The Prophet
by Martine Bailey

Destiny, prophecy and murder weave an intricate web in this beguiling historical mystery. Could a dark prophecy spell danger for Tabitha De Vallory and her unborn child?

Cheshire. May Day, 1753.
Tabitha De Vallory believes her life is perfect: she has an imposing home with all the comforts she has ever desired, and is expecting her first child with doting husband Nathaniel De Vallory. But Tabitha’s happiness is shaken when a girl is slaughtered beneath the Mondrem Oak on the family’s forest estate. Recognizing the victim from her former scandalous life, Tabitha vows to find the killer.

Nearby, enigmatic Baptist Gunn and his followers are convinced that a second messiah will be born, amid blood and strife, close to the oak on Midsummer’s Day. Could the girl’s murder be linked to Gunn’s cryptic prophecy? Do his wild claims of a second saviour spell danger for Tabitha and her unborn child?

As Midsummer’s Day draws closer, Tabitha soon learns the destiny that threatens her and those she holds most dear…

Has Tabitha’s fate been decided? Beautifully crafted and alluring, full of dark deception, intrigue and terrifying foreboding, THE PROPHET is perfect for fans of THE MINIATURIST by JESSIE BURTON and SARAH DUNANT.

Reviews

Puzzle solvers and historians will love this mystery, and Bailey’s richly detailed story is perfect for fans of Ariana Franklin and Rhys Bowen

Booklist on The Almanack

Engrossing ... Historical fans are in for a treat

Publishers Weekly on The Almanack

Murderously dark and delightful

Melissa Bailey on The Almanack

Entertaining and engrossing tale ... a writer to watch

Library Journal Starred Review of A Taste for Nightshade

Plenty of local color, romance, intrigue, and deception

Kirkus Reviews on A Taste for Nightshade

Numerous plot twists, flashbacks, historical details, and a sympathetic main character, framed with an eerie, foreboding setting

Booklist on A Taste for Nightshade

Intelligent and engrossing reading ... this is a richly rewarding read

The Sunday Times Best Summer Reads on A Taste for Nightshade (UK edition)

A tasty confection of history, mystery and intrigue. Fans of such 18th century writers as James Boswell, Tobias Smollett, Henry Fielding and Samuel Richardson will savor this delicious read

Library Journal Starred Review of An Appetite for Violets

A delectable dish that will appeal to readers with a taste for historical mysteries as well as fiction about food

Booklist Starred Review of An Appetite for Violets, Top Ten Crime Debuts

Martine Bailey writes with such easy, compelling grace ... I was hooked and enraptured

Fay Weldon on An Appetite for Violets

Martine Bailey

Martine Bailey is the author of two previous mysteries: An Appetite for Violets, selected by Booklist as one of their Top Ten crime fiction debuts, and A Penny Heart was one of the The Sunday Times Top Summer Reads in 2015. She lives in Cheshire, England.

View author page

Editions

The Prophet by Martine Bailey is available in the following formats

Ebook97814483050321st April 2021N/A288$14.99
Ebook97814483050321st April 2021N/A288£7.99
Paperback978178029765130th September 2021140 X 215mm256£13.99
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