Three captivating historical romances set against backdrops of intrigue and danger in Victorian England with heroes, heroines, and thrill-filled pacing certain to leave you breathless.

 

Mist of Midnight: A Novel of Victorian Romantic Suspense
Daughters of Hampshire, Book 1

What will be revealed when the fog clears?

Rebecca Ravenshaw, daughter of missionaries, spent most of her life in India. Following the death of her family in the Indian Uprising of 1857, Rebecca returns to claim her family estate in Hampshire, England. People are surprised to see her...and highly suspicious. Less than a year earlier, an imposter had arrived with an Indian servant and assumed not only Rebecca’s name but also her home and income.

That pretender died within months of her appearance and was hastily buried at midnight. The locals believe that perhaps she, Rebecca, is the real imposter. Her home and her father’s investments reverted to a distant relative, the darkly charming Captain Luke Whitfield, who quickly took over.

Against her best intentions, Rebecca falls in love with Whitfield, forcing her to question his motives—does he want her or Headbourne House? If Luke is simply after the property, as everyone suspects, she may suffer a similar fate as the first “Rebecca.”

A captivating romance set against a backdrop of intrigue and danger, Mist of Midnight will leave you breathless.

~ Potentially sensitive content ~

Discussion around self-harm and suicide.

Bride of a Distant Isle: A Novel of Victorian Romantic Suspense
Daughters of Hampshire, Book 2

She has everything to gain and everything to lose, including her life.

Miss Annabel Ashton, a teacher at the Victorian-era Rogers School for Young Ladies, leaves to visit her family home, Highcliffe Hall at Milford-on-Sea. She believes her stay will be short but soon learns that she will not return to the safety of the school. Instead, she remains at Highcliffe, at the mercy of her cousin, Edward Everedge.

Annabel protests, but as the illegitimate daughter of a woman who died in an insane asylum, she has little agency. Running out of money, Edward puts Highcliffe for sale to avoid financial ruin. He insists that Annabel marry, promising her to a sinister, frightening man. But as the house gets packed, it begins to reveal disquieting secrets. Jewelry, artifacts, and portraits mysteriously appear, suggesting that Annabel may be the true heir of Highcliffe.

She has only a few months to prove her legitimacy, perhaps with assistance from the handsome but troubled Maltese Captain Dell’Acqua, who may not have Annabel’s best interests at heart after all.

And then, a final, most ominous barrier to her inheritance and her existence appears: a situation neither she nor anyone else could have expected. Will Annabel regain her life and property—and trust her heart—before it’s too late?

 
 

A Lady in Disguise: A Novel of Victorian Romantic Suspense
Daughters of Hampshire, Book 3

“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not

be known.” Luke 12:2

After her father’s mysterious death, Miss Gillian Young takes a new job as the principal costume designer at the renowned Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. But while she remembers her father as a kind, well-respected man of the Police Force, clues she uncovers indicate he’d been living a double life: a haunting photograph of a young woman; train stubs for secret trips just before his death; and a receipt for a large sum of money. Are these items evidence of her father’s guilty secrets? His longtime police partner thinks so.

Then Gillian meets the dashing Viscount Thomas Lockwood. Their attraction is instant and inescapable. As their romantic involvement grows, Gillian begins to suspect even Lockwood’s motives. What should she make of her friend’s suggestion that Lockwood or men like him were involved in the murder of her father?

Soon, Gillian is convinced that her father has left evidence somewhere proving his innocence and revealing the guilty party. The closer she comes to uncovering it, the more menacing her opposition grows. Gillian takes on an ingenious disguise and takes on the role of a lifetime to reveal the true killer—before it’s too late for both her and those she loves.

  • The Reviews are In...

    'This lightly gothic novel, reminiscent of Victoria Holt, includes an intriguing mystery that is so ingeniously planned that, upon finishing, readers will spend time flipping back to see how the clues were laid... Richly detailed descriptions...perhaps take second place to the author’s immensely engaging characters.'

    HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY, Editor's Choice
    MIST OF MIDNIGHT

  • 'Infusing her story with mystery, tension, and emotion, Byrd strikes a fine balance between the darkness of a Gothic mystery and the sweetness of a captivating love story. Byrd—and Brontë—fans will enjoy.''

    PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, for MIST OF MIDNIGHT

  • 'Byrd deftly intertwines research with love and murder in this final book (A LADY IN DISGUISE) in the Daughters of Hampshire trilogy. Her tantalizing web keeps us enthralled until the truth about the perpetrator and the romance are finally revealed.'

    HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY

  • 'The stunning second novel in Byrd’s Daughters of Hampshire series is captivating and compelling. With a creepy gothic feel, the book is filled with family secrets, exotic characters and an entrancing love story.'

    ROMANTIC TIMES, Top Pick

  • 'The traditional hallmarks of a Victorian gothic novel receive a fresh rendering in this lively second installment of Byrd's Daughters of Hampshire historical series... a sweet and gratifying read.'

    PUBLISHERS WEEKLY for BRIDE OF A DISTANT ISLE

  • 'Byrd’s latest is a Victorian Gothic tale, with just the right mix of mystery and romance to keep the reader guessing until the end... The rich prose will remind readers of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. Great attention is paid to period details, and the conclusion is satisfying.'

    ROMANTIC TIMES, for MIST OF MIDNIGHT

  • ‘This Victorian inspirational romance (A Lady in Disguise) features everything fans of the genre expect: a plucky, relatable heroine with a visible Christian faith, a dashing but kind love interest, and a mystery element to foster tension until the dénouement and 'happy ever after' epilogue.'

    BOOKLIST for A LADY IN DISGUISE

  • 'Capturing a distinctively gothic feel, the third standalone novel in The Daughters of Hampshire series beautifully pairs mystery with romance. Byrd's research into the traditions, culture and dark underbelly of England in the 1800s resonates on each page to help readers become immersed in the era. Descriptions of lavishly sewn gowns and the fascinating world of the theater are brought to life by Byrd's superb writing.'

    ROMANTIC TIMES for A LADY IN DISGUISE

  • 'The vivid historical details and thrilling plot make A LADY IN DISGUISE a perfect choice for readers of both historical romance and romantic suspense.'

    BOOKPAGE

  • 'This lightly gothic novel, reminiscent of Victoria Holt, includes an intriguing mystery that is so ingeniously planned that, upon finishing, readers will spend time flipping back to see how the clues were laid... Richly detailed descriptions...perhaps take second place to the author’s immensely engaging characters.'

    HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY, Editor's Choice

  • "A marvelous mingling of mystery and deeply moving family and romantic love, MIST OF MIDNIGHT kept me guessing until the very end. A house on a cliff, a Victorian-Gothic atmosphere, a cast of suspicious characters including a dark, brooding hero and a strong heroine: shades (or mists) of Jane Eyre and Rebecca! I look forward to the next novel in this compelling, new series."

    KAREN HARPER, NY Times bestselling author of Mistress of Mourning

  • "Mist of Midnight is wonderfully atmospheric, with all the right elements for a true Gothic novel, from sounds that go bump in the night to characters who are not at all what they seem. The spiritual underpinning is solid, comforting, even as we're trapped in the author's finely spun web of mystery, romance, and a sense of foreboding that doesn't lift until the final page. Charlotte Brontë? Victoria Holt? Meet Sandra Byrd, the modern mistress of Gothic romance!”

    LIZ CURTIS HIGGS, New York Times best-selling author of MINE IS THE NIGHT

  • "BRIDE OF A DISTANT ISLE is an absorbing, transportive Victorian romance infused with intriguing details and delicious imagery. Sandra is a master of the historical novel. Engaging to the last page."

    SUSAN MEISSNER, Author of Secrets of a Charmed Life

  • "Lovers of wind-swept moors and Bronte-esque intrigue will devour Byrd’s latest romance, Bride of a Distant Isle! Annabel Ashton, like Jane Eyre before her, doesn’t accept her circumstances or let mysteries rest unsolved, but instead invites you along as she proactively uncovers truths and searches out her own happily ever after."

    KATHERINE REAY, author of The Bronte Plot

  • “With impeccable research and elegant writing, Sandra Byrd brings Victorian England to life in her latest novel, A LADY IN DISGUISE. Readers of historical fiction will be delighted with the romance, mystery, and inspiration in this page-turning story, and they will be kept guessing until the end... Well done and highly recommended!”

    CARRIE TURANSKY, the author of A REFUGE AT HIGHLAND HALL and SHINE LIKE THE DAWN

Five Star Goodreads Reviews for Daughters of Hampshire

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