Ursula Blanchard must acquire a mysterious medieval manuscript in the latest enthralling historical adventure. "Buckley draws even the most minor characters with subtlety and skill, making the dramatic conclusion that much more satisfying." Publishers Weekly Starred Review February, 1577. Sir William Cecil has a dangerous new mission for Ursula Blanchard. He has asked her to visit Stonemoor House on the bleak Yorkshire moors, the home of a group of recusant women led by Abbess Philippa Gould. In their possession is an ancient book, and the Queen's advisor, Dr John Dee, is eager to get hold of it. However, while the Abbess is anxious to sell the book, others such as her half-sister Bella believe it to be heretical and demand that it be burned. It is not Sir William's first attempt to secure the book. His two previous emissaries vanished without trace. What happened to them - and will Ursula suffer the same fate?

A nobleman with a penchant for solving mysteries works to uncover the truth about a dead body found in the bathtub of an architect's home. This is a peculiar case that requires the unique skills and perspective of Lord Peter Wimsey. Lord Peter Wimsey is a war veteran forever changed by his time in the field. Despite his personal trauma, he spends his free time studying criminals and dissecting cases. When a dead body appears after a financier vanishes, many suspect an immediate connection. Yet, Lord Wimsey believes there is more to the story. Upon further investigation he discovers an insidious murder plot that includes notable figures in the community. Alongside Inspector Charles Parker, Lord Wimsey attempts to expose the truth. Whose Body? is a thrilling introduction to the world Lord Peter Wimsey. It is a multilayered mystery filled with humor and intrigue. Author Dorothy L. Sayers' compelling prose delivers unforgettable characters and a classic detective plot. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Whose Body? is both modern and readable.

What do a desperate woman with a secret, a dead man in a drainage ditch and a dark figure in the night have in common? Physician-sleuth Dr Gabriel Taverner has to connect the dots before time runs out in this thrilling historical mystery. February, 1605. A series of killings shake the quiet life of Devon's Tavy valley. Country doctor Gabriel Taverner, summoned by the coroner to examine the bodies, believes that the murders are somehow connected to the mysterious woman recently discovered in shocking circumstances. Gabriel is determined to solve the mystery, and soon uncovers clues that link his unexpected patient to the brutal killings. Prominent among them is the strange and recurring theme of nutmegs. A precious spice from far-flung islands in a distant sea and already in demand, its high cost is increasing daily since the rumour has spread that it is a cure for the plague . . . Gabriel finds himself caught in a deadly rivalry involving a greater prize and more ruthless players than he could have imagined. Fighting to protect his family and friends from dangerous involvement in this savage race, will he be able to emerge alive? This is the fifth book in the Gabriel Taverner mystery series and will appeal to readers who enjoy rural settings, head-scratching puzzles and nautical adventures.

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886) is a mystery novel by Fergus Hume. An immediate bestseller for Hume, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a gripping novel with an atmospheric intensity and tightly wound mystery worthy of the best of Victorian fiction. Published the year before Arthur Conan Doyle's debut, A Study in Scarlet (1887), Hume's novel became the first international bestseller to be published in Australia. Adapted countless times for film, theater, radio, and television, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a classic detective story and a landmark in Australian literature. In Melbourne, Australia, a cabman stops to pick up a presumably drunk passenger. Helped into the cab by an unknown man, who claims to be a friend, the gentleman settles in for the ride homeward. Accustomed to such things, especially in the darkness of early morning, the cabman begins his ride. When he asks his passenger for directions, however, he receives no response, and turns to find that the man is dead. He drives straight to the local police station, where Detective Gorby begins his investigation. Was the friend in fact the murderer, or was he simply a good Samaritan who believed he was helping a drunk man make it home? When the killer is discovered, however, the mystery remains. Over the story looms the shadow of the Frettlby family, whose secrets threaten to smother all of Melbourne. The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a masterpiece of slow-burning suspicion between the rich and the poor, a story of law and those willing to break it. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Fergus Hume's The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a classic of Australian mystery and detective fiction reimagined for modern readers.

A Sir Geoffrey Mappestone mystery. Westminster, 1102. About to depart for the Holy Land, Sir Geoffrey is suddenly summoned back by the King. When he arrives at Court he finds two argumentative groups of Saxon moneyers, one accusing the other of devaluing the King's currency. But is there more to it than greed? Geoffrey has no choice but to accept the King's commission to investigate whether this is part of a treasonous plot.

This historical mystery series represents an exciting new direction for award-winning science fiction writer Eric Brown. London, 1955. When crime writer Donald Langham's literary agent asks for his help in sorting out 'a delicate matter', little does Langham realize what he's getting himself into. For a nasty case of blackmail leads inexorably to murder as London's literary establishment is rocked by a series of increasingly bizarre deaths. With three members of the London Crime Writers' Association coming to sudden and violent ends, what at first appeared to be a series of suicides looks suspiciously like murder - and there seems to be something horribly familiar about the various methods of despatch. With the help of his literary agent's assistant, the delectable Maria Dupre, Langham finds himself drawing on the skills of his fictional detective hero as he hunts a ruthless and fiendishly clever killer - a killer with old scores to settle.

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.

Newspaper reporter Alec Lonsdale discovers that a series of seemingly random murders may be connected in this absorbing historical mystery. London, 1882. Alec Lonsdale, a young reporter on the Pall Mall Gazette, is working on a story about a fatal house fire. But the post-mortem on the victim produces shocking results: Patrick Donovan's death was no accident. But why would someone murder a humble shop assistant and steal part of his brain? When a second body is discovered, its throat cut, and then a third, Lonsdale and his spirited female colleague, Hulda Friederichs, begin to uncover evidence of a conspiracy that reaches to the highest echelons of Victorian society.

Ursula travels deep into the New Forest to investigate rumours of a plot to overthrow Queen Elizabeth in this gripping Tudor mystery. May, 1586. Ursula and her retinue return home from a lengthy trip to discover she has an unexpected visitor. Etheldreda Hope is a simple countrywoman who has come to Ursula with disturbing tales of strange goings-on in her rural village. Fearing that Etheldreda's reports of mysterious forest rites indicate a possible conspiracy to overthrow Queen Elizabeth in favour of her cousin, Mary Stuart, the queen's spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, orders Ursula to travel to Etheldreda's home to find out what's really going on. On reaching Chenston village, deep in the New Forest, Ursula discovers an isolated, suspicious community; the locals deeply in thrall to the old pagan traditions and beliefs. But are these ancient customs harmless - or are they part of a genuine conspiracy against the queen? And, if so, who is behind it? It's not until the night of Halloween that Ursula will discover the shocking truth.

The Red House Mystery (1922) is a detective novel by A.A. Milne. Known more for his series of Winnie-the-Pooh stories and poems for children, Milne also wrote novels and plays for adults, including this successful whodunnit. The Red House Mystery, Milne's only detective novel, was highly successful upon publication and is noted for its use of an amateur sleuth as well as its intricate, puzzle-like plot. Despite earning the ire of Raymond Chandler, Milne's novel was reprinted in the U.S. and in Britain numerous times. At his house in the English countryside, Mark Ablett hosts a small party of diverse guests including a widow and her young daughter, a retired military officer, an actress, and a young socialite named Bill Beverley. During this party, Mark's brother Robert unexpectedly returns home from Australia, where he has been for some time. Shortly after this long-awaited homecoming, Robert is found dead of a gunshot wound to the head, and, amidst the chaos, Mark suddenly disappears. Having arrived late to the party, Tony Gillingham, with the help of his friend Bill Beverley, endeavors to investigate the mysterious events of the evening. Aided, or at least tolerated, by an uninterested police force, Gillingham does his best as an amateur detective to gather evidence leading not only to the identity of Robert's murderer, but to the discovery of Mark's whereabouts. The Red House Mystery is an innovative whodunnit filled with humorous quips, twists and turns, and a puzzle with which even the most seasoned reader of mysteries will struggle. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of A.A. Milne's The Red House Mystery is a classic of British detective fiction reimagined for modern readers.

1603. Former ship's surgeon Gabriel Taverner is attempting to re-establish himself as a country physician in rural Devon. But it's not easy to gain the locals' trust, and a series of disturbing incidents, increasing in menace and intensity, convinces him that at least one person does not welcome his presence. Called out to examine a partially decomposed body found beside the river, Gabriel discovers that he has a personal connection to the dead man. Teaming up with Coroner Theophilus Davey to find out how the man died, Gabriel uncovers some darker aspects of the lucrative silk trade which operates from nearby Plymouth. The more he finds out, the more frighteningly apparent it becomes that the people closest to him have been keeping dangerous secrets.

A festive celebration turns into a fight for survival when Mara and her clan come under attack . . . Christmas 1519 is the twentieth anniversary of King Turlough Donn's reign over the three kingdoms of Thomond, Corcomroe and Burren, so Mara and her scholars are spending the festive period in her husband's principal court, the castle of Bunratty in Thomond. However, in the midst of celebrations, the Brehon of Thomond is found dead, slumped across a table with a knife protruding from below his shoulder blade, while all around him Turlough's relations and friends dance and feast. Mara's difficult task in probing the motives of the multiple suspects, made worse by her suspicion that someone near and dear to her is involved, is interrupted by a dramatic attack on the castle. Turlough's cannon has been sabotaged and now a trebuchet batters the castle with huge rocks and the lives of all are at risk. Has this treachery and betrayal anything to do the mysterious death of the Brehon, but most importantly how will Mara's husband answer the call for surrender . . .?

Having been inveigled into standing for the local curia, responsible for the submission of all local tax, Libertus discovers that any shortfall must be made good by the councillors themselves. So when news arrives that a tax-collector from a nearby outpost has committed suicide, having gambled everything away, Libertus is despatched to make enquiries, in the hope of recovering at least some of the missing revenue. He has also been asked to attend a wedding, in place of his patron, who is expecting a visit from an Imperial Legate. But the assignment which should have seen Libertus for once treated as an honoured guest begins to take grisly and unexpected turns. As he pieces together the unlikely truth, Libertus finds himself in mortal danger. Freedom, in all forms, is only relative - but there is a high price for it, sometimes paid in blood .

When human bones are discovered in the cellars beneath St Luke's College - two bodies, buried thirty years apart - the bursar, Charlie Swift, hires Jennie Redhead to investigate. As she uncovers a series of scandals stretching back sixty years, Jennie wonders how well she really knows her old friend Charlie and whether she can trust him.

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

Kate O'Donnell, fresh from her adventures in Dead Beat, discovers yet again there's a darker side to London in the Swinging Sixties. Beatlemania has reached London, but young photographer Kate O'Donnell soon discovers a darker side of the city when a prostitute is found murdered off the Portobello Road. A West Indian immigrant, Nelson Mackintosh, is arrested, and simmering racial tension reaches breaking point. Convinced of Nelson's innocence, Kate determines to track down the real killer. But when her activities attract the attention of notorious gangster King Devine, not even Kate's old sparring partner DS Harry Barnard can ensure her safety.

Benjamin January investigates the murder of a mysterious Englishman in this absorbing New Orleans-set mystery. When British spymaster Sir John Oldmixton offers Benjamin January a hundred dollars to find the murderer of an Englishman whose body has been found floating in the New Basin Canal, Benjamin turns him down immediately. As a free man of colour in New Orleans in the sweltering July of 1839, he knows this is not something he should get mixed up in. But when clues to the dead man's identity link the death to another murder, in another July in January's past, he is reluctantly drawn into the investigation. Nine years ago in Paris he failed to catch a killer - with tragic consequences. Now in New Orleans he must unravel the earlier murder, the one that took place during the great revolt against the Bourbon kings, to solve the second killing. At stake is not merely a hundred dollars, but hidden treasure, the fate of an innocent woman - and the lives of January's wife, son and unborn child.

Sir Goeffrey Mappestone uncovers a plot to overthrow King Henry I in this absorbing 12th century mystery. March 1102, and Robert de Belleme, the Black Earl of Shrewsbury, is summoned to appear before King Henry's Easter Court, to answer for siding with the King's older brother, the Duke of Normandy, in an attempt to steal the King's throne. Meanwhile, in the crowded and dangerous streets of Southwark, south of the river Thames, Crusader Knights Sir Geoffrey Mappestone and the hearty Sir Roger of Durham witness a man murdered by hanging from the window of the Crusader's Arms Inn. But this is not just any man, he is the illegitimate nephew of Robert de Belleme, and had apparently been holding a meeting with two mysterious men. In fact, it turns out the inn has been used for many meetings of the earl's spies, and there are plans afoot to obtain a terrible weapon to use against the King, one that the Crusader Knights remember with a terrible fear from the Siege of Jerusalem Greek Fire. Solving the murder is only the first step in uncovering the plot against the King.

Agatha Christie's deft skill in plotting is on full display in the first adventure of Tommy and Tuppence, with seemingly disconnected events revealing a complex web of intrigue. Behind the plot is a formidable foe, a mysterious figure whose identity seems impossible to determine and whose plans include murder. Tommy Beresford and "Tuppence" Cowley's new firm, Young Adventurers Ltd opens for business only to have their first customer drop out of sight at the mere mention of a name. Careful investigation reveals connections between a missing survivor of the torpedoed Lusitania, documents highly compromising to the British government and a potentially catastrophic plot masterminded by a very dangerous man whose identity is known to no one living. The novel first appeared in 1922 and was greeted by reviews marveling at the author's masterful concealment of the villain's identity, some going as far as to say that unless the reader peeked at the final few pages there was no way to know it, making this a truly secret adversary. Appearing as silent movie in 1928 this was the first of the author's novels to be made into a film. Although overshadowed by Christie's better known sleuths, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence were her favorite creations and her enthusiasm for the couple and their adventures is transparent on the page. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Secret Adversary is both modern and readable.