Jocelyne Waddle is a passionate writer and first-time author, deeply influenced by literary greats such as Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe and the evocative poetry of French romantic poets. In addition to her novel, as a member of the Garden Club of Frankfort, she has published several articles about gardening, antique roses, and floriography. Waddle is a proud member of the Bluegrass Writers Coalition, where she connects with fellow writers and shares her passion for storytelling. Originally from France, Waddle moved to the Bluegrass region for the love of a golden-haired Kentuckian whose charm captured her heart. When not writing or gardening, she enjoys wandering through ancient streets, weaving tales where love and intrigue are as entwined as passion vines clinging to sun-drenched walls.
Death Comes at First Light
Do you believe in second chances, or are some wounds too deep to heal?
Lady Aurora, Countess of Grandrivers, wears her title like the violent crimson bloom of the spider lily. Beneath the silk of her dresses lies a thicket of hidden scars grown under the cruel care of her late husband. Widowhood at twenty-six has not banished the insidious vines of fear and self-loathing that creep through the cracks of her sanity.
But she hopes still, and when her jailer is poisoned, the sweet scent of independence carries her to Dover, where the ferry to France awaits. Alas, life delights in planting obstacles. First, her childhood friend, Viscount de Beaulieu, like a stubborn sunny dandelion, disrupts her plans by following her despite her wishes. Then, a strange encounter with the enigmatic Earl of Sommerset and his beautiful cousin, Pauline, takes her by surprise as she learns secrets that bind them to her late husband.
As a new morning dawns, a murder victim in the adjacent room, Grandrivers’ ring—a relic of her past—sits as damning evidence as Inspector Edwards of Scotland Yard swirls suspicion like deadly miasma around Aurora and Beaulieu. As Aurora’s knowledge of toxic flora come to light, Beaulieu and Pauline disappear, throwing Aurora and Sommerset into a tangled web of distrust and attraction.
Societal norms crumble like dried petals; allegiances shift as Aurora reveals a deft knack for picking locks and an unorthodox repertoire of combat maneuvers. To vindicate herself and rescue her friend, she must reassess alliances and loyalties as she collaborates with the earl. The solution to this enigma, concealed in a cryptic notebook, will lead the two reluctant partners from Calais to the subterranean caves of a quaint fishing village.
And Aurora’s wounded heart? Vulnerable and elusive as a ghost orchid, it unfurls petals full of desires and resilience under moonlit whispers.