The Past Always Leaves A Mark...
Created by co-authors Alice Heaton (She/Her) and Mars Pierce (He/Him), the Monarchverse is a collection of interconnected stories built around memory, consequence, and the things people try to leave behind.
This immersive world of storytelling begins with their debut novel, A Monarch’s Mark. Set in 1969 Los Angeles, the story features an intense homicide investigation that pulls two former lovers back into each other’s orbit.
1969, Los Angeles:
Emily Kane buried the love of her life in an empty casket three summers ago. Then James Bonkowski came back from the dead.
Four years ago, Emily said goodbye to James. A year later, his commanding officer sent dog tags and condolences. Emily gave a speech she thought she’d never have to, promising to build the life they once spoke of. So, she did, piece by careful piece: the police academy, a detective’s badge, a fiancé who promised he’d never leave.
But James isn’t dead. He’s her case partner, carrying ghosts from Vietnam and working a job he doesn’t want while the woman he left behind wears another man’s ring. Every unspoken question between them is a land mine they can’t afford to step on while they’re hunting a killer who leaves butterfly tattoos on the bodies of teenage girls.
In a city built on broken dreams and buried secrets, they are forced to ask what matters more: the lives they rebuilt, or the connection that never stopped haunting them.
Cover Art: Mars Pierce
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