Bride in Funeral Clothing

Former army mechanic Mel Greenway investigates the abduction of bride-to-be Lorelie Courtney at crumbling Avonby estate in post-war Britain. As police investigator Derrin Bradley struggles for answers, Mel uncovers abuse, buried secrets, and links to their military past. Captured herself, Mel must use courage and ingenuity to survive and prevail.

A kidnapped bride and buried secrets. Mel Greenway is refusing to let the past stay dead.

In post-war Britain, Avonby estate is a crumbling relic full of forgotten history. Lady Melinda 'Mel' Greenway, a former army mechanic and the family's poor relation, seeks solace in its overgrown gardens. But then Avonby bride-to-be Lorelie Courtney is forcibly abducted on the eve of her wedding.

With local residents closing ranks and the investigation grinding to a halt, Police Investigator Derrin Bradley turns to the one person he trusts to help him uncover the truth. But Mel and Derrin’s clandestine relationship is becoming harder to hide and as Mel investigates Lorelie’s troubled past, she uncovers a former fiancé, years of abuse, and secrets that someone is desperate to keep hidden. But the deeper she digs, the more her own traumatic memories begin to surface, threatening her judgement, her relationship with Derrin, and her position in the Avonby household.

With time running out, and Mel and Derrin suspecting that Lorelie’s disappearance is connected to their own military past and to a history Derrin has long tried to forget, Mel finds herself captured and fighting for survival.

To escape before it is too late, she must rely on her mechanical ingenuity, courage, and determination to uncover the truth.