Candace Robb Books

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Candance Robb is an accomplished author that writes historical mysteries. She was born in North Carolina but spent her childhood in Ohio before finally planting roots in Seattle, Washington, with her husband.

Candance attended the University of Cincinnati, where she got her master’s degree. She also dipped her toes into the Ph.D. program. Although, she never finished her dissertation. The author was a precocious child that told many stories.

These stories kept her mother entertained as she sewed and ironed. Later on, she turned her attention to folk songs. The catholic schools she attended were instrumental in Candance’s development as a writer.

She had a curiosity that rubbed the sisters the wrong way. They couldn’t stand her questions. However, some of the teachers encouraged Candance to pursue her talents. She distinctly remembers Carole Kirstein, her American lit teacher at Mother of Mercy High School.

Carole expected her students to write in their journals every day. Even though the teacher never read these journals, the fact that she collected them once a quarter compelled the author to write. Sister Mary Carlos was just as influential.

The woman taught Candance to embody the emotions of the characters in every scene she wrote. To this day, the author enjoys disappearing into a protagonist and sharing every sensation wracking their mind, spirit, and body.

The final piece of the puzzle was the degree she got from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio. After drowning in Anglo-Saxon and medieval literature, Candance woke up one day to find that she had an extensive library of obscure information in her head. She wanted to use it in a way that mattered.

This desire eventually gave birth to ‘The Apothecary Rose.’ What began as a short story morphed into a book in 1993, the first of a successful series. When she first conceived it, ‘The Apothecary Rose’ was a conventional historical novel.

It only became a historical mystery after Candance’s agent intervened. She argued that historical novels couldn’t sell unless they had a strong hook. In Candance’s case, the agent wanted her to inject a popular genre into the book.

Mystery and romance were the only viable options at the time. After pondering the issue, Candance agreed to lean into the mystery aspects. The author’s appreciation for the mystery genre has grown immensely since those early days.

She appreciates the discipline and tidy structure at the heart of the genre. But that doesn’t mean her passion for history has dimmed. If anything, Candance’s writing career has given the author an excuse to indulge her curiosity for medieval society and politics.

Some readers might be unaware of the ‘Emma Campion’ pen name, which Candance briefly adopted when she started writing and publishing standalone historicals. Her publisher’s marketing department thought readers would take offense if she veered away from her renowned crime series.

They encouraged her to experiment with a pseudonym, a development the author eventually embraced when she realized that Emma Campion could explore the lives of the secondary characters in Candance Robb’s crime novels. After a while, Candance retired the pseudonym.

Best Candance Robb Books

The author was a technical writer and editor (Scientific Publications) for several years. This was before she became a novelist. Candance’s best books include:

The Apothecary Rose: Nicholas Wilton dispensed a herbal remedy that killed two pilgrims in 1363. The Archbishop couldn’t turn a blind eye. So he called for Owen Archer. The Welshman went undercover, presenting himself as Wilton’s apprentice to anyone that asked.

Wilton’s wife took an immediate interest in the charming man, fascinated by his leather eyepatch, gold earring, dark curls, and the air of mystery surrounding Archer. But could Archer trust the lovely woman?

What did she know about the murders? What about the scandals and tragedies surrounding the Wiltons and their friends? Archer was determined to find the answers.

The Lady Chapel: It was 1365, and Owen Archer had his hands full, but not because of the Feast of Corpus Christi. Someone killed wool merchant WIll Crounce, slitting his throat and leaving his severed hand in Gilbert Ridley’s tavern lodging.

The Archbishop wanted Owen Archer to solve the mystery before the situation escalated. But it was too late. Archer was now expected to make sense of a second murder and another severed hand.

When Does The Next Candace Robb book come out?

Candace Robb doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is A Snake in the Barley and was released on December, 3rd 2024. It is the newest book in the Owen Archer Series.

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