The Birth of Blue Satan

by Patricia Wynn

Honorable Mention from Writers Digest
Finalist for a Benjamin Franklin Award

Finalist for a Herodotus Award for Best First Historical Mystery

-- READ A BRIEF SYNOPSIS --

"Both the characters and plot are unusually strong for the first book in a series . . . a fast-paced and devilishly intriguing book that should keep fans of the genre turning the pages straight through to the end.."

Drood Review of Mystery

"It gives me great pleasure to say that this book is a total delight. . . it gives me hope that someone is still writing the kind of historical mystery I enjoy reading. . . . The characters are engaging . . . my highest praise goes to the pacing. This book delights as it instructs, never sacrificing momentum for the sake of irrelevant historical detail."

Murder Past Tense

"THE BIRTH OF BLUE SATAN is a wonderful historical novel that succeeds because the era, critical to the plot, is so alive readers will believe it is a character. Gideon and Mrs. Kean are fully developed players whose actions fit their personalities. The support cast, villains and aides, augment the understanding of Georgian England as well as propelling the exciting story line forward. Sub-genre fans will recognize a winner with this colorful early eighteenth century novel.."

Harriet Klausner, Harriet Klausner Reviews

". . . a real winner. . . Blue Satan combines a richness of image, feel, and language for the time period with smooth writing, excellent dialogue, and fine characterization—and a powerful ambience of England when country roads were home to highwaymen and smugglers. . . Blue Satan is worth your time and effort.."

Reed Andrus, Mystery News

". . .will keep readers up late at night. . . just the right mixture of history, politics, romance and adventure. . . readers can only wait patiently or impatiently for the next book."

Williamson County Sun

"Pemberley Press promises that their books will be escape fiction for eager minds . . . They have succeeded admirably with this release . . . I cannot wait for book two to be published."

Trudi E. Jacobson, The Historical Novels Review England

". . . a fine introduction to a new series, being both educating as well as entertaining. It is very atmospheric and tightly plotted and Hester and Gideon have a delightful rapport. . . I'm eager to read the next instalment."

Karen Meek, Over My Dead Body

" . . . a solid, impressive beginning to a history mystery that could very well be the lead of a classic series. Am I exaggerating? Not at all."

Brenda Weeaks, MyShelf.com

"Written in the style of the great adventure novels, THE BIRTH OF BLUE SATAN is delightful. The hero is dashing, the heroine steadfast, the action intense. This is a book to daydream over."

Toby Bromberg, Romantic Times Magazine

"Patricia Wynn offers a satirical view of Court society in this totally engaging and eminently satisfying mystery that will delight her legions of fans and leave them waiting eagerly for more!

Sharon Stuart, Midwest Book Review

"Wow! A marvellous story heralds a new series, a new publishing house, and almost a new period for the historical novel. . . The delight of this outstanding book is threefold. First, there's the fascinating unfolding of character and plot. Then there's the sheer elegance of the writing as Ms. Wynn conveys intricate, vivid descriptions of elaborate social ritual, the management of great houses, the conflict between Whig and Tory, with Jacobites thrown in for good measure, with such a light touch that the reader is never overwhelmed but captivated. And finally there's the pleasure of the book itself, its printing and layout worthy of its contents."

Marina, The Old Book Barn Gazette

"When The Birth of Blue Satan's cover blurb compared it to such classics as Zorro and The Scarlet Pimpernel I got suspicious. But that's just because I am a fan of both dashing heroes and guard their reputations jealously. . . . I worried needlessly."

Kelly Muzyczka, BellaOnline

"***** A mystery that reads much like a Zorro and a Sherlock Holmes story in one! The mystery of who killed Gideon's father is solved, but the author wisely left room for a sequel. If you love Sherlock mysteries, Zorro, or The Scarlet Pimpernel, you MUST read this one!*****"

Detra Fitch, Huntress Book Reviews

". . .delightful, full of witty conversation . . . . Wynn writes with energy, shedding light on an unfamiliar period of English history for most American readers. She brings the political arena to life with romance, adventure, intrigue and lively characters."

Lynn Coddington, Contra Costa Times

". . . a fun, charming, breezy read filled with lively humorous dialogue. . . the main characters are engaging and the secondary cast is colorful. . . Wynn maintains a brisk satisfying pace to this introduction of Blue Satan and Mrs. Kean."

Lane Wright, Ed's Internet Book Review

"Ah, sometimes it is wonderful to curl up with a bit of romance on a cold grey day! . . .this historical mystery has all the right components."

Margaret Baker's Baldwin Bookworm, Baldwin Ledger

"Rich in detail and laden with atmosphere, The Birth of Blue Satan invites readers into the turbulent world of early Georgian England, a world in which shifting political loyalties can bring dishonor, exile, or even death. Fans of historical mysteries will delight in this engaging debut and soon be clamoring for more--once you've met Wynn's two main characters, you won't soon forget them!"

Dean James, Manager, Murder by the Book, Houston, and Author of Cruel as the Grave

"Ms. Wynn gives us a meticulously researched and beautifully written historical novel filled with adventure, romance, and mystery in THE BIRTH OF BLUE SATAN. Readers will be left wishing the sequel was at hand. Devilishly well done!"

Rosemary Stevens, Author of the Beau Brummell Mystery Series

"Patricia Wynn's . . . characters, from nobility to hoi poloi, are equally well drawn. The setting ranges from London's elegant salons to a less-than-wholesome country inn with a splendid "feel" for both."

Jane Manaster, Austin American-Statesman

   A Brief Synopsis of THE BIRTH OF BLUE SATAN

It is 1715, many decades before a police force in Britain, and less than a year after George of Hanover's controversial accession to the English throne. A conspiracy to restore the Crown to the Pretender, James Stuart, is about to erupt in rebellion.

The Whigs are in power again and eager to take revenge on the Tories in the days when gentlemen's arguments were solved with swords.

Falsely accused of murdering his own father, Gideon Fitzsimmons, Viscount St. Mars, must hide from the men who want to hang him, while trying to unmask his father's killer. An outlaw, he must detect under cover of night to avoid being caught.

Fortunately, he has one true-hearted friend, Hester Kean, waiting woman to the lady he hoped to make his wife. Mrs. Kean becomes his eyes and ears in the society he has lost. Together, they solve the mystery and forge a bond that carry them through the challenges and adventures of their dangerous times.

Here's how to order THE BIRTH OF BLUE SATAN