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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Crime & mystery > Historical mysteries
When the family butler is brutally attacked, land agent Matthew Rowsley and his wife Harriet determine to find the culprit in this gripping Victorian mystery. With his lordship's mental health failing, management of his grand country estate has been assigned to a group of trustees, including land agent Matthew Rowsley and his capable wife Harriet. But the smooth running of Thorncroft House is disrupted by a series of unforeseen events. Building work on the estate workers' new cottages is halted by the discovery of Roman remains. Shortly afterwards, the family butler is brutally assaulted and left for dead. A random attack - or was he deliberately targeted? Matters take an even more disturbing turn when Lord Croft's long-lost cousin and heir, Julius Trescothick, arrives from Australia, ready to claim his inheritance. But is he who he claims to be . and what are his true intentions? If they are to preserve Thorncroft House and a way of life that has continued for centuries, Matthew and Harriet must uncover the truth behind Trescothick's identity and solve a series of interlocking mysteries.
Shanghai, 1928. The body of a blonde is washed up on the Beach of Dead Babies, in the heart of the smog-filled city. Seemingly a suicide, a closer inspection reveals a darker motive: the corpse has been weighed down, it's lower half mutilated...and the Chinese character for 'justice' carved into the chest. The moment Inspector Danilov lays eyes on the dismembered body, he realises that he has an exceptional case on his hands. And when the first body is followed by another, and another, each displaying a new, bloody message, he has no option but face the truth. He is dealing with the worst kind of criminal; someone determined, twisted...and vengeful. Someone who must be caught....whatever the cost. Death in Shanghai is the first novel in M J Lee's Inspector Danilov series, perfect for fans of Philip Kerr.
An ancient and mysterious book leads Crispin Guest into a deadly maze in this latest medieval noir mystery. 1394, London. Crispin Guest, Tracker of London, is enjoying his ale in the Boar's Tusk tavern - until a stranger leaves a mysterious wrapped bundle on his table, telling him, "You'll know what to do." Inside is an ancient leather-bound book written in an unrecognizable language. Accompanied by his apprentice, Jack Tucker, Crispin takes the unknown codex to a hidden rabbi, where they make a shocking discovery: it is the Gospel of Judas from the Holy Land, and its contents challenge the very doctrine of Christianity itself. Crispin is soon drawn into a deadly maze involving murder, living saints, and lethal henchmen. Why was he given the blasphemous book, and what should he do with it? A series of horrific events confirm his fears that there are powerful men who want it - and who will stop at nothing to see it destroyed.
London's social season is in full swing, and Victorian aristocracy can't stop whispering about a certain gentleman who claims to be the direct descendant of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. But he's not the only topic of wagging tongues. Drawing rooms, boudoirs, and ballrooms are abuzz with the latest news of an audacious cat burglar who has been systematically stealing valuable items that once belonged to the ill-fated queen. Light gossip turns serious when the owner of one of the pilfered treasures is found murdered, and the mysterious thief develops a twisted obsession with Lady Emily Ashton. It will take all of Emily's wit and perseverance to unmask her stalker and ferret out the murderer, while faced with a brewing scandal that threatens both her reputation and her romance with her late husband's best friend, the dashing Colin Hargreaves.
'For a totally exhilarating romp through Ancient Rome, Lindsey Davis' latest Flavia Alba novel won't be beaten and offers an immersive experience of a vibrant world full of real, recognisable characters' Mike Ripley, Shotsmag Don't go to the Grove . . . Julius Caesar left his gardens to the citizens of Rome, a peaceful sanctuary across the Tiber. Now the gardens and their sacred grove are dangerous haunts, especially for women alone. 'Don't go to the Grove,' people mutter, but when her husband has to leave Rome, it falls to Albia to supervise his building project in an old grotto. Why has someone buried tattered scrolls by obscure philosophers - and does it involve a worse crime than terrible writing? Soon that puzzle is overtaken. A woman disappears from her husband's birthday party; she meets a dire fate, then Albia learns that on the same night, two louche slaves given to her family by the brooding Emperor Domitian also vanished in the gardens. Apparently, it is well known that a killer lurks there. The vigiles have failed to investigate properly for decades and this won't improve when the sinister agent Karus arrives. Albia must co-operate, in order to give the many victims justice and find answers for grieving relatives. But can she herself remain safe? And, after others have failed, can she at last identify the predator who has made the Grove his killing ground? Praise for Lindsey Davis and the Flavia Albia series 'Lindsey Davis has seen off all her competitors to become the unassailable market leader in the 'crime in Ancient Rome' genre . . . Davis's squalid, vibrant Rome is as pleasurable as ever' - Guardian 'Davis's prose is a lively joy, and Flavia's Rome is sinister and gloriously real' - The Times on Sunday 'For fans of crime fiction set in the ancient world, this one is not to be missed' - Booklist 'Davis's books crackle with wit and knowledge . . . She has the happy knack of making the reader feel entirely immersed in Rome' - The Times
Deadly drinks, vicious gangsters, missing money . . . Reluctant sleuth Maddie Pastore is back with a bang, in the second Mystic's Accomplice historical mystery set in 1920s Chicago. "Miley's storytelling skills do justice to her clever, gutsy, and endearing protagonist. This is a real treat for readers who love stories set in the Roaring '20s"- Publishers Weekly Starred Review December, 1924. Young widow Maddie Pastore feels fortunate to be employed by the well-meaning but fraudulent medium Carlotta Romany. Investigating Carlotta's clients isn't work she's proud of, but she's proud of how well she does it. Maddie's talents, however, draw them unwelcome attention: sharp-eyed Officer O'Rourke from the Chicago Police. He doesn't believe in spiritualism - but in a city packed with mobsters, con artists and criminals, he'll take any help he can get. It's not long before Maddie has a case to bring him. Why did teetotal banker Herman Quillen die of alcohol poisoning? And who is the gold-toothed man claiming to be his brother, and demanding the spirits reveal where Herman hid his money? All Maddie wants is to uncover the truth - but to her horror, she's soon mixed up in a tangled web of secrets and deception that leads to the heart of Chicago's violent gangs . . . and she'll need all her wits about her if she, and her loved ones, are going to make it out again alive. Spirits and Smoke, the sequel to The Mystic's Accomplice, is an ideal pick for readers who enjoy Jazz Age mysteries with feisty female sleuths, sparkling historical detail and Prohibition high-jinks.
Sherlock Holmes is dead. Days after Holmes and his arch-enemy Moriarty fall to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls, Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase arrives from New York. The death of Moriarty has created a poisonous vacuum which has been swiftly filled by a fiendish new criminal mastermind. Ably assisted by Inspector Athelney Jones, a devoted student of Holmes's methods of investigation and deduction, Chase must hunt down this shadowy figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, a man determined to engulf London in a tide of murder and menace. The game is afoot . . .
The beautifully compelling wartime story of freedom and love set deep in the Scottish islands 'A powerful Second World War love story' THE TIMES 'Deeply evocative of Orkney and its wild beauty. A stunning tale of sisters, salvation and sacrifice' EMMA STONEX _________ Orkney, 1941. Five hundred Italian prisoners of war arrive to fortify these wild and desolate islands. Orphaned sisters Dorothy and Constance volunteer to nurse the wounded. But while beautiful, damaged Constance remains wary of the men, Dot finds herself increasingly drawn to Cesare, a young man fighting on the wrong side and broken by the horrors of battle. Secretly, passionately, they fall in love. When a tragic mistake from Con's past returns to haunt them, Dot must make a choice: Protect her sister no matter the costs, or save the man who has captured her heart? _________ Praise for Caroline Lea: 'Enthralling' Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars and The Foundling 'Fantastic' The Times 'Memorable and compelling' Sarah Moss, author of The Times Book of the Year Ghost Wall 'Intensely written and atmospheric' Daily Mail 'Gripped me in a cold fist. Beautiful' Sara Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton 'Brilliant' Daily Express
First in a brand-new Victorian mystery series featuring steward Matthew Rowsley and housekeeper Mrs Faulkner as an engaging detective duo. Newly appointed as land agent to the youthful Lord Croft, Matthew Rowsley finds plenty to keep him busy as he attends to his lordship's neglected country estate. But he's distracted from his tasks by the disappearance of a young housemaid. Has Maggie really eloped with a young man, as her mother attests - or is the truth rather more sinister? What's been going on behind the scenes at the grand country estate . and where has his lordship disappeared to? Teaming up with housekeeper Mrs Faulkner to get to the bottom of the matter, Matthew uncovers a number of disturbing secrets, scandals and simmering tensions within the household. Something rotten is going on at Thorncroft - and it's up to Matthew and Mrs Faulkner to unearth the truth.
Deadly drinks, vicious gangsters, missing money . . . Reluctant sleuth Maddie Pastore is back with a bang, in the second Mystic's Accomplice historical mystery set in 1920s Chicago. "Miley's storytelling skills do justice to her clever, gutsy, and endearing protagonist. This is a real treat for readers who love stories set in the Roaring '20s"- Publishers Weekly Starred Review December, 1924. Young widow Maddie Pastore feels fortunate to be employed by the well-meaning but fraudulent medium Carlotta Romany. Investigating Carlotta's clients isn't work she's proud of, but she's proud of how well she does it. Maddie's talents, however, draw them unwelcome attention: sharp-eyed Officer O'Rourke from the Chicago Police. He doesn't believe in spiritualism - but in a city packed with mobsters, con artists and criminals, he'll take any help he can get. It's not long before Maddie has a case to bring him. Why did teetotal banker Herman Quillen die of alcohol poisoning? And who is the gold-toothed man claiming to be his brother, and demanding the spirits reveal where Herman hid his money? All Maddie wants is to uncover the truth - but to her horror, she's soon mixed up in a tangled web of secrets and deception that leads to the heart of Chicago's violent gangs . . . and she'll need all her wits about her if she, and her loved ones, are going to make it out again alive. Spirits and Smoke, the sequel to The Mystic's Accomplice, is an ideal pick for readers who enjoy Jazz Age mysteries with feisty female sleuths, sparkling historical detail and Prohibition high-jinks.
"More meticulously choreographed than a chorus line. It all pays
off."--Chelsea Cain, THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
A journalist in nineteenth-century New York matches wits with a serial killer in a gripping thriller by the prizewinning author of the Ian Hamilton Mysteries. New York, 1880. Elizabeth van den Broek is the only female reporter at the Herald, the city's most popular newspaper. Then she and her bohemian friend Carlotta Ackerman find a woman's body wrapped like a mummy in a freshly dug hole in Central Park-the intended site of an obelisk called Cleopatra's Needle. The macabre discovery takes Elizabeth away from the society pages to follow an investigation into New York City's darkest shadows. When more bodies turn up, each tied to Egyptian lore, Elizabeth is onto a headline-making scoop more sinister than she could have imagined. Her reporting has readers spellbound, and each new clue implicates New York's richest and most powerful citizens. And a serial killer is watching every headline. Now a madman with an indecipherable motive is coming after Elizabeth and everyone she loves. She wants a good story? She may have to die to get it.
DCI Monika Paniatowski is forced to think the unthinkable: could a good friend and long-standing colleague be guilty of murder? On the day of her official retirement from the Force, DCI Monika Paniatowski looks at the two men and one woman who are no longer her team and thinks: Whatever the future holds, I will always be proud of you. She raises a toast. And just like that, her career as a homicide detective is over. Then, fifteen years later, Monika's former sergeant, Kate Meadows, makes a terrible mistake. Monika doesn't hesitate when Kate turns to her for help. She owes her, and she can hardly let her old friend go down for a crime she didn't commit. But as Monika gets deeper into the investigation, she's forced to ask herself the unthinkable: is Kate really innocent, or is she helping her old friend get away with murder? Packed with twists that will make you gasp out loud, the fifteenth - and final - DCI Monika Paniatowski mystery is a stunning conclusion to the long-running series. If you haven't met Monika yet, you're in for a treat.
A foul plot unfolds from the depths of London, as bombs rock the city, the dead rise, and Her Majesty is not amused! Discoer the dynamic detective duo Sir Maurice Newbury and Miss Veronica Hobbes, defenders of the Victorian Empire against threats both natural and supernatural. The HIT steampunk mystery novels unleash a new tale by original creator George Mann (‘Doctor Who’, ‘Dark Souls’) with irrepressible illustrations by Dan Boultwood (‘It Came!’, ‘The Phoenix’). Plus, exclusive Newbury & Hobbes prose story! Collects Newbury & Hobbes #1-4. “There is no doubting the talent on show in this book. Fans of Doctor Who or Holmes should find enough to quench their thirst.” – Comic Crusaders “Fans of Alan Moore’s work will enjoy Mann’s description of Victorian asylums, slums, aristocratic soirees and things that go bump in the night.” – Strange Horizons
Leeds, 1957: When enquiry agent Dan Markham and his new partner, retired Detective Sergeant Baker, take on a missing persons case, a simple matter turns into a murder investigation when a body is recovered from the River Aire. Nothing is what it seems. The dead man is an East German. A defector or spy? More mysterious deaths follow and the investigation takes a deadly turn as the pair try to track down a ruthless Russian assassin and Markham finds himself dragged into the heart of a Cold War - in Leeds.
"One of the best novels I've read this century. Kate Atkinson is a
marvel. There aren't enough breathless adjectives to describe LIFE
AFTER LIFE: Dazzling, witty, moving, joyful, mournful,
profound."--Gillian Flynn, author of Gone GirlWhat if you could
live again and again, until you got it right?
Turn a Blind Eye is the third instalment in the gripping story of Detective Inspector William Warwick, by the master storyteller and Sunday Times number one bestselling author of the Clifton Chronicles. William Warwick, now a Detective Inspector, is tasked with a dangerous new line of work, to go undercover and expose crime of another kind: corruption at the heart of the Metropolitan Police Force. His team is focused on following Detective Jerry Summers, a young officer whose lifestyle appears to exceed his income. But as a personal relationship develops with a member of William's team, it threatens to compromise the whole investigation. Meanwhile, a notorious drug baron goes on trial, with the prosecution case led by William's father and sister. And William's wife Beth, now a mother to twins, renews her connection with an old acquaintance who appears to have turned over a new leaf - or has she? As the undercover officers start to draw the threads together, William realizes that the corruption may go deeper still, and more of his colleagues than he first thought might be willing to turn a blind eye. 'Peerless master of the page-turner' - Daily Mail
Get ready for another gripping read from USA Today bestselling author of THE SILENT WOMAN! Will she find the truth? England, 1940 When a cryptographer is murdered, Thomas Charles is sent on a secret mission to uncover the killer - and it's the perfect opportunity to rekindle his romance with Cat Carlisle, the woman who helped uncover a double agent and solve her own husband's murder. The victim's niece - and the police's top suspect - is Cat's childhood friend and she begs Cat for help. Soon Cat discovers a scheme of deception that spreads far and wide. Someone is working with the Nazis, and Thomas and Cat are determined to find out who it is. Can they solve the murder and expose the enemy hiding in plain sight? Readers LOVE The Family Secret! 'Fabulous and gripping... A fantastic read.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Gripping, filled with unexpected twists and turns... I thoroughly enjoyed every moment, racing through it in a single sitting.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Every page brought something surprising... Once you start, you won't want to put this book down.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Plenty of twists and turns and kept me eagerly turning the pages.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Gripping... I highly recommend it!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Lots of twists and turns... A very exciting read.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Loved it!!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I found myself trying to read as fast as possible to find out what the secrets are... Extremely enjoyable.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Excellent... Gripping... I really did not want to put the book down!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Completely and utterly immersive.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I could not put this book down. It really pulls you in from page one and has you on your toes as another plot twist unfolds.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Wonderfully atmospheric... Lots of twists and turns. I found it hard to put down... Highly recommended!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
Sheriff Kyle of Deadeye, Nevada, is headed east to the nation's capital. Like Dennis Weaver in the television series McCloud, Kyle's about to discover that the law can be even wilder in the big city than in the Wild West. It's a fact that hits home when he's the one accused . . . of murder. Kyle's come to the city to give a report to his senator on the misdeeds of Nevada's filthy rich copper kings. But before he has a chance, he's knocked unconscious, later coming to alongside his senator-now dead, with Kyle's knife imbedded in the corpse. Welcome to Washington D.C., where corruption, intrigue and murder are all in a day's work. Kyle's got no alibi, no memory, and apparently doesn't have a prayer ... unless he can find a way to outwit, outfox and outmaneuver the masters of deception and double-crosses in this police procedural thriller. Much like Kyle, L. Ron Hubbard was born and bred on the western frontier and made his way east to explore and experience life in Washington, D.C. But unlike the sheriff, Hubbard enjoyed his time in the capital, where he went to college at Georgetown. He came to know the ins and outs of the city as well as he knew the arroyos and canyons of the west, giving him the kind of insights he needed to write stories like Killers Law. "...some of the most carefully and beautifully crafted trade paperbacks of our time." -Mystery Scene
An enthralling novel of war, rivalry and intrigue in 1920s Tuscany.A decade after her sister Isobel eloped with a wounded soldier to Italy, Poppy Brookes receives a troubling letter, summoning her to the neglected country estate they now share in beautiful Siena. Poppy soon finds a disturbing undercurrent in the marriage. The relationship between the sisters is also strained, as Poppy had nursed Kit back to health, and has never quite forgiven Isobel for ensnaring him. And when Poppy accidentally uncovers a terrible secret, her journey into love becomes eclipsed by a desire for vengeance that threatens to consume them all... Siena Summer is a thrilling tale full of history and atmosphere, perfect for fans of Rosanna Ley and Lucinda Riley. Praise for Teresa Crane'A writer of great skill and vitality' Sarah Harrison, author of The Flowers of the Field
January 1910. A journalist has been killed in a suspicious blaze. Everything points to a group of suffragettes, but the apparent culprit insists she is innocent. When Lady Hardcastle receives a letter from a suffragette requesting her urgent help, the retired spy turned sleuth knows only she stands between an accused young woman and the gallows. Evidence at the scene makes Lizzie Worrel's innocence difficult to believe, and with the police treating it as an open-and-shut case of arson, Lady Hardcastle faces a barrage of resistance as she tries to dig out the truth. With her trusted maid and confidante, the formidable Flo, Lady Hardcastle sets off in pursuit of the truth as time runs out for the accused suffragette. Was she set up? And if so, is the real culprit a traitor to the cause-or part of a darker conspiracy?
The sixth book in a thrilling series of mediaeval mysteries by C.B. Hanley. November 1217: Edwin Weaver is back in his home village of Conisbrough. But if he thinks life is going to be peaceful, he's wrong: the new bailiff is unpopular and cruel, and soon his murdered corpse is discovered. Everything points to the culprit being a foreigner, and the villagers are happy to have an outsider take the blame; Edwin isn't so sure and is determined to investigate. However, his former friends, all with something to hide, are increasingly hostile to him and resent his interference. The more he discovers, the more he is convinced that the stranger is innocent, but this comes with dangers of its own. With the sheriff due to arrive any day expecting to supervise a swift execution, Edwin and his wife Alys must join forces to solve the mystery before it is too late.
A cosy Dandy Gilver mystery set in 1930s Scotland. For fans of PG Wodehouse, Dorothy L Sayers and Agatha Christie. On the rain-drenched, wave-lashed, wind-battered Banffshire coast, tiny fishing villages perch on ledges which would make a seagull think twice and crumbly mansions cling to crumblier cliff tops while, out in the bay, the herring drifters brave the storms to catch their silver darlings. It's nowhere for a child of gentle Northamptonshire to spend Christmas. But when odd things start to turn up in barrels of fish - with a strong whiff of murder most foul - that's exactly where Dandy Gilver finds herself. Enlisted to investigate, she and her trusty cohort Alec Osborne are soon swept up in the fisherfolk's wedding season as well as the mystery. Between age-old traditions and brand-new horrors, Dandy must think the unthinkable to solve her grisliest case yet. Catriona McPherson's latest novel in the series, Dandy Gilver and a Spot of Toil and Trouble is now available for pre-order. |
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