Benjamin January investigates the murder of a 'conductor' of the Underground Railway, helping slaves to freedom. Benjamin January is called up to Vicksburg, deep in cotton-plantation country, to help a wounded "conductor" of the Underground Railroad - the secret network of safe-houses that guide escaping slaves to freedom. When the chief "conductor" of the "station" is found murdered, Jubal Cain - the coordinator of the whole Railroad system in Mississippi - is accused of the crime. Since Cain can't expose the nature of his involvement in the railroad, January has to step in and find the true killer, before their covers are blown. As January probes into the murky labyrinth of slaves, slave-holders, the fugitives who follow the "drinking gourd" north to freedom and those who help them on their way, he discovers that there is more to the situation than meets the eye, and that sometimes there are no easy answers.

September 314 AD and once more death strikes the sprawling streets of Imperial Rome. When two prostitutes are found murdered - their bodies ripped open and their right eyes gouged out - it's feared a notorious killer, the Nefandus, has returned. Rumoured to be an imperial officer, he once waged bloody murder amongst Rome's prostitutes but vanished before his identity could be discovered. Has he reappeared, or is someone working in his guise? Desperate to retain order, the Empress Helena turns to her most trusted agent, Claudia. Helena commands her to discover the truth behind the Nefandus, before Rome descends further into chaos and confusion.

Wilkie Collins' earliest career attempt -- to read for the bar -- influenced much of his later work, and he was particularly interested in the marriage, divorce, and property laws of England and Scotland. The mysteries and miseries surrounding these laws serve as plot-points in many of his novels, including "The Moonstone" and "The Law and the Lady."

In "The Law and the Lady" (first published in 1875), Valeria Brinton marries Eustace Woodville despite objections from Woodville's family. Just a few days after the wedding, incidents lead Valeria to suspect her husband is hiding a dark secret in his past, and she discovers that he has been using a false name. He refuses to discuss it, leading them to curtail their honeymoon and return to London. There, Valeria learns that he was on trial for his first wife's murder by poisoning with arsenic. He was tried in a Scottish court, and the verdict of "Not Proven" (rather than "not guilty") implied his guilt -- but without enough proof for a jury to convict him.

Valeria sets out to save their happiness by proving her husband innocent of the crime. In her quest, she comes across the disabled character Miserrimus Dexter, a fascinating but mentally unstable genius, and his devoted female cousin, Ariel. Dexter will prove crucial to uncovering the disturbing truth behind the mysterious death.

A timeless whodunnit with the fascinating Mitford sisters at its heart, The Mitford Trial is inspired by a real-life murder in a story full of intrigue, affairs and betrayal. It's former lady's maid Louisa Cannon's wedding day, but the fantasy is shattered shortly after when she is approached by a secretive man asking her to spy on Diana Mitford - who is having an affair with the infamous Oswald Mosley - and her similarly fascist sister Unity. Thus as summer 1933 dawns, Louisa finds herself accompanying the Mitfords on a glitzy cruise, full of the starriest members of Society. But the waters run red when a man is found attacked, with suspects everywhere. Back in London, the case is taken by lawyer Tom Mitford, and Louisa finds herself caught between worlds: of a love lost to blood, a family divided, and a country caught in conflict. PRAISE FOR THE MITFORD MURDERS SERIES 'A glittering, entertaining, perfectly formed whodunnit' Adele Parks 'Oh how delicious! Exactly what we all need in these gloomy times. Give it to absolutely everyone for Christmas, then pre-order the next one' Susan Hill 'A lively, well-written, entertaining whodunnit' The Times 'Exactly the sort of book you might enjoy with the fire blazing, the snow falling etc. The solution is neat and the writing always enjoyable' Anthony Horowitz 'An extraordinary meld of fact and fiction' Graham Norton 'True and glorious indulgence. A dazzling example of a Golden Age mystery' Daisy Goodwin 'Crime and scandal await!' Hello 'Absolute blissikins. This is a delightful mashup of real and fictional characters' Guardian 'A delightful escapist period piece to brighten the darkest days of winter' Woman & Home 'All the blissful escapism of a Sunday-night period drama in a book' The Pool 'An audacious and glorious foray into the Golden Age of mystery fiction. Breathtaking' Alex Gray 'Keeps the reader guessing to the very end. An accomplished crime debut and huge fun to read' Evening Standard 'This story is drenched in detail and feels both authentic and fun. Curl up in your favourite reading spot and enjoy' Heat

The second book in the critically acclaimed medieval mystery series featuring Sir Geoffrey Mappestone In the year 1101, Sir Geoffrey Mappestone returns to his home at Goodrich Castle on the Welsh border. He is travelling in the company of a knight who claims to be carrying an urgent message for King Henry I. When the knight is killed during an ambush, Geoffrey feels obliged to deliver the message to the King himself, but quickly regrets his decision when the King orders him to spy on his own family in order to ferret out a dangerous traitor. Geoffrey returns home to find his father gravely ill and his older brothers and sister each determined to inherit the Mappestone estate. Geoffrey's father claims he is being poisoned by one of his own children, a claim no one takes seriously until he is found murdered with his own knife in the dead of night. Geoffrey's investigation of the murder, however, takes him far beyond a family quarrel. Accusations are flying, and Geoffrey must prove his own innocence in the face of greed and fear. The villainous Earl of Shrewsbury is clearly implicated, and as Geoffrey delves deeper, he discovers a plot that reaches far beyond the realm of Goodrich Castle to that of the entire kingdom: the assassination of the King.

Dolly Merishaw is a midwife and an abortionist in Victorian Toronto, and although she keeps quiet about her clients, her contempt and greed leaves them resentful and angry. It comes as no surprise to Detective William Murdoch when she is murdered, but when a young boy is found dead in Dolly's squalid kitchen a week later, Murdoch isn't sure if he's hunting one murderer - or two.

A Victorian mystery featuring private investigator Liberty Lane September, 1840. Novelist and patron of the arts Lady Blessington has hired Liberty Lane to escort a French gentleman to The Hague. For he has in his possession important papers that will assist in the forthcoming trial of Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, the late emperor's nephew who has failed in an attempt to seize power in France. Plans for the undercover expedition are disrupted however when a body is found hanging in the attic at Gore House, Lady Blessington's Kensington mansion. Uncovering evidence that the murder was meticulously prepared for and planned well in advance, Liberty determines to track down the killer. But she is about to find herself plunged into a highly dangerous game involving blackmail, treachery, espionage - and cold-blooded murder.

A hilarious and whip-smart crime novel by the multimillion-copy bestselling author of the Horrible Histories. The perfect mystery for fans of Anthony Horowitz, Robert Thorogood and Ian Moore.

It is 1973 and the lives of four people are thrown into turmoil when sharing a carriage with an unremarkable little man with glasses, on the night train back to Newcastle.

By the end of the following day, one of them will be dead, one will turn blackmailer and another forced to commit a crime. And all of them will be under the astute observation of Aline, the local police officer with her own agenda to fulfil...

When the body count begins to rise, the question is: just how many murderers are out there... and who will be the next victim?

Set in Edinburgh in 1690. The body of a wealthy merchant is discovered in his home in the city centre. Was his killing the result of a robbery gone wrong? The vicious mode of his death seems to suggest otherwise. Scotland is in upheaval as political and religious tensions boil, and there is mystery concealed behind the walls of Van Diemen's Land. MacKenzie and Scougall investigate.