Goya in the Palace of Greed
Secrets, Lies, and Murderous Ambition in the Palace of a King
Jade Beckham promised herself she’d never step through the portal again. But fate has other plans. Swept back through her mirrored portal to 1787, she finds herself in the glittering Palace of Aranjuez, a world of royal intrigue, forbidden desires, and whispered betrayals.
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Her task seems simple: seek out the great Francisco de Goya. Yet the legendary painter, weighed down by failing health and endless commissions, offers little welcome. Forced to disguise herself as a maid, Jade must navigate the palace’s opulent halls and hidden passageways, relying on her instincts as an amateur sleuth to survive.
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Then the murders begin. First one corpse, then another—each victim raising the stakes higher. With the king convinced his own life is in peril, Jade and Goya are thrust into a tangled web of lies and ambition. Could the mysterious, dangerously beautiful time traveler at the king’s side hold the key?
​Goya in the Palace of Greed is a cozy historical mystery with the elegance of a classic whodunit. Blending the richness of royal history with the suspense of palace intrigue, it’s perfect for book lovers and mystery fans who crave atmospheric settings, surprising twists, and bold heroines.
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Discover how far greed will go when you step into history and follow Jade as she unmasks a killer! Order your copy today on Amazon.
Paintings In the Book
Top to bottom: Charles IV and His Family, Portrait of Dona Isobel de Porcel, Capricho No. 43: The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, The Parasol, and The Third of May 1808
The Artist That Inspired the Book
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746–1828) is widely regarded as one of Spain’s most influential painters and printmakers, a visionary whose work bridges the worlds of classical tradition and modern art. His technical brilliance and keen social observation quickly attracted royal attention. He became the First Court Painter to King Charles III, producing elegant portraits that revealed both the grandeur and the underlying humanity of his subjects.
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Goya’s career, however, extended far beyond court portraiture. His Caprichos—a series of satirical etchings—fearlessly critiqued superstition, corruption, and the darker sides of Spanish society. After surviving a severe illness that left him permanently deaf, his art grew increasingly personal and psychologically intense. Works such as The Third of May 1808 and The Disasters of War confronted violence, injustice, and human suffering with unprecedented emotional force.
In his final years, Goya created the haunting Black Paintings, a private series filled with raw, nightmarish imagery that anticipated 20th-century Expressionism. Through his unflinching honesty and innovative vision, Goya reshaped the possibilities of art and remains a pivotal figure in the history of Western painting.