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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Crime & mystery > Historical mysteries
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The Turquoise Shop
(Paperback)
Frances Crane; Introduction by Anne Hillerman; Notes by Anne Hillerman
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R405
Discovery Miles 4 050
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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OUT NOW IN CINEMAS AND NOMINATED FOR FOUR OSCARS A cool, cruel,
rediscovered classic of American noir adapted for cinemas by
Guillermo del Toro, starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett and
Rooney Mara 'Read and shudder. And relish' Guardian 'A creepy,
all-too-harrowing masterpiece' Washington Post Stanton Carlisle,
employed as a carny at a travelling circus watches their freak-show
geek - an abject alcoholic, the object of the voyeuristic crowd's
gleeful disgust and derision - and wonders how a man could fall so
low. There's no way in hell, he vows, that anything like that will
ever happen to him. Unlike the tragic figure he sees before him,
Stan is young, clever and ambitious and quick to learn from the
other carnival acts. Initially teaming up with a beautiful but
vulnerable woman as part of a double act in which he mesmerises
her, Stan soon leaves his circus days behind him, becoming a
successful spiritualist who exploits the weak and the wealthy. But
even the very best con-men can meet their match.... With a new
introduction from James Smythe, Nightmare Alley is a forgotten
classic of Depression-era America: a brilliant, horrifying,
compulsive journey into the true darkness of the human mind.
Every relationship comes at a cost in this tense and gripping
Turkish mystery from award-winning crime writer Barbara Nadel and
featuring Ikmen - 'one of modern crime fiction's true heroes' The
Times When jeweller Fahrettin Muftugolu is found dead in his
apartment in the Istanbul district of Vefa, it looks like suicide.
Searching the jeweller's home, Inspector Mehmet Suleyman and his
team come across a hoard of extraordinary artefacts including solid
gold religious relics and a mummified human head. But are they real
and, if so, who owns these priceless possessions? As his colleagues
begin their investigation, Suleyman is distracted by troubles of
his own. His wedding to Gonca Serekoglu is days away, but when
Gonca receives her bridal bedcover from a Roma haberdasher and
discovers that it is covered in blood, she sees this as a curse on
their marriage. Suleyman asks his old friend Cetin Ikmen to help
him uncover the truth, but the task is not that simple...
Meanwhile, as the stories swirling around Muftugolu become
increasingly sinister, the dead man's wife appears, laying claim to
his valuables, and Suleyman is drawn into a dark and dangerous
world of smuggling and savagery . . .
Seymour Brathwaite, a young physicist, was found standing over the
body of a murdered man. Charcoal Joe, one of the deadliest men in
America, wants Brathwaite cleared. Easy Rawlins, a renowned Los
Angeles PI, cannot refuse Charcoal Joe. But what links the king of
the LA underworld to Seymour Brathwaite? And can Easy find the
evidence before he gets embroiled in something much, much worse?
Murder always sells. But when a series of dark and puzzling crimes
takes place in seventeenth-century London, will printer's
apprentice Lucy Campion be publishing the news - or starring in it?
London, 1667. Printer's apprentice Lucy Campion is unsettled when,
on a frozen December morning after church, an elderly woman dressed
in mourning clothes whispers an ominous warning in her ear. Lucy
sternly tells herself it's nonsense, but then her much-loved former
master, Magistrate Hargrave, is viciously attacked with a brass
hourglass during a break-in. But what exactly was the intruder
searching for? And why did they first stop to steal a piece of
Cook's lamb and lentil pie? The puzzling case is just the start of
a series of dark, bizarre crimes. Lucy's determined to uncover the
truth and see that justice is done. But someone is equally
determined to stop her - whatever it takes. This page-turning
historical mystery set in Renaissance London is a great choice for
readers who like their heroines lively, their mysteries twisty and
their historical settings brimming with authenticity.
The Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller. Two women, centuries apart.
Linked in a place haunted by its history . . . Separated by more
than six hundred years of history, two women are drawn together by
Sleeper's Castle, a house steeped in memory and magic. This is an
epic tale of forbidden love, cruel revenge and a war that time
can't forget. Grieving and lost, Miranda has moved to Hay to
escape, and slowly she feels herself coming to life in the solitude
of the mountains. But her vivid dreams at Sleeper's Castle
introduce her to Catrin, a young women whose gift for foretelling
the future embroiled her in a bloody revolt against English rule -
many centuries ago. An unbreakable connection is forged across
history. Catrin is reaching out . . . and only Miranda can help.
But time is running out... Sunday Times bestselling author Barbara
Erskine returns to Hay in the year that marks the 30th anniversary
of her sensational debut bestseller, Lady of Hay.
"Todd's astute character studies . . . offer a fascinating cross
section of postwar life. . . . A satisfying puzzle-mystery." - The
New York Times Book Review Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge is
assigned one of the most baffling investigations of his career: an
unsolved murder case with an unidentified victim and a cold trail
with few clues to follow A woman has been murdered at the foot of a
megalith shaped like a great shrouded figure. Chief Inspector Brian
Leslie, one of the Yard's best men, is sent to investigate the site
in Avebury, a village set inside a prehistoric stone circle not far
from Stonehenge. In spite of his efforts, Leslie is not able to
identify her, much less discover how she got to Avebury-or why she
died there. Her killer has simply left no trace. Several weeks
later, when Ian Rutledge has returned from successfully concluding
a similar case with an unidentified victim, he is asked to take a
second look at Leslie's inquiry. But Rutledge suspects Chief
Superintendent Markham simply wants him to fail. Leslie was
right-Avebury refuses to yield its secrets. But Rutledge slowly
widens his search, until he discovers an unexplained clue that
seems to point toward an impossible solution. If he pursues it and
he is wrong, he will draw the wrath of the Yard down on his head.
But even if he is right, he can't be certain what he can prove, and
that will play right into Markham's game. The easy answer is to let
the first verdict stand: Person or persons unknown. But what about
the victim? What does Rutledge owe this tragic young woman? Where
must his loyalty lie?
It is New Year's Eve 1915 and the Hardcastle family are welcoming
1916 at their home in Kennington, London. But an hour into the New
Year, Hardcastle is called to a murder in a jeweller's shop in
Vauxhall. In a first for the A Division senior detective, the
killers apparently made their escape in a motor car. As
Hardcastle's enquiry progresses, what he believed to be a fairly
straightforward investigation turns into one with ramifications
extending from Chelsea via Sussex and Surrey to France, close to
the fighting on the Western Front. And as is so often the case in
wartime, the army becomes involved and so, to Hardcastle's dismay,
does Scotland Yard's Special Branch . . .
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
Introducing Elizabethan cutpurse and adventurer Jack Blackjack in
the first of a brand-new historical mystery series January, 1554.
Light-fingered Jack Blackjack knows he's not going to have a good
day when he wakes with a sore head next to a dead body in a
tavern's yard. That would be bad enough - but when he discovers
what's in the dead man's purse, the one he'd stolen, his day is set
to get much worse. The purse explains why the mysterious man with
the broad-brimmed hat wants to catch him. But so does the Lord
Chancellor, as does the enigmatic Henry. In fact, almost everyone
seems to be after Jack Blackjack. If it weren't for the rebel army
marching on London determined to remove Queen Mary from her throne
and install Lady Jane Grey in her place, Jack could leave the city
- but with the bridge blocked and every gate manned, there's no
escape. Instead he must try to work out who killed the man in the
yard, and why. But it won't be easy as the rebel army comes ever
closer and the death toll mounts .
Young widow Louise Pearlie seizes a chance to escape the
typewriters and files of the Office of Strategic Services, the US s
World War II spy agency, when she s asked to investigate a puzzling
postcard referred to OSS by the US Censor. She and a colleague,
Collins, head off to St. Leonard, Maryland, to talk to the postcard
s recipient, one Leroy Martin. But what seemed like a
straightforward mission to Louise soon becomes complicated.
Leroy and his wife, Anne, refuse to talk, but as Louise and Gray
investigate, it soon becomes clear that Leroy is mixed up in
something illegal. But what? Louise is determined to find out the
truth, whatever the cost . . ."
A story of class and corruption, sex and the Sixties, for fans of A
Very English Scandal and The Trial of Christine Keeler Nik felt the
mistake in his bones. The man in the snakeskin suit reached down
towards him and pulled Nik upright by the collar of his coat. Nik
didn't see what happened next but he felt the wall. He cried out
and then someone hit him and he closed his eyes and waited for it
to be over. London. 1967. Nik Christou has been a rent boy since he
was 15. He knows the ins and outs of Piccadilly Circus, how to spot
a pretty policeman and to interpret a fleeting glance. One summer
night his life is turned upside down, first by violence and then by
an accusation of murder. Anna Treadway, fleeing the ghosts of her
past, works as a dresser in Soho's Galaxy theatre. She has learned
never to place too much trust in the long arm of the law and,
convinced Nik is innocent she determines to find him an alibi.
Merrian Wallis, devoted wife to an MP with a tarnished reputation,
just wants proof that her husband couldn't have been involved. But
how do you recognise the truth when everyone around you is playing
a role - and when any spark of scandal is quickly snuffed out by
those with power? As Anna searches for clues amongst a cast of MPs,
actors, members of gentlemen's clubs and a hundred different
nightly clients, will anyone be willing to come forward and save
Nik from his fate?
The arrival of a band of Spanish mercenaries brings new danger for
Margaret Beaufort and the House of Lancaster in this
richly-imagined medieval mystery. November, 1471. With Edward of
York on the English throne and her son, Henry Tudor, in exile in
Brittany, the newly-widowed Margaret Beaufort, Countess of
Richmond, is alone, without protectors. All she can do is wait and
watch, planning for a time when she's in a position to make her
move. But new dangers are emerging. En route to England is a band
of Spanish mercenaries known as the Garduna. With no allegiance to
prince, prelate or people, they are a lethal fighting force,
utterly ruthless and implacable killers. But who has hired them . .
. and why? The discovery of the body of an unexpected visitor,
found murdered in a locked room in her London townhouse, heralds
the start of a series of increasingly menacing incidents which
threaten Margaret and her household. Is there an enemy within? It's
up to Margaret's wily clerk Christopher Urswicke to uncover the
truth and ensure Margaret survives to fulfil her destiny.
The queen of the Victorian mystery, New York Times bestseller Anne
Perry returns with the 22nd novel in the William Monk series
REVENGE IN A COLD RIVER. An adversary Monk cannot remember
threatens everything he holds dear - will he survive what is to
come? London, 1869: The body of a middle-aged man is found tangled
in a mass of rope and wooden wreckage near the dockside of the
River Thames. Commander William Monk of the River Police is called
when initial investigations reveal the man was shot in the back.
When he learns that the man was a master forger who had just
escaped prison, Monk's interest is immediately piqued. But as his
investigations lead him ever deeper into the murky world of
smuggling and forgery, Monk is forced to confront his own forgotten
past. The unsolicited interference of an old foe takes precedence
as it becomes clear to Monk that a bitter enemy is back for revenge
and has him in his sights. With his life and career in imminent
danger, can Monk navigate his way to the truth before it is too
late? Commander William Monk - A man with no past has only his
conscience and instinct to guide him.
Cornwall, 1845. Shilly has always felt a connection to happenings
that are not of this world, a talent that has proved invaluable
when investigating dark deeds with master of disguise, Anna Drake.
The women opened a detective agency with help from their newest
member and investor, Mathilda, but six long months have passed
without a single case to solve and tensions are growing. It is
almost a relief when a man is found dead along the Morwenstow coast
and the agency is sought out to investigate. There are suspicions
that wreckers plague the coast, luring ships to their ruin with
false lights - though nothing has ever been proved. Yet with the
local talk of sirens calling victims to the sea to meet their end,
could something other-worldly be responsible for the man's death?
'Fiendishly well-plotted, hugely entertaining - one feels Agatha
Christie would have been delighted' - LUCY FOLEY, bestselling
author of The Hunting Party I'm Mrs Christie. I think you are
expecting me... Baghdad, 1928. Agatha leaves England for the
far-flung destination, determined to investigate an unresolved
mystery: two year ago, the explorer and the writer Gertrude Bell
died there from a drugs overdose. At the time, the authorities
believed that Bell had taken her own life, but a letter now
unearthed reveals she was afraid someone wants to kill her... In
her letter, Bell suggests that if she were to die the best place to
look for her murderer would be Ur, the archaeological site in
ancient Mesopotamia famous for its Great Death Pit. But as Agatha
stealthily begins to look into the death of Gertrude Bell, she soon
discovers the mission is not without its risks. And she has to use
all her skills to try and outwit a killer who is determined to stay
hidden among the desert sands... 'A heart of darkness beats within
this sparkling series. Fizzy with charm yet edge with menace,
Andrew Wilson's Christie novels do Dame Agatha proud' A. J. FINN,
bestselling author of The Woman in the Window 'Beautifully written.
Both lyrical and compelling. I felt as though I was walking by
Agatha Christie's side' JANE CORRY 'An affectionate homage to
Agatha Christie's desert dramas with a cheeky nod to Paul Bowles'
The Sheltering Sky. A superior blend of fact and fiction, it's a
hugely entertaining riot of red herrings, poisonous plots and
boiling passions under the white hot desert sun. A must for
connoisseurs of Golden Age crime fiction' SEAN O'CONNOR 'There is
no reason why this excellent series shouldn't run till the sun
don't shine' EVENING STANDARD 'While Wilson tempts providence by
inviting comparison with the real Agatha Christie, on the evidence
of this book he succeeds admirably' DAILY MAIL 'He shares with the
great Dame the gift of sheer readability' S MAGAZINE 'Five stars .
. . Brilliantly plotted, stylishly written. A treat!' AMANDA CRAIG
It's tough to be a preacher's kid, and for Leo Stanhope it may be
harder than for most. He was born Charlotte, and in the Reverend
Pritchard's home-as in all of Victoria's England-there is little
room for persons unwilling to know their place and stick to it. And
things are about to get harder: There's a gentleman who knows the
secret that could get Leo locked up for life, and this so-called
gentleman is not above a spot of blackmail. There is a bright spot,
though, in the form of two little kids who are teaching Leo's heart
to open again, after a wretched year. In warming to them, he
realizes how much more he has to learn. Leo knows how to be a man.
Now he must learn to be a father.
An ancient and mysterious book leads Crispin Guest into a deadly
maze in this latest medieval noir mystery. 1394, London. Crispin
Guest, Tracker of London, is enjoying his ale in the Boar's Tusk
tavern - until a stranger leaves a mysterious wrapped bundle on his
table, telling him, "You'll know what to do." Inside is an ancient
leather-bound book written in an unrecognizable language.
Accompanied by his apprentice, Jack Tucker, Crispin takes the
unknown codex to a hidden rabbi, where they make a shocking
discovery: it is the Gospel of Judas from the Holy Land, and its
contents challenge the very doctrine of Christianity itself.
Crispin is soon drawn into a deadly maze involving murder, living
saints, and lethal henchmen. Why was he given the blasphemous book,
and what should he do with it? A series of horrific events confirm
his fears that there are powerful men who want it - and who will
stop at nothing to see it destroyed.
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