Judith Merkle Riley schrijft historische romans, doordrenkt met romantiek. Haar werk staat bekend om zijn rijke weergave van het verleden en zijn complexe personages, die de lezer meeslepen in de intriges en passies van vervlogen tijden. Met toewijding aan grondig onderzoek zorgt ze voor historische authenticiteit en verweeft ze meeslepende emotionele verhalen.
A 17th century tale of sorcery based on Paris police records. the heroine is Genèvieve Pasquier, a fortune teller who uses her powers to manipulate the liveds of the famous at the court of Louis XIV, the Sun King.
The unforgettable Margaret of Ashbury returns in the second book of the trilogy that began with A Vision of Light .Margaret, a resourceful midwife, is living with the insufferable relatives of her third husband, Gilbert de Vilers, known as Gregory. She is carving out a life for herself and her daughters despite the hostility and greed of her in-laws. But when Gregory is captured in France and held for ransom, Margaret knows she must take action—her in-laws are too tight with money to be of any use—so she teams up with her old friends Mother Hilde, the herbalist, and Brother Malachi, an alchemist on a quest for the secret of changing base metals into gold. Together, the trio plan to rescue Gregory and bring him back to London, where he and Margaret can start a new life away from his meddling family. And thus begins a wild romp across fourteenth-century Europe. Murderous noblemen, scheming ladies, truculent ghosts, and a steady stream of challenges plague the journey. Margaret will need not only her special gift of healing, her quick mind, and her independent spirit but the loyalty of her friends and the love of her new husband to carry them all safely home.
In 1355, Margaret of Ashbury depends on renegade friar Brother Gregory to record her life story and state of Mystic Union, and he is forced to accept the state of grace of this "mere woman"
The final adventure in the beloved and bestselling Margaret of Ashbury trilogy, which began with A Vision of Light and In Pursuit of the Green Lion .Margaret of Ashbury is ready to settle down; the medieval healer is looking forward to an uneventful life in the country. And, indeed, life with her true love and a brood of rambunctious children is nearly perfect—except for her husband Gregory’s ever-meddling family. Finding himself deep in debt once again, Gregory’s father has plotted to sell Margaret’s daughter off in marriage to save his woodlands from a greedy abbot. In a panic, Margaret turns to her old friend Brother Malachi to help save her daughter by whatever means necessary. The tension within the feuding family rouses an ancient being that dwells in a spring at the center of the disputed woodland. The watery creature has its own plans, and its eye is on Margaret’s infant son.Favorite characters return, the stakes are high, and the air is thick with intrigue and danger. Written with the historical accuracy, supernatural plot twists, and humor that Riley’s readers have grown to love, The Water Devil is a high-spirited adventure that brings Margaret’s odyssey to a satisfying conclusion.
Nostradamus, a ruthless queen, and a young poet find themselves in the fight of their lives...Lady Sibille never goes looking for trouble, but trouble always seems to find her. When she inadvertently becomes the master of an ancient cursed head of Menander the Magus-the Master of All Desires-she suddenly has the power to grant any wish, at a steep price.Queen Catherine de Medici is trying to obtain the power of the Master in order to get rid of her husband's mistress. But she does not understand that the Master is malic itself, twisting the wishes that he grants to bring destruction.But only Nostradamus knows that evil befalls all who wish upon this accursed object. Can he stop these determined women before they unwittingly destroy the entire kingdom of France?
Im Paris des 16. Jahrhunderts blüht das Geschäft der Wahrsager und Horoskop-Ersteller, der Alchimisten und Giftmischer. Auch Katharina von Medici, die Gemahlin König Heinrichs II., hat sich der schwarzen Magie verschrieben, um ihrer erbitterten Rivalin, der Mätresse des Königs, endlich die Macht zu entreißen. Helfen soll ihr dabei eine zauberkräftige Schatulle. Durch Zufall jedoch gerät diese in die Hände der jungen Dichterin Sibille, die nicht um die unheimliche Kraft des Kästchens weiß. Bald fühlt sich Sibille verfolgt, und ein mysteriöses Ereignis jagt das nächste. Einzig der Prophet Nostradamus ahnt, wie er weiteres Unheil verhindern kann. Und er spürt, daß Sibilles Horoskop ein Geheimnis birgt, das den Fluch der Schatulle zu brechen vermag...
London im Jahre 1514: Seit ihr Mann ermordet wurde, ist die junge Susanna Dallet völlig mittellos. Gegen alle Konventionen beginnt sie, als Porträtmalerin zu arbeiten – bisher ein reines Männerhandwerk. Ihre Kunst bringt sie bis an den Königshof, und als Mary Tudor mit dem französischen Thronfolger verheiratet wird, begleitet Susanna die zukünftige Braut nach Frankreich, um sie zu porträtieren. Sie gerät in ein gefährliches Netz politischer Intrigen. Doch in Frankreich wartet auch das Glück …
Seventeenth-century Paris. Geneviève is a skinny, precocious girl with a mind full of philosophy and the remarkable power to read the swirling waters of an oracle glass. Left for dead by her family, she is taken in by the ingenious occultist La Voisin, who rules a secret society of witches that manipulates the rich and the scandalous all the way up to the throne. Tutored by La Voisin, Geneviève creates a new identity for herself--as the mysterious Madame de Morville, rumored to be one hundred fifty years old. Soon, even the reigning mistress of the Sun King himself consults Madame de Morville on what the future holds for her. And as Madame de Morville, Geneviève can revel in what women are usually denied--power, an independent income, and the opportunity to speak her mind. But beneath her intelligence and wit, and in the face of unexpected love, Geneviève is driven by the obsessed spirit of revenge....
