THE GRIPPING GOTHIC THRILLER Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte are rather losing interest in detecting until they hear of a shocking discovery: the bones of a child have been found interred within the walls of a local house, Top Withens Hall, home to the scandalous and brutish Bradshaw family. When the sisters set off to find out more, they are confronted with an increasingly complex and sinister case, which leads them into the dark world of orphanages, and onto the trail of other lost, and likely murdered children. After another local boy goes missing, Charlotte, Emily and Anne vow to find him before it's too late. But in order to do so, they must face their most despicable and wicked adversary yet - one that would not hesitate to cause them the gravest of harm . . . Praise for Bella Ellis and the series: 'Bronte aficionados are sure to enjoy the accurate characterization and context, the twists turns and Gothic touches of the plot, and the strong feminist streak that manifests itself throughout, but most triumphantly at the end. Happily, more Bronte mysteries are to be expected.' The Times Literary Supplement 'A splendid adventure' Guardian 'A delight' The Wall Street Journal 'Brilliantly entertaining and original' CL Taylor 'Insightful, moving and inspiring . . . an absolute treat from start to finish' Jane Casey 'Elegant, witty and compulsively readable - I think the Bronte sisters would have been delighted' Rosie Walsh

1873. Matthew Grand and James Batchelor have arrived at Matthew?s grand family home in Maine for the wedding of his sister Martha. But preparations are thrown into chaos when a body is discovered in an upstairs bedroom. And that?s not the only skeleton in the family closet.

Second historical thriller in the Alexander Seaton series sweeps the hero back to his roots in Ulster, and a family living under a curse and riven with long-held secrets Aberdeen, 1628. Alexander Seaton's happily settled life as a university teacher is shattered by the arrival in town of a stranger who looks like his twin and who carries a plea for help from Alexander's dead mother's family in Ireland. The family has been placed under a poet's curse, threatening death to various members. Elements of the curse have already begun to play out. Reluctantly answering the call, Seaton travels to Ulster, to find himself among a family torn apart by secrets and deep resentments. As he seeks out the author of the curse, he becomes deeply entangled in a conflict that involves fugitive priests, displaced poets, rebellious plotters and agents of the king. Confronted by murder within his family, he finds the lines between superstition and faith, duty and loyalty are becoming increasingly blurred, while his Scottish homeland grows ever more remote.

Benjamin January investigates the murder of a mysterious Englishman in this absorbing New Orleans-set mystery. When British spymaster Sir John Oldmixton offers Benjamin January a hundred dollars to find the murderer of an Englishman whose body has been found floating in the New Basin Canal, Benjamin turns him down immediately. As a free man of colour in New Orleans in the sweltering July of 1839, he knows this is not something he should get mixed up in. But when clues to the dead man's identity link the death to another murder, in another July in January's past, he is reluctantly drawn into the investigation. Nine years ago in Paris he failed to catch a killer - with tragic consequences. Now in New Orleans he must unravel the earlier murder, the one that took place during the great revolt against the Bourbon kings, to solve the second killing. At stake is not merely a hundred dollars, but hidden treasure, the fate of an innocent woman - and the lives of January's wife, son and unborn child.

Sir Goeffrey Mappestone uncovers a plot to overthrow King Henry I in this absorbing 12th century mystery. March 1102, and Robert de Belleme, the Black Earl of Shrewsbury, is summoned to appear before King Henry's Easter Court, to answer for siding with the King's older brother, the Duke of Normandy, in an attempt to steal the King's throne. Meanwhile, in the crowded and dangerous streets of Southwark, south of the river Thames, Crusader Knights Sir Geoffrey Mappestone and the hearty Sir Roger of Durham witness a man murdered by hanging from the window of the Crusader's Arms Inn. But this is not just any man, he is the illegitimate nephew of Robert de Belleme, and had apparently been holding a meeting with two mysterious men. In fact, it turns out the inn has been used for many meetings of the earl's spies, and there are plans afoot to obtain a terrible weapon to use against the King, one that the Crusader Knights remember with a terrible fear from the Siege of Jerusalem Greek Fire. Solving the murder is only the first step in uncovering the plot against the King.

New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry's eighteenth enthralling Christmas novella. When Celia Hooper discovers that her dear friend Clementine is to marry widower Seth Marlowe - a man with a sinister past - she calls upon her husband, Detective John Hooper of the Thames River Police, to help her find out what really happened to Seth's first wife several years ago. Rumour has it that she killed herself and Seth's daughter ran away to live on the streets but no one seems to know the truth. Then Seth accuses Celia of sending him blackmail letters and it quickly becomes clear that she is not the only one trying to stop him from marrying Clementine. With Christmas fast approaching, lines are blurred, relationships are tested and the past won't stay buried for ever . . . A Christmas Resolution is an enthralling festive mystery set in Victorian London from the pen of the New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.

London, 1921. Prominent Cabinet minister Lord Amersham has been shot dead outside his Regents Park home, two bullets to the chest and one to the forehead. The killing bears the hallmarks of a professional hit. Tackling one of the most high-profile cases Scotland Yard has ever faced, DCI Paul Stark is under pressure to produce a quick result. Amersham's colleague, Secretary of State for the Colonies Winston Churchill, is convinced the Bolsheviks are responsible. Stark's colleagues at Special Branch believe there's a connection to the Government talks taking place over Irish Home Rule. Or could the motive be connected to Lord Amersham's scandalous private life? Then there is a second murder, once again committed by an expert marksman at close range - and the case takes a terrifying new twist . . .

Ancient Roman sleuth Marcus Corvinus is despatched to Gaul on a personal mission for the emperor. June, AD 42. The emperor Claudius himself has requested Corvinus's help in investigating the murder of a Gallic wine merchant, stabbed to death as he was taking an afternoon nap in his summer-house at Lugdunum. Not especially happy at being despatched to Gaul, and even less enamoured of his enforced travelling companion, the insufferable Domitius Crinas, Corvinus is increasingly frustrated as it becomes clear that the dead man's extended family and friends are hiding something from him. Unused to strange Gallic customs and facing an uphill struggle getting anyone to talk freely to a Roman, Corvinus is convinced that there's more to this murder than meets the eye - but, a stranger in a strange land, how is he going to prove it . . .?

Leeds, England. July, 1893. D.I. Tom Harper is witnessing the demonstration of a devastating new naval weapon, the torpedo, at Roundhay Park. The explosion brings up a body in the lake, a rope lashed tightly around its waist. At the same time, dredging operations in the River Aire are disrupted when a woman's severed leg floats to the water's surface, still clad in its stocking and boot. Could the two macabre discoveries be connected? Harper's investigations will lead him right to the heart of the criminal underworld that underpins the city - and into the path of a merciless killer.

As World War II ends, a killer's game begins. In the final days of the Nazi regime, with the historic city of Dresden on the brink of destruction, terrifying rumors spread about the Fright Man, a demonic killer who exploited the cover of a nighttime air raid siren to mutilate and kill a young nurse. Just as seasoned detective Max Heller begins investigating, the Fright Man kills again... The investigation seems hopeless. Desperate refugees flood the streets, all of Heller's resources are depleted, and his new boss is a ruthless SS officer. And like so many others, Heller and his wife, Karin, survive on meager rations while fearing for the lives of their sons at the front. But as tensions mount and enemy firebombs decimate the city, dangerous new clues come to light-and the determined Heller pursues a violent and twisting path to unmask a monster.

Jack Blackjack is ordered to eliminate a spy in Princess Elizabeth's household in this engaging Tudor mystery. June, 1554. Former cutpurse and now professional assassin Jack Blackjack has deep misgivings about his latest assignment. He has been despatched to the Palace of Woodstock, where Queen Mary's half-sister Princess Elizabeth is being kept under close guard. Jack's employer has reason to believe that a spy has been installed within the princess's household, and Jack has been ordered to kill her. Jack has no choice but to agree. But he arrives at Woodstock to discover that a murder has already been committed. As he sets out to prove his innocence by uncovering the real killer, Jack finds the palace to be a place steeped in misery and deceit; a hotbed of illicit love affairs, seething resentments, clashing egos and bitter jealousies. But who among Woodstock's residents is hiding a deadly secret - and will Jack survive long enough to find out?

Longlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger 'An intelligent and intriguing crime novel set in the heart of Victorian London. Its atmospheric and twisting narrative had me hooked.' Sarah Ward London, 1863: prostitutes in the Waterloo area are turning up dead, their sexual organs mutilated and removed. When another girl goes missing, fears grow that the killer may have claimed their latest victim. The police are at a loss and so it falls to courtesan and professional detective, Heloise Chancey, to investigate. With the assistance of her trusty Chinese maid, Amah Li Leen, Heloise inches closer to the truth. But when Amah is implicated in the brutal plot, Heloise must reconsider who she can trust, before the killer strikes again. Tjia brings us a pacey and exciting murder mystery set in Victorian London. This historical crime thriller sees a young female detective work with the police to evade a violent killer. What Reviewers and Readers Say: `Tjia transports the reader to the mid nineteenth century so effectively through all the senses; sound, smell, touch, vision and feeling; contrasting the opulence of London's Mayfair with the squalor of Thames-side Waterloo ... The writing is accomplished and economic, taking the reader on various twists and turns on the journey ... We have discovered a new sleuth in Heloise Chancey.' David Evans, author of The Wakefield Series, shortlisted for CWA Debut Dagger in 2013 `Compulsive reading ... I was enthralled from the very first page. A beautifully written book with such authenticity, that each page whisked me back in time. The story galloped along as I followed the characters that were all too real. I could not put it down.' Caroline Mitchell, author of the DC Jennifer Knight series `A gripping and refreshingly different historical crime novel.' Angela Buckley, author of The Real Sherlock Holmes `Fun, thrilling and very well written - She Be Damned is a carefully crafted adventure that I hugely enjoyed, and I look forward to seeing what the delightful Mrs Chancey gets up to next.' Luke Marlowe, TheBookbag `If you like your heroines flamboyant, your servants mouthy, and your murders bloody, She Be Damned is the perfect book to get both your historical fiction fix and a head start on an excellent upcoming series.' The AU Review `an entertaining tale with entertaining characters and many plot twists.' Historical Novels Review

30th May 1944. In the middle of the night, Libby Clark is roused from sleep by a colleague in distress. Marvin's cousin Frannie has been charged with treason, and he hopes that Libby, with her clear-headed scientific mind, can find a way to help prove her innocence. Libby, a chemist at a secret World War II facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, agrees to help her friend and pursue the truth. Libby's investigations soon uncover the immoral Dr Hansrote, who has tricked Frannie into her treachery. But, the evil at Oak Ridge seems to run deeper and in Libby's determination to uncover the truth, she not only finds herself up against the authorities, but also caught in the crosshairs of a deadly cabal of indoctrinated spies, greedy opportunists and unscrupulous collaborators. Can Libby survive the confluence of challenges? Or will one of them fashion a trap she cannot escape?

When the body of an American woman is found in the Prince Alfred suite at the Royal Victoria Hotel, DCI Monika Paniatowski is faced with one of the most baffling cases of her career. The woman who called herself Mary Edwards had been a guest at the hotel for the past two weeks, having paid cash in advance. But who was she really - and what was she doing in a small town like Whitebridge? If Monika could discover why the dead woman had come to Lancashire, she would be one step closer to catching her killer. The investigation takes an intriguing twist when Monika learns of a possible link to a fifty-year-old murder - but the only person who could tell her why it's relevant is lying in a coma.

Simmering tensions, buried memories and old scores are revived at Wychbourne Court when Lady Ansley's old theatre group reunite to perform the Wychbourne Follies. 1926, Kent. Lady Ansley's old Gaiety Theatre group are reuniting at Wychbourne Court for the weekend. But how will they react when they learn that, thanks to her son Richard, the Follies, which began as a jolly idea for their own amusement, has become a fully-fledged performance to be held in the village at the Coach and Horses Inn? Chef Nell Drury is sure her guests' reaction isn't the only thing worrying Lady Ansley. A fascinating group of actors and actresses - from the pompous Hubert Jarrett to the dashing Neville Heydock, it's not long before simmering tensions, revived old scores, fears and, worst of all, buried memories take centre stage. What happened to Mary Ann Darling, the young Gaiety actress who disappeared thirty years ago? As the performance draws to a close, the real drama is only just beginning.

A medieval mystery featuring Brother Athelstan June, 1381. Summoned to the monastery at Blackfriars to investigate the murder of a fellow priest, found stabbed to death in his locked chamber, Brother Athelstan learns there may be a connection with the fate of the king's great-grandfather, Edward II, murdered 54 years earlier. Meanwhile, the rebel armies plot the present king's destruction.

Queen Elizabeth's proposed engagement to a Catholic Duke is causing turmoil throughout the kingdom in the gripping new Ursula Blanchard mystery. July, 1579. Called upon to help a family friend who is horrified at the return of her errant husband after an absence of thirty years, little does Ursula realize that her involvement in the Harrison family's domestic dramas will lead to a case of cold-blooded murder. Matters become even more complicated when Ursula is summoned to court to assist in negotiations for Queen Elizabeth's possible engagement to the Duke of Alencon. The proposed marriage between the queen and a French Catholic twenty years her junior is causing unrest throughout the kingdom. There are many who oppose the match - but would someone kill in order to prevent it? Tensions increase when a prominent nobleman is accused of murder. Ursula is convinced the man is innocent - but can she prove it?

Cairo, Egypt, 1913. When schoolgirl Marie Kewfik is kidnapped, snatched away as she strolled through the bustling bazaars of the Souk, the Khedive insists that the Mamur Zapt, Head of the Secret Police, takes charge of the negotiations for her safe return. The Kewfiks are one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Egypt but, as the Mamur Zapt discovers, not everyone thinks it's worth the trouble to secure the release of a mere girl. He also learns that there is more to Marie's kidnapping than meets the eye - and the subsequent fallout will shine a glaring light on the dangerous tensions running through Egyptian society.

When the family butler is brutally attacked, land agent Matthew Rowsley and his wife Harriet determine to find the culprit in this gripping Victorian mystery. With his lordship's mental health failing, management of his grand country estate has been assigned to a group of trustees, including land agent Matthew Rowsley and his capable wife Harriet. But the smooth running of Thorncroft House is disrupted by a series of unforeseen events. Building work on the estate workers' new cottages is halted by the discovery of Roman remains. Shortly afterwards, the family butler is brutally assaulted and left for dead. A random attack - or was he deliberately targeted? Matters take an even more disturbing turn when Lord Croft's long-lost cousin and heir, Julius Trescothick, arrives from Australia, ready to claim his inheritance. But is he who he claims to be . and what are his true intentions? If they are to preserve Thorncroft House and a way of life that has continued for centuries, Matthew and Harriet must uncover the truth behind Trescothick's identity and solve a series of interlocking mysteries.

A past crime causes new murder in the latest intriguing Kate O'Donnell mystery. 1964. Detective Sergeant Harry Barnard has been ordered to track down notorious Soho club owner Ray Robertson, who hasn't been seen for several days. The case takes on a greater urgency when a battered body is discovered at the gym Ray owns. Is Ray the killer . or is he a victim? Photographer Kate O'Donnell meanwhile is working on a feature about the regeneration of Canvey Island, finally being rebuilt after the devastating East Coast floods of 1953. But as Kate and Harry are about to discover, the Canvey Island floods, the murder and Ray Robertson's disappearance are connected in more ways than one .

An astonishing new order has usurped power in Rome and the reverberations are reaching even to Glevum, where the legion is preparing to depart. Libertus's wealthy patron, until recently one of the most influential men in the Empire, finds himself not only deprived of the privilege and protection he had previously enjoyed, but under actual threat both from the political establishment in Rome and from an anonymous and vindictive enemy much closer to home. The murder of another councillor, similarly placed, makes the matter urgent. Libertus, whose humbler status affords obscurity, is charged with spiriting Marcus's young family away to a place of safety. But his task will bring problems of its own, as Libertus uncovers a grisly secret and an ancient crime - with ramifications stretching to the present day.

An impossible mystery must be solved, and he is running out of time.Men have been found dead in the scarlet chamber of an Italian manor. They have no marks upon them, they have not ingested poison, there are no secret passageways in to the room. And they all have awful expressions of terror upon their faces. London, 1379. Sir John Cranston is invited to a banquet at the Regent's palace on the Thames. There he is trapped into a wager with Signor Gian Galeazzo, Lord of Cremona and owner of the manor, who challenges him to resolve the mystery within two weeks. Realising that his reputation and future wealth now depend upon him solving this mystery, Cranston seeks the help of his faithful secretarius Brother Athelstan. However, Athelstan has problems of his own... A thrilling mystery with a twist you won't see coming, perfect for fans of Susanna Gregory and S. G. MacLean. Praise for Paul Doherty'If you like Inspector Morse, you'll love Brother Athelstan' Prima 'The best of its kind since the death of Ellis Peters' Time Out