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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Crime & mystery > Historical mysteries
Introducing turn-of-the-century archaeologist-sleuth Margaret
Murray in the first of a brilliant new historical mystery series.
October, 1900. University College, London. When the spreadeagled
body of one of her students is discovered in her rented room
shortly after attending one of her lectures, Dr Margaret Murray is
disinclined to accept the official verdict of suicide and
determines to find out how and why the girl really died. As an
archaeologist, Dr Murray is used to examining ancient remains, but
she's never before had to investigate the circumstances surrounding
a newly-dead corpse. However, of one thing Margaret is certain: if
you want to know how and why a person died, you need to understand
how they lived. And it soon becomes clear that the dead girl had
been keeping a number of secrets. As Margaret uncovers evidence
that Helen Richardson had knowledge of a truly extraordinary
archaeological find, the body of a second young woman is discovered
on a windswept Kent beach - and the case takes a disturbing new
twist .
In this exquisite, absorbing historical mystery, Tetisheri,
confidant of Queen Cleopatra, must solve a troubling case in
ancient Alexandria. Alexandria, 47BC. Cleopatra - seventh of her
name, avatar of the goddess Isis, ruler of the Kingdom of Egypt -
watches over her city. The war is over, but Alexandria has suffered
in its wake. Caesar has returned to Rome, and the queen must
restore her city and her kingdom to their former greatness. But now
a body has been found floating upright at the bottom of the sea,
anchored by a weight around its feet. It's the second corpse to be
found this way, and with a city to rebuild and a kingdom to keep in
line, Cleopatra cannot allow any more murders to interfere. So she
sets Tetisheri - her Eye and closest confidant - to make things
right. As she delves deeper into the mystery, Tetisheri will
discover secrets, conspiracy and danger far beyond her ken...
Reviews for Dana Stabenow: 'Outstanding' Washington Post 'One of
the strongest voices in crime fiction' Seattle Times 'A first-rate
talent' Booklist
'ONE NIGHT, NEW YORK transports the reader to the glitter and the
danger of old New York. A page-turner with style.' ERIN KELLY
'ENTHRALLING' THE TIMES, BEST NEW HISTORICAL FICTION A THRILLING
DEBUT NOVEL OF CORRUPTION AND MURDER, SET IN THE NIGHTCLUBS,
TENEMENTS AND SKYSCRAPERS OF 1930s NEW YORK - FROM THE WINNER OF
THE VIRAGO/THE POOL NEW CRIME WRITER AWARD. At the top of the
Empire State Building on a freezing December night, two women hold
their breath. Frances and Agnes are waiting for the man who has
wronged them. They plan to seek the ultimate revenge. Set over the
course of a single night, One Night, New York is a detective story,
a romance and a coming-of-age tale. It is also a story of old New
York, of bohemian Greenwich Village between the wars, of floozies
and artists and addicts, of a city that sucked in creatives and
immigrants alike, lighting up the world, while all around America
burned amid the heat of the Great Depression. 'An atmospheric
portrait of a city in the grip of the Great Depression as well as a
compelling crime story' GUARDIAN 'Thompson's impressive debut
delivers a beautifully detailed and multifaceted account of Jazz
Age New York' IRISH TIMES 'An assured debut so evocative you can
almost smell the bathtub gin wafting off the pages' RED MAGAZINE
"Well-drawn characters, including a lead capable of sustaining a
long series, complement the clever plot" Publishers Weekly Starred
Review Ireland. 1924. Reverend Mother Aquinas is buying buttered
eggs in the Cork city market at the very moment when the city
engineer, James Doyle, is assassinated. Although no one saw the
actual killing, a young reporter named Sam O'Mahoney is found
standing close to the body, a pistol in his hand, and is arrested
and charged. Following a desperate appeal from Sam's mother,
convinced of her son's innocence, the Reverend Mother investigates
- and, in this turbulent, war-torn city, uncovers several other key
suspects. Could there be a Republican connection? Was James Doyle's
death linked to his corrupt practices in the rebuilding of the
city, burned down more than a year ago by the Black and Tans? Cork
is a city divided by wealth and by politics: this murder seems to
have links to both.
'The most fun I've had with a book this year. Every page is a
delight' Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn
Hardcastle They were a band of mysterious private detectives who
lived beneath the streets of London... London, 1958. Elaborately
disguised and hidden deep beneath the city's streets lies the world
of Miss Brickett's, a secret detective agency. From traversing
deceptive escape rooms, to engineering almost magical mechanical
gadgets, apprentice detectives at Miss Brickett's undergo rigorous
training to equip them with the skills and knowledge they will need
to solve the mysteries that confound London's police force. But
nothing can prepare 23-year-old apprentice Marion Lane for what
happens after the arrest of her friend and mentor, Frank, on
suspicion of murder: he tasks Marion with clearing his name and
saving his life. Her investigation will place Marion and her
friends in great peril as they venture into the forbidden maze of
uncharted tunnels that surround Miss Brickett's. Being discovered
out of bounds means immediate dismissal, but that is the least of
Marion's problems... This is the first installation in a
fantastical historical mystery series for fans of Stuart Turton's
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and Natasha Pulley's The
Watchmaker of Filigree Street.
'WITH BRUNO IN CHARGE THERE'S ALWAYS TIME FOR ONE OF THOSE CLASSIC
FEASTS THAT MAKE THIS SERIES SUCH A MOUTH-WATERING TREAT' New York
Times Book Review In this eleventh addition to a beguiling and
bestselling series, Bruno wonders which he's most afraid of - a
death squad loose in the woods or teaching a cookery class to the
tourists who flock to his beloved Dordogne Bruno, now Chief of
Police for the whole Vezere valley, has an unusual challenge to
rise to: teaching at his friend Pamela's new cookery school. It is
a daunting prospect - the disappearance of one of the school's
pupils almost serves as a welcome distraction. When the woman's
body is discovered in one half of a double homicide, the evidence
points to something far out of the ordinary. The other murder
victim is a man, covered in combat scars and with a false passport.
Investigations reveal a list of enemies as long as Bruno's arm. Any
one of them would have had good reason to kill him - but which
group managed it? And how did they find him? As more of their
mystery man's previous life is revealed, Bruno realizes that there
may be more intended victims in the vicinity. Now he must conduct
the biggest manhunt in St Denis' history to find the killers before
they strike again.
Christine de Pizan is hired to be a scribe for the King in 14th
Century France but finds more than she bargained for as a trail of
bodies are found. Paris, 1393. Recent widow Christine de Pizan
became a scribe to support her family, but when she is called to
the palace to work, she dreads going. There, everyone fears the
king's attacks of unreason and they believe the charlatans who
claim they can cure him with vile potions. But when a mysterious
book of magic leaves a trail of real murdered bodies in its wake,
Christine has more than black magic to worry about. Then one of the
king's favourites, Hugues de Precy, is found murdered and his wife
Alix de Clairy is blamed. Can Christine prove Alix's innocence and
save her from being burned at the stake?
In bestselling author Steve Berry's stunning novel, former Justice
Department agent Cotton Malone encounters information from a secret
World War II dossier that, if proven true, would not only rewrite
history - it could change the political landscape of Europe
forever. Two candidates are vying to become Chancellor of Germany.
One is a patriot who has served for many years, the other a
usurper, stoking the flames of nationalistic hate. Both harbour
secrets, but only one knows the truth about the other. Everything
turns on the events of one fateful day - April 30, 1945 - and what
happened deep beneath Berlin in the Fuhrerbunker. Did Adolf Hitler
and Eva Braun die there? Did Martin Bormann, Hitler's close
confidant, manage to escape? And possibly even more important,
where did billions in Nazi wealth disappear to in the waning days
of the war? The answers to these questions will determine who
becomes the next Chancellor. Racing from Chile to South Africa, and
finally the secret vaults of Switzerland, former Justice Department
agent Cotton Malone must uncover the truth about the fates of
Hitler, Braun, and Bormann - revelations that could not only
transform Europe, but finally expose a mystery known as the
Kaiser's Web.
1913. The clouds of war are gathering and Europe is in turmoil. A
body is discovered on the shore below Beachy Head, just a mile from
Sherlock Holmes's retirement cottage. Suicide or murder? As Holmes
and Watson investigate, they uncover a conspiracy with shocking
ramifications: men who welcome the idea of a world war are seeking
divine aid to make it a reality.
THE GRIPPING GOTHIC THRILLER Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte are
rather losing interest in detecting until they hear of a shocking
discovery: the bones of a child have been found interred within the
walls of a local house, Top Withens Hall, home to the scandalous
and brutish Bradshaw family. When the sisters set off to find out
more, they are confronted with an increasingly complex and sinister
case, which leads them into the dark world of orphanages, and onto
the trail of other lost, and likely murdered children. After
another local boy goes missing, Charlotte, Emily and Anne vow to
find him before it's too late. But in order to do so, they must
face their most despicable and wicked adversary yet - one that
would not hesitate to cause them the gravest of harm . . . Praise
for Bella Ellis and the series: 'Bronte aficionados are sure to
enjoy the accurate characterization and context, the twists turns
and Gothic touches of the plot, and the strong feminist streak that
manifests itself throughout, but most triumphantly at the end.
Happily, more Bronte mysteries are to be expected.' The Times
Literary Supplement 'A splendid adventure' Guardian 'A delight' The
Wall Street Journal 'Brilliantly entertaining and original' CL
Taylor 'Insightful, moving and inspiring . . . an absolute treat
from start to finish' Jane Casey 'Elegant, witty and compulsively
readable - I think the Bronte sisters would have been delighted'
Rosie Walsh
An atmospheric, intricately plotted new mystery in which Sherlock
Holmes and Henry Vernier race to catch a villainous murderer at
large in the Vatican and Rome. Sherlock Holmes and Henry Vernier
are visiting Rome on a diplomatic mission when the Pope asks the
world's greatest detective to help find a stolen relic: the
forefinger of "doubting" Saint Thomas. But when the relic is
quickly and mysteriously returned, and all seems to be easily
resolved, the forefinger is stolen again in a brutal attack. Holmes
and Vernier must follow the trail of a sacrilegious murderer
through the streets of Rome and the halls of the Vatican,
uncovering dark ties between members of the church and an Italian
crime family.
Hollywood's A-list takes centre stage once again in this stylish,
twisty and sharply observed Golden Age of Hollywood mystery
featuring irresistible sleuthing duo Lillian Frost and Edith Head.
Effortlessly blending oodles of glamour and famous (and fictional)
names with a stunningly crafted whodunit, this compelling, vibrant
tale is bursting with twists and shocking moments. Love gossip,
rumour and scandalous secrets? This page-turning read is perfect
for fans of Classic Hollywood films and all mystery-loving
fashionistas. What happens when your past catches up with you?
Lillian Frost and Edith Head investigate a series of bizarre poison
pen letters sent to a leading Hollywood actress in this mesmerising
mystery. 1939, Los Angeles. Marion Davies has a problem. The
actress has received poison pen letters highlighting an
embarrassing event in her past from the mysterious 'Argus'. Can
Lillian Frost and her friend and partner-in-crime, celebrated
costume designer Edith Head, expose the writer before they expose
Marion? Lillian's boss, millionaire inventor Addison Rice, seems to
think so, but when Lillian speaks to her idol, Marion is reluctant
to reveal her secrets, fearful of jeopardizing her affair with
newspaper tycoon W.R. Hearst. Is a prankster simply trying to
tarnish the reputation of one of Hollywood's leading ladies, or is
something more sinister going on behind the scenes? As Lillian and
Edith are drawn into increasingly dangerous and disturbing
territory, their enquiries take an unexpected and stunningly dark
twist . . .
'Literally out-Christies Agatha' - Janice Hallett, bestselling
author of The Appeal Nina de Gramont's The Christie Affair is a
stunning novel which reimagines the unexplained eleven-day
disappearance of Agatha Christie that captivated the world. In
1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days. Only I know the
truth of her disappearance. I'm no Hercule Poirot. I'm her
husband's mistress. Agatha Christie's world is one of glamorous
society parties, country house weekends, and growing literary fame.
Nan O'Dea's world is something very different. Her attempts to
escape a tough London upbringing during the Great War led to a life
in Ireland marred by a hidden tragedy. After fighting her way back
to England, she's set her sights on Agatha. Because Agatha Christie
has something Nan wants. And it's not just her husband. Despite
their differences, the two women will become the most unlikely of
allies. And during the mysterious eleven days that Agatha goes
missing, they will unravel a dark secret that only Nan holds the
key to . . . *A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK* *Instant New York
Times bestseller* 'Storytelling at its very finest' - My Weekly
'Scintillating' - Daily Mail 'Romance, enigma and wit in
bucketloads' - Elizabeth Macneal, bestselling author of The Doll
Factory 'A genuine marvel' - Kristin Hannah, bestselling author of
Firefly Lane 'Ingenious' - AJ Pearce, bestselling author of Dear
Mrs Bird
Even as war rages, there are deep secrets lurking in the heart of
Buckingham Palace... Windsor, 1942. War rages through Great
Britain. Anna Duckworth, former lover of Prince George, Duke of
Kent, is found dead after an enemy bomb blast at her country home.
When courtier Guy Harford is called to dispose of incriminating
love letters between Anna and the Duke, it becomes clear that
there's more to the story than anyone is prepared to reveal. As the
court begins to whisper of a lone gunshot heard in the house that
day, another gruesome death befalls the royal circle. With the
bodies stacking up, Guy rejoins his old accomplices, East End
burglar Rodie Carr and undercover agent Rupert Hardacre, to unmask
the dangerous secrets lurking beneath the glittering Crown. But
with tensions rippling from London to Tangier as the Allied Forces
prepare to invade North Africa, and Guy's reputation in the Palace
hanging in the balance, can he solve the mystery before more heads
roll?
As King Philip of Spain prepares to invade England, Ursula heads to
Brussels on a desperate mission in this compelling Tudor mystery.
March, 1588. With England in a state of high alert as King Philip
of Spain amasses a vast fleet of warships ready to invade, Queen
Elizabeth and her advisors seek a possible alliance with the Duke
of Parma, Governor of the Netherlands. But their plans suffer a
major setback when one of their most reliable spies is found
murdered in the Hertfordshire countryside, shot dead by a crossbow
bolt as he was transporting secret correspondence between the queen
and the duke. The queen's half-sister and occasional secret agent,
Ursula Stannard, is happy not to be involved for once. But when
Ursula's ward Mildred elopes with the handsome yet mysterious
Berend Gomez, Ursula is forced to follow the pair to Brussels,
where she finds herself plunged into a hotbed of intrigue and
rumour at the Duke of Parma's court, a place where no one is to be
trusted. Can Ursula rescue Mildred, effect an alliance with the
duke, and stay alive in the process? The future of England depends
on it.
George Mann's Newbury & Hobbes steampunk mystery series
concludes in this thrilling final volume as our Victorian special
agent heroes discover a grand plot to that threatens the state of
the world. The time has finally come. Queen Victoria has given the
order for her agents to move against the Secret Service - to
eliminate the fledgling organisation with extreme prejudice. Caught
in the middle of the conflict, Newbury, Veronica and Bainbridge are
forced to face up to the truth: that the Queen no longer represents
the best interests of the Empire. Now rogue and in league with the
Queen's enemies, they must enact the "Albion Initiative": a
desperate plan to break Prince Edward out of Bedlam and install him
on the throne in the Queen's stead. But with the Queen's
executioner and his army on their trail, as well as a possible
traitor in their midst, can they do enough to stop the malign
tyrant from destroying everything they once swore to protect? With
everything falling apart around them, Newbury and Veronica must
uncover the macabre truth behind the crown, and in doing so,
unravel the very foundations of the Empire.
"A brilliant and breathtaking debut that captivated readers and
garnered critical acclaim in the United Kingdom, " The Tenderness
of Wolves "was long-listed for the Orange Prize in fiction and won
the Costa Award (formerly the Whitbread) Book of the Year."
The year is 1867. Winter has just tightened its grip on Dove
River, a tiny isolated settlement in the Northern Territory, when a
man is brutally murdered. Laurent Jammett had been a voyageur for
the Hudson Bay Company before an accident lamed him four years
earlier. The same accident afforded him the little parcel of land
in Dove River, land that the locals called unlucky due to the
untimely death of the previous owner.
A local woman, Mrs. Ross, stumbles upon the crime scene and sees
the tracks leading from the dead man's cabin north toward the
forest and the tundra beyond. It is Mrs. Ross's knock on the door
of the largest house in Caulfield that launches the investigation.
Within hours she will regret that knock with a mother's love -- for
soon she makes another discovery: her seventeen-year-old son
Francis has disappeared and is now considered a prime suspect.
In the wake of such violence, people are drawn to the crime and to
the township -- Andrew Knox, Dove River's elder statesman; Thomas
Sturrock, a wily American itinerant trader; Donald Moody, the
clumsy young Company representative; William Parker, a half-breed
Native American and trapper who was briefly detained for Jammett's
murder before becoming Mrs. Ross's guide. But the question remains:
do these men want to solve the crime or exploit it?
One by one, the searchers set out from Dove River following the
tracks across a desolate landscape -- home to only wild animals,
madmen, and fugitives -- variously seeking a murderer, a son, two
sisters missing for seventeen years, and a forgotten Native
American culture before the snows settle and cover the tracks of
the past for good.
In an astonishingly assured debut, Stef Penney deftly weaves
adventure, suspense, revelation, and humor into an exhilarating
thriller; a panoramic historical romance; a gripping murder
mystery; and, ultimately, with the sheer scope and quality of her
storytelling, an epic for the ages.
In 1924, San Francisco is booming. The great fire and earthquake of
1906 cleared the ground for a modern city, but the closer she comes
to the place she used to call home, the more troubling Mary
Russell's dreams become... As Russell and her husband, the eminent
Sherlock Holmes, attempt to settle their affairs in the City by the
Bay, Mary's past isn't the only thing that catches up with them - a
mysterious stranger is waiting for the pair, and may be the only
one who holds the key to the locked rooms that have been haunting
Mary's dreams... In Locked Rooms, internationally bestselling
author Laurie R King portrays the 1920s in exuberant detail and,
with near-lyrical prose, presents a compelling murder mystery that
will keep your imagination and attention locked in its pages until
the very end.
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