The Crown Spire

Scotland, 1795

When the coach carrying Alice Ingram and her niece, Beth, to Edinburgh is attacked, they’re grateful for the intervention of two mysterious highwaymen who ride to their rescue.

Beth is thrilled by the romance of it all, but Alice, fleeing her brutish husband, has had more than enough drama in her life.

As the women find sanctuary in a tavern on the Great North Road, Beth is thrilled to meet Edward Hogan, the roguish publican.

Despite the difference in ages and backgrounds, the couple have instant chemistry and when Ed invites Beth to visit his Edinburgh tavern, she resolves to get to know him even better.

Yet Beth is also taken with the highwayman who rescued her; after all, there’s something irresistible about a rogue.

Shaken from the attack, Alice grudgingly allows herself to be seen by Doctor James Dillingham, Ed’s best friend. Though Dillingham sees the telltale signs of physical abuse on Alice, she refuses to speak of it.

Dillingham is dour and Alice frosty, and the two take an instant dislike to each other, so why does their shared coach journey to Edinburgh the following day seem to sizzle?

Once in Edinburgh, Beth secretly starts spending time with Ed, who she begins to think might know more about those mysterious highwaymen than he is letting on.

By day, Alice sorts Dillingham’s paperwork at the charity hospital he runs yet by night she sneaks off to meet her own highwayman, travelling the backroads of the city with the masked figure.

Slowly, Alice is coming back to life. But will the husband she is fleeing catch up with her? And if so, will her highwayman come to her rescue again?

Set during the heady days of the Georgian era when bodysnatching and highwaymen were never too far away, The Crown Spire is a thrilling romantic adventure rich with excitement and packed with historical detail.

Praise for Catherine Curzon and Willow Winsham

‘A charming historical romance’ – bestselling author Holly Kinsella

Catherine Curzon is a royal historian and 18th century history blogger. Her work has been featured on the official website of BBC History magazine and in publications such as Explore History, All About History, History of Royals and Jane Austen’s Regency World. She has provided additional research for An Evening with Jane Austen at the V&A. Catherine holds a Master’s degree in Film and when not dodging the furies of the guillotine, writes fiction set deep in the underbelly of Georgian London. She lives in Yorkshire atop a ludicrously steep hill.

Willow Winsham brings readers regular tales of witches and witchcraft on her blog. Combining a passion for research and history with a love of storytelling, she dedicates her time to investigating some of the most intriguing stories from the history of the British Isles. When she isn't digging out tantalising historical titbits or tracing elusive family members, she is busy home educating her two children.