The Grays of Truth - by Sharon Virts

Book Synopsis

From bestselling historical true-crime author Sharon Virts comes a gripping tale of murder and deceit.

In Reconstruction-era Baltimore, members of the city's elite keep turning up dead. Below the polished surface of high society, there are illicit affairs, jilted lovers, financial hardships, and countless motives for murder. When Jane Gray Wharton's husband, Ned, dies unexpectedly while overnighting at his brother's home, Jane has no reason to question the circumstances of his death. But on a visit to the same house a few weeks later, both Jane and her daughter fall gravely ill, and Jane begins to suspect foul play.

Though a trained chemist and former nurse, Jane is haunted by a history of delusion, loss, and institutionalization. As the unexpected and devastating deaths begin to multiply, Jane's grip on reality starts to slip. When a respected army officer falls terribly ill after visiting the Whartons' Baltimore home, Jane's greatest fears become all too real. The time has come to act--but who will believe her? And can she even trust her own mind?

Inspired by true events involving one of Baltimore's most powerful families, The Grays of Truth is the story of one woman's quest for answers in her fight for redemption--and to save the man she loves.

Review Quotes

"Inspired by a true story and meticulously researched, the underbelly of high society Reconstruction Era Baltimore is brought brilliantly to life in Sharon Virts's atmospheric and deeply absorbing murder mystery The Grays of Truth. I loved it!" --Mark Sullivan, bestselling author of All the Glimmering Stars and Beneath a Scarlet Sky

"Readers [will] become thoroughly engrossed in a mystery that emerges to combine with power plays, politics, and matters of the heart." --Midwest Book Review

"Virts's descriptive prose fuels the unease in this well-researched whodunit."--Jane Lorenzini, New York Times bestselling author of The Growing Season and I Really Needed This Today, cowritten with Hoda Kotb

"Jane Gray Wharton is a memorable character. It's stunning that the book is based on a real story. The twists and surprises kept coming [until] the very end. I feel as if I've gone on vacation to the past." --Dana Marton, bestselling author of The Secret Life of Sunflowers

"With The Grays of Truth, Sharon Virts has written a gripping historical mystery filled with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. Vividly drawn and carefully researched, the story transports you back in time and holds you willingly captive through the last page. Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down!" --Amanda Skenandore, author of The Medicine Woman of Galveston

"A vivid and compelling tale that is equal parts murder mystery and well-researched historical fiction. Devotees of true crime featuring heroines who refuse to give up, you're in for a well-crafted ride!" --Susan Meissner, USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things

"A fresh setting, rich with historical detail, The Grays of Truth features a sympathetic and well-drawn protagonist in Jane Gray Wharton the reader can't help but root for. Virts delivers an engrossing story filled with intrigue, murder, and the uncertain world of Reconstruction-era Baltimore." --Heather Webb, USA Today and International bestselling author of Queens of London