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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Crime & mystery > Historical mysteries
Mara, Brehon of the Burren, must battle superstitious beliefs and
fears as she sets out to solve a brutal murder. When a woman's body
is discovered, strangled and bound with rope to the stone torso of
Far Breige, the ancient stone god which stands sentinel above the
haunted caves and ancient fortifications of the Atlantic cliffs,
the locals believe it was the god who killed her. In life, Clodagh
O'Lochlainn had been a disgrace to her clan, tormenting her former
priestly lover, jeering at her husband, robbing her relatives: but
could she really have been slaughtered by a vengeful god, as the
local population believes? Abandoning preparations for the
celebration of her fiftieth birthday, Mara, Brehon of the Burren,
with the assistance of Fachtnan and her scholars, takes up the task
of solving the murder. Ignoring the ancient legends, she
concentrates instead on bringing a mortal killer to justice. But
it's only when Fachtnan's small daughter is lost in the labyrinth
of passages among the caves that the horrifying truth begins to
emerge.
International bestseller Jeffrey Archer returns THE UNPUTDOWNABLE
NEW THRILLER FROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER 'Only someone like Jeffrey
Archer . . . could have written a compelling story like this. Every
page bristles with suspense and the ending comes at you with the
force of a tank round' DAVID BALDACCI London, 1988. Royal fever
sweeps the nation as Britain falls in love with the 'people's
princess'. Which means for Scotland Yard, the focus is on the elite
Royalty Protection Command, and its commanding officer. Entrusted
with protecting the most famous family on earth, they quite simply
have to be the best. A weak link could spell disaster. Detective
Chief Inspector William Warwick and his Scotland Yard squad are
sent in to investigate the team. Maverick ex-undercover operative
Ross Hogan is charged with a very sensitive - and unique -
responsibility. But it soon becomes clear the problems in Royalty
Protection are just the beginning. A renegade organization has the
security of the country - and the Crown - in its sights. The only
question is which target is next in line... Over My Dead Body hit
#4 in the Sunday Times bestselling charts on 4th June 2022.
"Buckley draws even the most minor characters with subtlety and
skill, making the dramatic conclusion that much more satisfying."
Publishers Weekly Starred Review February, 1577. Sir William Cecil
has a dangerous new mission for Ursula Blanchard. He has asked her
to visit Stonemoor House on the bleak Yorkshire moors, the home of
a group of recusant women led by Abbess Philippa Gould. In their
possession is an ancient book, and the Queen's advisor, Dr John
Dee, is eager to get hold of it. However, while the Abbess is
anxious to sell the book, others such as her half-sister Bella
believe it to be heretical and demand that it be burned. It is not
Sir William's first attempt to secure the book. His two previous
emissaries vanished without trace. What happened to them - and will
Ursula suffer the same fate?
When human bones are discovered in the cellars beneath St Luke's
College - two bodies, buried thirty years apart - the bursar,
Charlie Swift, hires Jennie Redhead to investigate. As she uncovers
a series of scandals stretching back sixty years, Jennie wonders
how well she really knows her old friend Charlie and whether she
can trust him.
Now an Apple TV series starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston THE
SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER Overall Book of the Year and
Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2017 (Nibbies)
Longlisted for the 2017 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction The
Waterstones Book of the Year 2016 Shortlisted for the 2016 Costa
Novel Award London, 1893. When Cora Seaborne's controlling husband
dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as
sadness. Along with her son Francis - a curious, obsessive boy -
she leaves town for Essex, in the hope that fresh air and open
space will provide refuge. On arrival, rumours reach them that the
mythical Essex Serpent, once said to roam the marshes claiming
lives, has returned to the coastal parish of Aldwinter. Cora, a
keen amateur naturalist with no patience for superstition, is
enthralled, convinced that what the local people think is a magical
beast may be a yet-undiscovered species. As she sets out on its
trail, she is introduced to William Ransome, Aldwinter's vicar, who
is also deeply suspicious of the rumours, but thinks they are a
distraction from true faith. As he tries to calm his parishioners,
Will and Cora strike up an intense relationship, and although they
agree on absolutely nothing, they find themselves at once drawn
together and torn apart, affecting each other in ways that surprise
them both. The Essex Serpent is a celebration of love, and the many
different shapes it can take.
Three impossible crimes
Two unlikely detectives
One deadly voyage
It's 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world's greatest detective, is being
transported from the Dutch East Indies to Amsterdam, where he is set to
face trial for a crime that no one dares speak of.
But no sooner is the ship out to sea than devilry begins to blight the
voyage. Strange symbols appear on the sails. A figure stalks the decks.
Livestock are slaughtered. Passengers are plagued with ominous threats,
promising them three unholy miracles. First: an impossible pursuit.
Second: an impossible theft.
Then: an impossible murder.
With Pipps imprisoned in the depths of the ship, can his loyal
bodyguard, Arent Hayes solve the mystery before the ship descends into
anarchy?
A beguiling historical mystery from the award-winning author of the
dazzling The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
"An intriguing medieval mystery featuring sleuthing monk Brother
Athelstan"
February, 1381. A ruthless killer known as the Ignifer Fire Bringer
is rampaging through London, bringing agonising death and
destruction in his wake. He appears to be targeting all those
involved in the recent trial and conviction of the beautiful Lady
Isolda Beaumont, burned at the stake for the murder of her husband.
As the late Sir Walter Beaumont was a close friend of the Regent,
John of Gaunt orders Sir John Cranston and Brother Athelstan to
investigate.
In the dead man s possession was a copy of the mysterious Book of
Fires, containing the secret formula of a devastating weapon, the
so-called Greek Fire. The manuscript has since disappeared, and
Gaunt is desperate for it not to fall into the hands of the Upright
Men, who are busy plotting the Great Revolt.
Was Isolda really guilty of murder? Who is the terrifying Fire
Bringer and what does he want? Brother Athelstan is about to tackle
his most challenging, and potentially dangerous, case yet."
An intriguing medieval mystery featuring Brother Athelstan
February, 1381. London lies frozen in the grip of one of the
bitterest winters on record. The ever-rising taxes demanded by the
Regent, John of Gaunt, are causing increasing resentment among the
city's poor. When the seething unrest boils over into a bloody
massacre at a splendid Southwark tavern, The Candle Flame, in which
nine people, including Gaunt's tax collectors, their military
escort and the prostitutes entertaining them, are brutally
murdered, the furious Regent orders Brother Athelstan to get to the
bottom of the matter. For not only has Gaunt's treasure trove been
stolen, he has reason to believe a French spy is active along the
Thames, carefully recording for his masters in the Louvre the state
of English war cogs. And a professional assassin, Beowulf, who has
sworn vengeance against Gaunt and his minions, also stalks the
shadows. Once again, Athelstan must enter the murky world of
murder, where the darkness constantly shifts and no one is who or
what they seem.
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