Title: Lady Vengeance
Author: Katherine Bone
Genre: Historical Romance
Book Blurb:
The Lady in Red
Trouble has come to the village of Kingston. A young nobleman has been murdered, and there are reports of a red-cloaked woman stalking the vicinity armed with a bow and arrow. It’s something that Myles Rutland, Duke of Beresford, didn’t anticipate he’d encounter on returning to his country seat for the first time in years. When his faithful butler is also killed, Myles vows to put an end to this lawlessness, including discovering the identity of the red-clad female who casts her shadow over the parish.
Lady Lora Putney still grieves the cruel death of her older brother. Her best friend and her father’s heir is gone, throwing her family into disarray, as it seems Samuel Hawkesbury, her hateful cousin, is set to inherit Winterbourne and will expect her hand in marriage. The arrival of the Duke of Beresford at his neighboring estate is another unwelcome development. Lora will never forget how she lost her heart to Myles only to be cut by him at a Society ball. But no matter. All she cares about now is finding the man who so callously shot Nicholas and delivering her own brand of justice…
Excerpt:
She peered into the wood to verify he’d hit the mark. “I think your arrow hit to the left of mine.”
“Oh, Lora,” he said ignoring her taunt. “This is the moment, isn’t it? The two of us. Riding together just like we did when we were children, racing and laughing, a fire in our bellies and our blood boiling to be the best.”
“Truly.” She nocked an arrow in one swift motion and let it fly, knowing no other enjoyment than being by her brother’s side. Nicholas lifted her spirits. His assurances and companionship had kept her going since Papa’s accident. “This is all that I live and breathe for. If moments like these could go on forever, I should be the happiest of women.”
“I do desire for you to be happy, Lora.” His current seriousness fled when he added jovially, “But opportunity begs me to inform you that you missed again.”
“Impossible!” Making a show of it, she rose in the saddle and peered through the trees, pouting playfully. “How can you tell?”
“It is the way of things,” he responded drily. “Men are far superior to women, you know.”
“I do not! In fact, I distinctly heard your arrow hit to the left of mine and fall haplessly to the forest floor. Was that not the crackle of defeat disturbing our serenity?”
“No.” His dubious laughter highlighted the absurdity of her statement, even though she had heard something in the wood. “Come. There is no better time than now to find out who is the better shot.”
Kicking in his heels, he set off for the woods, leaving her gawking at his mount’s hindquarters. Determined not to be second best, she slapped the reins and followed. “Gee up!” The great black beneath her bolted, its swift hooves and her light weight heightening her chances of catching him up.
“Isn’t it time to admit defeat, brother?” she shouted. “Admit it. I am a much better shot.”
He glanced back over his shoulder, egging her on. “On. What. Day?”
Two-hundred yards. One-hundred-and-fifty yards. She was almost upon him.
Then, contrary to anything she comprehended, Nicholas arched, whipping back in his saddle unnaturally, seizing. The rush of excitement filling her lungs instantly congealed, and her world capsized as her brother slipped from the saddle to the cold, inflexible earth.
“Nicholas?” Heart pounding wildly, she raced to him, dismounting before her horse came to a stop. She sprinted to his side, skidding to the ground beside him. Nightmarish images of her father’s hunting accident flashed before her eyes as she carefully turned him over. The motion brought her up short when she stared at a short, well-placed bolt from a crossbow sticking out of his heart. His former jubilance reverberated between her ears. ‘Bullseye!’ A violent sob wracked her body. “Nicholas!”
Death deafened her cry. His clear green eyes stared blankly skyward, the severe turn of his lips deforming his once happy mouth.
“No!” She gripped his shoulders. “This cannot be!” She shook him to rouse him back to life. No. No. No. “Don’t go. Don’t leave me! Not now. Not yet!”
But nothing could be done. Nicholas was dead.
How?
Sanity returned with a vengeance as the reality of what had just happened slapped her in the face. Someone had murdered her brother right before her eyes! Slowly, she lowered his shoulders and reached behind her for an arrow. Nocking her bow, she searched the wood line, conscious that a dark veil of hatred and vengeance had descended over her, a hate so deep it sentenced any notion of convents into hellish oblivion.
Warily, she watched and waited for a sound, a movement.
Birdsong quieted and wind whistled through the trees, the breeze ruffling the feather in her bonnet, tickling her cheek. And then she heard it, the sound of feet shuffling through the underbrush.
There! A man stopped every few feet to peer at the carnage. Their eyes locked, and in that instant, she let loose, targeting the orange cloth about the man’s neck, the color distinct and completely foreign to the winter terrain. But Nicholas’s murderer anticipated her actions, easily avoiding the shaft which sank unpardonably into the tree trunk where he’d stood seconds before. She withdrew another arrow from her quiver and aimed again.
The man taunted her, aiming his crossbow, then laughed maniacally before slipping away.
“I will find you!” An unrecognizable shriek of anguish possessed her, taking her by surprise. She looked into Nicholas’s unseeing eyes, sinking to the earth to cradle his limp form, this new reality, so foreign and foul, branding her brain. “No matter what it takes. No matter how long.” Tears coursed down her cheeks, inexplicable loss and sadness marring what was, what would be. “I will hunt down your murderer and make him pay. No path will be too long, no deprivation too great. So help me, God.”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/LadyVengeance
What’s the first binge-worthy book you read and why was it a must-read?
The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss was my first romance, a book my mother couldn’t put down and then handed to me. I wasn’t a big reader then, but after being introduced to Heather and Brandon, damsels seeking refuge and dangerous sea captains and adventure, I devoured every single romance I could get from that moment on. It’s amazing what you can learn from historical romance. What stands out to me, as a historical romance author and Army brat/wife/mom/Mimi, is people are the same no matter where you are, the only difference being the external forces they face.
What makes your featured book a binge-worthy read?
A mysterious murder, dangerous disguises, and passion, prejudice, and persuasion all play a part in this epic story of a wallflower driven to revenge.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $100 Amazon gift card.
Open internationally.
Runs August 1 – 31, 2024
Drawing will be held on September 2, 2024.
Author Biography:
Addicted to history and romance, Katherine spent the better part of her childhood roaming the globe as an Army brat. Then while attending college, she was swept off her feet by a military officer. Yes, reader, she married him, and they continued traveling the world. Four children, two Labradors, and three cats later, Katherine put down roots in the south. And there she pursued her lifelong passion of creating vivid stories that came calling with abandon. Adventure. Mayhem. Swashbuckling heroes. Her books are pure escapism at heart.
Social Media Links:
Website: www.katherinebone.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/katlbone/
Facebook- Official Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKatherineBone/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/katlbone
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Katherine-Bone/e/B009MO30MU/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6535406.Katherine_Bone
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/katherine-bone