A carved wardrobe. A childhood memory. A symbol that shouldn't exist in two places at once. Meet Phoebe Sauber—and the mystery that's been waiting for her all along.
Phoebe had fallen near her uncle’s ornately carved wardrobe, which stood against the wall between two large windows, and she’d just missed having her head smashed against the wooden edge. God had perhaps saved her from a more nasty injury.
As a child, when she’d come to her aunt’s house to play, she’d spent hours fascinated by the ridiculously elaborate and intricate carvings on the door. It was like a treasure map that would lead to something wonderful if she could decipher it. Staring at the wardrobe door again, the memories came flooding back to her.
Now, she rolled over onto her stomach and reached out her hand to trace the familiar carvings. Those had been the days right after her brother had been born and her mother had died. Right when her father had changed from a parent doting on his only child to a distant man who barely remembered her existence compared to his newborn heir. At the time, she had only been eight years old and hadn’t understood what had been happening, and while her nanny had tried to fill the gap, it had left her feeling lonely and abandoned.
So she had retreated to fantasy stories that were fueled by this old wardrobe.
And then it happened.
It was seeing the wardrobe and remembering those days that did it. She had a flash in her mind’s eye of a wooden floorboard, and a tiny symbol carved into the surface of the wood. The symbol had been barely visible since it hadn’t been filled with blacking to make it stand out, but with a child’s curiosity, she’d seen the strange flaw in the grain of the wood and crawled closer to investigate it.
It had been near the wall, next to the back edge of the wardrobe. Here, in her uncle’s bedchamber.
It had been the same symbol she’d seen just today, on the torn scrap of paper that had been caught by her arrow.
“Aunt Laura!” Phoebe turned and began crawling frantically toward the far wall, to the right of her uncle’s portrait. “Aunt Laura! Where was Uncle’s wardrobe before you moved it?”
“The wardrobe?” All trace of languor was gone from her aunt’s voice. Her light footsteps sounded as she crossed the room toward Phoebe. “No, farther to your right. Yes, there. It stood right there.”
Phoebe began running her hand over the floorboards near the wall. “I interrupted Mr. Michael Coulton-Jones today. He was most certainly doing something illegal, but knowing his personality from years ago when I first knew him, I doubt it was anything treasonous.”
“Treasonous?!” Aunt Laura’s voice was just a tiny bit alarmed.
“My arrow hit the papers he had been holding … or perhaps the other man had been holding them …”
“Your arrow?! Did you shoot at him?”
“Not deliberately.”
“That is not ‘interrupting’ the man, that is attempted murder.”
“It was purely by accident. They were hidden in a copse having some clandestine meeting. Ah!” Phoebe’s fingers felt the rough edges of the circular symbol carved into the floor. It was smaller than she remembered, but the same strange shape of the five-leaved, five-stemmed flower.
Aunt Laura squinted at the floor, then shook her head. “That is impossible for my eyes to see. I will fetch a lamp.”
While her aunt left in search of light, Phoebe was still on her hands and knees near the wall. She rubbed the symbol with her finger. It was still rough, as if it had been carved into the wood only yesterday, since it hadn’t been worn down by feet or furniture in the years since she’d first seen it. What did it mean? Why was it carved into the floor? Did it point to something in the floor, or the wall, or perhaps in the wardrobe, which had been standing beside it?
And what was the connection between her dead uncle and Mr. Coulton-Jones?
A Heroine Who Steps Forward
Phoebe Sauber is not a quiet, retiring sort of Regency heroine. She's practical, observant, and far more capable than polite society gives her credit for.
When she realizes something is wrong, she doesn't wait for answers. She starts hunting for them.
That instinct pulls her into danger she didn't ask for—a conspiracy playing out beneath the ballrooms and drawing rooms of 1811 London, an unexpected romance, and secrets that reach closer to home than she ever imagined.
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The Beginning of Something Much Larger
That single moment on the archery field sets off a chain of events that stretches far beyond one mystery, one relationship, or even one book.
Along the way, Phoebe meets a man who knows far more about these shadowy figures than he lets on—a man who brings his own complicated past, his own unanswered questions, and his own reasons for seeking the truth.
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A Book Designed to Reflect the Story
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| The Special Edition hardcover of Archer, designed to reflect the story’s hidden layers. |
I designed the special edition hardcover to reflect the heart of the story.
Small details in the design echo the elements that shape Phoebe’s journey—the pocketwatch that draws her into the mystery, the archery skill that sets her apart, and the mysterious symbol that reveals this secret war beneath the surface of Regency society.
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A Reading Experience Meant to Be Discovered
One of my favorite aspects of this edition is how the design unfolds as you read.
The book opens with full-color title pages, setting the tone immediately that this is something a little more special.
Each chapter begins with a two-page color header spread. Delicate floral corners echo Regency artwork, while a small illustration on the left page hints at the tension or turning point ahead.
Along the margins, you’ll notice vertical scroll designs running beside the text, with subtle variations between the main story and the front and back matter.
And when the book is closed, the sprayed edges feature a coordinated scroll motif, giving the entire volume a finished, elegant look even before you turn the first page.
Even the smallest elements—like the decorative page numbers and scene dividers shaped around a pocket watch—don’t just tell the narrative, they echo the emotions in it.
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If You Enjoy Stories Like This…
You might enjoy beginning this series if you like:
- Strong, capable heroines
- Gentle romance that grows over time
- Intrigue hidden within polite society
- A sense of unfolding mystery
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A Gentle Invitation
This story begins with a single, unexpected moment—but it doesn’t end there.
If you’d like to step into that world, you’re welcome to read the first few chapters and see where that first arrow leads.
And for readers who enjoy beautifully designed books, I offer special edition hardcovers through Kickstarter.
If you’d like to keep informed about when the next campaign launches, you’re welcome to join my newsletter for updates.
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About the Series
Lady Wynwood’s Spies is a Regency-era romantic suspense series set in 1811 London, where secrets move quietly beneath society’s surface, and where courage, loyalty, and love are tested in unexpected ways.
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