The Black Madonna — Stella Riley

As England slides into Civil War, master-goldsmith and money-lender, Luciano Falcieri del Santi embarks on his own hidden agenda.
A chance meeting one dark night results in an unlikely friendship with Member of Parliament, Richard Maxwell. Richard's daughter, Kate �" a spirited girl who vows to hold their home against both Cavalier and Roundhead �" soon finds herself fighting an involuntary attraction to the clever, magnetic and diabolically beautiful Italian.
Hampered by the warring English and the quest itself growing daily more dangerous, Luciano begins to realise that his own life and that of everyone close to him rests on the knife-edge of success … for only success will permit him to reclaim the Black Madonna and offer his heart to the girl he loves.
From the machinations within Parliament to the last days of the King's cause, The Black Madonna is an epic saga of passion and intrigue at a time when England was lost in a dark and bloody conflict.

Stella Riley is the 2019 Readers' Favorite Gold Medallist for Historical Romance and proud to have been awarded five B.R.A.G. medallions.

Praise for THE BLACK MADONNA

“Engrossing read from start to finish.”

“Brilliant writing by a brilliant storyteller.”

“Historical fiction at its best.”

“Oh, what a story! There's the civil war, a mystery, and the personal romances of the Maxwell siblings. This book is well worth the read for history buffs who like a little romance and mystery thrown into a historical timeline.”