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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Adventure / thriller > Historical adventure
What begins as a straightforward holiday weekend for Sir Edward Leithen in a splendid stately home in the Cotswolds soon turns into something altogether different when one of Lady Flambard's other guests, the enigmatic Professor Moe, enlists the help of Leithen and his companions in a bizarre experiment to glimpse the future. For those who take part, the consequences are dramatic and Leithen's formidable powers of reasoning are brought to the fore.
Warrior and combat medic, Titus Cervianus, must lead a legion and quell the uprisings in Egypt in this thrilling Roman adventure from Simon Turney. Titus Cervianus is no ordinary soldier. And the Twenty Second is no ordinary legion... Egypt. 25 BC. A former surgeon from the city of Ancyra, Titus Cervianus is now a capsarius - a combat medic. He is a pragmatist, a scientist - and deeply unpopular with his legion, the Twenty Second Deiotariana. The Twenty Second have been sent to deal with uprisings in Egypt. Founded as the private army of one of Rome's most devoted allies, their ways are not the same as the other legions', which sets them apart and causes friction with their fellow soldiers. Marching into the unknown, Cervianus will find unexpected allies: a local cavalryman and a troublesome lunatic. Both will be of critical importance as the young medic marches through the searing sands of the south, finding forbidden temples, hidden assassins, and worst of all, the warrior queen of Kush... Reviews for The Capsarius 'Brings a whole new dimension to the genre... Recommended' Historical Novel Society 'A blistering epic brimming with tension, mystery and adventure!' Gordon Doherty Reviews for Simon Turney 'A page turner from beginning to end... A damn fine read' Ben Kane 'First-rate Roman fiction' Matthew Harffy
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 EDWARD STANFORD 'FICTION WITH A SENSE OF PLACE' AWARD Places remember us... 'An important, ambitious, and accomplished novel. Sudbanthad deftly sweeps us up in a tale that paints a twin portrait: of a megacity like those so many of us call home and of a world where sanctuary is increasingly hard to come by' Mohsin Hamid A missionary begs to be sent home. A jazz pianist is hired to perform for ghosts. An army colonel smells the food of home for the last time. A girl designs herself a new face. An old woman uploads her consciousness. Bangkok Wakes to Rain is an intricately plotted novel where characters and stories are linked by place, not time. As the novel builds to a futuristic crescendo, moments of intimacy serve to remind us that no matter what the ebb of time may change, we humans persevere. Praise for Bangkok Wakes to Rain: 'Compelling' Financial Times 'Breathtakingly lovely' Kirkus 'A sumptuous accomplishment' Esquire 'A simple, ingenious conceit' Alexander Chee 'Elegant and restrained' Wall Street Journal 'Saturated in the senses' Claire Vaye Watkins 'A swirling, always surprising storytelling structure' Guardian 'An original and quietly memorable reading experience' Washington Post 'Beautifully textured and rich with a sense of place' Karen Walker Thompson 'Reading this book feels like waking up to a singular and important new voice' Rajesh Parameswaran
A new omnibus in the highly acclaimed Sir Robert Carey Mysteries. Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom and S.J. Parris. 1592. Sir Robert Carey abandoned the ambition and treachery of Queen Elizabeth I's court to take up the post of Deputy Warden of the West March, aided by his surly, larcenous, and loyal henchman Henry Dodd, Land Sergeant of Gilsland. As Carey struggles to solve the murder of a local minister, he battles with his deep adoration of Lady Elizabeth Widdrington, while despising her elderly, abusive husband – will the man never die? During his investigation, Carey encounters King James IV, his amoral favourite Lord Spynie, the fey Lady Hume, Mr Anricks – a surprisingly skilled tooth drawer – and, finally, a plot to topple the Scottish Court. Plunging readers straight into the raucous world of late-sixteenth century border reivers and unfettered Elizabethan intrigue, Swords in the East, the third chronicle of Sir Robert Carey's adventures, collects the novels A Chorus of Innocents and A Clash of Spheres under one volume.
A desolate wasteland. A mission gone wrong. An impossible goal. A gripping new series of Ancient RomeRoman scout Silus is deep behind enemy lines in Caledonia. As he spies on a raiding party, he is abruptly discovered by an enemy chief and his son. Mounting a one man ambush, everything quickly goes wrong. Silus must run for his life, the head of the enemy leader in his hands. Little does he know the price he will pay... As Silus is inducted into the Arcani, an elite faction of assassins and spies, he must return to Caledonia, back into the wilderness, and risk everything in the service of his Caesar. The odds don't look good. Failure is not an option. A blood-soaked and unputdownable Roman thriller, anchored in detailed historical research, perfect for fans of Ben Kane, Conn Iggulden and Robert Fabbri Praise for Alex Gough'Gritty and real, exciting and pacy, this is first rate historical fiction, and Gough is clearly ready to take his place among the leading writers of the genre' SJA Turney, author of the Praetorian series
Worldwide bestselling author Wilbur Smith will take you on an incredible journey on the thrashing seas off the coast of Africa in this glorious return to the series that made him who he is: The Courtney series. East African Coast, 1670. In a time of brave and brutal adventure, one man will journey across land and sea to pursue his greatest enemy ... The Golden Bough, captained by Henry `Hal' Courtney, is running south from Ethiopia to Zanzibar. Below deck, both his crew and his lover, the fearless warrior Judith Nazet, sleep. As the moon glints through clouds, Hal sights a ship passing close by. Although there is an uneasy truce between the warring English and Dutch, Hal scents danger. When the Bough is boarded, the crew must go hand to hand to defend their ship and their lives. But soon Hal will face even graver danger, as he discovers his mortal enemy still lives and is hell-bent on revenge. he must pursue his nemesis across desert savannah, through the seedy underbelly of Zanzibar's slave markets and shark-infested waters, imperilling his own life at every turn. But it will take more than a slave's shackles to hold Hal Courtney... A thrilling blend of extraordinary drama and epic storytelling, Golden Lion sees Wilbur Smith return in triumphant form to the adventures of his beloved and bestselling Courtney family.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sharpe, sidelined on the Royal staff, magnificently siezes command at the final moment of the great victory. It is 1815. Sharpe is serving on the personal staff of the Prince of Orange, who refuses to listen to Sharpe's reports of an enormous army, led by Napoleon, marching towards them. The Battle of Waterloo commences and it seems as if Sharpe must stand by and watch the grandest scale of military folly. But at the height of battle, as victory seems impossible, Sharpe takes command and the most hard-fought and bloody battle of his career becomes his most magnificent triumph. Soldier, hero, rogue - Sharpe is the man you always want on your side. Born in poverty, he joined the army to escape jail and climbed the ranks by sheer brutal courage. He knows no other family than the regiment of the 95th Rifles whose green jacket he proudly wears.
'A masterful storyteller with an intricate knowledge of his subject.' The Daily Telegraph 'Alan Judd knows more about the secret world than any other writer living. To have him turn his expert eye on the world of Christopher Marlowe - and on Francis Walsingham, the Elizabethan George Smiley - is a special kind of literary treat.' Mick Herron 'Absolutely spellbinding. I gobbled it up in two days and could not stop' Miranda Seymour Danger and dissent stalk the streets and taverns of Elizabethan England. The Queen's chief spymaster, Francis Walsingham, and his team of agents must maintain the highest levels of vigilance to ward off Catholic plots and the ever-present threat of invasion. One operative in particular - a young Cambridge undergraduate of humble origins, controversial beliefs and literary genius who goes by the name of Kit Marlowe - is relentless in his pursuit of intelligence for the Crown. When he is killed outside an inn in Deptford, his mysterious death becomes the subject of rumours and suspicion that are never satisfactorily resolved. Years later, Thomas Phelippes, a former colleague of Marlowe's and a man once much valued by Walsingham, finds himself imprisoned in the Tower. When he is visited by an emissary of the new king, however, it becomes clear that his long fall from favour may be reversed if he will furnish his monarch with every detail he is able to recall about his murdered friend's life and death. But just what is it that so fascinates King James about the famously mercurial playwright-spy, and does Phelippes know enough to secure his own redemption? Virtuosic, gripping and meticulously researched, award-winning writer Alan Judd turns is at the peak of his powers in this remarkable novel about a literary genius whose short-life and violent death composed one of the most fascinating unresolved mysteries of all time.
The third gripping instalment in a dystopian thriller series where modern-day recruits compete in an fight to the death with ancient weapons in the streets of Edinburgh. Live by the rules. Die by the rules. Or break them and take your chances in the chaos that follows... The Pantheon Games are the biggest underground event in the world, with millions watching online as modern-day recruits battle to the death with weapons of the ancient world. Tyler Maitland left his life behind to search for his sister, who disappeared after joining the Pantheon's Edinburgh chapter. But one year on, he's still no closer to finding her... After the shocking climax of the Grand Battle, Tyler must now find a way to forge a new brotherhood amongst his enemies. There will be new identities, new teammates, a new cause... but the same blood will flow on the streets while those at the top enjoy the show and count the money rolling in. This season will be like no other. Tyler must accept a new mission, one that hasn't been attempted in twenty years of the Pantheon. His life, and the search for his sister, depends on it. Squid Game meets The Hunger Games in this fast-paced, action-packed thriller series. 'I've rarely read anything so immersive. It grabbed me by the scruff of my neck on the first page and only dropped me stunned and exhausted with the final sentence.' Ruth Hogan Praise for the Pantheon series: 'The moment you ask yourself if it could just be true, the story has you.' Anthony Riches 'Gripping and original - a terrific read!' Joe Heap 'The Wolf Mile is a thrilling ride and a heck of a debut. C.F. Barrington knocks it out of the park.' Matthew Harffy 'A brilliant eccentric concept which hits you like a fever dream.' Giles Kristian
A feminist adventure story of smuggling and myth-making, by award-winning author Kim Sherwood 'Remarkable' HILARY MANTEL 'A thrilling adventure novel' FIONA MOZLEY 'Tremendous' EMMA STONEX A Wild & True Relation opens during the Great Storm of 1703, as smuggler Tom West confronts his lover Grace for betraying him to the Revenue. Leaving Grace's cottage in flames, he takes her orphaned daughter Molly on board ship disguised as a boy to join his crew. But Molly, or Orlando as she must call herself, will grow up to outshine all the men of Tom's company and seek revenge - and a legacy - all of her own. Woven into Molly's story are the writers - from Celia Fiennes and George Eliot to Daniel Defoe and Charles Dickens - who are transfixed by her myth and who, over three centuries, come together to solve the mystery of her life. With extraordinary verve , Sherwood remakes the eighteenth-century novel and challenges women's writing and women's roles throughout history. 'A young writer of immense talent' ANDREW MILLER 'A breathtaking feat of historical fiction and utterly astounding. It is wise, urgent and entirely compelling. I was bereft when it ended' WYL MENMUIR 'This book is a rarity - a novel as remarkable for the vigour of the storytelling as for its literary ambition. Kim Sherwood is a writer of capacity, potency and sophistication' HILARY MANTEL 'Vividly imagined, relentlessly entertaining, rich and resonant in scope and context, it's both a thrilling adventure and a vital witness to women's voices' EMMA STONEX, author of The Lamplighters
To live among wolves, first you must become one... An unmissable new spy thriller from best-selling master of the genre, Alex Gerlis.War is coming to Europe. British spymaster Barnaby Allen begins recruiting a network of agents in Germany. With diplomatic relations quickly unravelling, this pack of spies soon comes into their own: the horse-loving German at home in Berlin's underground; the young American sports journalist; the mysterious Luftwaffe officer; the Japanese diplomat and the most unlikely one of all... the SS officer's wife. Despite constant danger and the ever-present threats of discovery and betrayal, Allen's network unearths top-secret plans for a new German fighter plane - and a truly devastating intelligence prize... an audacious Japanese plan to attack the United States. But can they prove it? The race is on. An unputdownable and atmospheric Second World War espionage thriller, Agent in Berlin will grip you to the very end. Perfect for readers of David Young, Robert Harris and Rory Clements. Praise for Agent in Berlin 'Gerlis proves himself a master of spy fiction to rival John le Carre, Robert Harris and other leading lights with this gripping and entertaining novel set mostly in the frenzied world of pre-war Berlin' David Young, author of Stasi Child 'Everything slots together perfectly in this hugely atmospheric and powerfully character-driven story set in Germany at the rise of Nazism ... a brilliant new addition to the genre' Chris Lloyd, author of The Unwanted Dead 'Amazing plotting, packs a real punch' Mark 'Billy' Billingham, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hard Way 'The first volume of a promising new series, Alex Gerlis handles an ensemble cast with panache' Financial Times 'An unmissable spy thriller from bestselling master of the genre Alex Gerlis' Spybrary Podcast
There is a legend... Britannia, AD 535 The Romans have gone. While their libraries smoulder, roads decay and cities crumble, men with swords pick over civilisation's carcass, slaughtering and being slaughtered in turn. This is the story of just such a man. Like the others, he had a sword. He slew until slain. Unlike the others, we remember him. We remember King Arthur. This is the story of a land neither green nor pleasant. An eldritch isle of deep forest and dark fell haunted by swaithes, boggarts and tod-lowries, Robin-Goodfellows and Jenny Greenteeths, and predators of rarer appetite yet. This is the story of a legend forged from a pack of self-serving, turd-gilding, weasel-worded lies told to justify foul deeds and ill-gotten gains. This is the story - viscerally entertaining, ominously subversive and poetically profane - of a Dark Age myth that shaped a nation. EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT BY FORCE ALONE: 'A bloody, bravura performance, which Tidhar pulls off with graphic imagery and modern vernacular' Guardian. 'As eclectic as the Sword in the Stone and as ruthless as A Game of Thrones, this retelling of the whole Arthurian legend stands alongside the very best' Daily Mail. 'The narrative voice is deadly serious but there's a strong undercurrent of gleefulness to the profanity, violence and otherworldly magic that makes By Force Alone a whole lot of fun to dive into' Spectator. 'Lavie Tidhar has crafted a punk epic on the mouldering bones of legend and jolted it to life with ten thousand volts of knowing wit and fury. By Force Alone eviscerates the complacent posturing of the Arthurian myth, explodes the well-worn conventions of the tale and from the shiny jagged pieces assembles a wholly fresh rollercoaster ride of cheap violence, vicious magic and messy human truth' Richard Morgan. 'A twisted Arthur retelling mixing the historical and the magical with a very modern eye. Brutal and vicious, funny, Peaky Blinders of the Round Table' Adrian Tchaikovsky.
A GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH AND FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR BRITAIN, WITH THE WRONG QUEEN. 1955. The Leader has been dead for two years. His assassination, on British soil, provoked violent retribution and intensified repression of British citizens, particularly women. Now, more than ever, the Protectorate is a place of surveillance and isolation - a land of spies. The royal family has been usurped, and the widowed Queen Wallis reigns in their place. Yet still some citizens hold out hope that Elizabeth may one day return. Every evening Rose Ransom looks in the mirror and marvels that she's even alive. A mere woman, her role in the Leader's death has been miraculously overlooked. She still works at the Culture Ministry, where her work now focuses on the outlawed subject of Poetry, a form of writing that transmits subversive meanings, emotions and signals that cannot be controlled. Therefore all Poetry is banned and Rose is appointed a Poet Hunter. To widespread surprise, President Eisenhower is to make a state visit to the Alliance and Rose is tasked with visiting the widowed Wallis to provide a background briefing. When she arrives at the palace, she finds Wallis in a state of paranoia, desperate to return to America and enjoy the liberty of her homeland. She claims she has a secret document so explosive that it will blow the Protectorate apart - but will she dare to pull the trigger on the Alliance? PRAISE FOR QUEEN HIGH 'Begins with a bang' CLARE CHAMBERS 'Full of twists' RED 'A gripping thriller' BEL MOONEY 'Exciting and provocative' OBSERVER 'Thrilling, subversive' JANE HARRIS 'A triumph' AMANDA CRAIG 'Enthralling' THE SUNDAY TIMES 'Ingenious' SABINE DURRANT
Richard Sharpe triumphs in the last battle of the war, only to find himself in worse peril when charged to recover Napoleon's treasure. It is 1814. There are rumours that Napoleon is dead, or has run away, but Sharpe has one last battle to fight before he can lay down his sword. It is the battle for Toulouse. Little does he know it will be one of the bloodiest conflicts of the war. But Sharpe's war is not only the battle. Accused of stealing Napoleon's treasure, Sharpe must discover the unknown enemy who has tried to frame him - and his revenge is ingenious and devastating. Soldier, hero, rogue - Sharpe is the man you always want on your side. Born in poverty, he joined the army to escape jail and climbed the ranks by sheer brutal courage. He knows no other family than the regiment of the 95th Rifles whose green jacket he proudly wears.
Their rivalry will change the world forever.As competition for the imperial throne intensifies, Constantine and Maxentius realise their childhood friendship cannot last. Each man struggles to control their respective quadrant of empire, battered by currents of politics, religion and personal tragedy, threatened by barbarian forces and enemies within. With their positions becoming at once stronger and more troubled, the strained threads of their friendship begin to unravel. Unfortunate words and misunderstandings finally sever their ties, leaving them as bitter opponents in the greatest game of all, with the throne of Rome the prize. It is a matter that can only be settled by outright war... 'A page turner from beginning to end... A damn fine read' Ben Kane, author of Lionheart (on Sons of Rome) 'The Rise of Emperors series is first-rate Roman fiction. Doherty and Turney each breathe life into their respective characters with insight and humanity' Matthew Harffy, author of Wolf of Wessex 'A nuanced portrait of an intriguing emperor' The Times (on Turney's Commodus) 'A meticulously researched and vivid reimagining of an almost forgotten civilisation' Douglas Jackson, author of Hero of Rome (on Doherty's Empires of Bronze) 'An intriguing and highly polished piece of historical fiction' James Tivendale from Grimdark (on Sons of Rome)
A #1 BESTSELLER IN KINDLE HISTORICAL THRILLERS Ancient scrolls hold the key to the origins of Christianityabut some will stop at nothing to hide the truth A suspicious death in Istanbul leaves one ancient scroll and clues to finding another in the hands of Drew Korchula, a thirty-two-year-old American expat, a Turkish dwarf named Kadir, and Zafer, a Special Forces washout. Drew is desperate to turn everything over to the academic community, and in the process redeem himself in the eyes of his estranged wife, but Kadir and Zafer are only interested in what they can get for the scrolls on the black market. Not everyone wants to see the scrolls go public, however, and some will stop at nothing to protect the Church and believers around the world from the revelations embodied in the priceless manuscripts. An action-packed intellectual thriller unraveling the mystery of a theological cold case more than two thousand years old, The Christos Mosaic is a monumental work of biblical research wrapped in a story of love, faith, human frailty, friendship, and forgiveness. Author Vincent Czyz takes the reader through the backstreets of Istanbul, Antakya (ancient Antioch), and Cairo, to clandestine negotiations with wealthy antiquities smugglers andruthless soldiers of fortune, to dusty Egyptian monasteries, on a nautical skirmish off the coast of Alexandria, and finally to the ruins of Constantine's palace buried deep beneath the streets of present-day Istanbul.
As King Philip of Spain prepares to invade England, Ursula heads to Brussels on a desperate mission in this compelling Tudor mystery. March, 1588. With England in a state of high alert as King Philip of Spain amasses a vast fleet of warships ready to invade, Queen Elizabeth and her advisors seek a possible alliance with the Duke of Parma, Governor of the Netherlands. But their plans suffer a major setback when one of their most reliable spies is found murdered in the Hertfordshire countryside, shot dead by a crossbow bolt as he was transporting secret correspondence between the queen and the duke. The queen's half-sister and occasional secret agent, Ursula Stannard, is happy not to be involved for once. But when Ursula's ward Mildred elopes with the handsome yet mysterious Berend Gomez, Ursula is forced to follow the pair to Brussels, where she finds herself plunged into a hotbed of intrigue and rumour at the Duke of Parma's court, a place where no one is to be trusted. Can Ursula rescue Mildred, effect an alliance with the duke, and stay alive in the process? The future of England depends on it.
Thracia, AD30: Even after four years military service at the edge of the Roman world, Vespasian can't escape the tumultuous politics of an Empire on the brink of disintegration. His patrons in Rome have charged him with the clandestine extraction of an old enemy from a fortress on the banks of the Danube before it falls to the Roman legion besieging it. Vespasian's mission is the key move in a deadly struggle for the right to rule the Roman Empire. The man he has been ordered to seize could be the witness that will destroy Sejanus, commander of the Praetorian Guard and ruler of the Empire in all but name. Before he completes his mission, Vespasian will face ambush in snowbound mountains, pirates on the high seas, and Sejanus's spies all around him. But by far the greatest danger lies at the rotten heart of the Empire, at the nightmarish court of Tiberius, Emperor of Rome and debauched, paranoid madman. ______________________________________________ Don't miss Robert Fabbri's epic new series Alexander's Legacy
AD 634. ANGLO SAXON BRITAIN. Confusion and conflict continue as warlords battle across Britain to become the first King of the English. After a stunning victory against the native Waelisc, Beobrand returns to a hero's welcome. His valour is rewarded by wealth and land by Oswald, King of Northumbria. Exhausted, he retires to his new estate with his bride only to find himself surrounded once again by enemies old and new. With treachery and death on all sides, Beobrand fears he will lose all he holds dear. On a quest for revenge and redemption, he accepts the mantle of lord, leading his men into the darkest of nights and the bloodiest of battles. The Cross and the Curse is the second gripping, action-packed instalment in The Bernicia Chronicles. 'Murder, betrayal and vengeance fuel tribal warfare and personal combat. Beobrand is the warrior to follow' DAVID GILMAN. |
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