Overview

Stonemason Robert Smythson is hired by the tyrannical Sir John Thynne to rebuild the great house of Longleat after a fire. When a gruesome body is discovered, Robert must find the courage to vanquish secrets from his past to bring a killer to justice, save his loved ones, and claim his own destiny. In Elizabethan England, where power and prestige are measured in stone, Sir John's desire for perfection matches Robert's own. But Sir John's dark past drives him to control every aspect of the building process, creating conflict between Robert's pursuit of excellence and his rejection of Sir John's methods. Set against the religious tensions of the 16th century, the rumblings of Catholic unrest threaten not only the monarchy, but also the Longleat neighborhood. Robert, a mason with an innate sense of proportion and symmetry, is knocked off balance when he encounters a rival mason, tests of loyalty, danger, and a murder no one wants investigated. Robert's unwavering sense of fairness compels him to seek the truth, putting him in peril from those who wish to keep secrets buried. As the danger draws closer, Robert faces an impossible choice: give in to Sir John's demands and keep his job or risk everything to rescue his love from the clutches of a madman. Can Robert confront a killer and reclaim his reputation in a world where secrets are as deadly as the tools of his trade?

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Katherine J. Scott is a writer and librarian living in Austin, Texas. Born in the US to English parents, she grew up with a blend of both cultures. Over the years, she developed a deep love for English country houses and the people who built them. Her debut novel, From the Ground Up, is the first installment of a mystery series featuring stonemason Robert Smythson and the houses he built in Elizabethan England. Katherine holds two master's degrees: an MS in Biology and an MLIS. She has more than twenty years' experience in library and information settings including school, public, and medical libraries. Katherine spent twelve years doing information management in the field of space life sciences for NASA. She is the author and editor of various publications including bibliographies, newsletters, websites, and research and position papers.She is an active member of the Writers League of Texas and the Historical Novel Society, for which she served as the HNSNA Conference Bookstore and Readers Festival Coordinator for both the 2023 and 2025 conferences. Katherine loves reading, talking about books, and helping kids find just the right book. Her favorite part of writing historical fiction is the deep dive into research and travelling to the places her characters walked. She lives with her husband and two rambunctious cats, while also trying to launch her two young adult kids into the world.

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