ANN SHORTELL
  • Home
    • About Celtic Knot >
      • Bookstore
    • About Ann
  • REVIEWS & INTERVIEWS
    • Editorial Reviews >
      • Publishers Weekly
      • Kirkus Review
      • Foreword INDIE Book Of The Year Awards
      • Ottawa Review of Books
      • Foreword Clarion Review
      • Sleuth Of Baker St
    • Judge & Reader Reviews
    • Press & Media
  • Awards & Honours
  • HAPPENINGS & RESOURCES
    • Events
    • Resources >
      • Reference Works
      • Book Clubs
      • Gaelic used in CELTIC KNOT
      • History VS Mystery
  • Contact

ANN SHORTELL

Author of
Picture
AVAILABLE NOW!


Picture
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.
about the book

Praise for CELTIC KNOT​

see more than 20 Award Honours

 . 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
read all reviews

E-NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

Sign up below to receive regular updates on Ann's writing, events and research, plus exclusive content for subscribers only - delivered directly to your email inbox!

PLEASE INDICATE WHICH MAILNG LIST YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE SUBSCRIBED TO (YOU CAN CHOOSE ONE OR BOTH).

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

STAY CONNNECTED

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
    • About Celtic Knot >
      • Bookstore
    • About Ann
  • REVIEWS & INTERVIEWS
    • Editorial Reviews >
      • Publishers Weekly
      • Kirkus Review
      • Foreword INDIE Book Of The Year Awards
      • Ottawa Review of Books
      • Foreword Clarion Review
      • Sleuth Of Baker St
    • Judge & Reader Reviews
    • Press & Media
  • Awards & Honours
  • HAPPENINGS & RESOURCES
    • Events
    • Resources >
      • Reference Works
      • Book Clubs
      • Gaelic used in CELTIC KNOT
      • History VS Mystery
  • Contact