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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Crime & mystery > Historical mysteries
DCI Monika Paniatowski faces an old enemy - and makes a fatal
mistake with the potential to poison her whole career. Jordan Gough
is an important man. He's the town's biggest benefactor. He is the
proprietor of the Whitebridge Evening Telegraph. He owns the local
football team. He is also, DCI Monika Paniatowski thinks, as bent
as a corkscrew - and if she had any evidence, she'd put him away
like a shot. A single encounter with him as a young detective
sergeant left an impression she's never forgotten. And neither, she
is certain, has he. So when Jordan calls and demands to speak to
Monika - and only Monika - she is on immediate high alert. He
claims someone's trying to kill him, but why has he destroyed the
evidence? Why turn for help to an officer he hates? Certain she's
the target of a twisted practical joke, Monika makes a terrible
mistake - one that could destroy everything she holds dear. The
fourteenth DCI Monika Paniatowski mystery is a powerful and dark
tale of revenge, secrets and lies, which grips you tight as it
reveals twist after stunning twist.
Just beyond the Gilded Age, in the mist-covered streets of New
York, the deadly Spanish influenza ripples through the city. But
with so many victims in her close circle, young socialite Allene
questions if the flu is really to blame. All appear to have been
poisoned-and every death was accompanied by a mysterious note.
Desperate for answers and dreading her own engagement to a wealthy
gentleman, Allene returns to her passion for scientific discovery
and recruits her long-lost friends, Jasper and Birdie, for help.
The investigation brings her closer to Jasper, an apprentice
medical examiner at Bellevue Hospital who still holds her heart,
and offers the delicate Birdie a last-ditch chance to find a safe
haven before her fragile health fails. As more of their friends and
family die, alliances shift, lives become entangled, and the three
begin to suspect everyone-even each other. As they race to find the
culprit, Allene, Birdie, and Jasper must once again trust each
other, before one of them becomes the next victim.
It is Istanbul, 1838, and Lefevre, a French archaeologist, has
arrived in Istanbul determined to uncover a lost Byzantine
treasure. Yashim is hired to investigate him, but when the man
turns up dead, there is only one suspect: Yashim himself. Once
again, the investigator finds himself in a race against time to
uncover the startling truth behind a shadowy secret society
dedicated to the revival of the Byzantine Empire, caught in a
deadly game deep beneath the city streets, a place where the stakes
are high - and betrayal is death.
A Times Best New Historical Fiction pick, perfect for fans of The
Familiars and The Binding. 'KEEPS THE READER HOOKED TO THE END' -
THE TIMES ___________ Halloween night, 1906. Lotta Rae is assaulted
by a wealthy gentleman and bravely takes him to trial alongside her
barrister, William. But the verdict is devastating, the
consequences unimaginable. When Lotta discovers she has been
betrayed, she vows to deliver her own justice. Twelve years later,
William and Lotta meet again: this night, their final reckoning.
The day in court is done. But tonight he will hear her testimony.
___________ 'A masterclass in storytelling' - Donal Ryan 'Utterly
absorbing and vividly realised' - Irish Independent 'An enthralling
drama' - Best 'A sweeping, heart-breaking quest for justice' -
Fiona Looney 'A tale told with such ominous beauty. Lotta will stay
with me forever' - Chas Newkey-Burden 'Weaves historical fact with
an engaging and page-turning plot' - Sinead Moriarty 'This is a
sit-down-and-do-not-get-up-until-you've-finished read' - Belfast
Telegraph 'A brilliant tale' - Sunday Business Post 'A gripping
story of injustice, intrigue and revenge set at the turn of the
20th century' - Irish Times
A grisly death near her new homestead draws Brigid Reardon into a
complicated mystery soon after her arrival in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in
1881 After the harrowing events that entangled her in Deadwood,
Brigid Reardon just wants to move west and get on with her new life
in America. But shortly after traveling to Cheyenne to join her
brother Seamus, she finds herself caught up in another deadly
mystery-beginning with her discovery of a neighbor's body on the
plains near their homes. Was Ella murdered? Are either of the two
men in Ella's life responsible? With Seamus away on a cattle drive,
her friend Padraic possibly succumbing to a local's charms, and the
sheriff seemingly satisfied with Ella's fate, it falls to Brigid to
investigate what really happened, which puts her in the crosshairs
of one of Cheyenne's cattle barons, called "big sugars" in these
parts. All she really wants is something better than a crumbling,
soddy homestead on the desolate plains of Wyoming-and maybe, just
maybe, she wants Padraic-but life, it seems, has other plans: this
young immigrant from Ireland is going to be a detective on the
western frontier of 1880s America, even if it kills her. Loosely
based on the true story of Ellen Watson in Cheyenne in 1889, The
Big Sugar continues the adventure begun in Mary Logue's celebrated
mystery The Streel, which introduced a "gritty, charming, clever
protagonist" (Kirkus Reviews). With a faultless sense of history, a
keen eye for suspense, and a poet's way with prose, Mary Logue all
but guarantees that readers, like Brigid, will find the mystery at
the heart of The Big Sugar downright irresistible.
From The Times bestselling author of The Other Mrs Walker – Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2017 – comes Mary Paulson-Ellis's second stunning historical mystery, The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing.
Solomon knew that he had one advantage. A pawn ticket belonging to a dead man tucked into his top pocket – the only clue to the truth . . .
An old soldier dies alone in his Edinburgh nursing home. No known relatives, and no Will to enact. Just a pawn ticket found amongst his belongings, and fifty thousand pounds in used notes sewn into the lining of his burial suit . . .
Heir Hunter, Solomon Farthing – down on his luck, until, perhaps, now – is tipped off on this unexplained fortune. Armed with only the deceased’s name and the crumpled pawn ticket, he must find the dead man’s closest living relative if he is to get a cut of this much-needed cash.
But in trawling through the deceased’s family tree, Solomon uncovers a mystery that goes back to 1918 and a group of eleven soldiers abandoned in a farmhouse billet in France in the weeks leading up to the armistice.
Set between contemporary Edinburgh and the final brutal days of the First World War as the soldiers await their orders, The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing shows us how the debts of the present can never be settled unless those of the past have been paid first . . .
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION - FEATURES READING GROUP QUESTIONS AND
NEW MATERIAL FROM STEF'S UPCOMING EPIC NOVEL, UNDER A POLE STAR
COSTA AWARD WINNER and WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER. A breathtaking tale of
mystery, buried secrets and romance, set in nineteenth century
frontier Canada - for fans of THE SNOW CHILD and A PLACE CALLED
WINTER. 'Unquestionably atmospheric, evocative and rewarding'
Independent on Sunday 'A tense and delicately written thriller'
Observer Canada, 1867. A young murder suspect flees across the
snowy wilderness. Tracking him is what passes for the law in this
frontier land: trappers, sheriffs, traders and the suspect's own
mother, desperate to clear his name. As the party pushes further
from civilisation, hidden purposes and old obsessions are revealed.
One is seeking long-lost daughters; another a fortune in stolen
furs; yet another is chasing rumours of a lost Native American
culture. But where survival depends on cooperation, their fragile
truce cannot afford to be broken, nor their overriding purpose - to
find justice for a murdered man - forgotten. The Tenderness of
Wolves is a must-read historical epic, weaving adventure, suspense
and humour into an exhilarating thriller, a panoramic romance and
ultimately, one of the books of the last ten years.
"One of the best examples of [Sherlock Holmes pastiche] that this
die-hard Sherlockian has encountered . . . Faye perfectly captures
the tone and spirit of the Conan Doyle originals."--Adam Woog,
Seattle TimesInternationally bestselling author Lyndsay Faye has
been enamored with the tales of Holmes and Watson ever since she
was introduced to "The Adventure of the Speckled Band"--and later
began to spin these quintessential characters into her own
acclaimed works of fiction. The Whole Art of Detection collects the
best of her Holmes tales written for the Strand Magazine and other
publications, plus two new works. These fifteen brilliant stories
span Holmes's career, from self-taught young upstart to lauded
detective, both before and after his faked death over a Swiss
waterfall in 1894. With Holmes and Watson encountering all manner
of "scientific" spiritualists, poisoned wives, cunning relatives,
plaid-garbed villains, and even a corpse horribly drained of all
blood, this is a must-read for Sherlockians and any fan of
historical crime fiction.
Mistress Rosamond Jaffrey is recruited by Queen Elizabeth I's
spymaster to be lady-in-waiting to Lady Mary, a cousin of the queen
who is being courted by Russia's Ivan the Terrible. However, there
are some nobles at court who will do anything they can to thwart
such an alliance and Rosamond must put herself in mortal peril to
protect her ward . . .
Vampire Don Simon Ysido has been captured and held aboard a ship
heading to the US to act as a slave, and Dr Lydia Asher must stop
it . . . at any cost. March, 1917. The goal of every government
involved in the Great War has been achieved: industrialist Spenser
Cochran has drugged and enslaved a vampire, Don Simon Ysidro, to do
his bidding, and is now on the way to the US aboard a luxury ship.
Horrified, Dr Lydia Asher secures her passage on the vessel to
rescue her friend from Cochran's chemical thrall. Meanwhile, her
husband makes a dangerous alliance with the vampires of Paris to
send Lydia the information she needs about the drug. As they cross
the Atlantic evidence mounts that another vampire is hiding aboard
the ship, indiscriminately murdering passengers. Lydia knows she
must solve both cases before the ship docks, and that breaking
Cochran's hold on Don Simon will not be enough . . . She must kill
him.
Death and danger await intrepid nun Hildegard of Meaux when she
undertakes a secret mission for the good of her Order, in this
eleventh action-packed installment of the medieval mystery series.
February, 1390. Hildegard is given a special assignment by the
Prioress of Swyne to escort a young heiress from Beaulieu Abbey to
the northern stronghold of Sir William atte Wood. What could be
more pleasant than to join a betrothal party, especially as she
will be accompanied on the long journey to the New Forest by the
two monks militant, Gregory and Egbert. But there is a more urgent
and secret purpose for her mission. The Western Church is in
Schism, with two popes battling for power. The Cistercians are
split between the pope in Rome - supported by King Richard - and
the pope in Avignon, an ally of the king's French enemies. Which
pope will Beaulieu decide to follow? England's future depends on
it, and who better than Hildegard to discover Beaulieu's
allegiance? But to question such powerful forces brings only death
and danger - and even her two militant monks may not be enough to
save her. This action-packed, page-turning medieval mystery is a
great choice for fans of holy sleuths like Peter Tremayne's Sister
Fidelma and Paul Doherty's Brother Athelstan.
'One of the most reliable thriller writers in the world' Daily Mail
Guernica, 1937 When the bombers appear like a flock of birds over
the horizon, Sibil Helinger, 17, is enjoying market day in the
small Spanish town of Guernica. With no warning, clouds of German
planes are upon them and bombs fall on the town like rain. Reeling
with shock, Sibil spends the next few days frantically searching
for her relatives in the smouldering rubble. Though she finds her
little sister trapped in the ruins, she discovers her mother and
the others are dead. Years later, while WWII rages, Sibil and her
sister are living with their father - an eminent scientist
reluctantly working with the Nazis and a member of the undercover
German resistance. Sibil has grown into a beautiful young woman
fuelled by a dark rage. In short, she has grown into the perfect
spy to join the resistance and fight back against those responsible
for her mother's death. From the bestselling author of The Black
Swan of Paris, Fire in the Sky is novel of bravery, danger, love
and a woman's unbelievable reserves of strength. Readers of Jane
Thynne, Heather Morris, Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel will adore
Robards' storytelling. PRAISE FOR THE BLACK SWAN OF PARIS 'A truly
outstanding novel, brilliantly written, that captured me and held
me in its grip from page one. The Black Swan of Paris reminds us of
the power of love, hope and courage' Heather Morris, #1 bestselling
author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz 'Emotional and powerful' Pam
Jenoff, bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris 'Beautifully
written and completely absorbing. ' Noelle Salazar, bestselling
author of The Flight Girls 'An extraordinarily suspenseful,
emotional read' Kelly Rimmer, bestselling author of The Things We
Cannot Say
All aboard the good ship SS Columbus for an African adventure to
die for . . . February 1939. Mamie Mason isn't enthusiastic when
Bert, her husband of thirty years, persuades her to join him on an
African cruise. Bert might be pining for adventure, but Mamie's
perfectly content with her comfortable life in Hills Corners, Ohio.
But once the couple board the glamorous SS Columbus, Mamie has to
admit - as much as it pains her - that Bert was right. Swimming in
the pool, dancing under the stars, their own bedroom steward to
serve their every whim . . . Mamie settles in and prepares to
thoroughly enjoy all the sights that Africa has to offer, in the
company of a motley collection of eccentric first-class passengers.
Then Mamie witnesses something shocking - and her vacation takes a
twist that neither she nor Bert could ever have predicted. Far from
home, with a killer in their midst, the couple's only choice is to
turn detective. But surrounded by Nazis, spies and passengers with
secrets, how can they uncover the killer - enjoy their vacation of
a lifetime - and make it back to Ohio alive? This page-turning
historical mystery, set in the months before the outbreak of the
Second World War, is a great choice for fans of Agatha Christie's
Death on the Nile, Ruth Ware's The Woman in Cabin 10, and anyone
who enjoys arm-chair travelling, with a dash of mystery and
adventure!
"Excellent . Clare matches well-drawn characters, in particular the
charismatic lead, with a head-scratching puzzle and creepy
atmospherics. Imogen Robertson fans will be pleased" - Publishers
Weekly Starred Review In this gripping forensic mystery set in
Stuart England, Gabriel Taverner uncovers a series of shocking
secrets when he's summoned by his former naval captain to
investigate strange goings-on aboard his ship. October, 1604.
Former ship's surgeon turned country physician Gabriel Taverner is
surprised to receive an urgent summons from his old naval captain.
Now docked in Plymouth harbour, having recently returned from the
Caribbean, Captain Colt believes his ship is haunted by an evil
spirit, and has asked Gabriel to investigate. Dismissive of the
crew's wild talk of mysterious blue-skinned ghosts, Gabriel is
convinced there must be a rational explanation behind the mass
hallucinations. But matters take a disturbing turn when he and the
captain discover a body hidden behind one of the bulkheads. Calling
on the help of his old friend, Coroner Theophilus Davey, piece by
piece Gabriel uncovers a terrifying tale of treachery, dark magic,
unimaginable cruelty - and cold-blooded murder.
October, 1940. Bombs are falling on Stratford when air-raid warden
Sylvia Parks sees a house with a light shining like a beacon to the
enemy aircraft overhead, violating the strict blackout regulations.
With no answer at the door she manages to break in, only to
discover the body of a young woman - and she's been strangled with
a stocking. For Detective Inspector John Jago, the scene brings
back memories of the gruesome Soho Strangler, who murdered four
women in the mid-1930s but has never been caught. Is there a
connection? As the investigation develops, it leads him into a web
of family jealousies, violence, robbery and the underworld of
political terrorism.
'To shoot a man on the spur of the moment in the presence of the
king and his court, not to mention the cardinal and his household,
that took a boldness ... Or utter despair.' - Hampton Court, 1522
Lawyer Hugh Mac Egan has arrived from Ireland to draw up the
marriage contract between James Butler, son of his employer the
Earl of Ormond, and Anne Boleyn - a dynastic alliance that will
resolve an age-old inheritance dispute. But Anne, it seems, has
other ideas. Her heart is set on Harry Percy, heir to the
magnificent earldom of Northumberland, sparking rivalry between the
two young men. When a member of Cardinal Wolsey's palace staff is
found shot dead with an arrow, Percy is quick to give evidence that
implicates Butler. And with Percy's testimony backed up by Butler's
artful bride-to-be, things start to look bleak for the young
Irishman. In Tudor England, the accused is guilty until proven
innocent. Against the backdrop of the Lenten festivities, Mac Egan
sets out to exonerate his patron's heir and find the real killer,
uncovering as he does so the many factions and intrigues that lie
beneath the surface at the cardinal's court.
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