In 1904 Portland, a woman must stop a serial killer before she becomes the next victim.
Portland, Oregon, 1904. As the city prepares for the Lewis & Clark World Exposition, a serial killer is targeting women who have come seeking work. Is it charismatic cult leader Edmund Creffield, who practices "free love" with twenty women at once? Or Catholic-school teacher Allen Grey, whose mysterious illness causes violent blackouts? Or perhaps it’s someone else, lurking behind a mask of respectability that no one would ever suspect of cracking.
Desperate to clear her husband’s name, Solace Grey fears that even if she succeeds, his illness will be exposed, sending him to the brutal Oregon Insane Asylum. With no friends and no other options, Solace enlists the aid of Lucky Jacobs, a resourceful man with a past, and Lola Baldwin, a social reformer with powerful connections.
But as they race to uncover the killer’s identity, Solace is torn between loyalty to her husband and her growing feelings for Lucky. In a city built on secrets, the truth may be more dangerous than she ever imagined—and the next victim could be her…
Set against the backdrop of turn-of-the-century Portland, A Lamentation of Swans is the first book in Wicked Portland, a thrilling new historical mystery series featuring real-life figures and an emotional love story.
