The Alchemist of Lost Souls
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A dangerous element discovered by Bianca Goddard’s father falls into the wrong hands . . . leading to a chain of multiple murders.
Spring 1544: Now that she is with child, Bianca is more determined than ever to distance herself from her unstable father. Desperate to win back the favor of King Henry VIII, disgraced alchemist Albern Goddard plans to reveal a powerful new element he's discovered—one with deadly potential. But when the substance is stolen, he is panicked and expects his daughter to help.
Soon after, a woman's body is found behind the Dim Dragon Inn, an eerie green vapor rising from her breathless mouth. To her grave concern, Bianca has reason to suspect her own mother may be involved in the theft and the murder. As her husband John is conscripted into King Henry's army to subdue Scottish resistance, Bianca must navigate a twisted and treacherous path among alchemists, apothecaries, chandlers, and scoundrels—to find out who among them is willing to kill to possess the element known as lapis mortem, the stone of death . . .
Praise for Death at St. Vedast
“Full of period details, Lawrence’s latest series outing captures Tudor London in all its colorful splendor. A solid choice for devotees of Karen Harper’s Elizabethan mysteries.”
—Library Journal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 1544 London, Lawrence's atmospheric fourth Bianca Goddard mystery (after 2016's Death at St. Vedast) centers on a dangerous substance created by Bianca's father, disgraced alchemist Albern Goddard. After the substance, referred to as "the stone," disappears from his workshop, Albern shows up at the home of pregnant Bianca and her husband, demanding she find it for him; he's certain his wife, Malva, stole it. Before Bianca, herself a skilled alchemist, can find the answers, a woman is found murdered on a Southwark street, a frightening green vapor emanating from her mouth. Many greedy, dishonest, and violent people are keen to possess Albern's creation, so many that it can be challenging to keep track of them all, or to mourn their untimely deaths. More successful is the complex Bianca, whose deep love for her husband is one of her more endearing traits. The action builds to a well-executed climax that pitches Bianca into a life or death struggle. Fans of Tudor historicals will eagerly await the next installment.
