April 29, 1585. Coroner John Derrick is summoned to the cozy village of Bramley to investigate a naked dead man found beneath a waterwheel. An unfortunate drowning, by all indications. But upon closer inspection, the case takes a macabre turn: The deceased is missing a certain piece of his anatomy.

Impelled by the grisly discovery to uncover the culprit, John must contend with bumbling villagers in his quest for the truth. Only sixteen-year-old maid Rebecca Laurence seems to offer any help.

In Elizabethan England, servants rarely get a second glance. Rebecca prefers it that way, moving quietly through her world, picking up secrets like dirty clothing. Knowledge is power at a time when women are afforded little, and she deftly wields hers to protect her own clandestine affairs.

As John wades through the evidence, Rebecca treads into dangerous waters. And if she’s not careful, she could find herself in over her head.

Jane Bitomsky is an award-winning author of historical fiction. Born in Australia, Jane attended the University of Queensland, where she attained her BA and LLB degrees with honors and her PhD in early modern English history. Her scholarly writing has appeared in academic journals, and her fictional work has earned accolades in the US and UK, including the 2024 Killer Nashville Claymore Award for Best Historical, Second Prize in the 2023 Yeovil Literary Prize, and Third Prize in the 2022 First Novel Prize. Jane lives with her family in New Zealand, where she volunteers as a baker for Good Bitches Baking, a charity serving people across Aotearoa. Death by Misadventure is her first novel. Her website is www.janebitomskybooks.com.