I have been told you wish to learn about me. I trust that those who killed my husband did not send you to ask. My servant, Joan, scolds me, though, and tells me to not fret. She reminds me that I have visited with you before, which I have foolishly forgotten. So I will tell you about myself, those of you who have not met me before.
I am Elizabeth Ellyott, called Bess by those who know me well. I am late of London and have come to Wiltshire to live in the house of my dear brother, Robert. He is a successful merchant who has lost his spouse and children, just as I have lost mine. No, you need not murmur words of sympathy. We are content enough in his comfortable house, and I have found work that suits me well. I make simples for the people of the village, medicines to heal them. When I am not out mending wounds or tending to aches and ailments, I can be found in my still room preparing waters with healing properties. I know there are those who mistrust me, who are suspicious of my skill with herbs. Some might even seek to call me a witch, as they call the poor widow woman who lives at the edge of town. The constable, Kit Harwoode, thinks I endanger myself in my efforts to help those villagers the apothecary or the physician will not tend to. ’Tis true enough that, in recent months, I have become entangled in dangerous crimes.
What now will the townspeople say when they discover that I am harboring a woman I found at my back gate, ill and bleeding? She will not tell me her name, but I must learn it. For a fellow from a traveling troupe of players has been discovered dead upon the ancient druids’ mound outside of town. His death occurred the same night that this mysterious woman came to me. And I fear that her arrival at my home is not at all coincidental.
You can read more about Bess in A Fall of Shadows, the second book in the “Bess Ellyott” historical mystery series, released April 9, 2019.
The dark shadows of Elizabethan England envelop a bucolic village when a brutal murder reveals a viper’s nest of resentment, fear—and the haunting specter of black magic.
Autumn has fallen, but as the air grows crisp and the trees turn a resplendent gold, a sinister presence arrives in the form of a horrifying murder. Bartholomew Reade, a player in a traveling troupe, has been found stabbed, sprawled on a low mound outside the village.
On the night of the murder, a bleeding woman collapses at the doorstep of herbalist Bess Ellyott desperately seeking help. Could she have a connection to the dead man? As Bess seeks answers, Constable Kit Harwoode is busy assembling his own lengthy list of suspects. Reade had many enemies, including the leader of the troupe, who resented his ambitions as a playwright, and his fellow players, who bristled at his arrogance—just to name a few.
As if the case weren’t thorny enough, the hill where the dead man was found is reputed to have once been the site of a Druid temple. And recent reports of diseased sheep and sick children, supposedly the work of a witch, have the townspeople terrified. As the shadows lengthen, Bess races to discover the truth before darkness descends.
With richly detailed settings and quickly moving dialogue, Herriman smoothly invokes sixteenth-century Britain. . .Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Peters and Amanda Quick. ~ Booklist
Purchase Link
# # # # # # # # # # #
About the author
Nancy Herriman retired from an engineering career to take up the pen. She hasn’t looked back. Her work has won the RWA Daphne du Maurier award, and when not writing, she enjoys singing, gabbing about writing, and eating dark chocolate. She currently lives in Central Ohio.
To learn more about Nancy, visit her website at nancyherriman.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
All comments are welcomed.
Thanks to Nancy Herriman for donating a signed copy of A Fall of Shadows. Contest ends April 20, 2019 and is limited to U.S. residents. Please leave comment in box below. The winner will be notified by email (so check your spam folder). Good luck everyone!
Thank you Nancy for a chance to win “A Fall of Shadows “ book. Sounds very interesting and good!
Good luck!
Nancy is a new author to me. I enjoy reading historical fiction and “A Fall of Shadows” sounds like an interesting book.
Glad to meet you, Dianne!
Bess lives in superstitious times — I hope she is careful as it worries me that some may think that she is a witch because of her simples and her tending to those others won’t. I look forward to reading A Fall of Shadows and appreciate your featuring it in A Day in The Life, Dru Ann ~
They definitely were superstitious times, Celia. Dangerous ones
I so enjoyed the first book in this series! This one looks even more intriguing!
I am so glad you enjoyed the first one, Mary Ann! Thank you!
Loved the first book! Thank you for opportunity to win this one.
Thanks for loving the first book! Good luck!
Wonderful series which is unique. Thanks for this great feature and giveaway.
Thank you!
This novel sounds enthralling and interests me greatly. Thanks.
Good luck!
I LOVE the cover!!
Thank you for the giveaway…
Thanks for the compliment on the cover. I think it’s gorgeous, too!
I really enjoy reading historical fiction mysteries and would love to win this book. My fingers are crossed.
Wishing you good luck, Robin!
Looks like a great read! Can’t wait for publication!
It’s out now, Vanessa!
Sounds like a great read. Thanks for the chance!
You are welcome, Jaime!
Sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the giveaway.
Good luck!
This looks like a very enjoyable story. I’m sure my wife and I would both be interested. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
If you win, I hope you and your wife do enjoy it!
I heard of this author. Haven’t read any books yet by her. This a different time period than I usually read about. But book sounds exciting and interesting. But I love historical mysteries.
I hope you decide to give my books a try, Linda. And good luck!
A fabulous follow-up to book 1 in this series! Highly recommended.
🙂
Looks like a Great Historical Mystery Book
Thanks for the chance to win 😃💖😍💗
Shared on Twitter 😍❤😍
https://twitter.com/LindaMoffitt02/status/1120000137852538880
**** WINNER ****
A Fall of Shadows is Anne
Congratulations!