{"product_id":"the-abbey-close-9781983298059","title":"The Abbey Close","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePaisley, 1542.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the armies of Henry VIII and James V prepare for battle, Catholic exile Simon Danforth must decide his loyalties.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCast out of England, he is drawn by private grief to a secretive Scottish Abbey, and the mystery of a missing girl who worked there.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThough Paisley and its Abbey refuse to give up their secrets, they do give up their dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the tense and suspicious atmosphere of a nation at war, Danforth, in an uneasy alliance with his dogged colleague, Arnaud Martin, uncovers murder, madness, and sexual desire infecting the sacred house and its neighbouring town.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith the fate of his adoptive country hanging in the balance, does he dare to uncover the unimaginable truth?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSome secrets may be better left buried.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Abbey Close\u003c\/i\u003e is the first book in a new historical crime series, featuring Simon Danforth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecommended for fans of C.J. Sampson, S.J. Parris and Rory Clements.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A superb, page-turning debut. The author balances gimlet-eyed research with narrative drive and clever reveals... Danforth is a strong yet torn central character... I look forward to reading the second book in the series.\" Richard Foreman.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSteven Veerapen was born in Glasgow and raised in Paisley. Pursuing an interest in the sixteenth century, he was awarded a first-class Honours degree in English, focussing his dissertation on representations of Henry VIII's six wives. He then received a Masters in Renaissance studies, and a Ph.D. investigating Elizabethan slander. \u003ci\u003eThe Abbey Close\u003c\/i\u003e represents his first foray into fictional writing. Steven is fascinated by the glamour and ghastliness of life in the 1500s, and has a penchant for myths, mysteries and murders in an age in which the law was as slippery as those who defied it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Independently Published","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50367058641170,"sku":"9781983298059","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_cfcf76d5-e009-4591-bcf2-e9c470c1924b.jpg?v=1728484536","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-abbey-close-9781983298059","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}