410 ratings | 164 reviews | avg rating:4.32

Elizabeth’s Year In Books

Elizabeth’s 2024 Year in Books

Take a look at Elizabeth’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Elizabeth Bailey’s Followers (303)

Elizabeth’s Bookshelves

to-read (178)
currently-reading (2)
read (406)

Elizabeth’s Friends (420)

Liz Fenwick

631 books | 467 friends

Linda Gillard

55 books | 582 friends

Elaine

6,517 books | 275 friends

Patsy Collins

244 books | 497 friends

Rayene Ziadi

1,043 books | 510 friends

Annette Thomson

845 books | 382 friends

Debbie Blake

124 books | 1,058 friends

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Elizabeth Bailey

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.elizabethbailey.co.uk/

Twitter

lizbwrites

Genre

Mystery, Historical Romance, Literary/paranormal

Member Since

March 2012

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An avid reader from an early age, Elizabeth Bailey grew up in colonial Africa under unconventional parentage and with theatre in the blood. Back in England, she trod the boards until discovering her true métier as a writer in her thirties, when she fulfilled an early addiction to Georgette Heyer by launching into historical romance. Eight years and eight books later, Elizabeth joined the Harlequin Mills & Boon stable, fuelling her writing with a secondary career teaching and directing drama, and writing plays into the bargain.

With 18 historicals published, Elizabeth turned to other genres, producing two titles (Fly the Wild Echoes and For One More Tomorrow) in the cross-genre literary/paranormal field as well as a suspense novella (Silence ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

I'm an aspiring writer, but I'm dealing with two things: I get discouraged every single day because 96% of manuscripts are rejected, and I haven't had an idea for years, literally. There's too many people wanting to be writers, and knowing there's so much competition just kills me a little every day. When I get motivated, immediatly something appears about the industry that kills it. Any tips on how to deal with this?

Elizabeth Bailey Hi Cintia - I completely understand where you are coming from. There's no doubt it's a difficult time for writers and the competition is intense. On t…moreHi Cintia - I completely understand where you are coming from. There's no doubt it's a difficult time for writers and the competition is intense. On the other hand, there's never been so many opportunities and open doors. There are many new outlets opening up - independent digital publishers of all types of genres. When I began, it really was tough to get your foot through the door. It took me 8 years, 8 complete novels as well, before I wrote one that somebody wanted to publish. I had novels doing the rounds throughout that time. I wrote one, started sending it out, wrote another and so on. Rejection is part of the game and there are no sinecures in this business. So don't let rejection get you down. You only need one editor or agent to like it, however many don't.
My advice is to let go of the idea of competition and concentrate on just writing. Enjoy the process. It really doesn't matter about the wannabes out there. Your writing will still be unique. Your voice is your stamp on the work. Someone somewhere is going to like your voice.
Now - ideas. Practise people watching wherever you are. Watch the kind of movies or TV shows you enjoy and those in the genre you think you would like to write. Let the ideas flow over you. Don't try.
Observe the world around you, images, landscapes, urban or rural environments and let your imagination people them with characters.
Ideas for novels don't come fully formed. It's a snatch, a breath, an image, a song, a phrase, a person. It has to start somewhere. Breathe in the world and you will find it starts giving back little spots of potential.
Keep a notebook, write down anything that pops into your head. Physical notebooks are better than digital for this. You can flick through them and somehow seeing things in your own handwriting feels much more personal and that it belongs to you.
I hope there is something here that helps you. If you need to talk more go on my website and send a message from there which will get to my reader email and I can respond more if you wish. www.elizabethbailey.co.uk
Good luck!
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I'm not sure how I actually found your book on Amazon but I'm so glad I did. I'm a huge fan of historical murder mysteries. The Gilded Shroud was just fantastic. I'm reading Deathly Portent. I was wondering if any of the previous characters make an appearance in this book. I really liked the dowager. I am curious about what happens to Randal and his families? Thanks. Please write more.

Elizabeth Bailey Hi Ali. Thank you so much! I'm really pleased you are enjoying the series. Don't worry, the dowager is back in the next book, The Opium Purge, along w…moreHi Ali. Thank you so much! I'm really pleased you are enjoying the series. Don't worry, the dowager is back in the next book, The Opium Purge, along with some more of the Polbrook family, and you will definitely find out what happens. And yes, I am writing more. I love writing them, which is why I'm so pleased you like reading them.
Thank you for taking the trouble to write to me.
Elizabeth(less)

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Combine Editions
Elizabeth Bailey’s books

Average rating: 4.09 · 21,458 ratings · 1,541 reviews · 94 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Gilded Shroud (Lady Fan Mystery, #1) 3.93 avg rating — 3,258 ratings — published 1992 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Deathly Portent (Lady Fan Mystery, #2) 3.89 avg rating — 1,742 ratings — published 2012 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Opium Purge (Lady Fan Mystery, #3) 4.14 avg rating — 1,252 ratings — published 2018 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Candlelit Coffin (Lady Fan Mystery, #4) 4.27 avg rating — 1,171 ratings — published 2019 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Mortal Blow (Lady Fan Mystery, #5) 4.22 avg rating — 1,086 ratings — published 2019 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Fateful Marriage (Lady Fan Mystery, #6) 4.37 avg rating — 940 ratings — published 2020 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dagger Dance (Lady Fan Mystery, #7) 4.35 avg rating — 895 ratings — published 2021 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Unwanted Corpse (Lady Fan Mystery, #8) 4.28 avg rating — 849 ratings — published 2022 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Vengeance Trail (Lady Fan Mystery, #9) 4.34 avg rating — 641 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Hanging Cheat (Lady Fan Mystery #10) 4.46 avg rating — 566 ratings — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Elizabeth Bailey…

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Elizabeth Bailey's Blog

My Georgian Romances

I'm very busy uploading my historical romances to Amazon and Smashwords. As I live in the UK, I have to use Smashwords to get books into formats other than Kindle, plus shops other than Amazon. It's a great way to ensure readers can get the books, no matter what e-reader they are using.

I've already got three new romances up: Mademoiselle at Arms, The Conqueror's Dilemma and A Lady in Name. And the Read more of this blog post »

6 likes · Like • 4 comments • flag

Published on May 11, 2013 01:40 • Tags: georgian, historical-romance, regency-reads, regency-romance, traditional-regency

Series by Elizabeth Bailey

Lady Fan Mystery (11 books)
by

Elizabeth Bailey (Goodreads Author)

4.14 avg rating — 12,841 ratings

Brides by Chance (10 books)
by

Elizabeth Bailey (Goodreads Author)

4.10 avg rating — 3,435 ratings

Governesses Trilogy (4 books)
by

Elizabeth Bailey (Goodreads Author)

3.91 avg rating — 682 ratings

Elizabeth is Currently Reading

Elizabeth Bailey is currently reading

A Blink of the Screen: Collected Shorter Fiction

by Terry Pratchett

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Jun 02, 2025 10:20PM

Elizabeth Bailey is currently reading

The Dead Curate (Jane Austen Investigations #5)

by Laura Martin

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Oct 16, 2024 12:53PM

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Elizabeth’s Recent Updates

Elizabeth Bailey is currently reading A Blink of the Screen: Collected Shorter Fiction by Terry Pratchett	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 02, 2025 10:20PM · like
Elizabeth Bailey rated a book really liked it A Fugue in Time: A Virago Modern Classic (Virago Modern Classics) by Rumer Godden	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 02, 2025 10:11PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Fugue in Time by Rumer Godden. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Fugue in Time by Rumer Godden <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elizabeth Bailey rated a book really liked it Enigma by Robert Harris (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 23, 2025 11:40PM · 1 like · like
Elizabeth Bailey rated a book really liked it The Fear Index by Robert Harris (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 13, 2025 10:27PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Fear Index by Robert Harris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Fear Index by Robert Harris <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elizabeth Bailey rated a book it was amazing Lights! Camera! Mayhem! (The Chronicles of St. Mary's #14.6) by Jodi Taylor (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 10, 2025 11:10PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lights! Camera! Mayhem! by Jodi Taylor. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lights! Camera! Mayhem! by Jodi Taylor <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elizabeth Bailey is currently reading The Dead Curate (Jane Austen Investigations #5) by Laura Martin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 16, 2024 12:53PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Dead Curate by Laura Martin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Dead Curate by Laura Martin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elizabeth Bailey rated a book it was amazing Daughter of the Waves: Memories of Growing Up in Pre-War Palestine by Ruth Jordan	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 16, 2024 12:53PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Daughter of the Waves by Ruth Jordan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Daughter of the Waves by Ruth Jordan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elizabeth Bailey wants to read The God and the Gumiho (Fate's Thread, #1) by Sophie Kim (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 16, 2024 02:07AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elizabeth Bailey rated a book it was amazing 4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 06, 2024 01:38PM · 1 like · like
Elizabeth Bailey rated a book really liked it Murder Under the Mistletoe (Maybridge Murder Mysteries #2) by Liz Fielding (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 03, 2024 11:33PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Murder Under the Mistletoe by Liz Fielding. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Murder Under the Mistletoe by Liz Fielding <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Elizabeth Bailey (?)

“I dislike any form of betrayal. Too many people take their marriage vows lightly. If one is fortunate enough to inspire affection, one should strive to deserve it, do you not think?”
― Elizabeth Bailey, The Gilded Shroud

tags: historical-fiction, mystery, series

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“Francis hesitated. “I’m sure I ought to refuse to let you come with me.” Her eyes lit with mischief. “And I am just as sure you ought not. How can you prevent me?” As he eyed her, he was aware of disturbance in the rate of his heartbeat and an unsettling shortness of breath. “I can think of several ways,” he responded without thinking. Colour fluctuated in Ottilia’s cheek. With an effort, Francis wrenched his attention away from the images crawling in his head.”
― Elizabeth Bailey, The Gilded Shroud

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“Francis focused on the woman’s eyes. They really were quite free of guile, he reflected. Unusual in the females of his acquaintance, and therefore refreshing.”
― Elizabeth Bailey, The Gilded Shroud

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