The Twice Dead Man: A Ruby Vaughn Mini Mystery

by Jess Armstrong

In Jess Armstrong’s The Twice Dead Man, American heiress Ruby Vaughn heads back to the ancient Cornish countryside that started it all for this series. A great entry point into the world, this short story takes place between The Devil in Oxford and The Lost Souls of Saint Oda's.

January, 1923: Ever since the occult came into American heiress Ruby Vaughn’s life, it’s as though she’s had no moment of murders involving curses, mediums, and antiquities. Ruby no longer resents the incursion of the arcane into her world, because it also brought her Ruan Kivell. The folk healer Pellar is her partner in both sleuthing and romance, and they are spending a few weeks in his Cornish village of Lothlel Green. Relaxing with Ruan and her books, in the place they first met, is the perfect remedy for a girl who cannot help but find herself in tight scrapes.

But Ruby soon realizes that peace and quiet can be boring. And when a storm hits Cornwall, it brings a dead body to Ruan’s door. Ruan recognizes the dead man as Iwan Richards, someone who supposedly died over a decade ago. Someone Ruan helped bury. Iwan’s first death in 1912 was a mining accident. . . but this time it’s murder. Ruby and Ruan must untangle the mystery of the man who died twice, before a killer strikes again.

Genres: Mystery

101 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2026

About the author

Jess Armstrong is the USA Today best selling author of the Ruby Vaughn Mysteries. Her 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, two sons and an ever growing number of pets and plants. And when she’s not working on her next project, she’s probably thinking about cheese, baking, on social media or some combination of the above.

Reviews

[Jeannine · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s nice to get a little taste of Ruby and Ruan to tide us over until the next book comes out.

[Liza (LitLifewithLiza) Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bite-sized mystery to keep the Ruby Vaughn fans fed until the release of The Lost Souls of Saint Oda's! I'll always say yes to more Ruby and this short story was a perfect atmospheric return to Lothlel Green with more bodies piling up and the crime-solving duo we love most.

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect little mini-mystery between book releases! I simply cannot get enough of Ruby and Ruan and their little adventures. Thank you, Jess! 🖤

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

super fun mini mystery with nice little snapshot of Ruby and Ruan's relationship

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bite sized Ruby Vaughn story. It felt a bit underdeveloped and a little rushed, but still entertaining.