Kate Clifford

The Kate Clifford mysteries are set in York during the crisis that ended the reign of Richard II and brought Henry Bolingbroke to the throne. Young widow Kate Clifford, trained to survive on the violent northern marches, supports herself by managing a guesthouse and discreet chambers near York Minster while caring for her wards and resisting pressure to surrender her independence through remarriage.

Murders within Kate's properties and household draw her into the factional struggle surrounding Richard's deposition, Henry IV's insecure accession and the failed Epiphany Rising. The series combines criminal investigation with merchant politics, women's religious communities, family secrets and the practical difficulties faced by a businesswoman whose safety depends on judging loyalties in a city preparing for regime change.