A Summit in Shadow

Ducal Detective Mysteries #4

by Sarah E. Burr

Secrets gather beneath the snow."A charming series to be sure!" - Five-Star Audible ReviewAs winter settles across the land, Jacqueline Arienta Xavier travels north to Lysandeir to discuss the future of the infamous wilds of Cetachi. When a young woman unexpectedly dies the night the Saphire delegation arrives at the summit, the Duchess senses a darkness looming over the gathering. While others dismiss the woman's death as accidental, Jax knows something more sinister is afoot. She and her friends must scour the halls of the stone fortress in search of the perpetrator before the realm is cast into civil war."The twists and turns in A Summit In Shadow have become Sarah E. Burr’s trademark style that takes the reader on a chase which runs hard until the end!" - Five-Star Amazon ReviewReturn to the Realm of Virtues in A Summit in Shadow. Discover more of Duchess Jacqueline's adventures in the Court of Mystery, an enchanting series full of fantastical intrigue.Court of MysteryThe Ducal DetectiveA Feast Most FoulA Voyage of VengeanceA Summit in ShadowThrone of ThreatsParadise PlaguedBurdened BloodlineSovereign SiegedCrown of ChaosHarrowed HeirRavaged ReignInnocence ImprisonedArdent Ascension

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy

169 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 16, 2017

About the author

Sarah E. Burr lives near New York City. Hailing from the small town of Appleton, Maine, she has been dreaming of being Nancy Drew since she was a little girl. After not finding any mysteries in corporate America, Sarah began creating some of her own.

She writes the award-winning Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, the Trending Topic Mysteries, the Book Blogger Mysteries, and the Court of Mystery series. "You Can’t Candle the Truth" was a 2022 NGIBA Best Mystery Finalist and a 2022 Silver Falchion Best Supernatural Mystery Finalist. "Too Much to Candle" was a 2023 NGIBA Best Paranormal Finalist, and "#TagMe for Murder" was a 2024 NGIBA Best Chick Lit Finalist.

Sarah is the co-host of "It's Bookish Time," a live-streamed web series featuring author interviews and book discussions. She writes on the Writers Who Kill blogging team and is a member of Sisters in Crime. When she’s not spinning up stories, Sarah sings Broadway show tunes, plays video games with her husband, and enjoys walks with her rescue dogs, Eevee and Itto.

Stay connected with Sarah and receive free stories, be the first to learn about book news, book deals, and more by signing up for her newsletter: https://bit.ly/saraheburrbookssignup.

Reviews

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duchess Jacqueline and her closest friends and advisors are traveling to the kingdom of Lysandeir. A summit of other rulers is meeting to decide the fate of a region that has been lawless for as long as anyone can remember. Jacqueline is hoping to lead the others to reach a decision that will most benefit her kingdom. But when a young woman dies before the talks even get started, everything is thrown into chaos. Are the rest of the attendees in danger? Can Jacqueline figure out what is going on?

This book marks the transition in the series from novella to novel length story. Unfortunately, there are some pacing issues in the book near the beginning. Yes, it is setting up some things, but I do wish we had gotten to the mystery faster. It’s hard to complain, however, since I love spending time with these characters, and I enjoyed meeting the new ones. We also got some nice growth in several of the characters. Once the mystery began in earnest, it was strong with some nice twists and red herrings on the way to the logical solution. A word of warning: there are major spoilers (by necessity) in this book if you haven’t read the earlier books in the series. Fans of the series will enjoy this entry overall. If that isn’t you, yet, fix that today.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Jim Twombly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Summit in Shadow shows off a maturing author in terms of writing skill and application of what she has learned. Sarah's time spent in political science classes as an undergrad begins to show in this murder mystery/political thriller. The murder mystery could hold anyone's attention, but the levels of political intrigue appeal to readers looking for something more. Sarah uses the framework of her Ducal Detective Series to expose the strengths and weaknesses in both monarchical and democratic forms of government.

These little gems from Sarah continue to be mini-mental vacations. I look forward to tackling the next one -- Throne of Threats -- once the school year is over.

[Evan Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has done it again! Here we have another story full of twists and turns expertly assembled to bring you back in to the Realm of Virtues. Fans of the Ducal Detective Mysteries (4 Book Series) will appreciate this fourth installment not only because it reads like the others, but because we get a full length novel to dig in to.

In giving us a full length novel the author has given us a taste of her capable skill and leaves me hoping for new stories and characters to learn about. You will also notice some similarities between events of today and how a capable leader (who happens to be a woman) manages them. :)

Be sure to grab this book on one of the snow days soon to come.

[Nina Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.9 stars. Each Realm of Virtues book just keeps getting better and better. The characters, the plot, the setting, the descriptions - even though A Summit in Shadow is on the shorter side, it proves to be a very satisfying read! Sarah E. Burr weaves her readers deeper and deeper into her royal mystery, and has a talent for weaving intriguing tales.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging with many twists and turns. Best book in the series yet.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/14/2020)! 🎁

[Mary Seifert · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a GREAT way to spend time on the beach!! And the fourth book in a wonderful story!