The fifth Sebastian Foxley Medieval Mystery.
London is not safe for princes or commoners.
In February 1478, a wealthy merchant is killed by an intruder and a royal duke dies at the Tower. Neither case is quite as simple as it seems.
Seb Foxley, an intrepid young artist, finds himself in the darkest of places, fleeing for his life. With foul deeds afoot at the king’s court, his wife Emily pregnant and his brother Jude’s hope of marrying Rose thwarted, can Seb unearth the secrets which others would prefer to keep hidden?
Join Seb and Jude, their lives in jeopardy in the dangerous streets of the city, as they struggle to solve crimes and keep their business flourishing.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
How do you find new methods of medieval murder?
I use medieval legal documents to find new ideas for murders for my thrillers. I like to include elements of mystery in the tale and if it ends with a visit to the hangman, so much the better.
How does inspiration strike you for your novels and how long do they take to write?
Inspiration can strike at any time, so it’s as well to note them down or they’re lost forever. It takes about six months to write a thriller but ideas for various murder mysteries are often being mulled over years in advance or a good tale might just appear fully formed, often in the shower!
Does the story or the research come first?
I have been researching 15th-century history for 30+ years, so much is done already. If the tale needs a specific bit of research – a hangman’s techniques, for example – that can be done at the time.
With 5 novels already in this series, can you tell us anything about future books?
The 6th Seb Foxley murder mystery is already written – The Colour of Death – this thriller is set in Norfolk and involves Seb and his long-lost relatives. I am now weaving tale no.7, back in London, where dark deeds are afoot and Seb has to wrestle with his conscience as he solves the puzzles in The Colour of Lies.
What is the correct order of the books?
The Colour of Poison
The Colour of Gold
The Colour of Cold Blood
The Colour of Betrayal
The Colour of Murder
"Toni Mount's The Color of Betrayal is a great story. A great visit to the Foxleys of medieval England. I can hardly wait for the next instalment." - Great Stories
"I loved this book! Very well researched, not only historically, but also in the areas of art and medicine. Great descriptions - you can even smell the scenes, something missing from many historical novels but necessary to live in the moment. The characters are likeable, the villains dastardly and scheming. While one suspects everyone and no one throughout the story, the reader gets a good lesson on how difficult it was to prove guilt or innocence during the time." - Quiltztheweb
"Regardless of how good the nail-biting storyline is, the plot is not the best part of the novel. The story is dwarfed by the wealth of the historical reality Mount uses as the base of her work. It is the CONTEXT that makes this book a true gem. Toni Mount is already well-known among history buffs, scholars, and aficionados of the medieval period for her outstanding non-fiction works on the daily life and medical beliefs of this era. She uses this encyclopedic familiarity of 15th-century life in London to craft a setting as believable as it is detailed." - Kyra Kramer
"As wonderful as the personalities and relationships are in this novel, it is truly a murder mystery." - Carpe Librum
Toni Mount earned her Master's Degree by completing original research into a unique 15th-century medical manuscript. She is the author of several successful non-fiction books including the number one bestseller, Everyday Life in Medieval England, which reflects her detailed knowledge of the lives of ordinary people in the Middle Ages. Toni's enthusiastic understanding of the period allows her to create accurate, atmospheric settings and realistic characters for her Sebastian Foxley medieval murder mysteries. Toni's first career was as a scientist and this brings an extra dimension to her novels. It also led to her new biography of Sir Isaac Newton. She writes regularly for both The Richard III Society and The Tudor Society and is a major contributor to MedievalCourses.com.As well as writing, Toni teaches history to adults, co-ordinates a creative writing group and is a popular speaker to groups and societies. Toni is also a member of the Crime Writers' Association.
