BOOKS 

"In all distress of our friends,
We first consult our private ends."
. . . Jonathan Swift

PRIVATE ENDS

Seventh in the Blue Satan Mystery Series

Great read! An excellent installation in a wonderful series. Great characters in an interesting time period with accurate historical details.

Mollie Crawford

London, 1717

Married now, Hester returns to Hawkhurst House to resume her place as waiting woman to her cousin Isabella, while St. Mars searches the coast of Kent for a ship to smuggle them into France. She arrives to find another crisis in her family, but she has barely begun dealing with it when she receives an emissary from King George. Word has reached him that it was Hester who exposed the murderer at Court last spring. Now, someone has tried to kill the Lord Chamberlain, and the King needs someone discreet to investigate.

No one can refuse a royal summons, so Hester must move into the Palace. She learns quickly that the King's suspicions have been strengthened by the serious rift in the Whig Party; but his worst fears are centered on someone more important than a few ousted ministers.

With too many potential suspects and hampered by secrecy, Hester can make little progress on her own. St. Mars, and his alias Blue Satan, must help her sort through the list of suspects by reaching back to the days of Queen Anne to a similar crime.

The pressure on Hester mounts, as the safety of the realm and the Hanoverian succession head faster and faster towards disaster.

WHISPER OF DEATH

Conspiracies abound in Wynn's delectable sixth . . . Move aside, Tudor and Regency eras, for this dive into early Georgian England reveals a period perfect for a whodunit.

Publishers Weekly

It’s clear in this latest installment that Wynn has lost nothing off her fastball . . . A gripping series continues with energy and thrills to spare.

Kirkus Reviews

Wynn writes incisively about the early Georgian period.

Deryn Lake, dubbed Queen of the Georgian Mystery by The Times(London)

London, 1716--While touring the gallery in the dome of London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, Hester Kean overhears a mysterious threat. Later, learning that whispers can travel across the vast space—and believing the threat to be real—she takes note of the gentlemen visiting the gallery that day.

The most likely suspect is Lord Wragby, who spouts Jacobite sympathies and, ignoring his young wife, mercilessly pursues Hester’s cousin Mary. Then Lord Wragby is murdered, and his father, the powerful Marquess of Ireton, blames Mary’s lover, James Henry. Hester must work with the outlawed Viscount St. Mars to save her friend from a father bent on vengeance.

But St. Mars (aka Blue Satan) flew to France after Hester failed to meet him for their elopement. She fears he may never forgive her.

When he does return to claim her, they pledge that nothing will ever separate them again, even as their detecting risks exposing his identity to the Prince of Wales at the masquerade.

"It began upon the following Occasion . . ."
. . . Jonathan Swift

ACTS OF FAITH

"An addictively readable mystery, steeped in the history of 18th century England. . . Mystery fans, history buffs and romance aficionados alike will devour this fast-paced adventure, which is packed with goodies for everyone."

Kirkus Reviews

" . . .an accurate, well-researched, and engaging mystery, romance, and work of 18th-century historical fiction."

Historical Novels Review

"Patricia Wynn�s sure talent has found the perfect story in Acts of Faith. Hester Kean is nobody�s fool, and though 1716 England is a time when women aren�t free to be individuals, Hester finds herself and her path. With a few opening sentences, Wynn sweeps the reader into her imagined world. This is a big, deliciously nuanced story that never falters. Hester�s courage carries her through, and the reader will cheer her every step of the way."

Carolyn Haines, award-winning author of the
Sarah Booth Delaney Mississippi Delta mysteries.

"Acts of Faith is a keeper, combining just the right amount of period detail with interesting characters, a twisty plot, and a compelling subplot. I couldn�t put it down."

Kathy Lynn Emerson, 2014 Malice Domestic Honoree and
author of Murder in the Queen�s Wardrobe

Convinced that she will never see the outlawed Viscount St. Mars again, and nursing a broken heart, Hester Kean is not sorry when her relatives send her alone into Yorkshire to prepare her cousin Mary for life at the English court. Travelling on the stage, she befriends a reserved young gentleman, returning home after many years, whose mysterious behaviour is due to his fear of being arrested for receiving an illegal Roman Catholic education in France.

When the young man arrives home to learn that his father has been murdered, Hester wants to help, but her efforts are stymied by the secrets the young man and his family are forced to keep. Encountering degrees of prejudice against "papists" on all sides, Hester cannot blame them for their clandestine lives, but was it that very secrecy that led to the murder?

Hester has an affair of her own to keep private, for Gideon has tracked her north in disguise, determined to win her. Elated to know at last that he loves her, she still has to discover whether he wants her for a mistress or a wife. Somehow, they must hide their intimacy from Hester's cousins, while stealing the moments alone they need to resolve their future together.

Acts of Faith deals with the risks Roman Catholics were driven to take under the punishing laws against them.

"O roving Muse, recall that wondrous Year,
When Winter reigned in bleak Britannia's Air. "
. . . John Gay

A KILLING FROST

"Through close attention to authentic period detail, Wynn brings early
18th-century England to life."
�Publishers Weekly

"Patricia Wynn twists the unusually icy London winter of 1715-16 into a perfect setting for this Blue Satan adventure. . . And the liveliness�coupled with her ability to weave a taut and thrilling tale�transforms this mystery into a must-read."
�Orange Coast Magazine

It's the winter of 1715�1716, and the snow is so deep in Europe that wolves have descended from the Alps to devour villagers. The Jacobite rebels in Scotland have nearly been defeated, vanquished in part by the snow.

The River Thames freezes over, and a Frost Fair is erected on the ice. The ghastly discovery of a frozen corpse sends a wave of shock through the revelers at the fair. When the victim turns out to be Sir Walter Tatham, who has recently frequented Hawkhurst House, Hester Kean�s employer, Harrowby, Lord Hawkhurst, starts behaving suspiciously. He asks Hester to see what she can discover about the baronet�s affairs, but gives no reason for his request. The only thing Hester knows is that the mere mention of Sir Walter can drive Harrowby into a panic.

To solve the mystery, she needs the help of her friend the outlawed Viscount St. Mars, alias Blue Satan, who has been entrusted with a mission of his own. He has been asked to help a Jacobite rebel escape from Newgate prison. With a price on his head, St. Mars must employ all his disguises and his wiles to avoid being captured while trying to free the young man before he is hanged. Aside from his desire to save a brave supporter of the Stuart cause, he hopes eventually to be rewarded with the influence of the young man�s powerful uncle who has promised to help St. Mars regain his title and estates.

Embroiled in matters of life and death, with the greatest frost of a century making the very streets of London treacherous, Hester and Blue Satan must corner a clever killer, even when a tempting marriage proposal to Hester threatens their blossoming love.

In A Killing Frost, Patricia Wynn illuminates a period of English history when the weather decided a dynastic struggle, and civil war seemed as remote as a foreign country. She paints a vivid picture of London city life, at the same time bringing the friendship between Blue Satan and Mrs. Kean to a crisis.

"Infer the Motive from the Deed, and show,
That what we chanced was what we meant to do. "
. . . Alexander Pope

THE MOTIVE FROM THE DEED

It is 1715, the first year in the reign of George I, and the Jacobites (followers of James Stuart) launch the rebellion that will become known as the "Fifteen." Against this backdrop, Hester Kean, waiting woman to her cousin, the Countess of Hawkhurst, learns that her brother Jeremy has been arrested for treason. Jeremy has eked out a living as a chapbook writer for a notorious bookseller in Fleet Street. When Mr. Curry is found throttled in his bookstall up against St. Dunstan�s Church, Jeremy is accused of the murder. With the English Court bracing itself for civil war, Hester once again must turn to the mysterious highwayman Blue Satan to help her prove her brother�s innocence.

Blue Satan, the outlawed Viscount St. Mars, has ridden to Bar-le-Duc in Lorraine to persuade the Pretender James Stuart to delay the rebellion that could regain him his throne. St. Mars has been drawn into the conspiracy in homage to his father who was killed in the Stuart cause. But, surrounded by ambitious men, James will not listen to reason. He dismisses St. Mars, who must find a way back into England disguised as groom to Fanny Oglethorpe, sister of James Oglethorpe (founder of Georgia Colony) and a Jacobite spy. He returns, as the rebellion starts, to find Mistress Kean in need. Between them, Hester and Blue Satan uncover the secrets hidden in the ancient crypt of St. Dunstan�s, involving greed, treachery, and treason. One of these secrets has led to murder, but when investigation turns up a Jacobite plot, St. Mars must again question his loyalty to a cause that is doomed to failure.

In Blue Satan and Hester Kean, Wynn has created intelligent, resourceful characters, who share a sense of humor and a sense of humanity in an era when dependency fostered petty jealousy and greed. The Jacobite cause, which still stirs feelings today, pitted Whigs against Tories, neighbor against neighbor, and law against justice. The political turmoil of 1715, caused by forces ranging from heart-felt loyalty and religious fanaticism to ambition and want, has lessons that are valuable today. In this engaging series, Wynn opens a window onto a critical period of history has time has forgotten.

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"The spider's touch, how exquisitely fine!
Feels at each thread, and lives along the line."
. . . Alexander Pope

THE SPIDER'S TOUCH

Second in the award-winning Blue Satan Mystery series, featuring the highwayman Blue Satan and his true-hearted friend Mrs. Kean.
Trade paper release scheduled for April 1, 2006

An outlaw in his beloved England, Gideon Viscount St. Mars (Blue Satan)finds freedom on his estate in France, but he cannot find peace. TheJacobites (followers of the Pretender, James Stuart), anxious to mount theirrebellion, request his help.

Exiled in Lorraine and cut off from his adherents, James sends emissaries totempt Gideon to the cause. The reward will be reinstatement to his father'stitle as Earl of Hawkhurst. With his own inheritance unjustly taken fromhim, Gideon has new sympathy for James. He agrees to return to England-toseek out the Duke of Ormonde and discover when the rising will take place.

In London, Gideon finds that Hester Kean has become entangled in a web ofJacobite spies. He warns her of the danger, but when a Jacobite is murderedat the opera, Gideon must choose between his promise to the Pretender andhis concern for Mrs. Kean. While Walpole's agents threaten the conspirators,Gideon, as the highwayman Blue Satan, helps Hester solve a mystery thatbears all the signs of The Spider's Touch.

"This glorious, thoroughly authentic historical is for most collections." Library Journal
�The obvious question for any reviewer assessing a sequel is whether it�s as good as the original. My answer is a resounding yes. The characters are just as colorful, the plot just as intricate, the growing friendship between St. Mars and Mrs. Kean just as delightful.�
The Historical Mystery Appreciation Society

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THE BIRTH OF BLUE SATAN

Finalist for a Herodotus Award
Honorable Mention from Writers Digest
Silver Medal from PMA
March Pick for the Historical Mystery Club
The Poisoned Pen

". . . in the style of the great adventure novels, THE BIRTH OF BLUE SATAN is delightful. The hero is dashing, the heroine is steadfast, the action intense. . . a book to daydream over." 4 stars Romantic Times

"A real winner . . . with smooth writing, excellent diaglogue, and fine characterization. . . a powerful ambience of England when country roads were home to highwaymen and smugglers." Mystery News

"The characters are extremely well drawn and it was a pleasure to spend time with them. . . . I cannot wait for book two to be published." Historical Novel Review

". . . a satirical view of Court society in this totally engaging and eminently satisfying mystery that will delight her legions of fans and leave them waiting eagerly for more!" Midwest Book Review

". . .a wonderful historical novel that succeeds because the era, critical to the plot, is so alive readers will believe it is a character. Gideon and Mrs. Kean are fully developed players . . . The support cast, villains and aides, augment the understanding of Georgian England as well as propelling the exciting story line forward. Sub-genre fans will recognize a winner . . ." 5 stars Harriet Klausner, BookBrowser

"Both the characters and plot are unusually strong for the first book in a series . . . a fast-paced and devilishly intriguing book that should keep fans of the genre turning the pages . . ." The Drood Review

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THE BIRTH OF BLUE SATAN is available in an e-book edition from Belgrave House, along with many other fine mysteries and romances from The Authors Studio.

E-book readers can find

THE BUMBLEBROTH
and Other Patricia Wynn Regencies

Wynn's Regencies are now on Kindle and other book readers, too.