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.

Introducing Jonas Flynt. Gambler. Thief. Killer. Man of honour.'Fast, furious and with a glint of gallows humour, this is high-octane historical fiction' Daily Mail 'Swashbuckling action against a vivid historical backdrop. I loved this book' Ian Rankin 'High adventure meets espionage thriller as Jonas Flynt battles the tide of history and the deadly secrets of his own past...' D. V. Bishop, author of City of Vengeance 1715. Jonas Flynt, ex-soldier and reluctant member of the Company of Rogues, a shady intelligence group run by ruthless spymaster Nathaniel Charters, is ordered to recover a missing document. Its contents could prove devastating in the wrong hands. On her deathbed, the late Queen Anne may have promised the nation to her half-brother James, the Old Pretender, rather than the new king, George I. But the will has been lost. It may decide the fate of the nation. The crown must recover it at all costs. The trail takes Jonas from the dark and dangerous streets of London to an Edinburgh in chaos. He soon realises there are others on the hunt, and becomes embroiled in a long overdue family reunion, a jail break and a brutal street riot. When secrets finally come to light, about the crown and about his own past, Jonas will learn that some truths, once discovered, can never be untold... An atmospheric and utterly compelling blend of crime, history and thriller, to delight fans of S. J. Parris, Andrew Taylor and C. J. Sansom. Praise for An Honourable Thief 'Reads like a genuine eighteenth century spy novel. I see a long future for Jonas Flynt' Ambrose Parry, author of The Way of All Flesh 'Anyone who enjoys a good historical mystery and likes an edgy, charismatic protagonist is going to love the adventures of Douglas Skelton's new hero, Jonas Flynt' S.G. MacLean, author of The Seeker 'An absolute triumph ... Five stars from me, and I look forward to reading more of Jonas's adventures' James Oswald, Sunday Times bestselling author 'Historical crime fiction at its absolute best. I loved it!' Marion Todd, author of the Detective Clare Mackay series 'Pitch-perfect stuff. Like all great historical novels you'll feel you're there! This is a departure for Skelton, who seems born to write high-end historical fiction' Denzil Meyrick, author of the DCI Daley thrillers 'Uniquely combines a page-turning thriller with a perfectly evoked sense of time and place. Powerful stuff from a master of his craft' Craig Russell, author of Hyde 'Skelton's mastery of time and place inhabited with richly drawn characters is a delight. It held me to the last tantalising page' David Gilman, author of The Englishman 'Jonas Flynt is one of those characters you'll be rooting for from the very first chapter ... it looks like Skelton has found a new home writing first-class historical fiction' Alison Belsham, author of The Tattoo Thief 'This is a fascinating, totally engrossing historical novel. Flynt is a most attractive, three-dimensional character and the same is true of the world he moves through. A brilliant, most enjoyable read' Paul Doherty, author of The Nightingale Gallery 'A cracking historical drama with breathless pacing and knuckle-chewing tension, all shot through with Skelton's deft characterisation and flashes of pitch-black humour. The perfect read to lose yourself in' Neil Broadfoot, author of Falling Fast 'A compelling tale of justice and vengeance, of intrigue and plotting, all centred around a flawed 18th century Jack Reacher' Morgan Cry, author of Thirty-One Bones

Introducing the Reverend Mother Aquinas in the first of a brand-new historical mystery series. Cork, Ireland. 1923. When, one wet March morning, Reverend Mother Aquinas discovers a body at the gate of the convent chapel washed up after a flood 'like a mermaid in gleaming silver satin', she immediately sends for one of her former pupils, Police Sergeant Patrick Cashman, to investigate. Dead bodies are not unusual in the poverty-stricken slums of Cork city, but this one is dressed in evening finery; in her handbag is a dance programme for the exclusive Merchant's Ball held the previous evening - and a midnight ticket for the Liverpool ferry. Against the backdrop of a country in the midst of Ireland's Civil War, the Reverend Mother, together with Sergeant Cashman and Dr Sher, an enlightened physician and friend, seek out the truth as to the identity of the victim - and her killer.

Isabel Holland, illegitimate daughter of King Henry VIII, walks a privileged but precarious road through the intrigues of the Tudor court. When her cousin Sir Hugh Lovell is accused of stealing the prized crown known as the Sun and Stars, Isabel pits her family loyalty against the political plotting of formidable opponents Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell and the ruthless Lord Adam Colford. A young woman without official status, she discovers a conspiracy more vast than a simple theft and realizes she is the only one who can save her cousin from execution and expose a plot to betray the King and the future of England.

Murder visits the Winter Festival in the days of Ancient Rome . . . Marcus Corvinus investigates the death of a seemingly respectable citizen in this gripping, twist-filled mystery in the critically-acclaimed historical series. A perfect read for fans of Lindsey Davis and Rosemary Rowe. "Like Chandler's Marlowe, Corvinus wisecracks his way through a weary world of murder and intrigue until he hunts down the truth" The Times December, AD39. While enjoying the Winter Festival holiday at his adopted daughter's home in the Alban Hills, Marcus Corvinus discovers that an outwardly respectable pillar of the community, local politician Quintus Caesius has been discovered beaten to death at the rear entrance of the town brothel. Questioning those who knew the victim, Corvinus is dismayed to find Bovillae a place of small town secrets, bitter feuds, malicious gossip and deadly rivalry: a world away from the sophistication of Rome. As he is to discover, there are several suspects with reason to bear Caesius a grudge. But who would hate him enough to kill him? And what would a supposedly solid citizen be doing visiting the local brothel? Praise for Solid Citizens and the Marcus Corvinus mysteries: "Fans will greet this new Corvinus novel with open arms" Booklist "Wry first-person narrative . . . Wishart adds his usual evocative historical touches" Kirkus Reviews "Brings ancient Rome vividly to life . . . bound to keep Lindsey Davis fans entertained" Library Journal "Corvinus proves an astute sleuth as he tackles the nicely constructed puzzles" Publishers Weekly "Wishart's investigator pinches his conversation style and hardboiled wisecracking from classic Hollywood noir, which adds a charming incongruity to this entertaining whodunit" Financial Times "Like Chandler's Marlowe, Corvinus wisecracks his way through a weary world of murder and intrigue until he hunts down the truth. A taut thriller in which ancient Rome springs to life" The Times

After the mysterious death of one Vatican priest and the disappearance of another, Father Ian Pearse, an American working on early Christian texts in the Vatican, comes into possession of a mysterious scroll. He discovers ingeniously coded letters and the text of an ancient prayer never before found in written form. These reveal a conspiracy, by a sect long-thought dead, reaching deep into the present Vatican hierarchy. It becomes a race against a ruthless unknown opponent, which takes Father Pearse from the Vatican, via an ancient Greek monastery, to war- torn Bosnia.

New York, 1908. While waiting to embark on the Caronia, the Cunard Line's famous ocean liner, private detectives George Dillman and Genevieve Masefield are startled to witness the boarding of a man and woman in shackles. They discover that these prisoners are being brought back to England by Scotland Yard to face trial for murder. Over the course of the crossing, while managing purse-snatchers, burglars and drug traffickers, Dillman and Masefield come to believe that the captured couple may not be the vicious criminals some might think. But pursuing the hunch that they are innocent becomes harder when a killer strikes on board. Dillman and Masefield will need all their wits to navigate the waters ahead. Previously published under the name Conrad Allen, the Ocean Liner series sets sail for a new generation of readers.

**THE THRILLING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** 'If only all history mysteries could be as good as The Midnight Hour' The Times An old man lies dead and it looks like poison, but his wife isn't the only one who had reason to kill him. Brighton, 1965 When theatrical impresario Bert Billington is found dead in his retirement home, no one suspects foul play. But when the postmortem reveals that he was poisoned, suspicion falls on his wife, eccentric ex-Music Hall star Verity Malone. Frustrated by the police response to Bert's death and determined to prove her innocence, Verity calls in private detective duo Emma Holmes and Sam Collins. This is their first real case, but as luck would have it they have a friend on the inside: Max Mephisto is filming a remake of Dracula, starring Seth Billington, Bert's son. But when they question Max, they feel he isn't telling them the whole story. Emma and Sam must vie with the police to untangle the case and bring the killer to justice. They're sure the answers must lie in Bert's dark past and in the glamorous, occasionally deadly, days of Music Hall. But the closer they get to the truth, the more danger they find themselves in... *********** PRAISE FOR THE MIDNIGHT HOUR 'An intricately plotted whodunnit' Daily Mail 'Griffiths writes with verve and wit' Irish Times 'An entertaining period murder mystery' Irish Independent 'Layered with a gripping plot' Belfast Telegraph A Sunday Times bestseller w/c 24/04/2022