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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Crime & mystery > Historical mysteries
In this absorbing new entry in the acclaimed New York Times
bestselling series, Scotland Yard's Ian Rutledge is caught up in a
twisted web of vengeance and murder. On the north coast of
Cornwall, an apparent act of mercy is repaid by an arrest for
murder. Four young women have been accused of the crime. A shocked
father calls in a favor at the Home Office. Scotland Yard is asked
to review the case. However, Inspector Ian Rutledge is not the
first Inspector to reach the village. Following in the shoes of a
dead man, he is told the case is all but closed. Even as it takes
an unexpected personal turn, Rutledge will require all his skill to
deal with the incensed families of the accused, the grieving
parents of the victim, and local police eager to see these four
women sent to the infamous Bodmin Gaol. Then why hasn't the killing
stopped? With no shred of evidence to clear the accused, Rutledge
must plunge deep into the darkest secrets of a wild, beautiful and
dangerous place if he is to find a killer who may-or may not-hold
the key to their fate.
My dear Isabelle, in the attic you will find a box with your name
on it. Isabelle's archaeologist father dies leaving a puzzle: a
mysterious African amulet. But what is it? And why did he want her
to have it? On impulse she takes a plane to Morocco to find out.
But has Isabelle's curiosity got the better of her? Almost killed
in an accident which damages the amulet (revealing more of its
secrets), she realises she must be careful. But when her rescuer,
Taib, who knows the dunes and their peoples, offers to help uncover
the amulet's history, she cannot resist uncovering the story of Tin
Hanan - She of the Tents - who made a legendary desert crossing
alone, and her descendant Mariata. Across years and over hot,
shifting sands, tracking the Salt Road, the stories of Isabelle and
Taib, Mariata and her lover, become entangled with that of the lost
amulet. It is a tale of souls wounded by history and of love
blossoming on barren ground.
An exquisite silver coffeepot in the shape of a locomotive is on
its way to Cardiff in the care of the young silversmith, Hugh
Kellow. But before he can deliver it a gruesome murder is
committed. Inspector Colbeck is confronted all too soon with
complications and with no shortage of suspects and he must sift
through layers of deceit to find the killer.Commissioned by wealthy
ironmaster Clifford Tomkins for his acquisitive wife, who wants it
to be the envy of all her friends and enemies, the coffeepot is
stolen. When a gruesome murder is committed at the Railway Hotel,
Winifred Tomkins is distraught. Caring little for the dead
silversmith, all she can think about is her missing treasure.
Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming of the Detective Department
are summoned to Wales from London by telegraph and they are soon
confronted by some additional crimes. The situation is complicated
by the arrival of a famous theatre company and by revelations of
illicit liaisons among members of the local high society. Colbeck
has to find the killer before it is too late."
Missing diamonds. Mysterious deaths. And all that jazz. London,
1925. With their band the Dizzy Heights, jazz musicians Ivor
'Skins' Maloney and Bartholomew 'Barty' Dunn are used to
improvising as they play the Charleston for flappers and toffs, but
things are about to take a surprising turn. Superintendent
Sunderland has had word that a deserter who stole a fortune in
diamonds as he fled the war is a member of the Aristippus private
members' club in Mayfair-where the Dizzy Heights have a residency.
And the thief is planning to steal a hoard of jewels hidden there
under the cover of a dance contest. As mutual pal Lady Hardcastle
has suggested, Skins and Dunn are perfectly placed to be
Sunderland's eyes and ears-and Skins's wife Ellie soon lends a hand
with a bit of light snooping. But the stakes change dramatically
when a mysterious death at the club brings a sinister note to the
investigation. With the dance contest fast approaching, the trio
must solve the mystery of the missing diamonds, unmask the
murderer, and prevent more deadly crimes-all without missing a
beat.
A Times 'Best New Thriller' for May 2022 'Enthralling ... Sharp
dialogue and flashes of dry wit' Financial Times 'Ben Creed has a
genuine gift for conjuring up Stalin's Leningrad in all its beauty
and misery' The Times 'A cleverly constructed thriller' Sunday
Times 'A fantastically tense atmosphere ... A spine-tingling
page-turner' The Sun ___________Leningrad, winter 1952. An
invisible killer known as Koshchei - a nightmare of Slavic folklore
- stalks the streets, leaving a distinctive and gruesome mark upon
its victims. Three thousand kilometres away in a Gulag labour
colony, threatened by the vicious criminals who rule the camp and
tormented by the Arctic cold, former militia lieutenant Revol
Rossel is close to death. But then a brutal saviour descends from
the skies: the state security interrogator who years ago ruined his
life is back, tasking Rossel with tracking down the murderer. As
the hunt continues, the two men uncover riddle after riddle,
including a clue to finding a weapon of unimaginable power - a
weapon the Kremlin's scheming plotters will kill for...
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Architect!
Charles Belfoure's next novel is a puzzling historical thriller
about a man who must dig through the rubble of his past to
construct a future worth living, grounded by Belfoure's experiences
as a professional architect. Someone has to take the blame when the
Britannia Theatre's balcony collapses. Over a dozen people are
killed, and the fingers all point at the architect. The man should
have known better, should have made it safer, should have done
something. Douglas Layton knows the flaw wasn't in his design, but
he can't fight a guilty verdict. When the architect is finally
released from prison, he has no job, no family, nowhere to go. He
needs to assume a new identity and rebuild his life. But the
disgraced man soon finds himself digging up the past in a way he
never anticipated. If the collapse wasn't an accident ... who
caused it? And why? And what if they find out who he used to be? A
chilling novel of architecture, intrigue, and identity, this
historical thriller uncovers one man's quest to clear his name and
correct the mistake that ruined his life. "A twisted
mystery...Belfoure gets better and better"-Karen Bakshoian,
Letterpress Books (Portland, ME) Also by Charles Belfoure: The
Paris Architect House of Thieves
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 McILVANNEY PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THEAKSTON
OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR A NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE
YEAR A Raven and Fisher Mystery: Book 1 Edinburgh, 1847. Will Raven
is a medical student, apprenticing for the brilliant and renowned
Dr Simpson. Sarah Fisher is Simpson's housemaid, and has all of
Raven's intelligence but none of his privileges. As bodies begin to
appear across the Old Town, Raven and Sarah find themselves
propelled headlong into the darkest shadows of Edinburgh's
underworld. And if either of them are to make it out alive, they
will have to work together to find out who's responsible for the
gruesome deaths.
Belle Sorensen loves men. She loves them to death...
Early in life Belle Sorensen discovers the world is made only for men. They own everything: jobs, property, wives. But Belle understands what few others do: where women are concerned, men are weak. A woman unhampered by scruples can take from them what she wants. And so Belle sets out to prove to the world that a woman can be just as ruthless, black-hearted and single-minded as any man.
Starting with her long suffering husband Mads, Belle embarks on a killing spree the like of which has never been seen before nor since. And through it all her kind, older sister Nellie can only watch in horror as Belle's schemes to enrich herself and cut down the male population come to a glorious, dreadful fruition...
Based on the true story of Belle Sorensen whose murderous rampage began in Chicago in 1900, Triflers Need Not Apply is a novelistic tour de force exploring one woman's determination to pay men back for all they have taken.
Rome, the very end of December. The Field of Mars is packed with
monuments, none more beautiful than Domitian's new Odeon and
Stadium. But the area has been overtaken by ugly events:
elaborately staged murders. Someone bears a spectacular grudge
against the theatrical community, and intends to get revenge in the
most spectacular way possible. The killer's method is to re-enact
bloody scenes from the gruesome side of popular theatre, where
characters in plays really die on stage. A figure from the past
wants Flavia Albia's father to investigate, but Falco is out of
Rome for the holidays. Albia seizes the commission. And begins to
regret doing so almost immediately. 'The undertaker did it!' the
first victim croaks before expiring. This seems to make no sense,
because surely people are already dead when they go to their
funeral? Though there is a serial killer at large, the authorities
would prefer a cover-up but Albia is driven to discover what is
going on. How much blood must be shed before the mania ends? And
could her own family be on the list for a frightful stage death?
Praise for Lindsey Davis and the Flavia Albia series 'It positively
crackles with knowledge of the city and its people, mixed with
social comment, ingenious and bloody plots and sharp observational
skills leavened by more than a smattering of genuine and sometimes
earthy humour' Crime Review 'Lighthearted, witty and effortlessly
clever, just like its wonderful heroine, this is a window into
ancient Rome, and a tonic and a joy to read' The Observer 'For a
totally exhilarating romp through Ancient Rome, Lindsey Davis'
latest Flavia Alba novel won't be beaten and offers an immersive
experience of a vibrant world full of real, recognisable
characters' Shotsmag 'In this witty novel by the mistress of Roman
crime, the reader is transported behind the scenes of a Triumph
into a fascinating world of actors, costumiers and animal trainers,
all united in their hatred of the murdered man' Sunday Express
Magazine
A midwife disappears after attending the birth of a child in
another community, leading to an investigation that uncovers
innumerable lies and secrets. 1790s, Maine. In the depths of winter
Hortense, a midwife, disappears after attending a birth in the
woodlands. During the search Will Rees finds her struggling through
the snow and woods without shoes or a coat. After two young men
begin stalking the community in search of her - including targeting
Rees's own family - she is questioned further and claims she was
kidnapped . . . but Rees and his wife Lydia are suspicious. It is
agreed Hortense's presence is endangering everyone's safety and she
needs to leave. As the arrangements are made she is hidden in Zion,
the local Shaker community, only while there a Shaker Sister is
murdered. Witnesses describe a man fitting Josiah Wooten's
description, a ferocious man living in the woods with two young
sons. What is the truth behind Hortense's disappearance, and who is
responsible for the death of the Shaker Sister?
The arrival of a high-ranking spy for the Emperor Severus spells
trouble for Libertus in this gripping historical mystery set in 2nd
century Britain. On a misty day in February, CE 194, Libertus,
pavement maker by trade and now reluctant councillor, is summoned
to meet his patron at the local public baths. Marcus Septimus is
concerned because a distant cousin from Rome has announced his
impending arrival and Marcus is convinced he is a spy for the
Emperor Severus, despatched to Glevum to investigate reports of an
'act of treason.' Meanwhile, Libertus has concerns of his own. The
local money-lender has been seeking his counsel, but before they
can meet, a violent and untimely death occurs . and before long
Libertus finds himself a prisoner of his new-found rank, fighting
for the truth amidst accusations of treason and murder
THE WORD-OF-MOUTH INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 'Born of No Woman proves
that fiction can still amaze' Le Monde 'A vivid, mesmerizing tale'
L'Express 'A choral novel radiating with black light' Elle
Nineteenth-century rural France. Before he is called to bless the
body of a woman at the nearby asylum, Father Gabriel receives a
strange, troubling confession: hidden under the woman's dress he
will find the notebooks in which she confided the abuses she
suffered and the twisted motivations behind them. And so Rose's
terrible story comes to light: sold as a teenage girl to a rich
man, hidden away in a old manor house deep in the woods and caught
in a perverse web, manipulated by those society considers her
betters. A girl whose only escape is to capture her life - in all
its devastation and hope - in the pages of her diary... THE HIT
NOVEL RECOMMENDED BY FRENCH BOOKSELLERS: 'The most beautiful French
novel of the year' 'Love at first sight for a book is rare. But
this novel left me speechless' 'Dive in: you'll come out feeling
utterly alive' 'One of the most beautiful books I've ever read'
'The best book I have read for a long time' 'This story has
something powerful, animal, carnal and terrible too. A punch in the
gut'
When a prominent citizen is murdered, former Captain of the Guard
Owen Archer is persuaded out of retirement to investigate in this
gripping medieval mystery. 1374. When a member of one of York's
most prominent families is found dead in the woods, his throat torn
out, rumours spread like wildfire that wolves are running loose
throughout the city. Persuaded to investigate by the victim's
father, Owen Archer is convinced that a human killer is
responsible. But before he can gather sufficient evidence to prove
his case, a second body is discovered, stabbed to death. Is there a
connection? What secrets are contained within the victim's
household? And what does apprentice healer Alisoun know that she's
not telling? Teaming up with Geoffrey Chaucer, who is in York on a
secret mission on behalf of Prince Edward, Owen's enquiries will
draw him headlong into a deadly conspiracy.
When Sir Julius Cheever's son, a notorious rake, goes missing, and
a blackmailer begins terrorising London's most dissolute fops, it
seems plausible that the two events are connected. Divided by
politics but united in a desire to see justice done, Christopher
Redmayne and Jonathan Bale must combine forces once again. But how
can they hope to find those who exploit the scandal of others, when
the victims themselves will do anything to maintain their
anonymity? And what of Sir Julius's son? Most feel he must have
been the victim of his own, debauched appetites, but a few talk of
his repentance. So where is the repentant rake? And, with only
lies, rumours and gossip to work with, can Redmayne and Bale ever
hope to find him?
Worcester, January 1145. Poison strikes down bow maker Godfrey
Bowyer and his wife Blanche after their evening meal. While she
survives, he dies an agonising death. Few could have administered
the poison, which should mean a very short investigation for the
Sheriff's men, Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant
Walkelin. But perhaps someone was pulling the strings, and that
widens the net considerably. With an unpopular victim, the suspects
are many and varied.
Covent Garden, January 1708. Widow Trotter has big plans for her
recently-inherited coffee house, not suspecting that within days
her little kingdom will be caught up in a national drama involving
scandal, conspiracy and murder... Queen Anne's new "Great Britain"
is in crisis. The Queen is mired in a sexual scandal, spies are
everywhere, and political disputes are bringing violence and
division. The treasonous satirist "Bufo" is public enemy number one
and the Ministry is determined to silence him. Drawn into a web of
intrigue that reaches from the brothels of Drury Lane to the Court
of St James's, Mary Trotter and her young friends Tom and Will race
against time to unravel the political plots, solve two murders, and
prevent another. The first in a projected series of "Chocolate
House Mysteries", the novel presents the London of Queen Anne in
all its brilliance and filth, its violence, elegance and wit. The
book moves among a rich cast of characters, ranging from the life
of the streets and the "nymphs" of Drury Lane to the conspiratorial
world of Queen Anne's Court. At its heart is the Bay-Tree Chocolate
House, Covent Garden, where Widow Trotter presides as she does over
the novel itself, with good humour, fierce integrity, and resolute
determination.
1922. When a leading Hollywood film director is found shot dead,
Irish-American investigator Tom Collins is called in by studio boss
Mack Sennett, whose troubled star, Mabel Normand, is rumoured to be
involved. But Normand has gone missing, and Collins' search will
lead him to a secret so explosive it must be kept silent at any
cost.
Campions young and old, extended family members and loyal friends
are gathered at the Dorchester Hotel to celebrate Albert Campion's
seventieth birthday - along with some intriguing, unrecognizable
guests. Who exactly are the mysterious, aristocratic, scar-faced
German, Freiherr Robert von Ringer, and the elegantly chic Madame
Thibus - and what is their connection to Mr Campion? Campion has
decided the time has come to enthral his guests with his account of
his wartime experiences in Vichy France more than twenty-five years
before, but in doing so he unveils a series of extraordinary
events. Why here, and why now? Not least as Campion's shocking
revelations have repercussions which reverberate to the present
day, putting one of his guests in deadly danger . . .
'An atmospheric, disturbing, even scary tale that touches on
otherworldliness' THE TIMES 'Too-cool-for-school teenage girls, an
outsider welcomed into their fold, and murder...a guaranteed good
read' STYLIST 'Witchcraft, murder, and adolescent passion' HEAT
IT'S 1997. VIOLET IS A NEW STUDENT AT ELM HOLLOW ACADEMY AND
DESPERATE TO FIT IN. Quiet, artistic, unremarkable. When invited to
an advanced study group by her alluring art teacher, Annabel, she
is at once terrified and delighted. There she meets Robin, Grace,
and Alex: charismatic outsiders who invite her into their clique.
But once the study sessions on the school's history of
seventeenth-century witchcraft and magic become more than just
theory, Violet must decide what she's prepared to do in order to
stay popular. And maybe she'll solve the mystery of what happened
to a former member of their group. The one who went missing.
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