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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Crime & mystery > Historical mysteries
Hugh of Singleton, fourth son of a minor knight, has been educated
as a clerk, usually a prelude to taking holy orders. However,
feeling no certain calling despite a lively faith, he turns to the
profession of surgeon, training in Paris and then hanging out his
sign in Oxford. A local lord asks him to track the killer of a
young woman whose bones have been found in the castle cess pit. She
is identified as the impetuous missing daughter of a local
blacksmith, and her young man, whom she had provoked very publicly,
is in due course arrested and sentenced at the Oxford assizes. From
there the tale unfolds, with graphic medical procedures, droll
medieval wit, misdirection, ambition, romantic distractions and a
consistent underlying Christian compassion.
1928. A rising star of the silent screen, Cissie Rowe had a bright
future ahead of her in the new talking pictures. Not any more.
Cissie had died, tragically, many times on screen - but this time
it's for real. When Cissie is found brutally murdered in her own
home, DCI Henry Johnstone and DS Mickey Hitchens are despatched to
the seaside town of Shoreham-by-Sea to investigate. Famed for the
quality of its light, Shoreham is home to a film studio and
thriving theatrical community. But who among them would want the
popular young actress dead? The two London detectives soon discover
that no one, including the victim, is quite what they seem - and
that the make-believe continues both on and off the famous
glasshouse stage.
Whom God Hath Sundered (1910-1913) is a trilogy by Oliver Onions.
Published toward the beginning of Onions' career as a leading
novelist and short story writer specializing in genre fiction, Whom
God Hath Sundered is a largely unknown trilogy of crime novels
deemed a forgotten classic by British literary critic Martin
Seymour-Smith. From the beginning, In Accordance With the
Evidence-the first installment of the trilogy-is as much the story
of James Jeffries as it is of Archie Merridew. Unlike Jeffries, who
was "atrociously poor...in those days," Merridew was a young man
whose every opportunity seemed to have been ordained at birth: "His
folks lived at Guildford; his father paid his rent for him,
thirty-eight pounds a year; and his pleasant quarters under the
roof had everything that mine hadn't." As their story unfolds,
Jeffries falls for the beautiful Evie Soames, but jealousy and
competition with Archie threaten to derail his every move. Unhappy
with his low-paying work, luckless in love, Jeffries begins to
resent Archie with a near-violent passion. When Archie becomes
engaged to Evie, Jeffries is left with no choice. As he looks back
on his life from the distance of a dozen or more years, he recounts
his path from hardship to murder, laying bare the psychological
traumas that led him to commit his crime. In parts two and three,
The Debit Account and The Story of Louie, we see the consequences
of his heinous act unfold. With a beautifully designed cover and
professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Oliver Onions'
Whom God Hath Sundered is a classic of British literature
reimagined for modern readers.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Architect!
Charles Belfoure's next novel is a puzzling historical thriller
about a man who must dig through the rubble of his past to
construct a future worth living, grounded by Belfoure's experiences
as a professional architect. Someone has to take the blame when the
Britannia Theatre's balcony collapses. Over a dozen people are
killed, and the fingers all point at the architect. The man should
have known better, should have made it safer, should have done
something. Douglas Layton knows the flaw wasn't in his design, but
he can't fight a guilty verdict. When the architect is finally
released from prison, he has no job, no family, nowhere to go. He
needs to assume a new identity and rebuild his life. But the
disgraced man soon finds himself digging up the past in a way he
never anticipated. If the collapse wasn't an accident ... who
caused it? And why? And what if they find out who he used to be? A
chilling novel of architecture, intrigue, and identity, this
historical thriller uncovers one man's quest to clear his name and
correct the mistake that ruined his life. "A twisted
mystery...Belfoure gets better and better"-Karen Bakshoian,
Letterpress Books (Portland, ME) Also by Charles Belfoure: The
Paris Architect House of Thieves
The secret they dont want you to knowMichael Tagleva is the eldest
son and heir to one of the wealthiest banking families in Europe.
When visiting Germany he is welcomed as a distinguished guest by
the Nazis, but not everything is as it seems. Michael soon finds
himself in a labyrinth of deceit and double-cross. In a
breath-taking race against time Michael must uncover the plot if
hes to thwart those that conspire to destroy his family and force
Britain to surrender to Germany Who are the British aristocrats who
conspire with the Nazis? How is the Bank of England involved in the
plot? What is the identity of the sinister figure in London? And
why is the story still classified TOP SECRET?Stephen Davis
immaculately researched story wonderfully captures the atmosphere,
the confusion and the tragedies at the start of the Second World
War with fast paced action moving between Germany, France and
Britain. It compels you to turn the pages to discover if the
Tagleva family can outsmart the plot thats directed against them
and Britain.
"When Fredericka Wing arrives in South Sutton, Massachusetts, a
tiny New England town, it seems an ideal place for a working summer
vacation. She plans on managing Miss Hartwell's bookstore while
working on her own writing. She never dreamed she would find a body
in a hammock in her own backyard. Someone brutally murdered
Catherine Clay, an heir to the Sutton family fortune. And more
violence follows. Together with Peter Mohun, a professor at a local
college, Fredericka sets out to discover the murderer's identity
... and unravel the secrets of the wealthy and powerful Sutton
family
""Murders for Sale"" -- also published under the title ""Sneeze
on Sunday"" -- is one of science fiction writer Andre Norton's rare
excursions into the mystery field. "
Stranded at a house party - when a murderer strikes! May 1861,
Victorian England. When Matthew and Harriet Rowsley are invited to
a house party at Clunston Park by Matthew's cousin, Colonel
Barrington Rowsley and his wife Lady Hortensia, Harriet is nervous
- surely the aristocratic guests will snub her? After all, they are
but mere servants in their eyes! Her fears are realized on their
first evening when the only person who deigns to speak to her is
the spiteful Grafin Weiser and confirmed when she commits a major
faux pas at the cricket match the following day. But there's no
escape! The cricket match is abandoned due to a storm, and flooding
leaves the house guests stranded. Things worsen when Grafin Weiser
is found murdered and the finger is quickly pointed at Clara, an
eleven-year-old maid, as the culprit. Convinced that she cannot be
guilty, Harriet and Matthew agree to investigate. The aristocratic
facade begins to crumble under their scrutiny, and they start to
unlock the secrets of Clunston Park. Why does the Colonel allow his
bullying friend Major Jameson so much leeway? Is there more to the
befuddled Lord Pidgeon than meets the eye? Harriet and Matthew must
uncover the truth, before they find themselves in deadly danger . .
.
November 1940. Darkness descends and another anxious night begins
for those tasked with guarding the industrial heartland of London
from enemy attack. As a policeman patrols the Royal Albert Dock,
something catches his eye - a man is sprawled awkwardly across a
nearby barge, a dagger lodged in his back. Detective Inspector John
Jago of West Ham CID discovers the victim was a dock worker by day
and a Home Guard volunteer by night - and there are things even his
wife doesn't know about his past. As the investigation unfolds,
Jago uncovers a widening circle of secrets ranging across family
tensions, the last war and a far-flung corner of the British
Empire.
Queen Marie of Roumania, granddaughter to both Victoria, Empress of
the British Empire, and Alexander II, Tsar of Russia, is in need of
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes' services. The Queen, a famous
beauty who has transformed Roumania from a quiet backwater into a
significant force, invites the pair to Bran castle, the ancient
fortress that sits on the border with the newly regained territory
of Transylvania. The threat the Queen fears is dubious: shadowy
figures, vague whispers, dangers that may only be accidents. But a
young girl is involved. So, putting aside their doubts, Russell and
Holmes set out to investigate the mystery in a land of long memory
and hidden corners, from whose churchyards the shades creep.
When Rona and Craig buy a large Victorian house up from Edinburgh's
Newhaven district - once teeming with fishing boats - they plan to
renovate and set it up as a luxury care home. But something is not
quite right: disturbing sounds can be heard when the sea mists
swirl; their unpredictable neighbour makes it clear that the house
was not always a happy family home. And their `characterful'
historic pile has a gloomy cellar harbouring relics from days gone
by. Back in the 1890s, superstitious fishwives blame young Jessie
for the deaths of their menfolk in a terrible storm, and she's
forced into the Newhaven Poorhouse. In those less enlightened
times, life was often severe, cruel even, and Jessie is entirely at
the mercy of a tyrant matron. But one inmate is not all she seems.
Jessie begins to pick at the truth, uncovering the secrets and lies
that pervade the poorhouse - and which will have profound and
dangerous consequences in the future.
"""Charlie Chan Carries On"" -- the 1931 Fox motion picture
starring Warner Oland as Chan-- is now considered a ""lost"" film
(the original film materials were destroyed in a vault fire.)
Unless a copy surfaces in some remote corner of the world, as
happened with ""Charlie Chan in Paris,"" this original screenplay
is the closest Chan fans will come to seeing the original film.
(There is also a Portuguese-language version called ""Eran Trece""
-- ""There Were Thirteen"" -- with a different cast. The 1940 film,
""Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise,"" starring Sidney Toler, Oland's
successor in the role of Charlie Chan, was also based on the same
novel, but with a different script.)
This addition to the series was penned by Barry Conners and
Philip Klein, with added material suggested by Earl Derr Biggers,
and based loosely on Biggers' original novel, ""Behind That
Curtain."" "
An unforgettable picture of a young man's development into a
criminal. Strength, drama, poignancy, and beauty of writing are
here with a love story singularly touching in its appeal.
August Wagner, old-time saloon keeper, faced the eve of
Prohibition stoically. "No business now ... Still got the building
... Got to pay taxes just the same ... Got to start a new business
... Guess I can do it, though, if I have to ... Maybe open a
restaurant . . . Use the bar for a lunch counter."
From then on, life was cruel to August and to Benny, his son.
The disintegration of a personality is shown with startling clarity
through scenes of murder, of dope-peddling, of prison, and of
speakeasy and night-club life.
Those who have read Maynard's short stories in "The American
Mercury" and elsewhere will not be surprised by the power of this
novel. They will remember "Murder in the Making" and "The Zip of
the Gat." Others will recognize a new writer of great force.
Old King Brady and Alice, peering in between the curtains, saw
enough. Harry had got himself into a bad fix. There he lay on the
floor with three Chinamen bending over him. One held a box, another
a long glass vial. What were they about?
Originally published in 1910, this Dime Novel is #604 in the
Secret Service series, which frequently featured the melodramatic
exploits of Old King Brady.
OUT NOW IN CINEMAS AND NOMINATED FOR FOUR OSCARS A cool, cruel,
rediscovered classic of American noir adapted for cinemas by
Guillermo del Toro, starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett and
Rooney Mara 'Read and shudder. And relish' Guardian 'A creepy,
all-too-harrowing masterpiece' Washington Post Stanton Carlisle,
employed as a carny at a travelling circus watches their freak-show
geek - an abject alcoholic, the object of the voyeuristic crowd's
gleeful disgust and derision - and wonders how a man could fall so
low. There's no way in hell, he vows, that anything like that will
ever happen to him. Unlike the tragic figure he sees before him,
Stan is young, clever and ambitious and quick to learn from the
other carnival acts. Initially teaming up with a beautiful but
vulnerable woman as part of a double act in which he mesmerises
her, Stan soon leaves his circus days behind him, becoming a
successful spiritualist who exploits the weak and the wealthy. But
even the very best con-men can meet their match.... With a new
introduction from James Smythe, Nightmare Alley is a forgotten
classic of Depression-era America: a brilliant, horrifying,
compulsive journey into the true darkness of the human mind.
The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1908) is a novel by French writer
Gaston Leroux. The Perfume of the Lady in Black marked the second
appearance of popular character Joseph Rouletabille, a reporter and
part-time sleuth who features in several of Leroux's novels.
Originally a journalist, Leroux turned to fiction after reading the
works of Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. Often considered
one of the best mysteries of all time, the novel has been adapted
several times for film. Joseph Rouletabille is more than meets the
eye. A reporter by profession, he spends his free time working as
an amateur detective, using his journalistic talents to compile
facts and track down leads. In The Mystery of the Yellow Room, he
saved the life of Mathilde Stangerson, the daughter of a prominent
professor, from the clutches of Ballmeyer, a violent criminal
mastermind gifted in the art of disguise. Unbeknownst to her
father, Mathilde had married Ballmeyer while living in America
before realizing he had been living under a false identity. Now
believed to be dead, Ballmeyer fades into history as Rouletabille,
his assistant Sainclair, and Mathilde return to their lives.
Shortly after leaving for her honeymoon with Robert Darzac,
however, Mathilde contacts Rouletabille with terrifying news-their
common enemy seems to have returned. The Perfume of the Lady in
Black is a story of mystery and suspense from one of history's
finest detective novelists. Joseph Rouletabille is without a doubt
France's answer to Sherlock Holmes. With a beautifully designed
cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Gaston
Leroux's The Perfume of the Lady in Black is a classic of French
literature reimagined for modern readers.
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