Book excerpt: She was a passionate lover. But was she also a murderess? In the first of Paul Doherty's series featuring the time travelling scholar Nicholas Segalla, the reader is transported to the 16th century Scottish court. Perfect for fans of Susanna Gregory and C. J. Sansom. Edinburgh, 1567. Beautiful Mary, Queen of Scots, leaves her ill husband's bedside to attend the wedding festivities of her maid of honour. Hours later, the calm night is shattered by a devastating explosion. The King's body is found in a field with a cloak, a chair, a slipper and a dagger by his lifeless corpse. When stolen letters cast suspicion on the queen herself, she is accused of murder. Was the fiery Mary the perpetrator of the King's bloody murder, or the object of a ruthless plot of betrayal, crafted by England's most masterful assassin, the Raven Master? Only the shadowy scholar Nicholas Segalla can uncover the truth. What readers are saying about Paul Doherty: 'A cracker, full of twists and turns, with an overarching mystery of who exactly is Segalla' 'Paul Doherty's books are a joy to read' 'The sounds and smells of the period seem to waft from the pages of [Paul Doherty's] books'