The first book in the new dark and decadent Society of Villains series, this is a dark age-gap mafia romance . . .

He's Deathless. She's trying to find a reason to live.

Lila

My innocence was ripped from me one fateful night under the starless sky.
Resulting in an unwanted teenage pregnancy and a secret the Camorra must bury.
My father decided to hand me off to the highest bidder.
The lucky winner? Tiernan Callaghan, psychopath extraordinaire.
The Irish mafia prince wants me for all the wrong reasons.
Alliance. Money. Prestige. War.
I am but a pawn in his twisted game.
The man who sits on a throne of his enemies' skulls thinks I'm a weakling.
Little does he know, in this chess game, the underdog wins.
Because the thing about bad bishops?
They protect good pawns.

When you sell your soul, the devil gives no refunds... When an old man is burned alive in a sleepy ex-mining village, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan is called in to investigate. He soon discovers that, beneath the facade of a close-knit community, the burn from decades-old betrayal still smoulders. When everyone had a motive, can he unravel the secrets of the past before the killer strikes again? Meanwhile, back at Northumbria CID, trouble is brewing with rumours of a mole in Ryan's department. With everyone under suspicion, can he count on anybody but himself? Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. "LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times "A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

** THE PREQUEL TO THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER HOLY ISLAND AND NOW A MAJOR NEW AUDIBLE ORIGINALS DRAMA STARRING TOM BATEMAN, KEVIN WHATELY, HERMIONE NORRIS AND ALUN ARMSTRONG ** No man is an island... In the stifling summer heat of 2014, a killer has been stalking the streets of Newcastle causing city-wide panic. When the officer in charge of the case turns up dead, it falls upon Detective Chief Inspector Ryan to take up the baton and find the person responsible. To the close-knit team of police in Northumbria CID, Ryan is still an outsider; aloof and uncompromising. He's lived a charmed life and has an unbroken track record to match. But, as The Hacker's death toll rises, Ryan realises this is one adversary he'll never bring to justice on his own... Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced crime thriller, set amidst the iconic North-Eastern landscape. "LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times "A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Christmas can be murder... After a busy year fighting crime, DCI Ryan and his team of murder detectives are enjoying a festive season of goodwill, mulled wine and, in the case of DS Phillips, a stottie cake or two-that is, until a freak snowstorm forces their car off the main road and into the remote heart of Northumberland. Their Christmas spirit is soon tested when they're forced to find shelter inside England's most haunted castle, where they're the uninvited guests at a 'Candlelit Ghost Hunt'. It's all fun and games-until one of the guests is murdered. It seems no mortal hand could have committed the crime, so Ryan and Co. must face the spectres living inside the castle walls to uncover the grisly truth, before another ghost joins their number... Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. "LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times "A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

A murder for the history books... After a long and eventful winter, DCI Ryan and his team are looking forward to the joys of spring. But, when one of their colleagues is shot dead on her own doorstep and the brass think it's an inside job, Ryan finds himself drafted in to investigate. He's barely scratched the surface when reports flood in of a terror explosion at Durham Cathedral. Chaos descends on the sleepy, historic city and, when the smoke clears, they find a priceless artefact that once belonged to Saint Cuthbert is missing. With tensions running at an all-time high, unable to trust the local police, can Ryan and his team bring a killer to justice - and restore Cuthbert's cross to its natural resting place? Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular landscape of County Durham. "LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times "A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

When the gods made man, they made a weapon... After uncovering a fresh wave of corruption within the ranks of Northumbria CID, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan was looking forward to an uneventful summer. But, when a young woman is shot dead on the remote army ranges of the Northumberland National Park, Ryan is called in to investigate. Meanwhile, violent crimes are being committed across sites of historic importance in the North East, the perpetrator leaving only a graffitied symbol as their calling card. As the body count rises, Ryan and his team must unravel the mystery behind its meaning - before it's too late... Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. "LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times "A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

A SECRET KEPT FOR A THOUSAND YEARS... After the dramatic theft of a priceless artefact from Durham Cathedral, the rest of the world believes that DCI Ryan and his team were able to recover and return St. Cuthbert's cross to its rightful home. But Ryan knows the cross he recovered was a fake-far from being over, their problems are only just beginning... Just as Ryan and his team begin to unravel the truth behind the spate of mysterious thefts, something even more priceless is stolen-something that can never be replaced. As the nationwide manhunt continues without success, Ryan is thrust into despair-until he realises the answer lies not in modern policing but in an age-old secret known only to a chosen few. To recover what's been lost, he must first crack 'Cuthbert's Code', following the trail of a long-dead saint across the wild, unpredictable hills and valleys of the borderlands. Can Ryan find what he's looking for, before it's too late? He's going to need a miracle... Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. "LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times "A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

FROM THE SHADOWS INTO THE LIGHT... When a fishing boat is wrecked off the treacherous North Sea coast and the body of a young woman washes up on the beach beside the iconic 'Marsden Rock', DCI Ryan cannot ignore the call to duty. With one already dead and more human cargo missing from the wreckage, Ryan and his team race to find the remaining souls - before it's too late, and their investigation turns to murder. As they uncover the seedy underbelly of Tyneside, cold and calculated opportunism clashes with the rock-hard arm of the Law, but there's one thing that proves stronger than stone... The human spirit. Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular North Eastern landscape. "LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times "A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Charles Oertel bevind hom in ’n netelige posisie. Hy is ’n skatryk Vrystaatse boer en het sentimente jeens beide magte wat tydens die Anglo-Boereoorlog slaags raak. Bothma se noukeurige navorsing oor hierdie invloedryke man en sy nasate se lotgevalle tydens en na die oorlog bevestig geboekstaafde kennis maar bied ook nuwe inligting. Daarbenewens is dit ’n boeiende menslike verhaal wat die leser tot nadenke stem. Sou dit anders verloop het as dit nie vir die oorlog was nie? Keer die mens nie die punt van die punt van die swaard self op sy hart nie? Punt van die swaard was in 2005 op die kortlys vir die Louis Hiemstra-prys vir niefiksie.

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND AND SEVEN BRIDGES He thought he was invincible, but he was wrong... When an old man is found dead inside the ancient hermitage at Warkworth Castle, Northumbria CID are called in to investigate. With no apparent motive, it's their job to unravel why he was murdered - and this time they're forced to do it without their star detective... DCI Ryan is thousands of miles away. He's tracked a killer across Europe and has sworn not to return until he has his man in custody. Nathan Armstrong is a dangerous psychopath but there's just one problem - he's also an international celebrity; a world-famous thriller writer with money and connections. Ryan is a stranger in a foreign land, but he knows one thing - he'll never give up. Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular landscapes of Northumberland and Tuscany. "LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times "A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Between the devil and the deep blue sea… Viking treasure is discovered beneath the icy waters of the North Sea and local historian Doctor Anna Taylor is called in to help catalogue the most exciting hoard in living memory. But when a shipwreck diver washes up dead, she’s soon out of her depth. Luckily, she knows just the person to call… When DCI Ryan arrives at the picturesque fishing town of Seahouses, he's faced with an impenetrable wall of secrets and lies. As he juggles marine archaeology and the cutthroat world of shipwreck diving, another murder blows the case wide open. To uncover the truth, Ryan must delve deeper into the hearts of those around him to find what lies beneath… Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. “LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers� – The Times “A literary phenomenon� – Evening Chronicle

It's time for Tate and Gia's story.

The third book in the Forbidden Love series - also suitable as a standalone - following Book #1, Truly Madly Deeply and #2, Wildest Dreams. Details coming soon . . .

READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH L.J. SHEN:
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'This book was everything . . . GRAB THIS BOOK NOW'
'All emotions covered'
'Five stars all day long'