A bride-to-be vanishes. A village full of secrets. And a past someone will kill to protect…

Post-war England. Lady Melinda 'Mel' Greenway is finally beginning to find her place at the grand but crumbling Avonby estate. But when a young bride is kidnapped on the eve of her wedding, the celebrations turn into a nightmare.

Where is Lorelie Courtney? And who wanted to stop her wedding?

With the villagers refusing to talk and the police investigation at a standstill, Inspector Derrin Bradley turns to Mel Greenway, the one woman he knows can help him uncover the truth.

But as Mel delves into Lorelie's past, she discovers a broken engagement, a history of abuse and a web of secrets that someone is determined to keep buried.

The closer Mel gets to the truth, the more she begins to fear that the disappearance is connected to something far more sinister. A secret from the war that Derrin has spent years trying to forget.

With their forbidden romance under threat and danger closing in, Mel soon finds herself caught in a deadly trap.

The bride is missing. The clock is ticking. And Mel could be the next woman to disappear.

Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey, Agatha Christie and atmospheric historical mysteries filled with shocking secrets, dangerous romance and twists you won't see coming.



Samantha Lee Howe began her professional writing career in 2007 and has been working as a freelance writer for small, medium and large publishers ever since. She is a multi-award winning screenwriter and a USA Today Bestselling author.

Samantha's breakaway debut psychological thriller, The Stranger In Our Bed, was released in February 2020 with Harper Collins imprint, One More Chapter. The book rapidly became a USA Today bestseller, and has now been turned into a feature film for USA, Canada, China, the UK, and various countries in Europe. It won Best Thriller at the National Film Awards.

Samantha lives in South Yorkshire with her husband, Historian, Writer and publisher, David J Howe and their cat Skye. She is the proud mother of a lovely daughter called Linzi.