The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton

Medieval literature scholar Brown debuts with a captivating dual-timeline mystery inspired by the life, death, and prophecies of a woman who claimed to be a soothsayer during the reign of Henry VIII. In 1534, Elizabeth Barton was executed after issuing public threats that King Henry would soon die if he didn’t abandon Anne Boleyn and return England to the Catholic fold. Focusing on the men who used and then abandoned Barton for political gain, Brown dramatizes how Barton, an illiterate servant, was catapulted to the forefront of a seditionist movement. A complementary narrative follows contemporary American historian Alison Sage, whose discovery of a Barton manuscript earns her an invitation to an academic retreat in England near the priory where Barton once lived. The tension ratchets up when Alison’s hosts pressure her into leading a “treasure hunt” for 16th-century jewels that might have been hidden in the ruins of the priory. When someone is murdered in the priory’s former church, Alison begins to doubt the motives of everyone at the conference. Brown excels at depicting the manipulation of women across the centuries while exhibiting both shrewd mystery-writing skills and a knack for folding deep historical research into a propulsive narrative. Fans of historical suspense will be wowed. Agent: Kristin van Ogtrop, InkWell Management. (Apr.)