The Watchmaker's Widow

<p></p><p><em>What happens when your country wants you to be a secret agent-but all you want is a sense of agency?</em></p><p>Widowed young in Victorian England Ruby Thompson inherits her late husband's watch factory-and nothing else. Determined never to remarry she defies convention and forges her own path. When society shuns her for running a business as a woman Ruby boldly transforms the factory into a lodging house for working women-though the whispers call it something else entirely.</p><p>When a London gang threatens her livelihood Ruby and her girls turn to theft to survive-until she's caught by Harrison Hudson a Pinkerton agent who offers her a cruel choice: prison or espionage. Thrust into a web of deceit surrounding a plot to assassinate the Queen Ruby must decide what loyalty justice and freedom truly mean.</p><p>Set against the smoky canals and cobbled streets of Victorian Britain Rich in historical detail and <strong>feminist intrigue</strong> <em>The Watchmaker's Widow</em> is a powerful <strong>historical fiction novel</strong> about women reclaiming power in a world determined to silence them. Perfect for readers who enjoy <strong>Victorian spy thrillers</strong> <strong>strong female leads</strong> and the works of <strong>Hannah Dolby</strong> and <strong>Jennifer Chiaverini</strong>.</p>