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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Crime & mystery > Historical mysteries
Spring, 1909, and Lady Hardcastle, amateur sleuth and all-round
eccentric, is enjoying a well-deserved rest. But a week after a
trip to the cattle market, Spencer Caradine, a local farmer, turns
up dead in the pub, face-down in his beef and mushroom pie. Once
again, it is up to Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence, to solve
the case. Armed with wit and whimsy, not to mention Florence's mean
right hook, the pair set out to discover what really happened and
why. Was it poison or just ill luck? As they delve further into
their investigation, they encounter a theft where nothing is
stolen, a seance with a troubled ghost and an ever-increasing
number of Spencer's family and friends who might just have motive
for murder. One thing's for sure: Lady Hardcastle has a mystery on
her hands.
Lover or leader? Weakling or warrior? Madwoman or Misfit? Escape
into the untold story of Shakespeare's Ophelia . . . As a young
girl, Ofelia stood frozen as her mother threw herself on her
father's funeral pyre. Such is the fate, she learned, of the
devoted wife and in that moment, she swore never to belong to any
man. Years later, she is a force to be reckoned with: right hand
woman to the newly crowned Prince Hamlet, to whom she has sworn her
sword and her undying loyalty, but refuses his true desire . . .
her hand in marriage. When Hamlet's jealous uncle plots against
him, Ofelia will have to use every wile at her disposal to keep her
prince safe from those who wish him harm. Yet in the end, it could
be her unruly heart that is the greatest betrayer of all. A brand
new Historical fiction series by the bestselling author of the
Queens of Conquest series, her new trilogy unearths the real women
behind Shakespeare's most infamous queens . . . If you love
Elizabeth Chadwick and Anne O'Brien you will adore Joanna Courtney
Praise for Joanna Courtney: 'A glorious, rich, epic story of love,
friendship and sacrifice which will sweep you up and transport you
to another time. I absolutely loved this and can't wait for the
next book in the series' Rachael Lucas, author of Sealed With A
Kiss and Coming Up Roses 'Lovely writing and a terrific sense of
narrative drive. Superb!' Carol McGrath, author of The Daughters of
Hastings trilogy
The Toerten Project: Murder and Crime Mysteries from a Bauhaus
Estate takes readers beyond the chaste white facades of the
world-renowned Bauhaus Settlement by Walter Gropius. 10 quirky
narratives about mysterious entanglements, morbid secrets, and
grisly intrigues.
Can she find the strength to carry on without him?Rosie Curtis is
distraught when her brother Tommy is viciously murdered after
dabbling in the criminal underworld. Life at home isn't the same
and without Tommy's support, her dreams of becoming a dancer are
shattered. Powerless to avenge her brother's death, Rosie throws
herself into saving a local music hall from closure and plans a
musical spectacular, despite the misgivings of her family. But then
Rosie comes face to face with her brother's killer, and she decides
she will stop at nothing to see him punished. While she fights to
stage her show and put Tommy's killers away for good, her brother's
smiling face appears in her thoughts, telling her to keep on
dancing - but will she be able to? A gritty historical saga set in
the East End, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn and Nadine Dorries.
The second in the delightfully witty and diverting new crime series
set in Tsarist Russia from the award-winning Michael Pearce. A
dreamy province of Tsarist Russia. An ambitious young lawyer of
Scottish-Russian descent anxious to make his way. And the
One-Legged Lady goes missing. A nasty case of kidnapping? Not
quite, for the One-Legged Lady is just the popular name of one of
the most important ikons in the district. Exactly how important,
the sceptical Dmitri, whose task it is to track her down, comes to
see. Who has taken her and for what reason? Is it someone
interested in adding to his art collection? Is it, as some darkly
suggest, just the monastery cashing in on its assets? Or has it
something to do with a wave of popular feeling at a time of famine?
The sinister Volkov, from the Tsar's Corps of Gendarmes, suspects
the latter -- which means trouble for some innocent people unless
Dmitri gets there first Dmitri finds, to his surprise, that the
ikon, which he had taken merely as an irrelevant relic from the
past, raises some awkward issues about the present and that the
One-Legged Lady is very much alive and kicking. Dmitri and the
One-Legged Lady is the second novel in the
A brutal murderer, a house of assassins, a devil incarnate...It's
the Spring of 1380 and the Regent John of Gaunt needs money and
supplies for his war against the French. Unfortunately, the members
of parliament at Westminster are proving especially stubborn - and
the Regent's cause is not aided when some representatives from the
shire of Shrewsbury are foully murdered. John of Gaunt orders Sir
John Cranston, along with his trusty ally Brother Athelstan, to
find the assassin before he loses every chance of obtaining the
taxes he requires, before more innocent people are found dead. An
absolutely scintillating historical mystery, perfect for fans of
Susanna Gregory, C. J. Sansom and S. G. MacLean.
In 1945 secrets hidden at an Italian estate could prove just as
vital to humanity's fate as the war efforts on the frontlines . . .
if nurse Diana Bolsena can get to them first. Tuscany, 1945. As the
war in Europe ends, American Red Cross nurse Diana Bolsena finds
herself separated from her unit. Unable to reconnect with the
American army, she's left to survive with nothing but her spirit,
her talents as a nurse, and her nightmares of the horror of war.
Determined to return to active duty in the Pacific, to earn her way
back Diana begins caring for a child with disabilities on the
estate of the enigmatic Signora Bugari. Amidst the ravages of war,
it is a peaceful existence until a visiting German officer, Herr
Adler, arrives demanding Bugari return what is rightfully his. When
a shocking murder attracts more people to the isolated estate,
Diana suspects Adler's hidden secrets could affect the course of
history. But who will uncover them first? And what will happen to
humanity if they fall into the wrong hands?
After her husband's death in World War I, Fleur's surprising
inheritance takes her deep into the past-and could unravel a
mystery surrounding a cursed opal, a gnarled family tree, and a
sinister woman in a green dress. 1919: After a whirlwind romance,
London teashop waitress Fleur Richards can't wait for her new
husband, Hugh, to return from the Great War. But when word of his
death arrives on Armistice Day, Fleur learns he has left her a
sizable family fortune. Refusing to accept the inheritance, she
heads to his beloved home country of Australia in search of the
relatives who deserve it more. In spite of her reluctance, she soon
finds herself the sole owner of a remote farm and a dilapidated
curio shop full of long-forgotten artifacts, remarkable preserved
creatures, and a mystery that began more than sixty-five years ago.
With the help of Kip, a repatriated soldier dealing with the
sobering aftereffects of war, Fleur finds herself unable to resist
pulling on the threads of the past. What she finds is a shocking
story surrounding an opal and a woman in a green dress. . . a story
that, nevertheless, offers hope and healing for the future. This
romantic mystery from award-winning Australian novelist Tea Cooper
will keep readers guessing until the astonishing conclusion. Praise
for The Woman in the Green Dress: "Refreshing and unique, The Woman
in the Green Dress sweeps you across the wild lands of Australia in
a thrilling whirl of mystery, romance, and danger. This magical
tale weaves together two storylines with a heart-pounding finish
that is drop-dead gorgeous." -J'nell Ciesielski, author of The
Socialite A USA TODAY bestseller Full-length historical fiction
with both mystery and romance Stand-alone novel Includes discussion
questions for book clubs
What do you do when your dream home becomes your worst nightmare? .
. . THE GRIPPING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM LESLEY PEARSE 'A
riveting page-turner' Woman's Weekly 'A real page turner from
beginning to end' 5***** Reader Review 'Sensational storytelling'
My Weekly ________ In Willow Close, everyone is a suspect . . .
Nina and Conrad thought they'd discovered their dream home. But on
the day they move in, a body is found - the victim attacked and
killed in the woods. As police interview witnesses, they soon
discover each resident hiding their own secrets. Because few in the
Close are exactly who they seem . . . Nina and Conrad thought
they'd found their dream home. Now, it might just be their worst
nightmare . . . ________ READERS ARE GRIPPED BY SUSPECTS: 'Kept me
reading late in to the night . . . a great story with twists and
turns' 5***** Reader Review 'Gripping with lots of twists' 5*****
Reader Review 'Lesley Pearse knows how to bring her characters
alive' 5***** Reader Review 'A gripping storyline. Lesley at her
best' 5***** Reader Review 'A master storyteller' 5***** Reader
Review 'A suspenseful domestic drama' 5***** Reader Review
Praise for Punishment of A Hunter: 'The most successful
retro-detective since Akunin' Literratura 'Gritty and gripping'
Will Ryan 'It will pull you in and leave you breathless' Chris
Lloyd 'Yulia Yokovleva's thrilling debut was a bestseller in her
native Russia. It's not difficult to see why' The Times, Best New
Crime Fiction ________________ On the eve of Stalin's deadly great
purge, a rider and his horse mysteriously collapse in the middle of
a race in Leningrad. Weary detective Zaitsev, still reeling from
his last brush with the Party, is dispatched to the soviet state
cavalry school near Ukraine to investigate. There he witnesses the
horror of the man-made Holodomor Famine as he struggles to
penetrate the murky, secretive world of the school. Why has this
murder attracted so much attention from Soviet officials? Zaitsev
needs to answer this question and solve the case before the
increasingly paranoid authorities turn their attention to him...
A USA Today Bestseller 'This is a book in which storylines twist,
spiral and come together again in an ending as explosive as a poof
of smoke from your chimney... or a top hat.' -- Oprah.com 'Smart,
intricately plotted... a richly imagined thriller.' -- PEOPLE
magazine The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of
her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half
on stage. But one night she swaps her trademark saw for an axe.
When Arden's husband is found dead later that night, the answer
seems clear, most of all to young policeman Virgil Holt. Captured
and taken into custody, all seems set for Arden's swift confession.
But she has a different story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone,
Arden is far from powerless, and what she reveals is as
unbelievable as it is spellbinding. A magical and mysterious
historical thriller, perfect for fans of The Night Circus and Water
for Elephants. What Reviewers and Readers Say: '[A] well-paced,
evocative, and adventurous historical novel...' Publishers Weekly,
STARRED Review 'A wonderfully dark and intriguing historical
thriller. The Amazing Arden is a fabulous heroine who keeps us
guessing until the curtain falls. I loved it!' Hazel Gaynor, author
of 'The Girl Who Came Home' 'This debut novel is historical fiction
that blends magic, mystery, and romance.' Boston Globe 'It's a
captivating yarn... Macallister, like the Amazing Arden, mesmerizes
her audience. No sleight of hand is necessary. An ambitious heroine
and a captivating tale are all the magic she needs.' Washington
Post 'In The Magician's Lie, Greer Macallister has created a rich
tapestry of mystery, magic, and lost love. The novel drew me in
with its lush details and edge-of-your-seat plot. The tale of the
tragic Amazing Arden, a female magician, will have you questioning
how the truth of a tale can be different than the material facts,
and how what you feel can be stronger than the soundest logic.'
Margaret Dilloway, author of 'How to be an American Housewife' and
'The Care of Handling Roses with Thorns' 'Twisted together with
magic, a drenching touch of evil, betrayal, love, and wonderful
storytelling will make this a tale you won't soon forget. Is her
story real, or a magician's lie?' Becky Milner, Vintage Books
(Vancouver, WA) 'Greer Macallister handles the reader with the
command and brilliance of a world class ringmaster. The Magician's
Lie is a mesmerizing novel of illusion, secrets, and suspense.
Bravo!' Erika Robuck, author of 'Call me Zelda' and 'Fallen Beauty'
'The Magician's Lie is riveting, compelling, beautiful,
frightening, evocative and above all magical. Don't miss this
immersive novel of suspense and wonder from an exciting new voice
in historical fiction!' M.J. Rose 'A suspenseful and
well-researched tale of magic, secrets and betrayal that will keep
you guessing until the end.' J. Courtney Sullivan, author of 'The
Engagements and Maine' 'Like her heroine the Amazing Arden, Greer
Macallister has created a blend of magic that is sure to delight
her audience. The Magician's Lie is a rich tale of heart-stopping
plot turns, glittering prose, and a cast of complex, compelling
characters. Readers beware: those who enter Macallister's delicious
world of magic and mystery won't wish to leave!' Allison Pataki,
author of 'The Traitor's Wife'
USA, 1958. President Joseph McCarthy sits in the White House,
elected on a wave of populist xenophobia and barely-concealed
anti-Semitism. The country is in the firm grip of McCarthy's Hueys,
a secret police force evolved from the House Un-American Activities
Committee. Hollywood's sparkling vision of the American dream has
been suppressed; its remaining talents forced to turn out endless
anti-communist propaganda. LAPD detective Morris Baker-a Holocaust
survivor who drowns his fractured memories of the unspeakable in
schnapps and work-is called to the scene of a horrific
double-homicide. The victims are John Huston, a once-promising but
now forgotten film director, and an up-and-coming young journalist
named Walter Cronkite. Clutched in the hand of one of the dead men
is a cryptic note containing the phrase "beat the devils" followed
by a single name: Baker. Did the two men die in an attack fueled by
better-dead-than-red sentiment, as the Hueys are quick to conclude,
or were they murdered in a cover-up designed to protect-or even set
in motion-a secret plot connected to Baker's past? In a country
where terror grows stronger by the day, and paranoia rises
unchecked, Baker is determined to find justice for two men who
raised their voices in a time when free speech comes at the
ultimate cost. In the course of his investigation, Baker stumbles
into a conspiracy that reaches deep into the halls of power and
uncovers a secret that could destroy the City of Angels-and the
American ideal itself.
'Think Sherlock Holmes is the only detective working in Victorian
London? Meet William Arrowood, the hero of Mick Finlay's series of
absorbing novels' The Times London Society takes their problems to
Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood. 1896: Sherlock
Holmes has once again hit the headlines, solving mysteries for the
cream of London society. But among the workhouses and pudding shops
of the city, private detective William Arrowood is presented with
far grittier, more violent, and considerably less well-paid cases.
Arrowood is in no doubt who is the better detective, and when Mr
and Mrs Barclay engage him to trace their estranged daughter
Birdie, he's sure it won't be long before he and his assistant
Barnett have tracked her down. But this seemingly simple missing
person case soon turns into a murder investigation. Far from the
comfort of Baker Street, Arrowood's London is a city of unrelenting
cruelty, where evil is waiting to be uncovered . . . PRAISE FOR THE
MURDER PIT: 'Another brilliant read from Mick Finlay . . . even
better than [Arrowood]' B.A. Paris 'Gripping' Daily Telegraph
'Astounding ... If you crave Victorian age murder mystery, love
darkly gothic atmospheres and want your detective rather tattered
and torn at the edges Arrowood is your man.' SHOTS 'Enthralling'
Publishers Weekly (starred review) 'A gripping novel with an adept
sense of place as well as a clear-eyed examination of the dark
exigencies of human behaviour' Crime Time
In bestselling author Steve Berry's stunning novel, former Justice
Department agent Cotton Malone encounters information from a secret
World War II dossier that, if proven true, would not only rewrite
history - it could change the political landscape of Europe
forever. Two candidates are vying to become Chancellor of Germany.
One is a patriot who has served for many years, the other a
usurper, stoking the flames of nationalistic hate. Both harbour
secrets, but only one knows the truth about the other. Everything
turns on the events of one fateful day - April 30, 1945 - and what
happened deep beneath Berlin in the Fuhrerbunker. Did Adolf Hitler
and Eva Braun die there? Did Martin Bormann, Hitler's close
confidant, manage to escape? And possibly even more important,
where did billions in Nazi wealth disappear to in the waning days
of the war? The answers to these questions will determine who
becomes the next Chancellor. Racing from Chile to South Africa, and
finally the secret vaults of Switzerland, former Justice Department
agent Cotton Malone must uncover the truth about the fates of
Hitler, Braun, and Bormann - revelations that could not only
transform Europe, but finally expose a mystery known as the
Kaiser's Web.
In the spring of 1666 everyone's first reaction to a sudden death
at the palace of White Hall is that the plague has struck, but the
killing of Thomas Chiffinch was by design, not disease. Chiffinch
was holder of two influential posts - Keeper of the Closet and
Keeper of the Jewels - and rival courtiers have made no secret of
their wish to succeed to those offices. To Thomas Chaloner, ordered
to undertake the investigation, such avarice gives a whole host of
suspects an ample motive for murder. The same courtiers are at the
heart of the royal entourage endorsing the King's licentious and
ribald way of life, and Chaloner has some sympathy with the
atmosphere of outrage and disgust at such behaviour. London's
citizens, already irked by the wealthy fleeing to the country at
the outbreak of the plague, have scant patience with the Court on
its return. The city is abuzz with rumours of dissent and
rebellion, fuelled by predictions from a soothsayer in Clerkenwell
of a rain of fire destroying the capital on Good Friday. Chaloner
initially dismisses such talk as nonsense, but as he uncovers ever
more connections to Clerkenwell among his suspects, he begins to
fear that there is also design behind the rumours - and that, come
Easter Day, the King and his Court might find themselves the focus
of yet another rebellion.
WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018! ******* 'Scotland's
Outer Hebrides provides the sensuous setting for this impressive
debut...a beautifully crafted novel' - Publishers Weekly 'Lovely
atmospheric descriptions of Hebridean light and landscape' - The
Scotsman A captivating story of a crumbling estate in the wilds of
Scotland, its century-old secret and an enduring mystery...
Following the death of her last living relative, Hetty Deveraux
leaves London and her strained relationship behind for Muirlan, her
ancestral home in Scotland - now in ruins. As Hetty dives headfirst
into the repairs, she discovers a shocking secret protected by the
house for a hundred years. With only whispered rumours circulating
among the local villagers and a handful of leads to guide her,
Hetty finds the power of the past is still affecting her present in
startling ways. 'There is an echo of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca in
Sarah Maine's appealing debut novel' The Independent *previously
published as Bhalla Strand*
LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2022 A SUNDAY TIMES HISTORICAL
NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2022 A TELEGRAPH BEST FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR
2022 A WATERSTONES BEST HISTORICAL NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2022 AN
EVENING STADARD MUST-READ NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2022 AS HEARD ON BBC
RADIO 4 OPEN BOOK 'Accomplished, immersive and profoundly
satisfying' Cathy Rentzenbrink 'Effortlessly resonant ... breathes
rich imaginative colour in her characters' Daily Telegraph From the
million-copy bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside
Ourselves comes an epic novel about the infamous, ill-fated Booth
family. SIX BROTHERS AND SISTERS. ONE INJUSTICE THAT WILL SHATTER
THEIR BOND FOREVER. Junius is the patriarch, a celebrated
Shakespearean actor who fled bigamy charges in England, both a
mesmerising talent and a man of terrifying instability. As his
children grow up in a remote farmstead in 1830s rural Baltimore,
the country draws ever closer to the boiling point of secession and
civil war. Of the six Booth siblings who survive to adulthood, each
has their own dreams they must fight to realise - but it is Johnny
who makes the terrible decision that will change the course of
history - the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Booth is a riveting
novel focused on the very things that bind, and break, a family.
'In its stretch and imaginative depth, Booth has an utterly
seductive authority' Guardian 'Karen Joy Fowler's novels are wildly
inventive and deservedly popular' Daily Mail 'Booth is a triumph!'
Ruth Ozeki 'Captures with enthralling vividness a country caught in
the grip of fanatical populism, ripped apart by irreconcilable
political differences and boiling with fury and rage ... An
unalloyed triumph' Literary Review 'Brilliantly recounts the story
of the American theatrical dynasty that produced Lincoln's
assassin' Sunday Times Book of the Month 'Her finest, most
beautiful novel to date' Neel Mukherjee
Mary Paterson, or, The Fatal Error is a high-Victorian tale of the
tragic life, and sorry end, of poor Mary Paterson: her fall from
grace, her unhappy loves - and her final grisly demise at the hands
of Burke and Hare, who kept Edinburgh's anatomists supplied with
freshly manufactured corpses. But the melodrama doesn't stop with
Mary lying cold upon the dissecting slab: David Pae's galloping
novel, originally serialised in the Dundee People's Journal in 1864
and 1865, hounds Burke and Hare to their capture and trial, leads
Burke to the gallows, and thereafter follows Hare and his
accomplices to their various just deserts. The Scottish writer
David Pae was one of the most successful serial novelists of his
day. Edited by Caroline McCracken-Flesher, this new edition of
Pae's original and unexpurgated tale not only provides a
fascinating window into the popular Victorian imagination but is
also a highly entertaining novel in its own right.
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The Silent Bullet
(Paperback)
Arthur B Reeve; Edited by Leslie S. Klinger
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R376
R307
Discovery Miles 3 070
Save R69 (18%)
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Ships in 9 - 15 working days
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"A collection that might have been called CSI: 1912."-Kirkus
Reviews The seventh book in the esteemed Library of Congress Crime
Classics, an exciting new classic mystery series created in
exclusive partnership with the Library of Congress. This short
story collection features twelve tales of intrigue and suspense,
starring Craig Kennedy, the "American Sherlock Holmes." New York
City, early 1900s. Craig Kennedy, a university professor who uses
science to help catch criminals, investigates crimes in and around
NYC boroughs featuring deaths by apparent-but-inexplicable means.
These highly imaginative crimes include spontaneous combustion and
vengeful spirits, along with less fatal crimes involving
kidnapping, safe-cracking, and a missing fortune in diamonds. With
his impressive knowledge, friend Walter Jameson (his own Watson!),
and use of cutting-edge technology of the day, Kennedy cracks each
case using unorthodox yet entertaining means. Arthur B. Reeve's
Craig Kennedy stories were so popular in his time that he went on
to publish twenty-six books featuring the professor, who also
appeared in comic strips and a number of films. Readers of classic
crime fiction will delight in this collection of twelve short
stories. Fans of Sherlock Holmes will especially appreciate
Kennedy's insistence on logic and science over brawn.
New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry's nineteenth
heart-warming Christmas novella. Gracie Tellman is preparing for
Christmas with her husband and three young children when Millie
Foster calls upon her. As a maid at Harcourt House, Millie is
terrified that sinister goings-on, including the disappearance of
food from the kitchens, will lead to her unfair dismissal, and she
begs Gracie to investigate the situation. With the promise that she
will be back in time for Christmas, Gracie takes Millie's place in
the Harcourt household, never imagining the discovery she then
makes. For the servants have been keeping a secret and their
efforts are about to be rewarded in the most extraordinary way... A
Christmas Legacy is a heart-warming festive mystery set in
Victorian London from the pen of the New York Times bestselling
author Anne Perry.
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