The Devil's Den

Nicole Rayburn Historical Mysteries, Book 2

By: Irina Shapiro

Narrated by: Jess Nahikian

In 1540, newly married and pregnant Isobel Devlin vanished from a tiny island in Lancashire, never to be seen again.

In 2020, leaving London for the first time since the pandemic began, Nicole Rayburn and Kyle Walsh head to a guesthouse in the Lake District for a much-needed holiday. Across from the historic manor house, on an island in the middle of a lake, are the ruins of Montrose Abbey, the last known abode of Lady Isobel Devlin. Intrigued, Nicole begins to research Lady Isobel’s disappearance as the subject for a new book and calls on her history-loving friend Reverend Hargreaves for help.

As Nicole unearths long-forgotten truths about the mysterious Lady Devlin, finding many gaping holes in the story of her disappearance, she must fight for her own happiness against a rival whose claim to Kyle’s heart might be stronger than she expected.

©2021 Merlin Press LLC (P)2021 Irina Shapiro

Very enjoyed!

I thought the story and the mystery in the past was very entertaining. However, I was very disappointed that the author saw fit to include covid in her story. People read books and watch movies to escape, bringing covid into the story literally turned my stomach.

Top Notch Historical Mystery

Irina Shapiro is one of my favorite suthors. I love how she weaves a present-day story into one of the past. Her female characters are strong, but very human showing a range of emotions. She is able to transport me into the lives of people who lived during fascinating periods of history to tell their story.

Irina Shapiro DOES IT AGAIN!

A tale regaled with action, love, lust, and drama will leave the reader/ listener craving the next line as much as their next breath.
The narrator is exquisite and proper. I love that Jess has the ability to troll between male and female voices without sounding strained or over the top. The overall plot is very much like “The Hanging Tree” but you could also say this is the book Nicole Rayburn wrote OR this is a story how it happened and join Nicole, Kyle and friends in their quest through history. Either way it’s a great book! Bravo! Now, on to the next.

Historical fiction in the best way

This is my new favorite series! I love the back and forth between the modern characters and historical.

Irina Shapiro nails it again!

Ok, admittedly this is a guilty type of historical fiction, romantic but not quite smutty and full of happy endings. Still, it is rich in history and full of modern accuracy to our current lives! Loved it!