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Cover Painting: John Butler Yeats (1839-1922). Portrait of Mary Lapsley Guest (nee Caughey) 1901-1964, 1916 (detail). Photo © National Gallery of Ireland.

CELTIC KNOT


​It’s reimagining a crisis that tested a new nation’s strength.

It’s history with a mystery.
​
It’s A Clara Swift Tale.

And it all begins with a shot in the dark.

Praise for CELTIC KNOT​

 . Shortell constructs her gripping historical novel on the bones of . . . the murder of Thomas D'Arcy McGee . . . the story is told with brio by 15-year-old Clara . . . vividly conveys the atmosphere that surrounded the murder and examines the profound impact that McGee's death had on the development of the fledgling nation. This is a lively and fascinating story, well told.
            - Publisher’s Weekly
​​. . . unusual and engrossing . . . mystery, assassination and political intrigue . . . Clara is a fascinating character . . . polished prose captures the tones and styles of the late 1800s perfectly . . .
​- Foreword Clarion Reviews, 5 of out 5 stars
      Finalist, 2018 Foreword INDIES Book Awards
​. . . Shortell conjures a memorable heroine in Clara     . . . she’s uncannily sharp and literarily astute but endearingly guileless . . . The author skillfully builds a suspenseful mystery . . . the novel’s strongest selling point is ​artful amalgam of historical scholarship and fictional drama . . . thrilling . . 
​
                 - Kirkus Reviews
 A fine example of Canadian historical fiction . . .  a sweeping novel of intrigue and mystery. . . a well-written 'history with a mystery' instilled with dialogue from a past time . . .  it could have been written in the time period shortly after the events of that fateful night in 1868. One hopes Ms. Shortell continues with more Clara Swift novels!  
              - The Miramichi Reader
             Shortlisted 2019 Miramichi ‘Very Best Book’ Awards
... a suspense-filled fictional tale that chronicles the impact of a singular event . . . confident, meticulously researched, and superbly written . . .Shortell perfectly captures the language and atmosphere and ethos surrounding those momentous times . . . intriguing characters... a well-told, gripping tale of murder and its aftermath.
- Ottawa Review of Books
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