A bestselling murder mystery fantasy with a shocking twist you won't see coming. Now in paperback. Keralie Corrington is a talented pickpocket in the kingdom of Quadara. But when a routine theft goes horribly wrong, Keralie discovers what she's stolen is actually a video of the four queens of Quadara being murdered. Hoping that discovering the intended recipient will reveal the culprit—valuable information that she can barter with—Keralie teams up with Varin Bollt, the messenger she stole from, to complete his delivery and uncover the murderer. But with Keralie and Varin each keeping secrets—and lives hanging in the balance—everything is at stake, and no one can be trusted. Four Dead Queens is an enthralling fast-paced mystery where competing agendas collide with deadly consequences. Praise for Four Dead Queens : An Indie Bestseller An Amazon Best Book — March 2019 A Blue Spruce Book Award Nominee – 2020 A Texas Tayshas Reading List Pick – 2020 “A good, devious mix of some of the best fantasy and murder mystery that YA has had to offer recently .” — Entertainment Weekly “Astrid Scholte's propulsive debut YA novel checks all the boxes for an addictive read .” — Refinery29 “ Four Dead Queens is a darkly delicious tale that keeps you in constant suspense. A thrilling, genre-blending book perfect for fans of both fantasy and murder mysteries . I just might be the fifth dead queen because this story—with its labyrinthine twists and turns—slayed me in every possible way.” — Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series "[An] exciting fantasy debut . . . stunning ." — Paste “ A cinematic thrill ride brimming with murder, mayhem, and twists that will shock you, Four Dead Queens is sure to be your next obsession. Absolutely riveting .” —Sarah Glenn Marsh, author of the Reign of the Fallen series “Astrid Scholte breaks into the fantasy genre with a triumphant, exciting debut that will keep readers guessing all the way to final chapter. Four Dead Queens is not to be missed!” — Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of Give the Dark My Love “Scholte's stand-alone debut marks her as an author to watch .” — Kirkus Reviews “Scholte has created an intrigue-heavy adventure in a world filled with characters whom readers will want to revisit.” — Publishers Weekly “Debut author Scholte manipulates multiple points of view and flashbacks to create an action-packed romance .” — Booklist “The story takes unexpected turns, has complicated characters who develop over time, and ends unpredictably …. A recommended addition to young adult fantasy/dystopian collections.” — School Library Journal “A fierce, darkly compelling protagonist ...and readers will want to double back to get a better look at the various turns of the enticingly twisting timeline .” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Astrid Scholte's fascination with all things fantasy began at the impressionable age of one while on a family vacation to Disneyland. Her desire to be surrounded by all things magical led her to a career in animation and visual effects. She received Honors in BA (Film, Media and Theater) and a Bachelor of Digital Media from the University of NSW. She's spent the last 10 years working in visual effects production as both an artist and an artist manager. Career highlights include working on James Cameron's AVATAR, Steven Spielberg's THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN and HAPPY FEET 2 by George Miller. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her cats Lilo and Mickey. FOUR DEAD QUEENS is her debut novel. Iris Queen of Archia Rule one: To protect the fertile lands of Archia, the queen must uphold the society’s humble but hardworking way of life. Iris shifted uncomfortably on her throne, rearranging her stiff skirts. The midday sun streamed down from the domed ceiling, hitting the elevated golden dial beneath it. The nation of Quadara was engraved upon the face, with thick ridges representing the walls that divided the land. An amber globe sat in the center of the dial and fractured the sunlight into rays, highlighting hundreds of cursive words etched into the throne room’s marble walls. The words reminded each queen, and those who visited court, of the approved transactions between quadrants and the strict rules the queens must abide by. Queenly Law. The four thrones, and their respective queens, sat in a circle around the dial. While the quadrants remained divided, the queens ruled from the same court. Together, yet apart. Each looked out upon her section of the circular room, a painted crest to signify where her quadrant began. Iris’s next appointment stepped from around the partition that separated court visitors from the queens. She glanced at one of her sister queens, Marguerite, sitting beside her. Marguerite raised an eyebrow in amusement as the man bowed, his