The Deathly Portent

Lady Fan returns in a thrilling historical mystery! For fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Barbara Erskine and Jane Austen. When a young woman predicts a murder, she finds herself the centre of a witch hunt… 1790, England When Lord Francis and Lady Ottilia Fanshawe’s coach breaks down they find themselves stranded in the village of Witherley. But Ottilia, the intrepid ‘Lady Fan’, finds her curiosity piqued when she hears of a local murder. A young woman predicted the gruesome death of the village blacksmith. And he was killed exactly as described… Is the young woman predicting the future? Are the villagers right to call her a witch? Or is there an even more sinister explanation…? THE DEATHLY PORTENT is the second book in the Lady Fan Mystery series: historical romance murder mysteries with a courageous women sleuth embarking on a traditional British, private investigation in eighteenth-century London. 'there is nothing predictable or forgettable about The Deathly Portent and it’s clever mix of mystery, murder, witch hunts and historical fiction making it a real unique piece of writing' – I Hug My Books Blog ‘I recommend it to anyone that enjoys a well-written novel with careful character development, well built setting, and intriguing, layered plot.’ – One More Page Blog ‘The plot's framework could come straight out of Agatha Christie’ – Publisher’s Weekly ‘Like The Gilded Shroud, a fulsome simulacrum of the Regency era, with just enough upstairs/downstairs brouhaha to entertain fans of Downton Abbey’ – Kirkus Reviews ‘a fun and thoroughly enjoyable historical mystery’ – Mysteries And My Musings ‘Bailey is good with her characters’ interplay: especially noteworthy is the easy and witty banter between the Fanshawes, which is entertaining and adds some humour to the situation’ – Historical Novel Society ‘For those who love a mix of crime thriller and historical fiction, this is a book that is not to be missed!’ – Notes Of Life Blog ‘it reminded me in many ways of a Georgette Heyer … I was kept guessing until the truth was revealed at the end of the book. Ottilia is a strong, intelligent character with a real enthusiasm for detective work’ – She Reads Novels ’The whodunit is clever … an enjoyable nineteenth century mystery’ The Mystery Gazette ‘As a huge fan of mysteries and historical ones in particular, this one fit the bill nicely’ - Over My Dead Body! ‘They have everything you love in romances, plus continuing characters you can really come to love, and murders as well! Her heroine sleuth, Ottilia, is a fantastic character.’ - Historical Romance UK LADY FAN HISTORICAL MYSTERY SERIES BOOK ONE: The Gilded Shroud BOOK TWO: The Deathly Portent BOOK THREE: The Opium Purge COMING SOON