The Janna Mysteries are now out of print.

A new version of this highly acclaimed and award-winning medieval murder mystery series has been rewritten with an adult fiction market in mind, and The Janna Chronicles will be published and released by Momentum Books Australia, one every month, as from mid-January 2015. For more information, please go to separate pages for each title:

  1. Blood Oath
  2. Stolen Child
  3. Unholy Murder
  4. Pilgrim of Death
  5. Devil’s Brew
  6. Day of Judgment

Please note that the series will still be suitable for a YA readership.

Rosemary For Remembrance

Crime, mystery and romance set in the 12th century against the background of a bitter civil war. Janna lives at the edge of a forest in medieval England. Her whole world turns upside down following the death of her mother. Accident? Janna doesn’t think so, but the dark and powerful forces ranged against her will stop at nothing to prevent her from finding out the truth. Along her journey to find her father in order to avenge the death of her mother, Janna solves many crimes and mysteries, including the secrets of her heart and her happiness.

Why I wrote the book?

‘I spent almost ten years researching and writing the Shalott trilogy, by which time medieval England had become part of me, it was in my heart, my dreaming. And then this young woman popped into my head and startedtalking to me, demanding that I tell her story … And so The Janna Mysteries was born, the story of Janna, daughter of a wortwyf (herbwife) whose mother dies in mysterious circumstances and who is forced to flee her home. Her quest is to find her unknown father and, with his help, seek justice for the death of her mother. Janna is feisty and inquisitive, qualities she needs to help her solve the many crimes and mysteries she encounters along her journey. She also has her mother’s healing knowledge and skills, qualities which transcend social boundaries and see her move from forest to farm, abbey, town and into the heart of the royal court itself.’

A medieval 'preacher's cross' and the Norman church at Barford St Martin (Berford)
The forest of 'Gravelinges' (Grovely Wood)

‘Rosemary for Remembrance’ is on the CBC Notable Book List for 2006.

The Janna Mysteries are listed on the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge.

Watch a Video advertising the Jana Mysteries Series

Read the ‘Janna Mysteries’ reviews

Teachers: Discover how you can match my novels to the English and/or History curriculum. You’ll find a comprehensive description of themes, topics for discussion, class activities and associated articles of interest for all my books on the For Teachers page.

Rue for Repentance

Driven from her home and disguised as a youth, Janna seeks refuge at a manor farm only to find her heart and her safety under threat following a series of ‘accidents’. When a child goes missing, Janna risks everything to find him but who can she trust? Hugh, the handsome nobleman who seems to know more than he’s telling? The beautiful Gytha, who is desperate to marry Hugh? Or the angry and frightened Urk?

The answer lies in the posies of rue left to mark the scene of each crime. If Janna can persuade Godric to forgive her and help her solve the mystery, she might be in time to save the child – but will she be able to save herself?

Read the ‘Janna Mysteries’ reviews

Teachers: Discover how you can match my novels to the English and/or History curriculum. You’ll find a comprehensive description of themes, topics for discussion, class activities and associated articles of interest for all my books on the For Teachers page.

A bush of rue, thought to signify regret and repentance – and which causes a nasty rash if touched

Other books in the series:

  • Lilies For Love – Lilies for Love. On the run and in fear of her life, Janna seeks refuge at Wiltune Abbey. But love, danger and mysteries follow close behind. What secret does her father’s letter hold, if only she can learn how to read it? Can the mysterious stranger asking questions about Janna be linked to the stabbing of the lord Hugh at St Edith’s fair? Who is destroying a precious manuscript, and what is the significance of the lilies left at the saint’s shrine? A chance meeting with the Empress Matilda helps to secure Janna’s loyalty to her cause – with grave consequences for Janna’s future.
  • Willows For Weeping – ‘Death follows you.’ An old woman’s prediction haunts Janna as she travels to Ambresberie with a group of pilgrims, hoping to discover the truth about her mother. But a letter discovered on the body of a dead man takes Janna to murder at Stonehenge and a crime to solve. At stake are Janna’s happiness and the success of her quest to find her unknown father, a quest that seems close to fulfilment after a charismatic pilgrim joins their party and offers his help. A man’s life hangs in the balance as Janna is forced to choose between loyalty to the Empress Matilda and what she most desires.
  • Sage For Sanctuary – 1141 AD, and Winchestre is ablaze in the bitter civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda. The mystery of Janna’s birth and her mother’s death have put her own life (and her heart) in danger. Proof of her identity is lost when her purse is stolen; she must work as a lowly drudge in a tavern to support herself while she tries to locate her unknown father. When sabotage threatens the tavern’s future, Janna has another mystery to solve and a decision to make that will jeopardise her relationship with everyone she loves and values.
  • Thyme For Trust – Janna’s happiness at finding her father soon turns to dismay as she comes to realise the threat she poses to his family. Fearing for her life, Janna accompanies him to Oxeneford where the empress is under siege from King Stephen, but her desire to act and to follow her heart puts Janna at odds with her father who is anxious to negotiate her marriage with the king’s favourite. When the man she truly loves is accused of murder, Janna has one more mystery to solve, until the siege of Wiltune turns her life upside down and changes everything.