‘The Secret of The Three Fates’ by Jess Armstrong

Published by Allison & Busby,
5 December 2024.
ISBN: 978-0-7490-3163-3 (HB)

When the First World War ended, American heiress Ruby Vaughan felt that she had lost everything: her reputation had been destroyed when she was publicly shamed by the devious but charming man she was betrothed to; her parents and younger sister died when the Lusitania was torpedoed; and her beloved friend, with whom she had planned to spend her life, had left her for the false security of marriage to a wealthy man.

After spending the war years driving an ambulance and trying to save the lives of desperately injured men, Ruby was emotionally burnt out when she saw an advertisement for an assistant placed by eccentric bookseller, Mr Owen. Intrigued, she applied for the job and was selected and has spent the last few years living in Mr Owen’s house in Exeter and working for him, learning a great deal about the antiquarian bookseller’s trade.

It is now October 1922. Six weeks before the story told in The Secret of the Three Fates, Mr Owen had sent Ruby to Cornwall to make a delivery to Ruan Kivell. From their first encounter Ruby is intrigued by Ruan, who is a Pellar, a witch and healer, who can hear what Ruby is thinking. Although she doesn’t wish to admit it, she is not only physically attracted to him, but she also feels an instinctive emotional bond. In Cornwall Ruby and Ruan share a dangerous adventure that almost costs her, her life and, after she spends a few weeks regaining her strength in Exeter, Mr Owen announces that he wants her to accompany him to Scotland.

Mr Owen tells Ruby that they are going to Manhurst Castle in the Scottish Borders in order to appraise some illuminated manuscripts, but soon after their arrival she realises this is not true. There are three mediums present at Manhurst and they are going to hold a seance. Ruby is sceptical about seances, which in her experience are, at best, self-deceiving, and, at worst, deliberately fraudulent. However, she can understand Mr Owen’s desire to speak for one last time with his son, Ben, who died in the war and, despite her doubts, is impressed by Mr Owen’s claim that one of the mediums is the only person he knows who can truly communicate with the dead. As well as the three mediums, Manhurst has some socially eminent and aristocratic guests, all of whom attend the seance. When the three mediums make their entrance, Ruby is horrified to recognise one of them as a person she had encountered in Cornwall, a woman that has powers that Ruby cannot explain. The seances Ruby has previously experienced have run on well-ordered lines, with predictable special effects, but this one is very different and the spirit that is summoned is not one that any of the people attending had expected.

Later that night, Ruby discovers a murdered woman and the police officer in charge of the case seems intent on arresting Ruby for the crime, even though there is no apparent motive and little evidence to indicate her guilt. As Ruby struggles to extricate herself and Mr Owen from the web of deceit and violence into which he has led them, she is distracted by the arrival of Ruan, whom Mr Owen has summoned. She is glad of an ally but terrified by predictions that she may destroy him. Also, she is too afraid of commitment to admit, even to herself, that she has strong, passionate feelings about this strange man with his powers of insight and healing. The deeper Ruby probes, the darker secrets emerge from the past, and the danger grows more acute, until Ruby is uncertain who she can trust to help save herself and the people she cares about.

The Secret of the Three Fates is the second book featuring Ruby Vaughan and it is as compelling as its predecessor. It is a book with secrets at its core and the danger is vividly portrayed. Ruby is a fascinating protagonist, desperate to appear hard and self-sufficient, but at her core she is vulnerable and capable of loyalty, love and compassion. Ruan is an intriguing and engaging foil for her, and Mr Owen is infuriating but likeable. The book has a complex, fast-paced plot and fascinating period background. I enjoyed The Secret of the Three Fates very much and thoroughly recommend it.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron

Jess Armstrong's debut novel The Curse of Penryth Hall won the Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur First Crime Novel Competition. She has a masters degree in American History but prefers writing about imaginary people to the real thing. Jess lives in New Orleans with her historian husband. When she's not working on her next project, she's probably thinking about cheese, baking, tweeting or some combination of the above. 

Carol Westron is a Golden Age expert who has written many articles on the subject and given papers at several conferences. She is the author of several series: contemporary detective stories and police procedurals, comedy crime and Victorian Murder Mysteries. Her most recent publications are Paddling in the Dead Sea and Delivering Lazarus, books 2 and 3 of the Galmouth Mysteries, the series which began with
The Fragility of Poppies. 

www.carolwestron.com