A Clean Death
A Clean Death
Introduction and Navigation
A Clean Death
The Fourth of The Tales of The Lesser Evil
An assassin, her apprentice, and one final murder. A city where it is law to wear a mask in public. And someone—or something—hiding in the shadows. Something which wants them to fail. Fatally.
Pepper has one more name on her list, just one more death to tick off before she can go home—but it will not be easy. In three days, the city will be cut off and she will be trapped for winter. Just three days to find her prey. And finding one man in Youlmouth may prove too much, even for her skills.
Hedda has trained for this ever since she can remember, yet the question remains—does she have what it takes to snatch away a life? Does she have what it takes to make Pepper proud?
This death is not a simple task, but events have a habit of overcomplicating the already-complicated, and what Pepper and her apprentice shall discover is beyond anything they could possibly comprehend.
For there are things the world does not know, things that live only in stories and whispers of rumour, things Pepper never believed were real.
Things that want her dead.
A Clean Death continues the story of Little Pepper—and the apprentice assassin has become the master. Believing she is at the very top of her game, Pepper is about to learn just how much she still does not know. And what she and Hedda shall discover could change the entire direction of history. If they survive.
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Following Only One Death, Dust and Death, and Death and Taxes, this novella—A Clean Death—introduces new locations and characters to the reader, all the while adding new levels of intrigue and mystery to The Tales of The Lesser Evil.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: A Clean Death adds considerable layers to the overarching story of The Lesser Evil, with certain plot points crucial to the longer work ahead.)
Each Tale (there are currently six, with a final two on their way) is essentially standalone, but each also features returning characters or locations which give the reader a deeper experience when read in order. They are a part of what became a rather long prologue to a trilogy of epic fantasy novels, outlined and currently being (tentatively) drafted.
Each chapter of A Clean Death will feature an original photograph which fits the story, taken by me. I think it makes sense to have one image per chapter.
The serialisation (I’m from Scotland, hence the spelling) of this novella will be released over January, February, and March, 2024. It will initially be free to read, with a new episode in your inbox every Friday, at one minute to midday French time. At some point after this, once complete, the archive will be only be available for paying subscribers, with additional download options also made available.
The next Tale, Death in Harmony, will follow in April 2024.
Contents:
To read more about my map making process, click here.
Episode One: Sailing the Greatsand
Episode Two: A City, Full of Masks
Episode Three: Falseness and Greed
Episode Four: May the Darkness Protect
Episode Five: Steamy, Scented Opulence
Episode Seven: A Flicker of Irritation
Episode Nine: Stitches and Tea
Episode Ten: The Midnight Temple
Episode Eleven: A Winter Project
Episode Twelve: Always In Danger
Don’t miss a chapter!