How the Hangman Lost his Heart by K.M. Grant

When her Uncle Frank is executed for treason and his head mounted on a pike, Alice determines to reunite his head with his body so that he can rest in peace. While trying to retrieve his head, however, she runs afoul of the law herself and sets off on an adventure to complete her mission with the help of the executioner and a soldier, both of who have fallen in love with the feisty Alice.

This historical romp by the author of The De Granville Trilogy is based on a tale from her own family history. The determined Alice retrieves her uncle’s head from the pike on which it has been displayed as a warning to other traitors and carries it across the land first in a wig bag, then in a hat box as she flees from a cruel officer with the help of her uncle’s executioner, Dan Skinslicer. The two find themselves in one pickle after another as they try to reach Alice’s family home and along the way, Dan falls in love with Alice, despite the differences in their social standing. A young soldier also falls for Alice, and he, too, risks his life to help her achieve her goal. Melodramatic and filled with gallows humor, readers will enjoy the fast-paced action.