Unable to make any progress in locating the missing Indavara, a desperate Cassius has been given an unrewarding assignment in Antioch. But when an old ally's daughter is kidnapped, he feels duty-bound to repay a long standing debt. Disillusioned with the tawdry demands of the Imperial Security Service, he disobeys his superiors and leaves Syria, determined to do some good. Accompanied by nomadic chieftain Kabir and a trio of warriors, Cassius soon finds himself in Greece hunting a vicious band of slave-traders trafficking women across the Empire. But these are no common criminals, and as Cassius sets out to bring them down, he finds himself up against ruthless, cunning men with powerful friends and a lot to lose. For the Agent of Rome, desperate times call for desperate measures.

An epic, ambitious and page-turning mystery that will appeal to fans of The Shadow of the Wind, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and The Time Traveller's Wife London, 1896. Andrew Harrington is young, wealthy and heartbroken. His lover Marie Kelly was murdered by Jack the Ripper and he longs to turn back the clock and save her. Meanwhile, Claire Haggerty rails against the position of women in Victorian society. Forever being matched with men her family consider suitable, she yearns for a time when she can be free to love whom she choses. But hidden in the attic of popular author - and noted scientific speculator - H.G. Wells is a machine that will change everything. As their quests converge, it becomes clear that time is the problem - to escape it, to change it, might offer them the hope they need...

1935: Cal Jardine is a soldier of fortune. Forced to leave Hamburg, where he has been helping Jews flee the Nazis, he is recruited by a secretive British committee to smuggle guns to Abyssinia, a country threatened by Italian invasion. But first Jardine must procure the weapons from Romania, a country full of treacherous locals, as well as German agents seeking his arrest. By sleight of hand, he contrives to steal the weapons he wanted to buy, before escaping the country leaving both the Romanians and Germans floundering. Taken to the Horn of Africa, the arms are then transported over a harsh landscape, an old slave trader s route full of danger, into the hands of the Ethiopian Army. On his travels Jardine acquires more baggage than he anticipated, including a beautiful, but difficult American female in search of her archaeologist mother, a determined reporter and a daredevil French flyer, while missing out on a painful death by sheer good fortune.But the Ethiopians are ill-equipped to a face a modern Italian army using tanks, bombers, and poison gas. Trained for war, can Jardine simply walk away? Or will he be drawn into a bloody conflict against massive odds, and still save those who now depend on him?"

Here is a remarkable vintage tour-de-force of the Fifties, in which Stuart Benton explores the range of human experience from the sublime to the exotically degrading. Marriage, illicit love, the uneasy relationship between children and parents, business success and failure, a trial for murder, a descent into the underworld of society, and later ascent to the delights of a swiftly-moving, jaded society set all these can be found in the fabric of All Things Human. John Stuart Kent is a millionaire banker and aesthete, living out the Indian Summer of his life as the shape of his future is altered by five extraordinary women: Helen, his young wife, a resentful Galatea whose pathological jealousy cools their relationship. Sylvia, a fascinating and magnanimous Wagnerian singer, with flaming red hair and a fresh attitude toward love. Aimee, a courtesan, par excellence. Edda, Kent s secretary, sweet, young and unashamed who fumbles into scandalous catastrophe. Ivy, a sophisticate of enormous wealth and esoteric accomplishments. John Stuart Kent endures a Faust-like descent to a modern, mechanized Hell, experiencing all the humiliations and betrayals of modern society and its strange criminal procedures on his way. In the fight for his good name and his liberty, Kent must use all of his charm and wit, and enlist the help of a few friends, or he could be stuck in the abyss of the criminal system forever."

To save his soul William Marshal takes the perilous road to Jerusalem, but the greatest danger he faces there is losing his heart. England, 1219 Lying on his deathbed, William Marshal, England's greatest knight, sends a trusted servant to bring to him the silk Templar burial shrouds that returned with him from the Holy Land thirty years ago. It is time to fulfil his vow to the Templars and become a monk of their order for eternity. As he waits for the shrouds' return, he looks back upon his long-ago pilgrimage with his brother Ancel, and the sacred mission entrusted to them - to bear the cloak of their dead young lord to Jerusalem and lay it on Christ's tomb in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Jerusalem, 1183 In the holiest of all cities, the brothers become embroiled in the deadly politics, devious scheming and lusts of the powerful men and women who rule the kingdom. Entangled with the dangerous, mercurial Paschia de Riveri, concubine of the highest churchman in the land, William sets on a path so perilous that there seems no way back for him, or for his brother. Both will pay a terrible price and their only chance to see home again will be dependent on the Templar shrouds. In this glorious adventure, bestselling author Elizabeth Chadwick sweeps the reader to medieval Jerusalem in a story perfect for fans of Ken Follett and Philippa Gregory.

First-century Rome: a world of depravity, blood, and secrets. The ruthless and enigmatic Emperor Domitian watches over all--and fixes his gaze on one humble young woman....
Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia. Now she has infuriated her mistress by capturing the attention of Rome's newest and most savage gladiator--and though his love brings Thea the first happiness of her life, their affair ends quickly when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.
Remaking herself as a singer for Rome's aristocrats, Thea unwittingly attracts another admirer: the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But the passions of an all-powerful man come with a heavy price, and Thea finds herself fighting for both her soul and her sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor's mistress.

1072 AD. The Normans have captured England. The Turks have captured a Norman knight. And in order to free him, a Frank warrior named Vallon must capture four rare hawks. In the company of a Sicilian scholar and an English falconer, Vallon sets off a heart-stopping odyssey to the far ends of the earth - from Greenland to Russia to Constantinople, across raging Arctic seas and blood-drenched battlefields. Braving Viking warlords, vengeful Normans, and the unforgiving elements, Vallon and his comrades must track down their quarry one by one in a relentless race against time. Ten years in the making, Hawk Quest is high adventure in the grand tradition of Bernard Cornwell and Robyn Young, an epic story packed with visceral combat, marvellous period detail, and gripping suspense. The scale is huge. The journey is incredible. The history is real. This is - Hawk Quest

'Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line' - Daily Express Napoleon's forces are poised to invade Britain, and Commander Thomas Kydd's ship is at the forefront of the fleet defending the English coast. His honour restored after temporary disgrace in the Channel Islands, and reunited with his ship Teazer, Kydd seizes the chance to fight for his country. Then Kydd is abruptly withdrawn from the fleet and sent back to Dover on a secret mission to guard a mysterious American inventor. Having worked his way up from press-ganged seaman to captain of his own ship, Kydd is furious to find he will miss his opportunity to prove himself in battle. And Kydd's baffled superiors are equally angry to lose Kydd and his ship at such a dangerous time. Yet Kydd's role in the approaching war may be the most crucial part he has ever played. ********************* What readers are saying about INVASION 'Excellent in all respects' - 5 stars 'Very compelling reading!' - 5 stars 'I read ALL of the books by Julian Stockwin, he is an amazing author' - 5 stars 'Yet another top-notch tale from the grand master of the age of fighting sail' - 5 stars 'Julian Stockwin knows his craft . . . I lose myself in his books' - 5 stars

Cumbria, 1783. A broken heritage; a secret history... The tomb of the first Earl of Greta should have lain undisturbed on its island of bones for three hundred years. When idle curiosity opens the stone lid, however, inside is one body too many. Gabriel Crowther's family bought the Gretas' land long ago, and has suffered its own bloody history. His brother was hanged for murdering their father, the Baron of Keswick, and Crowther has chosen comfortable seclusion and anonymity over estate and title for thirty years. But the call of the mystery brings him home at last. Travelling with forthright Mrs Harriet Westerman, who is escaping her own tragedy, Crowther finds a little town caught between new horrors and old, where ancient ways challenge modern justice. And against the wild and beautiful backdrop of fells and water, Crowther discovers that his past will not stay buried.

To what lengths will the British go to smuggle a secret weapon into Nazi Germany? An unmissable Second World War thriller from bestseller Alex Gerlis.'Absorbing ... Gerlis directs his cast with verve' Financial Times Hiding in the horror of Warsaw's Jewish Ghetto with his family, scientist Roman Loszynski has a secret: a means of making aerial bombing raids frighteningly accurate. Codenamed Tatra, it could change the course of the war. With British agent Jack Miller now in Switzerland, back in Berlin undercover spy Sophia von Naundorf is determined to escape Germany come what may. As the RAF look to destroy the Ruhr through its bombing raids, Barnaby Allen and British intelligence will need everything Jack and Sophia have to help find, test and deploy these devices. But that will mean getting Loszynski out of Poland, and themselves re-entering the Reich. Both seem, on the face of it, impossible, desperate missions filled with danger. Every second a chance for discovery. Every second a moment of peril. An intense and unputdownable espionage thriller from modern master Alex Gerlis, this is perfect for readers of Robert Harris, Charles Cumming and Rory Clements.

In this action-packed new Bernicia Chronicles adventure from Matthew Harffy, Beobrand finds himself in a dangerous foreign land, caught between warring factions of royalty and the Church. AD 652. Beobrand has been ordered to lead a group of pilgrims to Rome. Chief among them is Wilfrid, a novice of the church with some important connections. Taking only Cynan and his best men, Beobrand hopes to make the journey through Frankia quickly and return to Northumbria without delay. But where Beobrand treads, menace is never far behind. The lands of the Merovingian kings are rife with intrigue. The queen of Frankia is unpopular and her ambitious schemes have made her powerful enemies. Soon Wilfrid, and Beobrand, are caught up in sinister plots against the royal house. After interrupting a brutal ambush, Beobrand and his trusted gesithas find their lives on the line. Dark forces will stop at nothing to seize control of Frankia, and Beobrand is thrown into a deadly race for survival through foreign lands where he cannot be sure who is friend and who is foe. The only certainty is that if he is to save his men, thwart the plots, and unmask his enemies, blood will flow. Reviewers on Matthew Harffy: 'Excellent!' Christian Cameron 'A genuinely superb novel' Steven McKay 'Beobrand is the warrior to follow' David Gilman

Elusive Isabel (1909) is a spy novel by Jacques Futrelle. Published at the height of his career as a leading popular detective and science fiction writer, Elusive Isabel was adapted for a 1916 silent film of the same name starring Florence Lawrence. Celebrated for his brisk storytelling and mastery of suspense, Jacques Futrelle was lost at sea on April 15, 1912 while returning from Europe on the HMS Titanic. His wife, who survived the disaster, had his last book dedicated to "the heroes of the Titanic." "All the world rubs elbows in Washington. Outwardly it is merely a city of evasion, of conventionalities, sated with the commonplace pleasures of life, listless, blase even, and always exquisitely, albeit frigidly, courteous; but beneath the still, suave surface strange currents play at cross purposes, intrigue is endless, and the merciless war of diplomacy goes on unceasingly." Stationed in Washington, DC, international spy Isabel Thorne is tasked with securing the signatures of leading diplomats from Latin countries in an agreement to usurp England and America as the dominant global power. At the same time, her brother has developed a powerful weapon allowing submarines to launch missiles, which will undoubtedly grant their alliance an advantage in the event of war. Known for her ability to elude capture, Isabel finds herself shaken by the love of Grimm, a loyal U. S. Secret Service agent. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jacques Futrelle's Elusive Isabel is a classic of American detective fiction reimagined for modern readers.

An ancient blade, fit for the gods but tainted with a deadly curse.Bjarki Bloodhand has finally managed to subdue his gandr, the spirit that gives him the ferocity of a bear in battle. Yet losing his berserker prowess may leave him at the mercy of his foes. Meanwhile, his half-sister, the shield maiden Tor Hildarsdottir, has slain two warriors from the personal retinue of the new Jarl of Norrland - and now faces brutal reprisals for their deaths. Valtyr Far-Traveller claims he has a solution to their problems: a long voyage south to the wild Slav lands to find a fabled lost sword said to once belong to the Norse trickster god. The journey will prove more perilous than anything Bjarki or Tor has ever attempted before. Can all three heroes hope to survive the desperate hunt for... The Loki Sword? An epic Viking quest for a legendary sword, perfect for fans of Giles Kristian and Conn Iggulden. Praise for The Last Berserker, Volume One in the Fire Born series'Donald has taken the legendary berserkers, those frothing-at-the-mouth shield-biters, and made them human, which once again proves that Donald is a writer not only at the top of his game, but of the game ... It is a wonderful, rich and violent brew. I welcome Angus Donald to the shield wall of Viking fiction like a thirsty man welcomes a mead-brother to the feast ... A tale worthy of the skalds' Giles Kristian, author of the Raven series 'With The Last Berserker, Donald has given us the first cut of some serious Dark Age beef. By turns heart-racing, intriguing, and touching, this is not a book for the faint-hearted - I can't wait for more' Theodore Brun, author of A Burning Sea 'The Last Berserker strikes with the thundering power of Thor's hammer... rich with the earthy depth, historical detail, intrigue, violence and adventure that we expect from Donald. But it is Bjarki and Tor that make The Last Berserker stand out... Donald's masterful creations will live on in the imagination long after the final page' Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles 'A wonderful, blood-soaked tale of redemption and revenge, set amidst the eighth century clash of civilisations between Pagan Vikings and Christian Franks, by a master of the genre' Saul David, author of Zulu Hart 'Loved this tale of a berserker facing up against the tidal wave of Charlemagne's expansion. Great characters, brilliantly paced and explosive, gritty battle-scenes. Highly recommended' John Gwynne, author of Malice 'Well researched detail and stunning battle scenes make The Last Berserker a white knuckle ride. A thrilling, up-all-night read' C. R. May, author of The Day of the Wolf 'I loved it. Bjarki and Tor are great characters, instantly relatable. The depth of the immersion in their world and their values gives the book authenticity and weight' Cecelia Holland, author of The Soul Thief

Two sisters become embroiled in the burgeoning Cold War in this spellbinding novel of espionage, secrets and betrayals Berlin, 1947: good Soviets Vera and Marya find themselves mired in the covert post-war conflicts that are shaping a new world order. When Marya, an interpreter liaising with the British, gets caught in secret agent Vera's web of deceit, she must make desperate choices to survive - and to protect those she loves. Nine years later, as the Soviets confront their Stalinist past, Vera revisits that pivotal moment, unravelling shocking truths about her sister and herself. Against an epic backdrop, Anika Scott weaves a nail-biting, morally complex story of double-triple bluff and loyalty - or otherwise - to family or motherland. PRAISE FOR THE SOVIET SISTERS 'Electrifying, meticulously researched, and expertly plotted, The Soviet Sisters is at once a Cold War thriller, a gripping spy story, a page-turning mystery, and a familial drama' Lara Prescott, New York Times-bestselling author of The Secrets We Kept 'What a page turner! The era and setting were very fresh, I learned so much, and I loved being taken around post-war Berlin. East and West, love and hate - this story gives beautiful insight into the opposites that can make or break a sisters' bond. Compelling' Mandy Robotham, USA Today-bestselling author of The Berlin Girl and The Girl Behind the Wall

Winter, 1361.

After two decades of conflict, the war is finally over. The English should be enjoying the spoils of victory, but Thomas Blackstone is still fighting.

The French king may have capitulated, signed a treaty and ceded lands, but the warlords who have been fighting over the carcass of his kingdom are in no mind to honour a defeated King's promises. If the English want their prize, they'll have to fight for it: Thomas Blackstone will have to fight for it.

By siege and skirmish, Blackstone pushes deep into the contested territories. But every bloody victory only tightens the snare around his neck. Someone has a score to settle with the scar-faced Englishman. Peace, Blackstone will discover, can be more lethal than war.

From the author of the existential thriller 'The Execution' comes 'Colony', a novel set in French Guiana as the age of Empire draws to a close and anarchy beckons. The year is 1928. Sabir - petty criminal, drifter, war veteran - is on a prison ship bound for a notorious penal colony in the French tropics. Soon after his arrival in the bagne, as it's known, Sabir is shipped out to a work camp deep in the South American jungle but quickly comes to the realisation that his old life is dead, and return to France an impossibility. Yet, if he's to survive at all, he must escape the brutality of the bagne. Posing as a professional gardener, Sabir wins the confidence and protection of the camp's naive, idealistic Commandant. With a group of like-minded convicts - including the secretive, enigmatic Edouard, a comrade from the trenches of WW1 - he soon launches his escape bid, across the seas in a stolen boat. Bad weather forces the men ashore, condemning them to a dismal, hallucinatory tramp through the jungle. As hunger and rivalry tear the group apart, Sabir understands he has scant chance of escaping into another life. In Part Two, Manne - deserter, itinerant exile - comes to the Colony in search of his deported friend, the same Edouard from Part One. With a false identity and cover story, Manne installs himself as a guest at the Commandant's house. There, he falls into an affair with his host's wife. Meanwhile, the Commandant is slowly unravelling, growing ever more suspicious of who Manne is and what he's doing in the Colony. Manne ends up trapped like everyone else in the bagne, and realises that he too must escape. The novel's two plot threads begin to merge - boundaries between dream and reality blur, bringing a surreal tinge to the dramatic climax. Both a page-turning adventure story, and a bold novel of ideas, Colony takes an historical background familiar to readers of Henri Charriere's 'Papillon', and twists it into a metaphysical journey. Brilliantly evoking an atmosphere of colonial decline in the tropics, the novel explores the shifting natures of identity, memory and reality.

When he's caught stealing, young Alan Dale is forced to leave his family and go to live with a notorious band of outlaws in Sherwood Forest. Their leader is the infamous Robin Hood. A tough, bloodthirsty warrior, Robin is more feared than any man in the county. And he becomes a mentor for Alan; with his fellow outlaws, Robin teaches Alan how to fight - and how to win. But Robin is a ruthless man - and although he is Alan's protector, if Alan displeases him, he could also just as easily become his murderer.... From bloody battles to riotous feast days to marauding packs of wolves, Outlaw is a gripping, action-packed historical thriller that delves deep into the fascinating legend of Robin Hood.

Born to a divided kingdom. Destined to unite it. AD 1286: The King of Scots is killed, leaving no heir. Twelve-year-old Robert Bruce, heir to the great House of Bruce, comes of age amid the bitter rivalry of Scotland's most powerful nobles to claim the vacant throne. The boy is schooled in the arts of warfare and the manipulation of ruthless and violent men, but when the Scottish Crown is bestowed upon Bruce's greatest enemies, Robert travels with his family to England, swearing feudal loyalty to King Edward Plantagenet - known as 'Longshanks'. But Longshanks's increasing treachery and his brutal attempts to annexe Scotland see Robert turning renegade and returning to his home country. The Battle of Bannockburn lies ahead and a legend is born. This is the story of one man's resistance, and the bravery of a country that would not yield.

After joining the the Lovat Scouts at the outbreak of the Second World War Donald Angus Gillies is sent on a mission to the Alps, where he meets Francoise, a young French Canadian SOE agent. The pair immediately form a close bond, but when Francoise is injured and captured, DA realizes his feelings for her are much, much stronger. After desperate attempts to find her, he has given up all hope. But a posting to Canada leads to some remarkable news, not just about Francoise but also about his own family. Reunited once more, Donald Angus and Francoise plan to live together in his beloved Ardnish, but have one further mission to complete first - a mission more dangerous than anything they have ever faced before . . .

Filled with almost unbearable tension and excitement, DAS BOOT is one of the best stories ever written about war, a supreme novel of the Second World War and an acclaimed film and TV drama. It is autumn 1941 and a German U-boat commander and his crew set out on yet another hazardous patrol in the Battle of the Atlantic. Over the coming weeks they must brave the stormy waters of the Atlantic in their mission to seek out and destroy British supply ships. But the tide is beginning to turn against the Germans in the war for the North Atlantic. Their targets now travel in convoys, fiercely guarded by Royal Navy destroyers, and when contact is finally made the hunters rapidly become the hunted. As the U-boat is forced to hide beneath the surface of the sea a cat-and-mouse game begins, where the increasing claustrophobia of the submarine becomes an enemy just as frightening as the depth charges that explode around it. Of the 40,000 men who served on German submarines, 30,000 never returned. Written by a survivor of the U-boat fleet, DAS BOOT is a psychological drama merciless in its intensity, and a classic novel of the Second World War.