Time’s Testimony
The third and final volume of The Wyngrave Women
In Time’s Prisoner, Jane Summers, author of historical whodunnits, solved the brutal murder of Wyngrave Hall’s resident ghost, Horatio Fortune, liberating him from four hundred years’ confinement. When Jane finds evidence of another historical murder at Wyngrave, she sets out to prove the innocence – or guilt – of her benefactor, Queenie Brooke-Bennet, the 1950s actress who became the ill-fated Countess of Guiseborough, darling of the tabloids, then a much-married author of scandalous fiction, before dying a reclusive widow, haunted – quite literally – by the past.
There’s no shortage of baffling clues. Jane discovers hidden letters, shocking audiotapes recorded by Queenie as she lay dying and a mutilated portrait in the attic. With the expert advice of art conservator, Jesper Olsen and support from Queenie’s old friend and rival in love, Sylvia Marlow, Jane sets out to solve what appears to be another cold crime.
1980
Shaking violently, Queenie gazed down at her husband who lay surrounded by broken glass and stank of whisky. Lord knew, it wasn’t the first time he’d been dead drunk, but it was the first time he’d been dead. She felt a sudden impulse to laugh and covered her face with both hands, murmuring, ''Oh, I am in hell!' She looked up, startled, and wondered who had spoken.
Queenie mounted the uneven wooden stairs, worn in the middle of the tread by hundreds of years of ascending and descending feet. At the top, she gripped the banister and tried to remember where their bedroom was.
Her bedroom now. Her home. Wyngrave Hall was hers now and there would be no more talk of selling up.
***
Praise for the first two books in The Wyngrave Women series..."A brilliant book. I love Linda Gillard’s writing. She can make you believe in ghosts."
MAGGIE CHRISTENSEN, author of The Bellbird Bay and Pelican Crossing series
"Linda Gillard knows how to write a story that keeps you wanting to turn the pages, characters who become friends, and she knows how to write about sex in a way that’s actually erotic, not cringe-worthy... Add to that, a haunted historic house, a ruined castle and an arsonist at large and you have a wonderful plot. I loved it and can't wait for Book 3!"
KATHLEEN JONES, author of A Passionate Sisterhood: The Sisters, Wives and Daughters of the Lake Poets
"Linda Gillard's books are always gripping, and here was another that entranced me from the first page. A beautifully atmospheric setting, with original, well-drawn characters, a truly credible romance, and spookiness to make one jump. Definitely a must-read."
JANE GORDON-CUMMING, author of A Proper Family Christmas
Genre: Mystery
The third and final volume of The Wyngrave Women
In Time’s Prisoner, Jane Summers, author of historical whodunnits, solved the brutal murder of Wyngrave Hall’s resident ghost, Horatio Fortune, liberating him from four hundred years’ confinement. When Jane finds evidence of another historical murder at Wyngrave, she sets out to prove the innocence – or guilt – of her benefactor, Queenie Brooke-Bennet, the 1950s actress who became the ill-fated Countess of Guiseborough, darling of the tabloids, then a much-married author of scandalous fiction, before dying a reclusive widow, haunted – quite literally – by the past.
There’s no shortage of baffling clues. Jane discovers hidden letters, shocking audiotapes recorded by Queenie as she lay dying and a mutilated portrait in the attic. With the expert advice of art conservator, Jesper Olsen and support from Queenie’s old friend and rival in love, Sylvia Marlow, Jane sets out to solve what appears to be another cold crime.
1980
Shaking violently, Queenie gazed down at her husband who lay surrounded by broken glass and stank of whisky. Lord knew, it wasn’t the first time he’d been dead drunk, but it was the first time he’d been dead. She felt a sudden impulse to laugh and covered her face with both hands, murmuring, ''Oh, I am in hell!' She looked up, startled, and wondered who had spoken.
Queenie mounted the uneven wooden stairs, worn in the middle of the tread by hundreds of years of ascending and descending feet. At the top, she gripped the banister and tried to remember where their bedroom was.
Her bedroom now. Her home. Wyngrave Hall was hers now and there would be no more talk of selling up.
***
Praise for the first two books in The Wyngrave Women series..."A brilliant book. I love Linda Gillard’s writing. She can make you believe in ghosts."
MAGGIE CHRISTENSEN, author of The Bellbird Bay and Pelican Crossing series
"Linda Gillard knows how to write a story that keeps you wanting to turn the pages, characters who become friends, and she knows how to write about sex in a way that’s actually erotic, not cringe-worthy... Add to that, a haunted historic house, a ruined castle and an arsonist at large and you have a wonderful plot. I loved it and can't wait for Book 3!"
KATHLEEN JONES, author of A Passionate Sisterhood: The Sisters, Wives and Daughters of the Lake Poets
"Linda Gillard's books are always gripping, and here was another that entranced me from the first page. A beautifully atmospheric setting, with original, well-drawn characters, a truly credible romance, and spookiness to make one jump. Definitely a must-read."
JANE GORDON-CUMMING, author of A Proper Family Christmas
Genre: Mystery