn to for help: her childhood friend Rosamond Jaffrey. Rosamond vows to do all she can to prove Lina's innocence, but when it transpires Lina was being forced into a marriage against her will and was instead besotted by her fiance's charming yet unscrupulous nephew, her motives for murder seem overwhelming. In desperation, Rosamond seeks out the help of the Queen's spymaster himself, Sir Francis Walsingham – but when she overhears a conversation at the French Embassy, it seems Lina's plight is irrelevant in the face of potential treason. Rosamond must do all she can to save her friend – and keep herself and her family safe from a desperate killer. “A genuinely gripping mystery, an appealing protagonist, and an eye-opening look at London life during the Renaissance” ( Booklist ). When Lina Walkenden is found clutching a bloody knife over the dead body of her brother-in-law and guardian, there’s only one person she can turn to for help: her childhood friend Rosamond Jaffrey. Rosamond vows to do all she can to prove Lina’s innocence, but when it turns out that Lina was being forced into a marriage against her will—and was instead besotted by her fiancé’s charming yet unscrupulous nephew—her motives for murder seem overwhelming. In desperation, Rosamond seeks out the help of the Queen’s spymaster himself, Sir Francis Walsingham. But when she overhears a conversation at the French Embassy, it seems Lina’s plight is irrelevant in the face of potential treason. Rosamond must do all she can to save her friend—and keep herself and her family safe from a desperate killer . . . “A diverting series, with lots of twists and turns and Tudor tidbits.” — Kirkus Reviews The intriguing new mystery featuring Tudor sleuth, Mistress Rosamond Jaffrey." When Lina Walkenden is found clutching a bloody knife over the dead body of her brother-in-law and guardian, there s only one person she can turn to for help: her childhood friend Rosamond Jaffrey. Rosamond vows to do all she can to prove Lina s innocence, but when it transpires Lina was being forced into a marriage against her will and was instead besotted by her fiance s charming yet unscrupulous nephew, her motives for murder seem overwhelming. In desperation, Rosamond seeks out the help of the Queen s spymaster himself, Sir Francis Walsingham but when she overhears a conversation at the French Embassy, it seems Lina s plight is irrelevant in the face of potential treason. Rosamond must do all she can to save her friend and keep herself and her family safe from a desperate killer. When Mistress Rosamond Jaffrey is summoned to her childhood home for "a matter of life and death," she expects to find her foster mother, Lady Susanna Appleton, at death's door. What she finds instead is far more dangerous--a childhood friend, accused of a murder she did not commit, with nowhere else to turn. Godlina Walkenden stands accused of murdering her brother-in-law in order to avoid an arranged marriage to a loathsome Italian silk merchant and turns to Rosamond to prove her innocence and save her from execution. In order to find out who the real murderer is and set Lina free, Rosamond, with help from her husband and Lady Appleton, must navigate a treacherous path and avoid the emissaries of the enigmatic Sir Francis Walsingham.