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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Crime & mystery > Historical mysteries
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.
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.
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 world's most beloved literary characters. The gilded opulence of the Roaring Twenties. A murder that scandalises high society. And a clever young woman of unusual persistence... Be ready to re-think the world of Gatsby.
1922: You are cordially invited to summer at the Gatsby Mansion in West Egg, with the most illustrious - and the deadliest - guest list.
Freshly twenty-one and sporting a daring new bob, Greta Gatsby - younger sister to the infamous Jay - is finally free of finishing school. An idyllic summer stretches ahead of her at the Gatsby Mansion, the jewel of West Egg. But when Greta arrives at the secluded white-stone estate bathed in the late-afternoon light, she finds she isn't the only visitor. Jay is hosting an intimate gathering of New York's fashionable set: Daisy and Tom Buchanan, along with his brother Edgar, Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker.
That evening, the guests enjoy a candelabra-lit dinner party. That night, they dance to the lilt of the gramophone. The next morning, one of them is missing.
Murder has come to West Egg, the warm breeze tainted by scandal, betrayal and secrets. Turning sleuth isn't how Greta meant to spend her summer - but what choice does she have when one of them could be next?
A deliciously unputdownable whonunnit perfect for fans of The Christie Affair and Miss Austen Investigates.
The death of a runaway could spark a revolt...Devon, 1318. Peter
Bruther, who works the land for his lord, Sir William Beauscyr, is
fed up with his life of near-slavery, and has run away. Brutal
punishments usually fall on the heads of runaways, but Bruther uses
a legal loophole: on Dartmoor, tin miners enjoy special protection
from prosecution. They are accountable only to the king. Brother
swiftly sets himself up as a miner on the moors: safe... or so he
thinks. Beauscyr and his two feuding sons are furious to learn they
have no legal claim on their wayward man, and demand justice from
Bailiff Simon Puttock. They fear more runaways. But other miners
resent Bruther's appearance, too, and they do not want their
profitable extortion and protection racket destabilised. Before
dissent can spread to other serfs working for Beauscyr, Bruther is
found hanging from a tree. Simon, assisted by former Knight Templar
Sir Baldwin Furnshill, finds himself investigating cold-blooded
murder, and there is no shortage of suspects... An action-packed
historical mystery perfect for fans of Susanna Gregory, C. J.
Sansom and Rory Clements. Praise for Michael Jecks'Michael Jecks is
a national treasure' Scotland on Sunday 'Marvellously portrayed' C.
J. Sansom
Shortlisted for the 2021 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize and
longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger 2021. City of Vengeance is an
explosive debut novel in an historical thriller series by D. V.
Bishop, set in Renaissance Florence. 'An impressive and immersive
debut set in a beautifully realized sixteenth-century Florence' -
Antonia Hodgson 'A first-class historical thriller . . . Bishop's
spirited and richly detailed story is a tour-de-force' - David
Baldacci Florence. Winter, 1536. A prominent Jewish moneylender is
murdered in his home, a death with wide implications in a city
powered by immense wealth. Cesare Aldo, a former soldier and now an
officer of the Renaissance city's most feared criminal court, is
given four days to solve the murder: catch the killer before the
feast of Epiphany - or suffer the consequences. During his
investigations Aldo uncovers a plot to overthrow the volatile ruler
of Florence, Alessandro de' Medici. If the Duke falls, it will
endanger the whole city. But a rival officer of the court is
determined to expose details about Aldo's private life that could
lead to his ruin. Can Aldo stop the conspiracy before anyone else
dies, or will his own secrets destroy him first? 'Richly
atmospheric . . . transports you to another time and place' -
Ambrose Parry, author of The Way of All Flesh Continue the
historical series with The Darkest Sin.
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