Teach the Torches to Burn
Romeo and Juliet (yes, that Romeo and Juliet) invite you to join them in celebrating the marriage of their elderly daughter, Rosie (she’s 20!) to Escalus the younger, prince of Verona.
Knives Out meets My Lady Jane meets Taming of the Shrew in Fair Verona, as New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd’s third installment in her USA Today bestselling series finds a poisoner on the loose on the eve of Rosalind’s wedding to Prince Escalus…
Joining us will be the royal and decorous kin of the groom, the Leonardis, as well as the famously rival families, the upstart Montagues and the snooty Capulets. All will be armed with swords and knives; at least one is skilled with poison. At this joyous event, who could foresee what direful occurrences might befall?
If I, the aforesaid Rosie, blushing bride, noted cynic and sleuth, were asked to identify when the pre-wedding events spiraled out of control, I’d point to that moment when elderly Princess Ursula observed the display of gleaming swords and bared teeth and announced that she would hold a public séance to determine the future of the marriage . .
With the aid of Yorick’s skull and her own considerable dramatic nature, Princess Ursula prophesied three things: the marriage would be joyous and fertile (the guests yawn,) a long-lost treasure would be found . . . and foul and most unnatural murder would disrupt the fragile peace of Verona.
Before the day was done, two prophesies had been fulfilled. Hint: not the fun fertility one. As one death follows another and it’s clear a skilled poisoner lurks among us, coming ever closer to striking down those I love, I use all my wit and skill to discern the reason for the vendetta and uncover the killer’s identity . . . for I would have the holy church bells that now ring a sad lament peel instead for the wedding ceremony and the joyous and fertile future foretold. . .
Christina Dodd
Christina Dodd has built a career out of keeping readers up past midnight, their hearts racing and minds spinning. With a pen dipped in suspense and characters born from fire and shadows, her novels walk the knife's edge between danger and desire. Whether she’s pulling readers into the secrets of a windswept Gothic estate or unraveling a government conspiracy that no one was meant to survive, Dodd’s storytelling always cuts deep.
She didn’t come from a literary pedigree or step out of an MFA program. Christina Dodd’s journey began in a small town on the Washington coast, raised by a single mother after the early death of her father. Her roots were modest, but her imagination was anything but. She spent years working at a bookstore, absorbing stories, learning what made them stick, and dreaming of one day writing her own. That dream turned real when she sold her first novel to a major publisher—and never looked back.
Daughter of Montague
Daughter of Montague consists of three books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
