Writing obituaries for my father’s small-town daily newspaper was where I got my start, which may have led to writing a mystery series set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I am happiest when I have a plane, boat, or train ticket in my hand, and this has led to travel writing and the four-volume historical mystery series, The Empress Irini Series, set in the Byzantine Empire which is now Greece and Turkey. It is a combination of all that I like to write: mystery, travel, and history combined. It is being marketed as Young Adult, which means everyone from the age of literacy onward. I hope that you enjoy reading what I have done as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Betrothal & Betrayal shortlisted for British Historical Fiction Award!

Book 1 of the Empress Irini Series was shortlisted for the Historical Association (history.org.uk) British Historical Fiction Young Quills Award for readers aged 14+ years. Read the HA review of Betrothal and Betrayal here.

 

Available in Stores Now and Online Ordering Now

The Empress Irini Series is a four-book Historical Fiction series set in the Byzantine era–brimming with fear, intrigue and violence. In this series, Janet McGiffin presents a world in which banal realities like hunger and survival sit cheek by jowl with the worlds of Medieval Christianity and the ancient Greek gods. The narrator, Thekla, a seventeen year old on the run in Constantinople, must rely solely upon her courage and quick wits to survive this vigorous, glittering capital that linked the West and the East. Volumes 1 thru 3 are available from Scotland Street Press, Amazon, or ordered from Barnes & Noble or other booksellers. Book 4, the Price of Eyes, will be released in February 2025 and is available for pre-order.
 
 

Empress Irini Books Now Available On Cornucopia Website

My books are now listed on the website of the glossy British-Turkish travel magazine Cornucopia.
 
 

A Glowing Review on Goodreads

The writing and the details of the culture in Constantinople are fantastic… It’s going to be a great series. It reads like young adult but it will appeal to a broader audience for sure.

Lisa on Goodreads