The Hawthorn Chronicles - Penny Fryman

A missing ledger. A disputed death. A secret hidden in the salt.

Wych Borough, Worcestershire, 1588. Eleanor Cason has barely begun mourning her husband when questions surrounding his death threaten everything he left behind. His private ledger has vanished, his final journey conceals more than an ordinary business errand, and strangers bearing royal authority are taking an unsettling interest in her salt works.

Determined to protect Hawthorn House and discover the truth, Eleanor follows a trail of concealed messages, questionable documents, and costly royal tokens. Captain Gabriel Ash offers assistance-but his knowledge of her husband’s last hours makes him as difficult to trust as the officials demanding her cooperation.

As England celebrates victory over the Spanish Armada, Eleanor uncovers a dangerous scheme built around a counterfeit heir and uncertainty over the succession. Her missing ledger may expose those behind it-if she can keep it from becoming another instrument of deception.

From the brine pits of Worcestershire to the guarded chambers of the royal court, Eleanor must defend her household against people who call every betrayal a necessity.

In a country hungry for certainty, the truth may be the most dangerous thing she can possess.