The Trial of Marie Montrecourt

“It was so dark in the cell. However, one of the wardresses had taken pity on her and allowed her a candle, a pen and paper. Marie could only hope that the woman knew how much the gesture had meant. She’d been so taken aback by this unexpected act of kindness that she hadn't been able to find the words to say thank you. During the trial, she’d faced nothing but hostility...”

1899 and Marie Montrecourt arrives in Harrogate from France, an eighteen-year-old, penniless orphan, facing an uncertain future and knowing little of her past. Meanwhile in London, Evelyn Harringdon is dealing with the death of his father, one of the most influential men in Parliament and a hero of the first Boer War.

It would seem that these two events have little in common but they are linked by a scandal, one that is deeply buried in the past.

As Marie struggles to find a place for herself in her new life she is drawn into the fight for women’s rights, while Evelyn discovers that political corruption threatens to ruin his family’s good name. It is his obsession with discovering the truth that brings him into contact with Marie – a meeting that will prove dangerous for them both. They are prisoners of the past, and Evelyn’s attempt at atonement sets Marie on a path which will lead her into making a terrible choice. It’s one which will transform her from an innocent young woman into the central player in a notorious murder trial...

The Trial of Marie Montrecourt is a gripping tale of love, loss and betrayal that will appeal to those with an interest in women’s rights in the early 20th Century, as well as fans of crime fiction.

Kay Patrick trained at RADA and appeared in programmes such as Dr Who. Her career as a television director includes twenty years directing Coronation Street. She lives in Cheshire and is working on a second novel.