Jack Blackjack is ordered to eliminate a spy in Princess Elizabeth's household in this engaging Tudor mystery. June, 1554. Former cutpurse and now professional assassin Jack Blackjack has deep misgivings about his latest assignment. He has been despatched to the Palace of Woodstock, where Queen Mary's half-sister Princess Elizabeth is being kept under close guard. Jack's employer has reason to believe that a spy has been installed within the princess's household, and Jack has been ordered to kill her. Jack has no choice but to agree. But he arrives at Woodstock to discover that a murder has already been committed. As he sets out to prove his innocence by uncovering the real killer, Jack finds the palace to be a place steeped in misery and deceit; a hotbed of illicit love affairs, seething resentments, clashing egos and bitter jealousies. But who among Woodstock's residents is hiding a deadly secret - and will Jack survive long enough to find out?

Queen Elizabeth's proposed engagement to a Catholic Duke is causing turmoil throughout the kingdom in the gripping new Ursula Blanchard mystery. July, 1579. Called upon to help a family friend who is horrified at the return of her errant husband after an absence of thirty years, little does Ursula realize that her involvement in the Harrison family's domestic dramas will lead to a case of cold-blooded murder. Matters become even more complicated when Ursula is summoned to court to assist in negotiations for Queen Elizabeth's possible engagement to the Duke of Alencon. The proposed marriage between the queen and a French Catholic twenty years her junior is causing unrest throughout the kingdom. There are many who oppose the match - but would someone kill in order to prevent it? Tensions increase when a prominent nobleman is accused of murder. Ursula is convinced the man is innocent - but can she prove it?

Ancient Roman sleuth Marcus Corvinus is despatched to Gaul on a personal mission for the emperor. June, AD 42. The emperor Claudius himself has requested Corvinus's help in investigating the murder of a Gallic wine merchant, stabbed to death as he was taking an afternoon nap in his summer-house at Lugdunum. Not especially happy at being despatched to Gaul, and even less enamoured of his enforced travelling companion, the insufferable Domitius Crinas, Corvinus is increasingly frustrated as it becomes clear that the dead man's extended family and friends are hiding something from him. Unused to strange Gallic customs and facing an uphill struggle getting anyone to talk freely to a Roman, Corvinus is convinced that there's more to this murder than meets the eye - but, a stranger in a strange land, how is he going to prove it . . .?

30th May 1944. In the middle of the night, Libby Clark is roused from sleep by a colleague in distress. Marvin's cousin Frannie has been charged with treason, and he hopes that Libby, with her clear-headed scientific mind, can find a way to help prove her innocence. Libby, a chemist at a secret World War II facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, agrees to help her friend and pursue the truth. Libby's investigations soon uncover the immoral Dr Hansrote, who has tricked Frannie into her treachery. But, the evil at Oak Ridge seems to run deeper and in Libby's determination to uncover the truth, she not only finds herself up against the authorities, but also caught in the crosshairs of a deadly cabal of indoctrinated spies, greedy opportunists and unscrupulous collaborators. Can Libby survive the confluence of challenges? Or will one of them fashion a trap she cannot escape?

When the body of an American woman is found in the Prince Alfred suite at the Royal Victoria Hotel, DCI Monika Paniatowski is faced with one of the most baffling cases of her career. The woman who called herself Mary Edwards had been a guest at the hotel for the past two weeks, having paid cash in advance. But who was she really - and what was she doing in a small town like Whitebridge? If Monika could discover why the dead woman had come to Lancashire, she would be one step closer to catching her killer. The investigation takes an intriguing twist when Monika learns of a possible link to a fifty-year-old murder - but the only person who could tell her why it's relevant is lying in a coma.

The brand new mystery in the bestselling DI Wesley Peterson crime series! 'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times __________________ On a summer evening, Robert and Greta Gerdner are shot dead at their home in the Devon countryside. DI Wesley Peterson suspects the execution-style murders might be linked to Robert's past police career - until Robert's name is found on a list of people who've been sent tickets anonymously for a tour of Darkhole Grange, a former asylum on Dartmoor. Wesley discovers that other names on the list have also died in mysterious circumstances and, as he is drawn into the chilling history of the asylum, he becomes convinced that it holds the key to the case. When his friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, finds the skeleton of a woman buried in a sealed chamber dating back to the fifteenth century at his nearby dig, Wesley wonders whether there might be a connection between the ancient cell and the tragic events at Darkhole Grange. With the clock ticking, Wesley must solve the puzzle, before the next person on the list meets a terrible end . . . Whether you've read the whole series, or are discovering Kate Ellis's DI Wesley Peterson novels for the first time, this is the perfect page-turner if you love reading Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths. PRAISE FOR KATE ELLIS: 'Clever plotting hides a powerful story of loss, malice and deception' Ann Cleeves 'Haunting' Independent 'The chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end' Closer 'Unputdownable' Bookseller 'A fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on' Peterborough Evening Telegraph

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.

Simmering tensions, buried memories and old scores are revived at Wychbourne Court when Lady Ansley's old theatre group reunite to perform the Wychbourne Follies. 1926, Kent. Lady Ansley's old Gaiety Theatre group are reuniting at Wychbourne Court for the weekend. But how will they react when they learn that, thanks to her son Richard, the Follies, which began as a jolly idea for their own amusement, has become a fully-fledged performance to be held in the village at the Coach and Horses Inn? Chef Nell Drury is sure her guests' reaction isn't the only thing worrying Lady Ansley. A fascinating group of actors and actresses - from the pompous Hubert Jarrett to the dashing Neville Heydock, it's not long before simmering tensions, revived old scores, fears and, worst of all, buried memories take centre stage. What happened to Mary Ann Darling, the young Gaiety actress who disappeared thirty years ago? As the performance draws to a close, the real drama is only just beginning.

'Jecks keeps the suspense at a steady boil as his well-rounded characters fight for a corner in tumultuous London' Publishers Weekly 'I look forward to seeing what mishap next awaits the unlikely hero of Jack Blackjack' Historical Novel Society DANGER LIES IN WAIT IN TUDOR LONDON . . . January, 1554. Light-fingered Jack Blackjack knows he's not going to have a good day when he wakes with a sore head next to a dead body in a tavern's yard. That would be bad enough - but when he discovers what's in the dead man's purse, the one he'd stolen, his day is set to get much worse. The purse explains why the mysterious man with the broad-brimmed hat wants to catch him. But so does the Lord Chancellor, as does the enigmatic Henry. In fact, almost everyone seems to be after Jack Blackjack. If it weren't for the rebel army marching on London determined to remove Queen Mary from her throne and install Lady Jane Grey in her place, Jack could leave the city - but with the bridge blocked and every gate manned, there's no escape. Instead he must try to work out who killed the man in the yard, and why. But it won't be easy as the rebel army comes ever closer and the death toll mounts .

A past crime causes new murder in the latest intriguing Kate O'Donnell mystery. 1964. Detective Sergeant Harry Barnard has been ordered to track down notorious Soho club owner Ray Robertson, who hasn't been seen for several days. The case takes on a greater urgency when a battered body is discovered at the gym Ray owns. Is Ray the killer . or is he a victim? Photographer Kate O'Donnell meanwhile is working on a feature about the regeneration of Canvey Island, finally being rebuilt after the devastating East Coast floods of 1953. But as Kate and Harry are about to discover, the Canvey Island floods, the murder and Ray Robertson's disappearance are connected in more ways than one .

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.

A Sir Geoffrey Mappestone mystery Southampton 1070 Sir Geoffrey Mappestone and his loyal friend Roger seek passage on one of the many ships due to sail to Normandy and then on to the Holy Land. The tw o knights have been away from the Crusade too long, and are itching to get back to the action. But peculiar things have been happening in the harbour town, and it soon becomes evident that someone is trying to keep Geoffrey and Roger from boarding one of the ships. When Geoffrey's dim-witted servant is killed by a deadly arrow that was clearly meant for the knight himself, Sir Geoffrey's fury is such that he would do anything to find the murderer. But then Ranulf Flambard - who is not only the Bishop of Durham and an escapee from the Tower of London, but also happens to be Roger's father - arrives in Southampton with an errand for his son to perform. Much against Geoffrey's better judgement, the pair set off for the northern town of Durham, where a magnificent cathedral is being built at Flambard's behest. As yet more arrows fly Geoffrey's way, the knight begins to realize that none of these events are random, and it is down to him to discover the connection between the two towns, Bishop Flambard and a handful of red-stained arrows.

Cairo, Egypt, 1913. When schoolgirl Marie Kewfik is kidnapped, snatched away as she strolled through the bustling bazaars of the Souk, the Khedive insists that the Mamur Zapt, Head of the Secret Police, takes charge of the negotiations for her safe return. The Kewfiks are one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Egypt but, as the Mamur Zapt discovers, not everyone thinks it's worth the trouble to secure the release of a mere girl. He also learns that there is more to Marie's kidnapping than meets the eye - and the subsequent fallout will shine a glaring light on the dangerous tensions running through Egyptian society.

An astonishing new order has usurped power in Rome and the reverberations are reaching even to Glevum, where the legion is preparing to depart. Libertus's wealthy patron, until recently one of the most influential men in the Empire, finds himself not only deprived of the privilege and protection he had previously enjoyed, but under actual threat both from the political establishment in Rome and from an anonymous and vindictive enemy much closer to home. The murder of another councillor, similarly placed, makes the matter urgent. Libertus, whose humbler status affords obscurity, is charged with spiriting Marcus's young family away to a place of safety. But his task will bring problems of its own, as Libertus uncovers a grisly secret and an ancient crime - with ramifications stretching to the present day.

"An outstanding entry in an excellent historical-mystery series that deserves more attention" - Booklist Starred Review Detective Inspector Tom Harper finds answers hard to come by in his latest, most challenging, investigation to date. Leeds, England. March, 1895. The day after his release from prison, petty criminal Henry White is found stabbed to death at his terraced home on Copper Street. Pursuing enquiries in a neighbourhood where people are suspicious of strangers and hostile to the police, DI Tom Harper and his team find the investigation hard going. If anyone knows anything about Henry White's murder - or the robbery that landed him in gaol in the first place - they are unable or unwilling to say. At the same time, acid is thrown over a young boy in a local bakery in a seemingly unprovoked attack. Praying for a breakthrough, Harper knows that he must uncover the motive in each case if he is to have any chance of catching the culprits. Of one thing he is certain: if he doesn't find answers soon, more deaths will follow.

"""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."" "

July, 1868. On receiving a commission from Matthew's cousin Luther to look into the suspicious death of Lafayette Baker, Head of the US National Detective Police, private investigators Matthew Grand and his business partner James Batchelor leave London for Washington DC. They find a country still scarred by the bitter legacy of the Civil War and even in death Lafayette Baker remains one of the most hated men north or south of the Potomac. The newly-created Ku Klux Klan wanted him dead. So did the Washington brothel-keepers, bar-owners and gamblers whom Baker had closed down. What does beautiful former spy Miss Belle Boyd know that she's not telling them? And could the President himself be involved? Matthew Grand finds he has come home to a mixed reception, while Batchelor struggles as an Englishman abroad. Will either of them survive long enough to uncover the truth?

Called out to attend a body found on a lonely stretch of river bank, its throat torn out, apprentice healer Lassair is sceptical of the sheriff's verdict that this was the result of a wild animal attack. But when a second body is discovered, similarly mutilated, rumours engulf the town that the legendary demon known as the Night Wanderer has returned to wreak havoc. Determined to stop the fear spreading and prove that the killer is human, Lassair and lawman Jack Chevestrier investigate. If they could only find out what links the victims, they would be one step closer to discovering the Night Wanderer's identity - and what it is he really wants. But when the killer turns his sights on Lassair herself, can she survive long enough to find out?

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.

"Shaber does a fine job portraying the plight of alien residents in wartime Washington, besides conveying the hectic atmosphere of a city whose resources are stretched to the limit by an influx of new workers" Publishers Weekly Starred Review When a body is discovered in a Washington bar, Government girl Louise Pearlie is forced into a role of lies and deception. On a bitterly cold night in December 1943, Government girl Louise Pearlie and her friend Joe Prager are enjoying a quiet drink in the Baron Steuben Inn when a bloodstained body is discovered behind the bar. Although the victim had been a regular customer, no one seems to know anything about him. When it turns out there is a link to Louise's top-secret work at the OSS, she is ordered to find out as much as possible about the murder while keeping the connection secret from those involved, including the investigating police detective. Although Louise has been trained to keep secrets, the constant deception takes its toll - especially when she discovers that she's not the only customer at the Steuben that night with something to hide. Will Louise's silence result in an innocent man being arrested for murder?

Leeds, England. October, 1891. An unclaimed parcel at the Central Post Office is discovered to contain the decomposing body of a baby boy. It's a gruesome case for DI Tom Harper. Then a fire during the night destroys half the railway station. The next day a woman's body is found in the rubble. But Catherine Carr didn't die in the blaze: she'd been stabbed to death - and Harper has to find her killer. The estranged wife of a wealthy industrialist, Catherine had been involved with the Leeds Suffragist Society, demanding votes for women, the same organization for which Harper's wife Annabelle has just become a speaker. Were Catherine's politics the cause of her death? Or is the husband she abandoned behind it? But when her brother escapes from the asylum and steals a shotgun, Harper has to race to find the answers.

"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?

Mara, Brehon of the Burren, must battle superstitious beliefs and fears as she sets out to solve a brutal murder. When a woman's body is discovered, strangled and bound with rope to the stone torso of Far Breige, the ancient stone god which stands sentinel above the haunted caves and ancient fortifications of the Atlantic cliffs, the locals believe it was the god who killed her. In life, Clodagh O'Lochlainn had been a disgrace to her clan, tormenting her former priestly lover, jeering at her husband, robbing her relatives: but could she really have been slaughtered by a vengeful god, as the local population believes? Abandoning preparations for the celebration of her fiftieth birthday, Mara, Brehon of the Burren, with the assistance of Fachtnan and her scholars, takes up the task of solving the murder. Ignoring the ancient legends, she concentrates instead on bringing a mortal killer to justice. But it's only when Fachtnan's small daughter is lost in the labyrinth of passages among the caves that the horrifying truth begins to emerge.