Murder always sells. But when a series of dark and puzzling crimes takes place in seventeenth-century London, will printer’s apprentice Lucy Campion be publishing the news – or starring in it? London, 1667. Printer’s apprentice Lucy Campion is unsettled when, on a frozen December morning after church, an elderly woman dressed in mourning clothes whispers an ominous warning in her ear. Lucy sternly tells herself it’s nonsense, but then her much-loved former master, Magistrate Hargrave, is viciously attacked with a brass hourglass during a break-in. But what exactly was the intruder searching for? And why did they first stop to steal a piece of Cook’s lamb and lentil pie? The puzzling case is just the start of a series of dark, bizarre crimes. Lucy’s determined to uncover the truth and see that justice is done. But someone is equally determined to stop her – whatever it takes. This page-turning historical mystery set in Restoration London is a great choice for readers who like their heroines lively, their mysteries twisty and their historical settings brimming with authenticity.

Nominated for a Lefty for Best Historical Mystery! 

​“Calkins makes her lead’s sleuthing plausible while playing scrupulously fair with readers, few of whom will identify the murderer before Lucy does. This series keeps getting better.” – Publishers Weekly
 
“…the story is packed with intriguing historical details, which ably support a clever plot and a captivating heroine. Another winning entry in Calkins’ popular series.” – Booklist
 
“ Unraveling the tangled skein of murders old and new, theft, deception, and corruption is a hefty order but not beyond the ability of Calkins’ resourceful heroine. Creepy and ingenious.” – Kirkus
 

The Cry of the Hangman was an Editor's Pick!