SHADOW OF DEATH, the first in historical mystery series

Almost 200 years ago my ancestors escaped from Germany where they were brutally persecuted because they refused to practice the state religion. But then of course as soon as they came to rural Ohio and started setting up their own society—they called themselves Separatists—it soon became just as rigid and just as authoritarian and just as restrictive as the religion they had fled.

So what if in this repressive environment a young girl is murdered because she’s pregnant and what if the only person who suspects it wasn’t an accident is a young midwife? The problem is that as she tries to find out what happened she comes up against a clever killer who not only covers his tracks but throws suspicion on her because, as a midwife, she is the only person who had the medicines to kill the girl. And the more she investigates, not only does she start questioning her own faith and her own beliefs, including her growing feelings of desire and sexuality, but her questions alert the outside authorities so now this community is invaded by the very society they had shunned.

Ultimately this is not just a historical mystery but the story also reflects on many issues that we’re dealing with even today—religious persecution, religious freedom, dogmatic belief versus individual spirituality, and the place of a woman in society who is trying to find her own voice, her own calling, in a rigid patriarchal society.

I’m excited about this foray into history as I’ve gone back in time to my own ancestors to create a compelling new mystery. If you’d like to receive notice when SHADOW OF DEATH is released, just enter your name and address on my contact form. I look forward to hearing from you!