Bartram's Maw Series by Morgan Stang

As far as Harriette Cooke is concerned, a little lie or two never hurt anyone.A down-on-her-luck scribe and the sole provider for her family, she struggles to get by in a city that turns a blind eye to the poor. Her finances are squeezed to the breaking point when she stumbles across the impossible on the side of the road: a chest full of gold coins.The fortune could completely change Harriette's life. The problem? It's a lost provincial tax payment meant for the King... moreAs far as Harriette Cooke is concerned, a little lie or two never hurt anyone.A down-on-her-luck scribe and the sole provider for her family, she struggles to get by in a city that turns a blind eye to the poor. Her finances are squeezed to the breaking point when she stumbles across the impossible on the side of the road: a chest full of gold coins.The fortune could completely change Harriette's life. The problem? It's a lost provincial tax payment meant for the King. Throughout the city, the search is on for the missing money, and everyone is closing in on Harriette.On one side is the lord of the city, Count Gainsbury, and the cruel City Watch at his disposal. On the other side is the Cobbler's Guild, a band of ruthless cutthroats led by a madwoman who will stop at nothing to claim her prize. And complicating things is the arrival of Royal Inquisitor Samara Adia, an investigator sent straight from the King to put his affairs in order with the help of her infamous bodyguard, the Misfit of Kantor.Trapped in a web of deceit, all clues lead to Harriette and her friends. If they want to get out of the city alive—and rich—they have only their wits to rely on...and perhaps a little lie or two. less

Traveling mercenary Samantha Redwyne just wants an easy job so she can afford to protect her loved ones, when she finds herself swept up in a city's violent rebellion. An idealistic revolutionary leader seeks her sword, urging her to fight for a cause. But causes don't always pay, and an eccentric and seductive baroness, more concerned with the latest masquerade than her own citizens, promises plenty of coin and a life of leisure for Samantha's lethal services... moreTraveling mercenary Samantha Redwyne just wants an easy job so she can afford to protect her loved ones, when she finds herself swept up in a city's violent rebellion. An idealistic revolutionary leader seeks her sword, urging her to fight for a cause. But causes don't always pay, and an eccentric and seductive baroness, more concerned with the latest masquerade than her own citizens, promises plenty of coin and a life of leisure for Samantha's lethal services.Samantha finds herself embroiled in schemes and intrigue between these two great forces, and after tragedy and the ultimate betrayal, she puts her life on the line to save her friends. Her fight grows far beyond a simple town revolution, and she must give everything she has in the name of survival, redemption, and bloody revenge. less

Six months after helping win a bloody revolution, mercenaries Victoria Belltower and Samantha Redwyne find themselves working freelance on the road. But old ties are hard to break. They receive a letter from their former employer with dire news: Punkin—friend, thief, and strange young woman—is missing.Cryptic clues lead Victoria and Samantha to the bustling desert city of Al-Haumarune, where they learn there is more to Punkin's past life than she ever let on... moreSix months after helping win a bloody revolution, mercenaries Victoria Belltower and Samantha Redwyne find themselves working freelance on the road. But old ties are hard to break. They receive a letter from their former employer with dire news: Punkin—friend, thief, and strange young woman—is missing.Cryptic clues lead Victoria and Samantha to the bustling desert city of Al-Haumarune, where they learn there is more to Punkin's past life than she ever let on. The city has unsettling secrets, with stories of disappearing people, knives in the shadows, and a sinister group gathering power behind the scenes. There's a darkness in the City of a Thousand Cults, and if Victoria wants to find her missing friend, she'll have to embrace it—and face the darkness in the mirror as well.She Courts Darkness is the second novel in the Bartram's Maw series, following the events of She Topples Giants. less