title: The Mystique Woven in Our Land
author: Kralich, Deborah
description: Mystery and intrigue haunt the new land shortly after the successful Revolutionary War. New problems arise as the land settles into a long journey westward.Historical fiction with mystery and romance, set in 1792. The unlikely combination of witchcraft and high treason lead to treachery and murder haunting a hero’s daughter and the soldier she loves. Vanishings in a growing Kentucky town spark fears of government conspiracies combined with the supernatural. An experiment in tolerance and unprecedented freedom for women unexpectedly yields chaos, attracting evil in a way no one predicted. Named at birth by her dying mother in hopes she would be a light in the world, daughter of a heroic general, and only 17, Lantern Leshoward finds herself at the center of excitement as her town prepares an elaborate celebration in the midst of a string of disappearances of young women. The post war generation faces unique challenges neglected by their elders who are preoccupied with politics and social status. Upper and lower class women disappear but their fates are secondary to an upcoming political masquerade gala, diverting everyone’s attention from the ongoing crimes, whether or not they are products of the dark arts. Complicating this is an openly labeled witch no one can find with a strange hold over Lantern’s father. Lantern’s admirer, Shears Plate, a skeptical soldier with a detective’s mind, suspects common criminality but he is shocked when he confronts spies involved in animal sacrifices that lead to political assassinations. His unlikely assistants in his quest for the truth include Lantern’s mysterious cousin Genevieve, reappearing after years of subterfuge, an abandoned slave who lives in the forest, and a solitary sword maker whose products have a fame transcending borders. Then a strange beautiful woman arrives as his betrothed, despite their never before having met and it becomes harder than ever to distinguish the good from the bad. Plate must plan an elaborately staged killing, risking prominent victims, to expose those invoking the evil art of murder to undermine the new republic. Great for Young Adults!