In 1410 in Constance, Germany, the beautiful Marie Schärer’s luxurious life as a merchant’s daughter is destroyed when her ambitious father arranges her marriage to a lawyer from the Black Forest named Rupert Splendidus. Her childhood sweetheart warns her of the attorney’s sly character and is tragically proven right the day before the wedding, when Rupert accuses Marie of unimaginable behavior and has her thrown into a dank dungeon, where she is brutally attacked by his henchmen. Unfairly condemned and banished from her home, Marie is forced to become a wandering prostitute to survive. The clever and kind Hiltrud befriends Marie, and the strong-minded pair sets out on spirited adventures―bedding counts, meeting scoundrels, and tricking foes―as Marie plots the ultimate revenge on the men who stole her honor and her family’s fortune.
Set against a richly detailed historical backdrop, this is the dramatic tale of one woman’s quest for vengeance, redemption, and real love.
Iny Lorentz is the pen name for the husband-and-wife writing team Iny Klocke and Elmar Wohlrath, historians whose tales of medieval action, adventure, and romance reflect their academic interests and love for each other. Together, they’ve written more than thirty-five books, almost all of which quickly became bestsellers and which are also available as audiobooks. The five-book Marie series, perhaps their most popular, has sold more than five and a half million copies in Germany alone and has been translated into fourteen languages. The first book in the series, The Wandering Harlot, introduced the captivating and beloved character Marie, whose story has since been made into an award-winning German television movie called Die Wanderhure, starring actress Alexandra Neldel. Elmar and Iny live and write in Poing, near Munich.
Lee Chadeayne is a former classical musician, college professor, and owner of a language translation company in Massachusetts. A charter member of the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA), he’s been an active member since 1970. He presently serves as editor of the ALTA Newsletter and as a copyeditor for the American Arthritis Society newsletter. He is a scholar and student of both history and languages, especially Middle High German. His translated works to date focus on music, art, language, history, and general literature; notable works include The Settlers of Catan by Rebecca Gable, The Copper Sign by Katia Fox, and the bestselling Hangman’s Daughter series by Oliver Pötzsch.
