A Fall of Silver (48 page)

While these books do not need to be read in order, the list below presents them in the most felicitous, chronological order to gain a true understanding of the mischief John Archer can create amongst his young, unattached family members.

The Necklace
~
A young woman, a scoundrel, and a family heirloom that might possibly be cursed.

The
Necklace
introduces John Archer and his exasperated niece, Oriana Archer, who is fed up trying to keep her uncle out of trouble. When Uncle John drags home yet another disreputable, wounded associate for her to nurse, she’s at her wit’s end. But there’s no rest for the weary, and Oriana soon discovers another of her uncle’s acquaintances, murdered in a way that points suspicion directly at her!

I Bid One American
~
An American heiress nobody wants; a duke every woman desires; and a murder no one expects.

In
I Bid One American,
Nathaniel Archer, Oriana’s brother, no sooner inherits a dukedom than he’s accused of murder. And his Uncle John’s schemes don’t help. Uncle John is the guardian to an American heiress he’s anxious to unload on the first, unwary, English peer, and Nathaniel looks as good as any, despite the shadow of a noose hanging above his head.

But Nathaniel is made of sterner stuff, or so he thinks, and he’s got more to worry about than romancing a singularly unromantic heiress when a dead debutante is found in his carriage.

The Bricklayer’s Helper
~
A masquerade turns deadly when a murderer discovers one of his victims survived.

The
Bricklayer’s Helper
features Sarah Sanderson, an orphaned girl disguised as a man and working as a bricklayer. She’s the sole surviving member of her family, murdered thirteen years ago in a terrible fire. She may, or may not, be the niece of John Archer, and John is determined to bring her back into the family by hiring one of the newest agents at the
Second
Sons Inquiry Agency. Unfortunately, when the killer realizes Sarah escaped, her life is threatened despite the efforts of the attractive inquiry agent and her matchmaking uncle.

Escaping Notice
~
A sabotaged boat forces an earl to investigate murder and discover that love may ultimately be what he's searching for.

E
veryone believes Hugh drowned with his brother after their boat is sabotaged, and Hugh fosters that belief trick the elusive killer into revealing himself. But he doesn’t count on running into two others also desperate to escape notice behind the comforting anonymity of false identities. Helen Archer lost the fabled Peckham necklace at a ball given at Hugh’s home and is desperate to get it back. Young Edward Brown only wants to run away to sea like his hero, Admiral Nelson. When the three meet, Helen and Hugh hatch the perfect plan. By masquerading as servants, they can accomplish their goals in secret. However, Edward objects for purely practical reasons. He wants to go to sea, and he definitely doesn’t want to spend his days polishing boots as a pretend servant. But the young boy is overruled and their adventure begins.

The
Second Sons Inquiry Agency series
are traditional historical mysteries spiced with a romance. The books all feature Second Sons, but do not necessarily focus on the found of the agency, Mr. Knighton Gaunt. Many of the stories feature other inquiry agents, or investigators, as the agency grows and flourishes. Mr. Gaunt is often called to the aid of the Archers, who seem to be inordinately fond of trouble.

While these books do not need to be read in order, the list below presents them in
a suggested order.

The Vital Principle
~
Gaunt is called to a séance to uncover a fraud, only to stumble upon a murder.

The Vital Principle
is the first in the
Second Sons Inquiry Agency
historical mystery series and features coolly intellectual Mr. Knighton Gaunt, the agency’s founder. Once accused of murder, himself, Knighton is driven to uncover the truth behind the complex, often mysterious murders that cross his path.

In
The Vital Principle,
Knighton Gaunt meets Prudence Barnard, a spiritualist accused of murder. While those involved are happy to accuse her as the stranger in their midst, Knighton is not so sure and sets out once again to discover the truth.

The two
meet again in
Hidden Aspects,
coming in the fall of 2012.

A Rose Before Dying
~
An earl is enmeshed in a deadly game to prove his uncle didn’t murder his mistress.

In
A Rose Before Dying
, Charles Vance impulsively decides to pluck the role of inquiry agent out of Knighton’s hands and discover the real killer. Charles is determined to exonerate his irascible uncle, Sir Edward, the only real father he has ever known. Unfortunately, Sir Edward doesn’t make it easy for his nephew, and the only clues Charles has are sprays of roses left at the scene.

As
Second Sons Inquiry Agency
grows, you’ll encounter other agents who run into odd mysteries and formidable murderers during the vibrant first half of the 19
th
century.

“W
itty historical whodunits in the tradition of Bruce Alexander’s
Blind Justice
and Victoria Holt’s
The Mistress of Mellyn,
that
will keep you guessing until the unexpected end.” –A Reader

Amy Corwin is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America and recently joined Mystery Wr
iters of America. She writes historical and cozy mysteries with a touch of romance, as well as paranormal romances. To be truthful, most of her books include a bit of murder and mayhem since she discovered that killing off at least one character is a highly effective way to make the remaining ones toe the plot line.

Join her and discover that every good romance has a touch of mystery.

Connect with Me Online

Website: 
http://www.amycorwin.com

Twitter:  
http://twitter.com/amycorwin

Facebook:
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Blog:     
http://amycorwin.blogspot.com

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

A Fall of Silver

COPYRIGHT © 2013 by Amy G. Padgett

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact information:
[email protected]

Cover Art by Amber Shah,
http://ambershah.com

Editorial Services Provided by: Adele Brinkley, With Pen In Hand

Publishing History

First Edition, 2013