Series – Lady of Ashes - ChristineTrent.com

Lady of Ashes – Book 1 of the Lady of Ashes series

*2014 Daphne du Maurier FINALIST*

A Victorian undertaker enjoys the patronage of the Royal House of Hanover, even while withstanding betrayal, treachery, and recklessness by those closest to her. But can she survive when a crazed killer sets sights on her for uncovering a buried secret?

“I was entranced with Violet and her world from page one…Lady of Ashes is a book you can sink your teeth into, with characters you’ll fall in love with.” Mystery Scene Magazine

Stolen Remains – Book 2 of the Lady of Ashes series

After establishing her reputation as one of London’s most highly regarded undertakers, Violet Harper decided to take her practice to the wilds of the American West. But when her mother falls ill, Violet and her husband Samuel are summoned back to England, where her skills are as sought-after as ever. She’s honored to undertake the funeral of Anthony Fairmont, the Viscount Raybourn, a close friend of Queen Victoria’s who died in suspicious circumstances—but it’s difficult to perform her services when his body disappears…

“…Violet remains an engaging guide with an unusual perspective on Victorian society.” Publishers Weekly

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A Virtuous Death – Book 3 of the Lady of Ashes series

Queen Victoria, still mourning her long-dead husband Prince Albert, has found solace in John Brown, an enigmatic palace servant who dabbles in the occult and keeps the grieving queen entertained with his tarot card readings. Undertaker Violet Harper is invited to attend one of Mr. Brown’s infamous readings, during which he implies that Buckingham Palace will soon be shrouded in death’s dark veil. Well acquainted with death, Violet shrugs him off as a charlatan–until his sinister divinations begin to prove true.

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The Mourning Bells – Book 4 of the Lady of Ashes series

One of Victorian London’s most respected undertakers, Violet Harper has the new duty of accompanying coffins from various undertakers on the London Necropolis Railway for respectful funerals and burials in Surrey. But on her fateful first trip, the mournful silence of the train is shattered by the shrill ringing of a coffin bell – a device that prevents a person from being buried alive.

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Death at the Abbey – Book 5 of the Lady of Ashes series

While on a much-needed respite with her husband Sam in Nottinghamshire, undertaker Violet Harper is summoned to Welbeck Abbey by the Fifth Duke of Portland to prepare a body. His Grace is known as the “mad duke,” and Violet has more than an inkling of why when she arrives at the grand estate and discovers that the corpse in question is that of the duke’s favorite raven, Aristotle. Many of the duke’s servants believe a dead raven is a harbinger of doom, and the peculiar peer hopes to allay their superstitious fears with an elaborate funeral for his feathered friend.

A Grave Celebration – Book 6 of the Lady of Ashes Series

Undertaker Violet Harper and her husband are attending the long-anticipated opening of Egypt’s new Suez Canal, which has been masterminded by the brilliant French engineer, Ferdinand de Lesseps. Fireworks, galas, and canal cruises are all part of the planned festivities at stops along the way.

But when two men are found murdered, it becomes obvious that there are malevolent forces among the revelers…who will stop at nothing to keep Violet from discovering the truth.

A Death on the Way to Portsmouth – A Lady of Ashes Short Story

Violet Harper might be fearless when it comes to caring for the dead, but she trembles at the thought of boarding trains-those behemoths of belching smoke and screeching brakes. Nevertheless, she must travel via one of these beasts from Southampton to Portsmouth. The undertaker’s anxiety turns into horror when a fellow passenger is murdered as the train carriage enters a tunnel. Can Violet discover who the murderer is before the train reaches its next stop? Note: this is a short story, not a full-length novel.

The Deadly Hours – An anthology with Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, and Anna Lee Huber

From 1733 Italy to Edinburgh in 1831 to a series of chilling murders in 1870 London, and a lethal game of revenge decades later, the watch touches lives with misfortune, until it comes into the reach of one young woman who might be able to stop it for good.

“Charming… Four interconnected visits to a world of danger, wit, beauty and genuine romance. Treat yourself!”―ANNE PERRY, internationally bestselling author

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Malice Domestic – Mystery Most Edible

The Malice Domestic anthology series returns with a new take on mysteries in the Agatha Christie tradition — 36 original tales with a culinary bent! This anthology, which contains a Lady of Ashes short story, won the Anthony Award for Best Anthology. Congratulations to all of my fellow authors.