I have been a fan of Ariana Franklin's (aka Diana Norman) work since her 2006 title, City of Shadows. Her Mistress of the Art of Death is one of my favorite historical series (and one I truly, highly recommend to mystery fans). I was, of course, saddened to hear of her death in 2011 so you can imagine my surprise and elation at the announcement of an upcoming Ariana Franklin release (completed by her daughter, Samantha Norman).Here's a bit about the book from Goodreads:
1141. England is engulfed in war as King Stephen and his cousin, the Empress Matilda, vie for the crown. In this dangerous world, not even Emma, an eleven-year-old peasant, is safe. A depraved monk obsessed with redheads kidnaps the ginger-haired girl from her village and leaves her for dead. When an archer for hire named Gwyl finds her, she has no memory of her previous life. Unable to abandon her, Gwyl takes the girl with him, dressing her as a boy, giving her a new name--Penda--and teaching her to use a bow. But Gwyl knows that the man who hurt Penda roams free, and that a scrap of evidence she possesses could be very valuable.
Gwyl and Penda make their way to Kenilworth, a small but strategically important fortress that belongs to fifteen-year-old Maud. Newly wedded to a boorish and much older husband after her father's death, the fierce and determined young chatelaine tempts fate and Stephen's murderous wrath when she gives shelter to the empress.
Aided by a garrison of mercenaries, including Gwyl and his odd red-headed apprentice, Maud will stave off Stephen's siege for a long, brutal winter that will bring a host of visitors to Kenilworth--kings, soldiers . . . and a sinister monk with deadly business to finish.
The Siege Winter is due out from William Morrow in February. It's available already in the UK (as The Winter Siege).
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