In 1715, with the country on the brink of rebellion, Dorothy Forster’s life at Bamburgh Hall is ruled by the men in her life – her feckless brothers stirring up trouble at court, her elderly father with his dangerous secrets and the man she loves who the world seems determined to keep her apart from.
As tensions grow, Dorothy finds herself caught between the warring factions, danger everywhere. Then Dorothy discovers her family are the keepers of the legendary Rose, the talisman both sides believe will guarantee them victory in this deadly conflict.
Now Dorothy will have to risk everything to keep the Rose safe; the fate of the country and the men she loves rests in her hands.
In the present, Hannah Armstrong has returned home to Bamburgh Hall for work but when she discovers that her stepmother Diana has been keeping worrying secrets, her focus shifts to getting to the truth.
Their family home once belonged to heroic Dorothy Forster, whose portrait graces the walls and whose spirit lingers in her home, but soon Hannah learns that there was much more to this formidable woman.
Because Dorothy left behind a mysterious legacy and it’s not long before Hannah realises it’s one people are willing to kill for.
Now Hannah is in a race against time to unravel the secrets of the past before danger arrives at their door.
The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick is published on 7 February, 2025.
You’ll find lots more historical fiction in Historia’s round-up of over 130 books published this year.
