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The Blood Countess

The Blood Countess

Current price: $19.95
Publication Date: January 1st, 2022
Publisher:
Echo
ISBN:
9781760685874
Pages:
304

Description

Younger meets The Addams Family . . .

In the first installment of the Pandora English series, bestselling author Tara Moss brings her trademark macabre and lifelong love of the paranormal to the fashion world with a twist.

Pandora English is no ordinary small town orphan. When she's invited to live with her mysterious Great-Aunt Celia in New York City, she seizes the opportunity to escape her stifling hometown, break from her tragic past and make it as a writer.

Things, however, are not what she is expecting. For starters, her great aunt's Gothic mansion is in a mist-wreathed Manhattan suburb that doesn't appear on maps. And then there's Celia hersel—a former designer to the stars of Hollywood's Golden Age—who is elegant, unnaturally young and always wearing a veil. Pandora lands a job at a fashion magazine and her first assignment is covering the A-list launch of the latest miracle cream, BloodofYouth. But something is not right about the product, nor Athanasia, the drop-dead beautiful face of the brand. It seems there may be a secret ingredient in BloodofYouth, a secret worth killing for . . .

About the Author

Tara Moss is a Canadian-Australian author, novelist, documentary maker and presenter, speaker, and human rights advocate. Her books, which include the Makedde Vanderwall series (Fetish, Split) and the Billie Walker series (Dead Man Split), have been published in 19 countries and 13 languages. She is a PhD Candidate at the University of Sydney, and has earned her private investigator credentials (Cert III) from the Australian Security Academy.

Praise for The Blood Countess

Praise for The War Widow:

“With a crackling plot and vibrant prose, Tara Moss concocts a first-rate noir detective mystery.” —Christian Science Monitor

"The War Widow is poised to be Tara Moss’s breakout novel in the United States, especially given the book’s saucy leading lady, Billie Walker. She’s a war reporter-turned-private investigator in post-WWII Australia who—much like Moss herself—refuses to be defined or held back by any man on her quest for justice." —The Boston Herald

"Just what I needed today--a blast of the escapist past. Sydney in 1946, damaged veterans, bad guys, car chases, mysteries, and a female PI up for the fight." —Ian Rankin, New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Rebus series

"Tara Moss's The War Widow is an excellent novel and an even better springboard for its crackerjack heroine: the indomitable Billie Walker. Like a harder-boiled Phryne Fisher meets Martha Gellhorn, Billie is the best kind of heroine: fun, flawed, smart, feminist, and feisty. Even down the darkest of paths—including but not limited to Nazi war profiteers, shady mobsters, cops on the take, and more—Billie is a beacon of light, never losing her sense of justice, or her enjoyment in life (and a good coupe of champagne!). Honestly, I'd follow Billie anywhere." —Halley Sutton, author of The Lady Upstairs

"In Billie Walker, Moss has conjured up one kick-ass 1940s heroine: a tough-talking, glamorous feminist who’s as adept with a pistol as she is on the dance floor, haunted by a tragic past, and unafraid to take on the darkest of foes. An artful, original take on noir suspense that resonates in today’s times." —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue
 
“A cracking thriller, with a marvelous, strong, flamboyant heroine.” —Joanne Harris, New York Times bestselling author of Chocolat and Five Quarters of the Orange
 
"Billie Walker is the type of heroine I'd love to befriend: resourceful, clever, adventurous, and a true fashionista. With a gripping plot and the perfect dose of history and intrigue, The War Widow has all the elements of a great page-turner." —Ellen Keith, nationally bestselling author of The Dutch Wife

"A terrific read!" —Lynda La Plante, internationally bestselling author
 
"Her novels are completely gripping and entertaining from beginning to end." —Hugh Jackman
 
“I so enjoyed getting to know Tara Moss's wonderful new character, Billie Walker, in her 1940s Sydney-set mystery[, The War Widow]. Immersive, well-paced, entertaining, thoughtful--so enjoyable!” —Angela Meyer, award-winning author of Joan Smokes and A Superior Spectre
 
"Moss's ultra-cool prose and whip-smart plotting pull you along at cracking pace until suddenly you look up and realize with a gulp how deep you've gone and how very dark it is down there." —Emily Maguire, author of Taming the Beast

“Brilliantly atmospheric and completely immersive—this stylishly fierce adventure into post-war darkness will hold you captive on every page. The amazing Tara Moss has created a cinematic and important feminist noir—dark as midnight velvet and tough as steel. Do not miss this!” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of The First to Lie

“The setting feels simultaneously familiar and exotic. Neatly incorporates history, social commentary, and a satisfying mystery in one appealing package. More, please!” --Kirkus Reviews

"Spirited...thoroughly researched and anchored by the spunky, sympathetic heroine at its heart...Readers will finish the book clamoring for Billie's next case." —Booklist

"Rich period detail and a fierce, feminist heroine distinguish this stylish twist on the classic 1940s detective novel." --Publishers Weekly