To achieve her heart’s desire, a novice actress may very well have to sell her soul.


In 1871, Lillian Nolan accepts a small role in Macbeth, and finally fulfills her dream of becoming an actress. That is until the renowned, but venomous, female star of the production is murdered onstage opening night. When her enraged spirit haunts the theater, Lillian is shocked to discover she can communicate with her. Offered a Faustian bargain in which she will be given talent and expertise way beyond her ability in exchange for uncovering the killer, Lillian can’t resist.


Her quest for the truth causes her to descend into the Underworld, the den of inequity below the streets of Chicago. What Lillian finds soon embroils her in a battle between her passion for performing and sovereignty over her own body as it all plays out in a supernatural game of good and evil.


A Walking Shadow is the first standalone book in the Backstage Mystery series. If you enjoy stories with a touch of the paranormal that blend historical fact with fiction, then you’ll love Elizabeth Ireland’s tale of history, mystery and theater.