The Mystique Woven in Our Land historical mystery fiction book post Revolution Hardback cover

.

Historical fiction mystery and romance, set in 1792. Great for young and old. HARDBACK 6 BY 9 INCHES. 209 PAGES 12 pt FONT.
Mystery and intrigue haunt the new land shortly after the Revolutionary War. New problems arise as the land settles into a long journey westward. Murder and romance spark suspense as a gala masquerade is planned in Kentucky. International intrigue complicates the plans of politicians and paramours.
The unlikely combination of witchcraft and high treason lead to treachery and murder, haunting a hero’s daughter and the soldier she loves. Vanishings in town spark fears of political conspiracies combined with the supernatural. An experiment in tolerance and freedom for women yields chaos, attracting unexpected evil.
Named at birth by her dying mother in hopes she would be a light in the world, daughter of a heroic general, and only 17, Lantern finds herself at the center of this excitement. The postwar generation faces challenges neglected by elders preoccupied with politics and social status. As victims disappear, their fates are secondary to the gala, which diverts attention from the ongoing crimes, whether or not they are products of the dark arts. Complicating this is a labeled witch with a strange hold over Lantern’s father.
Lantern’s admirer, Shears Plate, a skeptical soldier with a detective’s mind, suspects common criminality but he is shocked when he confronts spies involved in animal sacrifices that lead to political assassinations. His unlikely assistants in his quest for the truth include Lantern’s mysterious cousin Genevieve, reappearing after years of subterfuge, an abandoned slave who lives in the forest, and a solitary sword maker whose products have a fame transcending borders. Then a strange beautiful woman arrives as his betrothed, despite their never having met and it becomes harder than ever to distinguish the good from the bad. Plate must plan an elaborately ruse, risking prominent victims, to expose those invoking the evil art of murder to undermine the new republic.