London, 1588. Someone’s turning Catholics into widows... ... and masking the crimes under cover of Armada fever. Francis Bacon is charged with identifying the murderer by the Andromache Society, a widows’ guild led by his formidable aunt. Thomas Clarady and Lady Alice Trumpington help investigate while struggling to keep themselves out of hot water. Bacon must free his friends from the Tower, track an exotic poison, and untangle several crimes to determine if the motive is patriotism, greed, lunacy — or a mix of all three. Longlisted for the 2017 Historical Novel Society Awards. Get this third thrilling tale in the award-winning Francis Bacon historical mystery series today! "[ The Widows Guild ] is a historical mystery that excels in depth as it presents a saga of vengeance and change... that takes Bacon his and readers on a whirlwind tour from dungeons to mansions in search of answers that question the very tenets guiding his life and actions. Fans of historical mysteries will find this book just as captivating and well-done as the rest in a highly recommended read brimming with action and captivating scenarios."-- D. Donovan, Midwest Book Reviews Editor's Choice, the Historical Novel Society "Anna Castle continues her series of the adventures of Francis Bacon with this story of Elizabethan England poised on the brink of invasion, nervously awaiting some word of King Philip's Armada... As in Castle's earlier book, Murder by Misrule , she brings the Elizabethan world wonderfully to life, and if Francis Bacon himself seems a bit overshadowed at times in this novel, it's because the great, fun creation of the Widow's Guild itself easily steals the spotlight. Strongly Recommended." -- Steve Donoghue, Historical Novel Society The Widows Guild was long-listed for the 2017 Historical Novel Society Indie Awards! Brilliant Francis Bacon solves crimes in Elizabethan London with his ambitious assistant, Thomas Clarady, in this series of award-winning historical mysteries. 1. Murder by Misrule. One of Kirkus Review's Best Indie Books of 2014. 2. Death by Disputation. First In Category, 2015 Chaucer Awards Elizabethan/Tudor period 3. The Widows Guild. Long-listed for the 2017 Historical Novel Society Awards. 4. Publish and Perish. Honorable Mention, Mysteries, Library Journal's 2017 Indie Ebook Awards. 5. Let Slipthe Dogs . Bacon and co. spend the summer at Richmond Palace in 1592. 6. The Spymaster's Brother . Francis's older brother Anthony comeshome from France. In the summer of 1588, Europe waits with bated breath for King Philip of Spain to launch his mighty armada against England. Everyone except Lady Alice Trumpington, whose father wants her wed to the highest bidder. She doesn't want to be a wife, she wants to be widow; a rich one, and the sooner, the better. So she marries an elderly viscount, gives him a sleeping draught, and spends her wedding night with Thomas Clarady, her best friend and Francis Bacon's assistant. The next morning, they find the viscount murdered in his bed and they're both locked into the Tower. Lady Alice appeals to the Andromache Society, the widows' guild led by Francis Bacon's formidable aunt, Lady Russell. They charge Bacon with getting the new widow out of prison and identifying the real murderer. He soon learns the viscount wasn't an isolated case. Someone is murdering Catholics in London and taking advantage of armada fever to mask the crimes. The killer seems to have privy information -- from someone close to the Privy Council? The investigation takes Francis from the mansions along the Strand to the rack room under the Tower. Pulled and pecked by a coven of demanding widows, Francis struggles to maintain his reason and his courage to see through the fog of war and catch the killer. Anna Castle writes the Francis Bacon mystery series and the Professor & Mrs. Moriarty mystery series. She has earned a series of degrees -- BA in the Classics, MS in Computer Science, and a PhD in Linguistics -- and has had a corresponding series of careers -- waitressing, software engineering, documentary linguist, assistant professor, and digital archivist. Writing fiction combines her lifelong love of stories and learning. She physically resides in Austin, Texas and mentally counts herself a queen of infinite space.