Kim Wright

A woman sets out for Graceland hoping to answer the question: Is Elvis Presley her father?

Last Ride to Graceland

After her mother dies and the rest of her life falls to pieces, Che Milan makes a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral, befriending and swapping stories with eight other travelers. By the author of The Unexpected Waltz.

The Canterbury Sisters

Recently widowed from a much older wealthy man with whom she spent her married life doing charity work, Kelly finds renewal through ballroom dancing at the sides of a young Russian dance teacher, a hospice worker and a childhood confidante. By the author of Love in Mid Air.

The Unexpected Waltz

City of Darkness takes place in 1888 London, where Jack the Ripper roams the streets with impunity and Scotland Yard seems helpless to stop him. The science of forensics is in its infancy but a few detectives - Trevor Welles among them - recognize that they are dealing with a different sort of killer, a "modern criminal" who chooses his victims at random. If Jack is to be caught, he won't be caught with Scotland Yard's normal methods of deduction for there is no logic to this madness. The question is no longer "Why was the victim killed?" but rather "How was the victim killed?" For the first time in the history of detection, science is trumping deductive reasoning.When a twist of fate puts Trevor in charge of the case, he hastily assembles Scotland Yard's first forensics team: Davy Mabrey, the first bobby on the scene of the grisliest of the murders, whose working class common sense proves an invaluable asset, Rayley Abrams, a cautious intellectual whose future at the Yard is marginalized due to his Jewish heritage, Tom Bainbridge, a medical student with aristocratic connections and a secret drinking problem, and Emma Kelly, sister of the Ripper's last victim who has a troubled past and a gift for linguistics. The team finds an unlikely ally in the form of Queen Victoria herself, who takes an unusual level of interest in the Ripper case and secretly funds the unit. But will they stop Jack in time to spare Leanna Bainbridge, the young heiress with whom Trevor has fallen madly and improbably in love?While City of Darkness takes place in London, its sequel, City of Light, will travel to Paris on the eve of the Exposition Universalle, the ultimate World's Fair which debuted Edison's phonograph, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and the Eiffel Tower The third book, City of Silence, will take place in St. Petersburg where Victoria's beloved granddaughter Alexandria is on the verge of marrying the young czar Nicolas, much to her grandmother's dismay. Throughout the series the Scotland Yard forensics team, which serves as a sort of Victorian-era CSI, will circle the world to investigate high-profile cases, most often at the urging of the Queen.

City of Mystery

City of Darkness

Set amid the glamour of Paris on the brink of La Belle Époque, City of Light is a tale of murder, mystery, and masks where no one is quite what they seem...City of Light, the second book in the City of Mystery series, opens in 1889 Paris on the eve of the Exposition Universelle, the ultimate World's Fair which debuted Edison's phonograph, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and the Eiffel Tower. Detective Rayley Abrams has traveled from Scotland Yard to France to study the new science of forensics with the Parisian police. Lonely and awkward, Rayley easily falls under the spell of a beautiful British expatriate named Isabel Blout, a woman with a murky past and suspicious social connections. Paris may be abuzz with excitement, but there are also rumors that the Exposition is running out of money and that Eiffel may not finish his celebrated tower in time for the opening day celebrations. The French police are so eager to present a perfect image to the eyes of the world that when a most unusual victim washes up on the banks of the Seine, they literally keep the murder under wraps. Back in London, Queen Victoria has rewarded Rayley's friend and rival, Trevor Welles, for his work on the Jack the Ripper case by naming him head of Scotland Yard's first forensics unit. Trevor scrambles to assemble his team: Tom Bainbridge, an aristocratic young medical student, Emma Kelly, sister of the Ripper's last victim, and Davy Mabrey, a bobby with profound common sense and a knack for earning the trust of witnesses. The unit is investigating a raid on a male brothel when an alarming telegram draws them to Paris and into the drama and intrigue surrounding the Exposition. But will Trevor and his team be able to unravel the web of deception in time to save Rayley?

City of Light

Her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria is quite distressed. The reason? Her favoritegranddaughter, Princess Alix of Hesse, has fallen in love with the tsesarevich ofRussia, a gentle young man named Nicholas. The Queen is convinced that theRomanov court is a dark and treacherous place - a belief that is accentuatedwhen she receives a report that two ballet dancers have been found dead in theWinter Palace.When Alix accepts Nicky's invitation to a grand ball in celebration of the summersolstice, the Queen calls on detective Trevor Welles to sail with them to St.Petersburg. The rest of the Scotland Yard forensics team poses as bodyguardsand governesses; Trevor's fellow detective Rayley Abrams, who is still recoveringphysically and emotionally from the team's soul-wrenching last case in Paris, thearistocratic medical student Tom Bainbridge, the romantic and bookish linguistEmma Kelly, and bobby Davy Mabrey, whose youth makes him the perfect choiceto infiltrate a revolutionary group inside St. Petersburg University. For it has beenrevealed that one of the slain dancers was the brother of a political assassin.Protecting the Queen and Alix will be challenge enough, but shortly after thegroup arrives in Russia a third victim is dramatically revealed and the team isswept up in a wave of intrigue as they struggle to adapt to the fabulously wealthyand morally corrupt Romanov court. And when all the forces collide at the grandball, Trevor and his friends will be forced to admit that, at least in Russia, the linebetween guilt and innocence is blurry indeed.City of Silence is the third book in the City of Mystery series. Book one, City ofDarkness, explores the search for Jack the Ripper in the misty streets of London.City of Light, book two, follows the team to Paris, which is far too abuzz withexcitement about the new Eiffel Tower to take notice when the body of a veryunusual young girl washes up on the banks of the Seine. Book four, City of Bells,will be available in summer 2013 and takes place in Calcutta, India, where thetruth behind a decades-old murder finally comes to light.If you would like to receive updates about the City of Mystery series, either "like"our page on Facebook or send your email address to cityofmystery@gmail.com.Reader Praise for City of Light"A compelling, gripping mystery, masterfully written. Couldn't put it down!"Read both books one after the other and found myself disappointed that I couldnot move straight onto a third one. Looking forward to the next title.""I would happily recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction basedaround true events.""A standout!""These characters are endlessly intriguing and grow more complex andcompelling with each book."

City of Silence

Che Milan's life is falling apart. Not only has her longtime lover dumped her, but her mother has recently died. When an urn of ashes arrives, along with a note reminding Che of a promise to take her mother to Canterbury, Che finds herself undertaking a pilgrimage.

Las chicas de Canterbury/ The Canterbury Sisters

Graham Leonard

A. Beatson

Maureen A. Coomer

D. Freire

R. O'Sullivan

Brendan Stuart Morris

GNS Science (N.Z.) Staff

2014 Update

Public Alerting Options Assessment

In the vein of Jojo Moyes and Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, a warm and touching novel about a woman who embarks on a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral after losing her mother, sharing life lessons—in the best Chaucer tradition—with eight other women along the way, from the author of the upcoming novel Last Ride to Graceland. Che Milan’s life is falling apart. Not only has her longtime lover abruptly dumped her, but her eccentric, demanding mother has recently died. When an urn of ashes arrives, along with a note reminding Che of a half-forgotten promise to take her mother to Canterbury, Che finds herself reluctantly undertaking a pilgrimage. Within days she joins a group of women who are walking the sixty miles from London to the shrine of Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, reputed to be the site of miracles. In the best Chaucer tradition, the women swap stories as they walk, each vying to see who can best describe true love. Che, who is a perfectionist and workaholic, loses her cell phone at the first stop and is forced to slow down and really notice the world around her, perhaps for the first time in years. Through her adventures along the trail, Che finds herself opening up to new possibilities in life and discovers that the miracles of Canterbury can take surprising forms.

Kim Wright

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