FIRST IN A NEW MYSTERY SERIES
BY ELIZABETH BAILEY
ABOUT THE BOOK:
First in a new series that has the perfect mix of Regency murder and mystery.
Never underestimate the resolve of a lady’s companion. She’s a woman of incomparable cunning, insatiable curiosity, and as unfailingly attentive to her duties, as she is to the intricacies of murder in… The Gilded Shroud!
Pity the chambermaid who found the body—sprawled across a disheveled four-poster bed with a bruised neck revealing a grim truth: poor Emily, wife of the Marquis of Polbrook, had been strangled in the night.
The last thing Emily’s brother-in-law, Lord Francis Fanshawe, expects to find so soon after the crime is an adept investigator already settled comfortably in the Polbrook mansion. She is Ottilia Draycott, the Dowager Lady Polbrook’s new young companion, intelligent, resourceful, observant, and the family’s hope in establishing the innocence of the Marquis, despite a motive: he wished Emily gone. But as Ottilia pieces together a picture of Emily’s death, complications arise: the Marquis has gone missing, along with the theft of a priceless heirloom. Now Ottilia has found herself in a house of strangers and every one of them a suspect. And only she can unmask and outwit a killer too desperate not to replay the murderous events of that fateful night to keep a family secret buried.
PRAISE/REVIEWS FOR THE GILDED SHROUD:
A light upstairs-downstairs affair with clever dialog. Georgette Heyer is a strong influence on Bailey, and Bailey does it well, deftly mixing her detecting with a gentle romance. Terrific crossover appeal for Georgian romance readers who crave a corpse with their love stories. --THE LIBRARY JOURNAL
Fans of romantic historicals will welcome Bailey's solid debut, a Regency mystery. Sharp-witted Ottilia Draycott, who's just taken a temporary position as companion to the dowager marchioness of Polbrook, finds herself in the midst of a baffling murder puzzle after the discovery of the strangled corpse of the dowager's daughter-in-law, Emily Fanshawe, sprawled on her four-poster bed. Even more alarmingly, Emily's heavy-drinking husband, Randal, has vanished, making him the obvious suspect. Despite the skepticism of her new employer and the dowager's attractive, and available, other son, Francis, Ottilia proves herself an adept investigator, whose nose for clues might enable resolution of the mystery before the law gets involved. She must weigh varying motives for the murder, including a theft turned violent and a crime of passion committed by the dead woman's lover. A satisfying solution and well-chosen period detail will leave readers eager for the sequel.
--PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
An avid reader from an early age, Elizabeth Bailey grew up in colonial Africa under unconventional parentage and with theatre in the blood. Back in England, she trod the boards until discovering her true métier as a writer in her thirties, when she fulfilled an early addiction to Georgette Heyer by launching into historical romance. Eight years and eight books later, Elizabeth joined the Harlequin Mills & Boon stable, fuelling her writing with a secondary career teaching and directing drama, and writing plays into the bargain.
With 18 historicals published, she began to concentrate on the mainstream and in 2005, Elizabeth’s novel Fly the Wild Echoes was released in both the UK and the US simultaneously by Unlimited Publishing. The novel was a contender in the Booker list for that year. A mystery – a whodunit of the mind, as one reader has it – the book explores the interwoven lives of three women and investigates the possibility of past lives.
Now retired from teaching, Elizabeth directs for a local theatre group where she lives in West Sussex. Recently, however, even this foray into drama has had to take a back seat as she changed direction to enter the world of crime.
Still thoroughly involved in her favourite historical period, Elizabeth placed her female sleuth in the late Georgian world of intrigue, elegance, aristocrats and rogues, where privilege rubbed shoulders with the harsh realities of making ends meet. While Ottilia moves into the upper echelon, she is thoroughly at ease in the lower, which allows Elizabeth to cross boundaries with impunity.
Not content with mere authorship, Elizabeth launched as an independent publisher with Timeless Books created on the Lulu website. She also runs an assessment critique service for writers.
GIVEAWAY
THANKS TO KAITLYN AND THE GOOD FOLKS
AT BERKLEY/NAL, I HAVE ONE BRAND
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MYSTERY, THE GILDED SHROUD,
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86 comments:
I am GFC follower
Thanks for the giveaway
jgoffice(at) cox(dot)net
I do love a good mystery, and I haven't read many set in the regency era. I would love to see how she solves the crime.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
I am a email subscriber.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
As always intersted in a good mystery.
patoct@yahoo.com
This looks like a very good mystery. I have not read any of the author's books and would like to.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Facebook friend
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Please enter me in contest. I love reading mysteries. Tore923@aol.com
A historical cozy! Looks great!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com
I think it's interesting she's added independent publisher to her work life.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com
I like the idea of the combination of a historical and a cozy mystery--what fun!
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
On the author's website I learned that her 2012 book in this series will be A Deathly Portent.
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I am an email subscriber.
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I am an GFC follower as Suekey
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I am a fan on facebook as Suzan Morrow Farrell
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I follow you on twtter as Suekey12
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I love the idea of a cozy "Regency" mystery and of the heroine being the young Lady's companion!
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I follow the blog via Google Friend Connect
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I follow the blog via twitter (as crazymidwestgal)
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I subscribe to the blog via email
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I am a fan on Facebook as Maria Durst
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I tweeted the preview and giveaway
http://twitter.com/#!/crazymidwestgal/status/126714850092138496
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I went to Ms. Bailey's website and I liked how she has it setup - especially her "Helping Writers Get it Right" page and the way she has her books setup in a library
junegirl63(at)gmail(dot)com
I don't believe that I have ever read a historical cozy before. This is intriguing. I love the cover of the book too.
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I tweeted:
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I liked reading about the Georgian world of fashion with the huge hats and lots of lace.
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an e-mail subscription.
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I follow your bog with Facebook.
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I follow your bog with an RSS feed on my IGoogle Page.
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I love books set in the regency era.
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com
I am intrigued by this novel. Many thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
The author's website is organized in a great way. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
i enjoy a good mystery
amhengst at verizon dot net
i am a email subscriber
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i am a GFC follower
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she published 18 historicals
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1. October FB bonus points + 5
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I haven't read this author before, nor have I read any Regency novels. The murder mystery here makes this sound intriguing too.
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Elizabeth launched as an independent publisher with Timeless Books. She also runs an assessment critique service for writers.
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I want to find out what the family secret is.
lag110 at mchsi dot com
Tweeted: https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/lag32583/status/126973290140020736
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I learned that The Deadly Portent will be the second book in this series.
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Am always up for a good mystery.
gmapeony@yahoo.com
murder and mystery-sounds good!
tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com
Just finished a regency era mystery and really liked it. Theft of an heirloom grabbed my attention.
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Interesting that Georgette Heyer and not Christie an inspiration to her.
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Have not read this author and like to try to mysteries.
gmapeony@yahoo.com
Regency romance and fiction sounds like fun. Thanks for the giveaway.
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I enjoy historical romance novels. The Guilded Shroud throws in murder, mystery, the Regency era, and a Lady's Companion heroine. It all sounds good to me!
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