Quaker midwife Rose Carroll discovers dark secrets in 1888 Massachusetts

For Quaker midwife Rose Carroll, life in Amesbury, Massachusetts, provides equal measures of joy and tribulation. She delights in attending to the needs of mothers and newborns even as she mourns the recent death of her sister. Likewise, Rose enjoys the giddy feelings that come from being courted by a handsome doctor, but a suspicious fire and two murders leave her fearing for the well-being of her loved ones.

Driven by her desire for safety and justice, Rose Carroll begins asking questions related to the crimes. Consulting with her friends and neighbors—including the famous Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier—Rose draws on her strengths as a counselor and problem solver in trying to bring the perpetrators to light.

Praise:

[A] smart new series from the prolific Maxwell.—Booklist

“First of hopefully many more to come, I believe that everyone will definitely enjoy this stand-out book.”—Suspense Magazine 

Maxwell . . . introduces a series heroine whose struggles with the tenets of her Quaker faith make her strong and appealing. The author also imparts authentic historical detail to depict life in a 19th century New England factory town.—Library Journal

“A highly competent mystery.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Rose Carroll is a richly crafted and appealing sleuth. A terrific historical read.”—Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author

The historical setting is redolent and delicious, the townspeople engaging, and the plot a proper puzzle, but its Rose Carroll—midwife, Quaker, sleuth—who captivates in this irresistible series debut.—Catriona McPherson, award-winning author of the Dandy Gilver series 

Maxwell introduces a fascinating new heroine with her Quaker midwife Rose Carroll.—Victoria Thompson, bestselling author of Murder on St. Nicolas Ave

[Roses] strong personality combined with the authors distinctive voice and vivid writing style transported me instantly to another time and place.—Kathy Lynn Emerson, Malice Domestic 2014 Guest of Honor and author of How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries, Murder in the Quens Wardrobe, and the Diana Spaulding 1888 Mysteries

About the Author

Edith Maxwell (Amesbury, MA) is the vice-president of the New England chapter of Sisters in Crime and a long-time member of the Society of Friends. She is the author of the Local Foods Mysteries, the Lauren Rousseau Mysteries, and the Country Store