The Lady Agnès Mystery
Volume I
Set in France amidst the medieval Inquisition, an era known for its intolerance and repression, one woman seems to attract trouble like magnesia (the fourteenth-century precursor to the magnet). Agnès Philippine Claire de Larnay, Dame de Souarcy, is a widow and mother, more concerned with clothing and feeding her family and her estate in the countryside than with the tangled politics of King and Church, but the Lady herself seems to be the center of intrigue, with a rash of suspicious deaths forcing Agnès to acknowledge some very dangerous buried secrets.
The Lady Agnès Mystery is a collection of four stories from Andrea Japp, a forensic scientist and toxicologist well versed in both French history and poisons. Translated from the original French by Lorenza Garcia and Katherine Gregor, “The Season of the Beast,” “The Breath of the Rose,” “The Divine Blood,” and “Combat of Shadows” showcase the courage and cunning needed to survive in a time when women had few choices in life other than being “born to wealth, married, nuns, or prostitutes.”
A true historical thriller and murder mystery, an ancient prophecy unites an abbess, a knight, an illegitimate daughter, an assassin, and more, but corruption and evil intent often hide behind pretty words and faces, leaving Lady Agnès fighting for survival.
Reviewed by
Pallas Gates McCorquodale
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
