Kathleen Kent – författare

Martha Carrier was hanged on August 19th 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, unyielding in her refusal to admit to being a witch, going to her death rather than joining the ranks of men and women who confessed and were thereby spared execution.Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and wilful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. In this startling novel, she narrates the story of her early life in Andover, near Salem. Her father is a farmer, English in origin, quietly stoical but with a secret history. Her mother is a herbalist, tough but loving, and above all a good mother. Often at odds with each other, Sarah and her mother have a close but also cold relationship, yet it is clear that Martha understands her daughter like no other. When Martha is accused of witchcraft, and the whisperings in the community escalate, she makes her daughter promise not to stand up for her if the case is taken to court. As Sarah and her brothers are hauled into the prison themselves, the vicious cruelty of the trials is apparent, as the Carrier family, along with other innocents, are starved and deprived of any decency, battling their way through the hysteria with the sheer willpower their mother has taught them.

I’ll not ask you to be mine … I will never seek to blunt the fury in you, never, and will honour your will as my own. What say you? Can you be a soldier’s wife? New England, 1673. Martha Allen, a young woman reviled by her family because of her refusal to marry, is packed off to be a servant in her cousin’s home. She takes charge of the neglected household and annoys everyone around her – including a mysterious Welshman who works for the family, a man whose forceful nature matches her own. As they both gradually let their guard down, a fragile, uneasy friendship grows between the pair.Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, a band of assassins, driven by the will of Charles II, charter a ship to the New World. They have a single aim: to capture Thomas Morgan, the killer of Charles I, and bring him back to London where he will face an excruciating death. The Royalists want to see his head on a spike outside the Tower of London.As Martha begins to fall for the tall Welshman, he reveals a little of his past. It soon becomes clear that his life is in grave danger. As the threat of the assassins grows closer, can Martha find it in herself to be a traitor’s wife?Praise for The Heretic’s Daughter‘Absolutely compelling’ Daily Mail‘A very fine novel … a remarkably accomplished telling of a truly shocking tale’ Daily Express

Martha Carrier was hanged on August 19th 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, unyielding in her refusal to admit to being a witch, going to her death rather than joining the ranks of men and women who confessed and were thereby spared execution.Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and wilful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. In this startling novel, she narrates the story of her early life in Andover, near Salem. Her father is a farmer, English in origin, quietly stoical but with a secret history. Her mother is a herbalist, tough but loving, and above all a good mother. Often at odds with each other, Sarah and her mother have a close but also cold relationship, yet it is clear that Martha understands her daughter like no other. When Martha is accused of witchcraft, and the whisperings in the community escalate, she makes her daughter promise not to stand up for her if the case is taken to court. As Sarah and her brothers are hauled into the prison themselves, the vicious cruelty of the trials is apparent, as the Carrier family, along with other innocents, are starved and deprived of any decency, battling their way through the hysteria with the sheer willpower their mother has taught them.

Greed. Desire. Death. Love. It's the nineteenth century on the Gulf Coast of Texas, a time of opportunity and lawlessness.Lucinda: intelligent, passionate, wily and courageous - a woman who braves her affliction and risks her own life to pursue her lover, a man as charismatic as he is ruthless.Nate: pure of heart, and with a strong sense of justice - a Texas policeman who belies his gentle nature to fight and seek the truth.William: a killer who has claimed the lives of men, women and children across the frontier. A man who knows what he wants and will do anything to claim it.The Outcasts. A disparate group of men who have made a living out of violence, and a woman who will stop at nothing to prove herself.

I’ll not ask you to be mine … I will never seek to blunt the fury in you, never, and will honour your will as my own. What say you? Can you be a soldier’s wife? New England, 1673. Martha Allen, a young woman reviled by her family because of her refusal to marry, is packed off to be a servant in her cousin’s home. She takes charge of the neglected household and annoys everyone around her – including a mysterious Welshman who works for the family, a man whose forceful nature matches her own. As they both gradually let their guard down, a fragile, uneasy friendship grows between the pair.Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, a band of assassins, driven by the will of Charles II, charter a ship to the New World. They have a single aim: to capture Thomas Morgan, the killer of Charles I, and bring him back to London where he will face an excruciating death. The Royalists want to see his head on a spike outside the Tower of London.As Martha begins to fall for the tall Welshman, he reveals a little of his past. It soon becomes clear that his life is in grave danger. As the threat of the assassins grows closer, can Martha find it in herself to be a traitor’s wife?Praise for The Heretic’s Daughter‘Absolutely compelling’ Daily Mail‘A very fine novel … a remarkably accomplished telling of a truly shocking tale’ Daily Express

Brooklyn''s toughest female detective takes on Dallas in this ''violent, sexy, and completely absorbing'' Edgar Award nominee, the first novel in the acclaimed Betty Rhyzyk series (Kirkus Reviews). Dallas, Texas is not for the faint of heart. Good thing for Betty Rhyzyk she''s from a family of take-no-prisoners Brooklyn police detectives. But her Big Apple wisdom will only get her so far when she relocates to The Big D, where Mexican drug cartels and cult leaders, deadbeat skells and society wives all battle for sunbaked turf.Betty is as tough as the best of them, but she''s deeply shaken when her first investigation goes sideways. Battling a group of unruly subordinates, a persistent stalker, a formidable criminal organisation, and an unsupportive girlfriend, the unbreakable Detective Betty Rhyzyk may be reaching her limit.Combining the colourful pyrotechnics of Breaking Bad with the best of the gritty crime genre, The Dime is Kathleen Kent''s brilliant mystery debut and the launch of a sensational new series.Praise for Kathleen Kent: ''Only a fan blowing in the right direction could flip the pages of this lightning-paced tale any faster'' Minneapolis Star Tribune ''One of the most breathless, inventive and – be forewarned – violent suspense plots I''ve read in a long time'' NPR ''Exciting [and] moving... Grisly but likable'' Wall Street Journal ''Some of the most intense crime fiction I''ve ever read'' LitReactor ''Kent''s offbeat humor pulls up reins just before it takes the story over a cliff'' New York Times Book Review

Brooklyn's toughest female detective takes on Dallas in this 'violent, sexy, and completely absorbing' Edgar Award nominee, the first novel in the acclaimed Betty Rhyzyk series (Kirkus Reviews). Dallas, Texas is not for the faint of heart. Good thing for Betty Rhyzyk she's from a family of take-no-prisoners Brooklyn police detectives. But her Big Apple wisdom will only get her so far when she relocates to The Big D, where Mexican drug cartels and cult leaders, deadbeat skells and society wives all battle for sunbaked turf.Betty is as tough as the best of them, but she's deeply shaken when her first investigation goes sideways. Battling a group of unruly subordinates, a persistent stalker, a formidable criminal organisation, and an unsupportive girlfriend, the unbreakable Detective Betty Rhyzyk may be reaching her limit.Combining the colourful pyrotechnics of Breaking Bad with the best of the gritty crime genre, The Dime is Kathleen Kent's brilliant mystery debut and the launch of a sensational new series.Praise for Kathleen Kent: 'Only a fan blowing in the right direction could flip the pages of this lightning-paced tale any faster' Minneapolis Star Tribune 'One of the most breathless, inventive and – be forewarned – violent suspense plots I've read in a long time' NPR 'Exciting [and] moving... Grisly but likable' Wall Street Journal 'Some of the most intense crime fiction I've ever read' LitReactor 'Kent's offbeat humor pulls up reins just before it takes the story over a cliff' New York Times Book Review

Dallas''s toughest female detective takes on a string of mysterious assassinations in the second novel of the ''violent, sexy, and completely absorbing'' Betty Rhyzyk series (Kirkus Reviews). Not much can make Detective Betty Rhyzyk flinch. But when forced into therapy, a desk assignment, and domestic bliss following a terrifying run-in with an apocalyptic cult, she''s having trouble readjusting to life as it once was. At home, she struggles to connect with her loving wife, Jackie. At work, someone has been assassinating confidential informants. To make matters worse, Betty''s partner seems to be increasingly dependent on the painkillers he was prescribed for injuries he sustained narrowly rescuing her.Betty''s at the point of breaking when she decides to go rogue, on a chase that will lead her to the dark heart of a drug cartel terrorizing Dallas, and straight to the crooked cops who plan to profit from it all.Praise for Kathleen Kent: ''Gripping... Briskly paced, The Burn barely allows the reader to take a breath as believable twists careen throughout'' Associated Press ''Readers will clamor for the irresistible Betty''s next chapter'' Publishers Weekly ''Exciting [and] moving... Grisly but likable'' Wall Street Journal ''Kent continues to reinvent and subvert traditional noir expectations... Action-driven mystery anchored by dynamic, deep characters'' Kirkus Reviews ''A gripping, powerfully human procedural'' Booklist

Dallas's toughest female detective takes on a string of mysterious assassinations in the second novel of the 'violent, sexy, and completely absorbing' Betty Rhyzyk series (Kirkus Reviews). Not much can make Detective Betty Rhyzyk flinch. But when forced into therapy, a desk assignment, and domestic bliss following a terrifying run-in with an apocalyptic cult, she's having trouble readjusting to life as it once was. At home, she struggles to connect with her loving wife, Jackie. At work, someone has been assassinating confidential informants. To make matters worse, Betty's partner seems to be increasingly dependent on the painkillers he was prescribed for injuries he sustained narrowly rescuing her.Betty's at the point of breaking when she decides to go rogue, on a chase that will lead her to the dark heart of a drug cartel terrorizing Dallas, and straight to the crooked cops who plan to profit from it all.Praise for Kathleen Kent: 'Gripping... Briskly paced, The Burn barely allows the reader to take a breath as believable twists careen throughout' Associated Press 'Readers will clamor for the irresistible Betty's next chapter' Publishers Weekly 'Exciting [and] moving... Grisly but likable' Wall Street Journal 'Kent continues to reinvent and subvert traditional noir expectations... Action-driven mystery anchored by dynamic, deep characters' Kirkus Reviews 'A gripping, powerfully human procedural' Booklist

Brooklyn''s toughest female detective takes on Dallas in this ''violent, sexy, and completely absorbing'' novel (Kirkus), the final book in the acclaimed Betty Rhyzyk series.Things are looking up for Detective Betty Rhyzyk. She''s settled into a happy marriage and been promoted to Sergeant in the Dallas Police Department. But when a hostage stand-off puts her on the phone with legendary cartel leader The Knife, things take a turn. A rival is making a play for the Knife''s territory: none other than Evangeline Roy. The matriarch of a ruthless cult, Evangeline also holds a personal vendetta against Betty. So who better to draw Evangeline out of hiding? Betty''s got two weeks to catch her. Or else.With the drug dealers of Dallas donning strange red wigs and delivering cryptic messages, Betty''s in a race for answers. As the clock ticks down, it will take everything she''s got to finally put an end to Evangeline''s reign of terror, and to keep her beloved Dallas – and her own family – safe at last.Reviewers on The Pledge:''The terrific adrenaline punch you''d expect for the grand finale of Kathleen Kent''s Edgar-nominated trilogy.'' Julia Heaberlin ''A thrilling last dance with the formidable Betty Rhyzyk.'' Steph Cha? ''Detective Betty is one of my favorite queer characters in crime fiction.'' Kristen Lepionka ''Satisfying and action-packed.'' Publishers Weekly

Brooklyn's toughest female detective takes on Dallas in this 'violent, sexy, and completely absorbing' novel (Kirkus), the final book in the acclaimed Betty Rhyzyk series.Things are looking up for Detective Betty Rhyzyk. She's settled into a happy marriage and been promoted to Sergeant in the Dallas Police Department. But when a hostage stand-off puts her on the phone with legendary cartel leader The Knife, things take a turn. A rival is making a play for the Knife's territory: none other than Evangeline Roy. The matriarch of a ruthless cult, Evangeline also holds a personal vendetta against Betty. So who better to draw Evangeline out of hiding? Betty's got two weeks to catch her. Or else.With the drug dealers of Dallas donning strange red wigs and delivering cryptic messages, Betty's in a race for answers. As the clock ticks down, it will take everything she's got to finally put an end to Evangeline's reign of terror, and to keep her beloved Dallas – and her own family – safe at last.Reviewers on The Pledge:'The terrific adrenaline punch you'd expect for the grand finale of Kathleen Kent's Edgar-nominated trilogy.' Julia Heaberlin 'A thrilling last dance with the formidable Betty Rhyzyk.' Steph Cha? 'Detective Betty is one of my favorite queer characters in crime fiction.' Kristen Lepionka 'Satisfying and action-packed.' Publishers Weekly

A dazzling new spy thriller about a female CIA agent whose extraordinary powers lead her into the dangerous heart of the collapsing Soviet Union – and the path of a killer that shouldn''t exist. Minsk, 1990. The Soviet Union is crumbling. The scavengers and predators are gathering, eager to pick the meat off the bones of a dying empire.THE SPY: Melvina Donleavy is part of a US trade delegation... and on her first undercover mission with the CIA. Mel has a secret skill: she is a ''super recognizer'', someone who never forgets a face. She is the CIA''s early warning system, on watch for hostile agents trying to extract fissionable materials from the moribund USSR.THE SERIAL KILLER: On the streets of Minsk, women are being strangled. Many more have disappeared. The Soviet Union is not a gentle place for women and too many men are capable of such violence, but the truth is worse: just one man is responsible. Worse still, the authorities will never admit to his existence – serial killers, after all, are a symptom of capitalist decadence. And now he has a new target...THE SPY HUNTER: Chairman of the BSSR''s KGB, recipient of the Hero of the Soviet Union medal, the Order of Lenin, the Medal for Valour, the Order of the Patriotic War and the Order of the Red Star. They say you never hear his footsteps until he''s carrying your coffin. And now he has a new target...The Cold War may be coming to a close, but Mel is in danger of being obliterated by its fallout. Whichever way she turns, the wolves are gathering.Reviews for Black Wolf:''Kathleen Kent slays it with Black Wolf, a propulsive page-turner chock full of juicy spy game goodies. Simply masterful.'' Lisa Barr''Black Wolf is a superlative read, rich in atmospherics and authenticity. Kathleen Kent knows the territory firsthand, and deftly guides us across the harrowing terrain.'' Dan Fesperman''A razor-sharp, whip-smart, beautifully written thriller. Combines the plotting of Frederick Forsyth with the chills of Thomas Harris. Highly recommended.'' Christopher Reich''A gritty depiction of the spy game during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Perfect for fans of The Americans.'' Alma Katsu