Happy Publication Day to David Clensy

Congratulations to David Clensy, whose thrilling war-time naval thriller, For Those In Peril, is published today!

For Those In Peril is the first book in the Romulus Hutchinson Naval Adventure series.

Liverpool, 1939

Twin brothers Romulus and Remus Hutchinson grew up in a proud seafaring Liverpool family. So when war breaks out in Europe, they are both keen to sign up and do their part.

With their parents’ consent, both boys join up on their 16th birthday in October 1939 – Romulus as an RNVR sub-lieutenant on a Royal Navy destroyer and his brother as a deck hand with their father’s employer, John Holt & Company.

But with Romulus’s sadistic training officer seemingly intent on breaking the cadets’ spirits before their careers have even set sail, he struggles with the intense training.

There is no time for doubts, however, as the two brothers are quickly thrown into combat.

With Operation Dynamo around the corner, will the Hutchinson brothers both make it out alive…? Can they make their mark as their forefathers did before them?

Or will the bottomless deep claim yet more victims…?

Congratulations to Cara Clayton, whose absorbing historical saga, Mistress of the Manor, is published today!

Mistress of the Manor is the first book in the Tapestry Tales Medieval Saga: English historical fiction set in the fourteenth century.

1342, Lincolnshire, England

Clémence Masson has always yearned for more than her expected marriage to an apprentice or farmer’s son.

So when an opportunity arises at the nearby Grimsthorpe Manor House to be a companion to a newly-arrived bride-to-be, Clémence is excited by the opportunity.

The young bride is soon to be handfasted to the lord of the manor, Ruadhán Amundeville, who is recently returned from battles with the Scots.

Ruadhán’s uncle Aedric has been overseeing the estates in the young lord’s absence, and it soon becomes clear to Clémence that Aedric does not have Ruadhán’s best interests at heart.

But Clémence does. She has found herself falling for the charming lord of Grimsthorpe.

When Ruadhán leaves for war with the French, Clémence is left with Emma to deter Aedric’s unwanted advances.

And with the Black Death threatening, all of their lives could be at stake…

Will Clémence achieve her dream of rising above her station? Could Grimsthorpe hold the key to her happiness?

Or will the darkness surrounding the manor destroy everything in its grasp…?

Congratulations to David Mackenzie, whose action-packed military adventure, Defying the Odds, is out now!

Defying the Odds is the second book in the John Noble Fighter Ace Thrillers series.

June, 1940

After fourteen months of flying, John Noble is now a capable and experienced Fighter Pilot.

His squadron has successfully survived the intense period of aerial warfare over Dunkirk, but now new challenges are facing them from the Luftwaffe.

And there is a major issue with their leadership.

415 Squadron’s CO, Wing Commander Christopher Bland has shown that he is clearly not up to the task he’s been given. And if Bland is the one to lead them in the Battle of Britain, John knows the outcome could be disastrous.

But with waves of inbound hostile aircraft relentlessly attacking, there is limited time to raise the issue.

The Battle of Britain is underway and if nothing changes, the outcome for the pilots could be nothing short of a slaughter…

Can the 415s defy the odds, or will this battle be their last…?

Following the success of her many historical and mystery romances, including the Lady Fan Mystery Series and The Governess Trilogy, we are delighted to announce that we will be republishing eight backlist tiles by Elizabeth Bailey.

In Elizabeth’s words:

“As a child, I found and read with relish Georgette Heyer’s historical romances. For several years, my parents gave me the latest Heyer as one of my presents at Christmas, thereby ensuring I would bury myself in the book until I finished it. It was inevitable, perhaps, that when I came to write myself, I chose to try my luck with historical romance. It took time, but I was successful at last.

“Of the eight books that Sapere is taking on, almost all feature a hero or heroine disadvantaged in some way. It is an ever-fascinating thing to me how the human spirit manages to overcome all manner of life’s apparent cruelties. Yet these are not necessarily dark tales, although they have their moments. It is the pleasure of writing romance that one’s task is to lead the protagonists through the scary woods and out into the light of happiness.

“I could not have hoped for a better home for these stories than Sapere Books. I’ve worked with them since the publishing house was formed and the editors are both meticulous and sympathetic to the author’s intentions. They are friendly, helpful and supportive. Moreover, Sapere covers are superb! I’m delighted to entrust my books to Sapere’s hands.”

The forthcoming titles are:

A Trace of Memory
A Lady In Name
Friday Dreaming
The Count’s Charade
An Angel’s Touch
The Veiled Bride
The Conqueror’s Dilemma
A Fragile Mask

Find out more about Elizabeth here.

We are thrilled to announce that we have signed the next three books in The Tarnished Crown series by C. F. Dunn.

Set during the Wars of the Roses, the series follows Isobel Fenton — a brave and determined heiress — and the intrigues that surround her.

In Dunn’s words:

“I am delighted to continue working with the team at Sapere Books to bring the Wars of the Roses and this tempestuous period in English medieval history to life.

“I take the view that everything that happened in the past resonates down the centuries. The great names in history didn’t exist in isolation, but were part of a rich web that made up as complex a society as any that exists today. It is relationships at every level that enabled society to work, and when these broke down, conflict ensued. And like people throughout time, actions were driven by love and loyalty, fear, feuds and ambition.

“The next three books in The Tarnished Crown series see Isobel and her beloved Robert confront unforeseen twists of fortune, testing their allegiance to the Crown and to each other as England faces challenges from abroad and treachery at home.  And when those closest to the throne call upon Robert and Isobel’s support, bonds of friendship and fealty are stretched to breaking point.”

Congratulations to Jeff Jones, whose exciting Roman adventure, Fortress of Steel, is out now!

Fortress of Steel is the first book in the Legion of the Damned Roman Thrillers series.

Rome, 59 AD

When the son of his commanding officer is taken prisoner, young centurion Marcus Corvo is tasked with recruiting men from the underbelly of the Empire to rescue him.

Corvo sets about scouring the gladiatorial arenas, prisons and slave markets, for men desperate and tough enough to join him on what is likely to be a suicide mission.

The quest will take them to the eastern fringes of the Empire where the prisoner is being held in Armenia.

Corvo attempts to mould his recruits into a cohesive fighting force, but long before they are ready they are ordered to leave.

In a land where brother fights brother, and where Corvo and his men could easily be mistaken for the enemy or deserters, Corvo must keep his wits about him as they cross hostile land.

Can Corvo keep his wilful legion of men in line? Will they work together to complete the task?

Or will the journey prove too perilous for even the most hardened men of Rome…?

Congratulations to Tony Rea, whose gripping military adventure, Bouncer’s Bomber, is out now!

Bouncer’s Bomber is the fourth book in the Gus Beaumont Aviation Thrillers series.

September, 1942

SOE pilot Gus ‘Bouncer’ Beaumont is beginning to feel the effects of an exhausting war. After making a bad navigational error he is taken off piloting duties and posted as liaison officer to a Free French bomber squadron.

But the pressure on him continues to build.

First there is the moral dilemma of bombing civilians, then the suicide of a comrade. And, to top off everything, he is accused of murdering a fellow RAF officer.

The murder investigation is dropped, but a cloud of suspicion hangs over Gus and the only way to clear his name is by tracking down the real killer.

Can Gus clear his name and mend his reputation? Will he return to fight in the skies?

Or will the stresses of war push him too far…?

Congratulations to R. M. Cullen, whose twisty murder mystery, Death’s Long Shadow, is out now!

Death’s Long Shadow is the second instalment in the Richard Brinsley Sheridan Mystery Series: eighteenth-century crime thrillers set in London at a time of Revolution.

1792

Playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s retreat to the country is interrupted when he stumbles upon a body during a woodland stroll.

The man is identified as Edward Stretton, cousin to Earl Cannock who Sheridan is residing with.

Stretton had a reputation as a scoundrel and seducer and was heavily in debt at the time of his death.

He had been poisoned, and when the Earl’s servants are questioned, unusual evidence puts one man in custody.

But Sheridan is not convinced of his guilt. And one another man is murdered, he suspects there may be a connection.

Can Sheridan uncover the link? Could he save an innocent man from death?

Or will this case prove too complex for this amateur sleuth…?

We are delighted to announce that we have signed a new naval fiction novel set during the Second World War by Anthony Palmiotti.

In Anthony’s words:

“When searching for subjects to write about, I look for little-known stories or actions within bigger events that emphasize the strength of character and the contributions made by ordinary people — the individuals that make a difference to the outcome. Invariably, it is the strength of character of the common man or woman that determines the outcome — that makes the difference between winning and losing. It could be a single heroic action or simply a steadfast stubbornness. It might be the will to go on when common sense says this is not a good idea. They are the unknown people who make the seemingly impossible, possible.

“Operation Pedestal was just one convoy in a war that saw hundreds of convoys. Malta was just one island in a sea of islands. What makes these two different is that they faced extreme odds and yet, through a steadfast perseverance, they beat the odds. The citizens of Malta and the common men on the convoys showed an uncommon resolve. They simply did not give up, even when giving up was the smart thing to do.

“My take on Malta during the summer of 1942 and Operation Pedestal is not a history but a novel. A novel allows the writer to get personal. It not only offers the facts, but, hopefully, a feel for what it’s like when ordinary people are asked to do extraordinary things.”

Discover more about Anthony here.

Congratulations to David Field, whose Victorian thriller, The Long Delayed Revenge, is out now!

The Long Delayed Revenge is the tenth instalment in the Esther and Jack Enright Mystery Series – a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London and packed full of suspense.

London, 1899

Jack and Esther Enright, with their four children in tow, have recently moved to a comfortable new home. Esther has settled into her dream job as headmistress of the local private school, owned by her mentor Emily Allsop.

But things are not going so well for Jack. Though he does not mind the commute to his high-ranking desk job at New Scotland Yard, he is disturbed by the level of recent resignations in by uniformed constables in the East End.

Though the police force has always been used to tackling crime in the more impoverished parts of London, a recent influx of Russian immigrants has led to gang warfare and vigilante justice which is proving impossible to control.

And when Esther’s school is vandalised with a disturbing message, he finds his detective skills are needed closer to home as well.

Things escalate when one of the young pupils is abducted and Jack needs all the help he can get in finding the perpetrator before it is too late.

Can Jack and Esther solve another case together? Will they rescue the child in time?

Or will the unrest in London prove too much for even Jack to handle…?

Congratulations to D. R. Bailey, whose heart-pounding military adventure, The Fire Maidens, is out now!

The Fire Maidens is the third book in the Secret Sirens Aviation Thrillers, set during the Second World War.

Autumn, 1943

Sisters Anna and Jennifer Nightingale have been flying in top missions with the Secret Sirens all-female RAF unit for nearly a year.

Their squadron of twelve Mosquitos stages a raid on Rouen to divert the enemy’s attention from the Lancasters which are coming in to bomb the marshalling yards and port.

But while Jennifer makes it through the mission safely, Anna and her navigator, Maria, are forced to ditch into the Channel.

Luckily they are picked up by a British Destroyer. And on board is none other than Winston Churchill himself.

Impressed by the skill-level and bravery of the female pilots, Churchill is keen to learn more about their training.

He escorts them back to base where they are given a new mission: to attack the Nazi-occupied Mimoyecques Fortress.

The Allies know that the Fortress is being armed with high calibre guns capable of reaching London in a massive, unending bombardment. The Sirens need to drop bombs into the railway tunnel entrance of the Fortress as soon as possible before the unthinkable happens.

But with very little time to train, will the Sirens be able to pull off the task? Can they reach the Fortress unscathed?

Or will these Fire Maidens join the many thousands who have already lost their lives in this brutal war…?

Congratulations to Neil Denby, whose action-packed Roman adventure, Scutarius, is out now!

Scutarius is the fifth book in the Quintus Roman Thrillers series.

In the high Alpen lands, Tiberius, General, Praetor, son of Caesar Augustus, is incensed by the insolence of the native tribesmen who dare to oppose him.

First Spear Centurion Julius Quintus Quirinius and his depleted cohort are posted behind enemy lines to eliminate them. They are to be irregulars, to act as shield-bearer or ‘scutarius’ to Tiberius’ armies, keeping the way before them clear.

If they succeed, Quintus and his men could win back their rightful ranks and stations in the legions. And might even finally be allowed to return to Rome.

But unfamiliar with the rapid turning of the seasons in the mountains, Quintus finds himself trapped by snow and lost in the vast lands of the enemy.

He needs to find a way forward, to do service to Caesar’s sons, but the task seems increasingly impossible.

Can Quintus find his way back to the battle? Could victory in the Alps be in his grasp?

Or will the fickle gods once more betray him…?

Congratulations to Tim Chant, whose thrilling naval adventure Vengeance at the Falklands, is out now!

Vengeance at the Falklands is the fifth book in the Marcus Baxter Naval Thriller Series: action-packed historical adventures following former Royal Navy officer Marcus Baxter during the early 1900s and through the First World War.

Winter, 1914

Lieutenant Marcus Baxter is working in the supply department at HM Dockyard Devonport, when word arrives that the German East Asia Squadron has destroyed a British squadron at the battle of Coronel.

Baxter seizes an opportunity to impress the First Sea Lord, Jackie Fisher, during a snap inspection of the dockyard and secures an appointment to HMS Astute, a scout cruiser, which is being sent to join the squadron in the South Atlantic.

Surviving a storm in the mid-Atlantic, Astute has a run-in with a mysterious passenger liner sailing under the Stars and Stripes, and duels with a German light cruiser stalking the rich hunting grounds off the South American coast.

After an intense engagement, which sees the Astute fleeing along the coast to Montevideo for emergency repairs, Baxter once again encounters the suspicious liner. And this time he is determined not to let it get away.

Baxter risks everything to sneak aboard, and makes a shocking discovery. He needs to reach the safety of the Falklands before any intelligence falls into the wrong hands.

But with the enemy on his tail, the race along the South Atlantic won’t be an easy one…

Congratulations to Donna Gowland, whose absorbing murder mystery, The Missing Wife, is out now!

The Missing Wife is the first book in the Mary Shelley Investigation series.

1814, London

It isn’t easy being the daughter of the great Mary Wollstonecraft, harder still to navigate life without her. 16-year-old Mary Godwin is desperate for excitement and trapped in a family she feels stifled in, under the watchful, disapproving glare of her stepmother Mary, she is constantly battling for her father’s attention and approval.

So when the young Romantic poet, Percy Shelley, comes blazing into her life, she falls quickly and deeply in love with him. But Percy has plenty of demons. He is already married with a second child on the way, and he turns up to the Godwin family home with a bottle of laudanum, declaring he will end his life if he cannot be with Mary.

William Godwin forbids contact between them, but Mary’s heart aches for the man she believes to be her soulmate. And so she agrees to elope to Paris.

The excitement of the journey soon wears off and they arrive in the city weary, travel-sick and penniless, though luck finally seems to be on their side when they meet a man who offers them money to find his missing wife.

But with Mary becoming increasingly homesick and concerned for her future, will her love affair with Percy be all she had hoped for? Could the search for the missing wife set her on a new course of self-discovery?

Or will her first daring adventure prove to be her downfall…?

Congratulations to Raymond Wemmlinger, whose page-turning Elizabethan drama, The Queen’s Cousin, is published today!

Scotland, 1594

Nineteen-year-old Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scotland, is thrilled and triumphant at the birth of a healthy baby boy, destined to reign as King of Scotland and, possibly, England.

But Anne’s enjoyment of maternal glory quickly fades as her husband King James, fearing his son will be politically manipulated against him as he was against his mother, the deceased Mary Queen of Scots, removes the child permanently from her care.

Outraged, Anne tries to regain control of her son, initiating a bitter marital struggle which sours what had been a loving and harmonious marriage.

Anne is haunted by the giant legacies of Mary Stuart and Elizabeth Tudor on the thrones of Scotland and England, and is determined to make her own mark.

And central to that ambition is securing the succession to the English throne from her husband’s cousin, the elderly and childless Queen Elizabeth.

Can Anne regain favour with the Scottish King? Will they join forces to secure the English throne?

Or will this daring Queen of Scotland fade into obscurity…?

We are thrilled to announce that we have signed the fifth book in The Marwood Family Tudor Saga by Amy Licence.

Set at the court of King Henry VIII, the series follows the drama and intrigue at the heart of the Tudor court.

In Amy’s words:

“I’m really excited to be publishing the next instalment in Thomasin Marwood’s journey with Sapere Books. Readers of the series will recall her turbulent experiences at the court of Henry VIII in the 1520s. The young Thomasin arrived aged seventeen, fresh from her Suffolk childhood, to navigate the various intrigues and romances of court life. She is dazzled by the elegance of Anne Boleyn, before she finds a place in the household of Catherine of Aragon. Watching the royal marriage unravel, Thomasin becomes close to her mistress, who trusts her implicitly, whilst trying to protect her own heart from the handsome Rafe Danvers and other suitors.

“Now, two years later, the eagerly anticipated Legatine Court is about to open at Blackfriars, to test the validity of Henry and Catherine’s marriage and hopefully bring them all some resolution. Not all is as straightforward as it seems, though, as friends and lovers just as quickly turn into enemies, and long-term scandals in the Marwood family threaten to re-surface. Then there is Thomas Cromwell, keen to do Henry’s bidding, leading to some dangerous clashes with Thomasin’s father.

“I love writing the Marwood series, with all the colour, textures and details of life at the Tudor court. It’s the closest we can come to travelling back in time there ourselves. When I was planning this series, I wanted to create a heroine outside the cast of usual characters, a complete outsider with whom the reader could identify, and set her within the dynamic of known individuals like Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon. There must have been many similar silent witnesses to the crucial events of the 1520s who have gone unnamed and unrecorded, so Thomasin also represents them.

“There’ll be some twists and turns in this book, but it’s building towards a mid-series mini-conclusion, with both Thomasin and her cousin Ellen settled by the end. I thought it time to give them both some happiness at last, after everything they’ve been through. After that, I hope to give Thomasin a little breathing space, then bring her back to court in 1532, for Book Six. She will find herself at Anne’s side through the coming years, as a witness to her queenship and downfall.”

 

To keep up to date with Amy’s latest releases, visit her website.

 

The Marwood Family Tudor Saga:

Book One: Dangerous Lady

Book Two: Troubled Queen

Book Three: False Mistress

Book Four: Lady of Misrule

Following the success of the first three books in J. C. Briggs’ Gothic Mysteries series, we are thrilled to announce that we have signed the fourth instalment.

In Briggs’ words:

“I am delighted that Sapere Books have accepted my newest novel, The Prisoner of Raven’s Gaze Hall. This will be my fifteenth book to be published by Sapere, so many thanks to them for their continuing faith in my work.

“This new book is set in an isolated house in Yorkshire, in the fictional Ravendale, a remote dale surrounded by high fells and with few inhabitants. Nurse Catherine Sisley, not long returned from wartime duties, is engaged to nurse an elderly lady, the grandmother of a former patient, but all is not what it seems. Raven’s Gaze Hall harbours a dreadful secret, and its owner, Bennet Lestrange, has a future planned for Catherine from which only tragedy allows her to escape. When she returns ten years later, the terrible truth about the prisoner of Raven’s Gaze Hall is slowly revealed.”

To keep up with J. C. Briggs’ latest releases, visit her website and sign up to her newsletter.

Congratulations to C. F. Dunn, whose powerful medieval saga, Sun Ascendant, is out now!

Sun Ascendant is the second book in The Tarnished Crown series: historical novels set during the Wars of the Roses.

1470, England

England is in turmoil as the battle between supporters of the Yorkist king, Edward IV and the old Lancastrian king, Henry VI escalates.

And for Isobel Fenton the war is personal. Her father’s sudden death made her an heiress to Beaumoncote Manor, a desirable estate in the midlands. But as conflict threatens England’s unstable peace, Isobel and her lands become the focus of bitter tensions and a long-held feud.

Taken from her manor, Isobel becomes the unwilling mistress of an indomitable Earl. Unable to protect her own lands or herself, she sees her only chance of happiness in the Earl’s brother, Robert Langton, newly sworn to serve Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

Isobel’s life in the castle becomes increasingly difficult as the Countess plots against her rival, and Isobel finds herself trapped and alone in her gilded prison.

She is determined to take her fate into her own hands, but how can she gain her freedom and find her way back to Beaumoncote…?

Congratulations to David Mackenzie, whose wartime aviation thriller, Spitfires Rising, is published today.

Spitfires Rising is the first book in the John Noble Fighter Ace Thrillers: action-packed military adventures following an RAF pilot during the Second World War.

1938

Having been raised on a farm, young New Zealander John Noble longs for an adventure away from his family’s homestead.

Enthralled by the sight of a Tiger Moth flying overhead, he decides to pursue a career as an RAF pilot and travels to the United Kingdom to complete his training.

After receiving his Wings, John is sent to RAF Catterick, where he finds himself flying the formidable Spitfire.

When tensions in Europe reach breaking point and Britain declares war on Germany, John’s training and courage are put to the ultimate test.

As the squadron prepares to face the Luftwaffe, John starts to question the effectiveness of their tactics, leading to clashes with senior officers.

And as his missions grow ever more dangerous, John begins to wonder just how far he will go to survive the war…

Is John ready for battle? Will he be able to follow orders while preserving his life?

Or is he destined to become a casualty of war…?

We’re thrilled to announce that we have signed three new instalments of the Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series by Linda Stratmann.

The series follows a young Sherlock Holmes and his acquaintance, medical student Mr Stamford, as they unravel mysteries and unmask devious killers.

In Linda’s words:

“I am delighted to continue the adventures of a youthful Holmes, before he met Dr Watson. A little about what to expect next: in the Halloween-themed Widow’s Key, an unexpected legacy creates a furore, with deadly mysteries to uncover.  In The Aeronauts, murder is sky-high, and escaped balloons cause peril both aloft and below. The Ghost of Lodge Thirteen finds Holmes and Stamford in Brighton. Richard Scarletti has been accused of murder, and his sister Mina (from the Mina Scarletti Mysteries) and Holmes form a powerful detective alliance.”

To keep up to date with Linda’s newest releases, visit her website and sign up to her newsletter.

Congratulations to Richard Kurti, whose absorbing medieval adventure, Carnival of Chaos, is out now!

Carnival of Chaos is the fourth book in the Basilica Diaries Medieval Mysteries series: historical thrillers set in fifteenth-century Rome and featuring a brother and sister investigative duo.

1508, Rome

An abandoned ship is drifting in the mouth of the Tiber and a horrific discovery is found inside.

Nearly three-hundred men were packed together in the hold. All of them are dead.

They were migrant workers shipped over from North Africa, cheap labour to cut the cost of building St Peter’s Basilica, and all have died in the most horrendous circumstances.

The Vatican is desperate to distance itself from this atrocity. The guilty contractor must be found and punished, and the entire illegal trade in people must be stamped out.

The Pope charges his Head of Security, Domenico Falchoni with conducting a full investigation.

Domenico turns to his scholar sister Cristina for help and together they delve into the grudges and rivalries of the old dynastic families who are competing for building contracts for the great basilica.

Cristina and Domenico discover that dirty tricks extend across all aspects of the great construction and corruption is rife. So it is not easy to find out who is responsible for the horrific deaths of the migrant workers.

Can they protect other workers from untimely deaths? Will they expose those responsible?

Or will digging into the dark world of human trafficking put their own lives at risk…?

We are thrilled to announce that we have signed the ninth book in the Master Mercurius Mysteries series by Graham Brack.

Set in seventeenth-century Europe, the series follows the adventures of a gifted cleric-turned-sleuth.

In Graham’s words:

“After eight adventures, Mercurius is very keen that there should not be a ninth. He wants a peaceful life surrounded by his books, and perhaps now that the Stadhouder is King of England he can have it. So long as William III is in England, and Mercurius stays in Leiden, he should be quite safe.

“The long vacation is approaching, and Mercurius decides to make doubly sure by not being in Leiden either. He is planning a tour of great German cathedrals, something that he has long wanted to do. He has even been learning some German in preparation.

“But then comes an invitation he cannot refuse. An old friend would like some advice on buying books for a library. It will take the whole summer, but then those cathedrals will still be there next year, and he has always wanted to spend someone else’s money on books…

“And while he is there, a baffling crime is committed — or is it?

“The Mercurius stories are a delight to write and I am grateful to Sapere Books for showing such faith in them. If he were alive today, I am sure Master Mercurius would love to see his name on the covers. After all, his multi-volume Commentary on the Nicomachean Ethics is rarely read these days, but his memoirs continue to find readers, for which I am very grateful.”

We are thrilled to announce that we have signed a new historical mystery series set in eighteenth-century France by Cheryl Sawyer.

In Cheryl’s words:

“It’s 1735 in the remote Champagne province and a cavalier in France’s mounted police force must investigate a murder at the chateau of Cirey, where the scandalous Marquise du Châtelet is sheltering Voltaire. How could a lower-class gendarme solve major crime in a society where aristocrats held all the power?

“That very question sprang to mind when I visited beautiful, secluded Cirey during my research into  Émilie du Châtelet, a brilliant physicist of the Enlightenment. A lone military policeman would struggle to do his duty in this privileged locale, even if Voltaire himself were a likely suspect.

“That is how Victor Constant and his first challenging investigation came to life. I had eight historical novels published in several languages, but this was my first crime story and I sought seasoned opinion. Peter Lovesey wrote to me: ‘Marvellous tensions between the great free-thinker and Victor Constant,  the book’s hero. The story dazzles and beguiles and the setting is pitch-perfect.’ The novel went on to be longlisted for awards by the Historical Novel Society and the American Library in Paris, and readers have since called Victor ‘the Jack Reacher of the eighteenth century’.

“I am delighted that Sapere Books have chosen Murder at Cirey to lead this series and thrilled that Victor Constant persists in battling injustice within the rigid society of the Champagne. The new titles are Death in Champagne and Murder on High. A huge thank you to the Sapere team for launching this adventurous series!”

www.cherylsawyer.com

Congratulations to David Field, whose twisty Victorian thriller, The Retirement Murder, is out now!

The Retirement Murder is the ninth instalment in the Esther and Jack Enright Mystery Series – a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London and packed full of suspense.

London, 1898

The time has finally come for Percy Enright to retire from Scotland Yard. His nephew, Jack, is sad to lose a partner in the force, but Jack’s wife Esther is glad Percy won’t be getting her husband into any further scrapes.

It seems Esther’s relief might be short lived, though, when a senior officer collapses at Percy’s farewell ceremony.

It soon becomes clear that the officer was poisoned, and Percy delays retirement to help Jack track down the culprit.

It’s a daunting task that involves trawling through all the murdered officer’s recent cases in the search for someone who may still bear him a grudge.

But when it becomes clear the dead man may not have been the intended target, the investigation suddenly turns in a new direction.

Why are the police being targeted? Can Percy make one final arrest before he retires?

Or will the murderer outwit the Enrights in their latest case…?

Congratulations to J. C. Briggs, whose atmospheric Gothic mystery, The Secrets of Treasonfield House, is out now!

England, 1952

Marie Beaumont has returned to the ruins of Treasonfield House where she was taken in by her Aunt Giselle as a child.

Marie was always fascinated by the old house, but she had a lonely and unhappy childhood there until she was eventually sent away to boarding school.

Giselle is dead now but Marie’s Uncle Ned is still there and Marie wants to know why Giselle always treated her so coldly as a child.

She finds out that Ned worked with the intelligence services during the First World War and he has far more secrets to share about Treasonfield House than she could ever have imagined.

Ned’s story begins in February 1918; an intricate plot involving German soldiers, English spies and secret identities.

But what does it all mean for Marie? Can Ned give her the answers she craves? Will she finally learn the truth about her family history?

And can she finally put to rest the secrets that still lurk at Treasonfield House?

Congratulations to R. M. Cullen, whose absorbing historical thriller, Harlequin is Dead, is out now!

Harlequin is Dead is the first historical murder investigation in the Richard Brinsley Sheridan Mystery Series: eighteenth-century crime thrillers set in London at a time of Revolution.

1791

Revolution in France is causing refugees to flee to England and London is fast becoming a hotbed of spies, government agents and fanatics.

When renowned Irish playwright, Richard Brinsley Sheriden is led to the skeletal remains of a harlequin in his theatre, he is determined to get justice for his employee.

With the aid of Bow Street Runner, Constable Nicholls, Sheridan starts to investigate.

He soon realises two more performers have disappeared. And the discovery of a decorative cross suggests there is a link with a dangerous secret society, the Huguenot Brotherhood.

But why would French political migrants be targeting the theatre?

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales has received an anonymous letter accusing him of Treason and Sheridan is tasked with hunting out the sender.

Could both mysteries be linked? Is London heading for the same bloodthirsty scenes as Paris?

Or can Sheridan help stop the insurgents from taking hold in England…?

We are delighted to announce that we have signed a new trilogy of Roman mysteries by Jacquie Rogers.

In Jacquie’s words:

“My new series is set in a wealthy but remote part of third-century Roman Britain.

“Otto Cornelius is a garlanded senior officer in Chester’s XXth legion. Forced to take early retirement, he returns to his hometown of Viroconium Cornoviorum (now Wroxeter Roman City in Shropshire).

“He soon discovers that the quiet life of a pensioned-off officer is no sinecure, and Viroconium is no longer the idyll of his childhood. The murder of an itinerant Greek merchant, coupled with the theft of the iconic Wroxeter silver mirror, are just the beginning. Otto is quickly embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy, one in which old friends and new enemies have much to hide. No-one is who they seem, including Otto himself.

“I am so delighted to be working with Sapere Books. Their passion for historical fiction matches my own, and I’ve had the warmest of welcomes into their supportive organisation. I know my pacy Roman thrillers have found a wonderful home.”

Following the success of his many historical series, including the Sandal Castle Medieval Thrillers and Inspector Torquil McKinnon Mystery Series, we are delighted to announce that we have signed a new supernatural series set in Victorian London by Keith Moray.

In Keith’s words:

“The first book in the series is set in London in 1854. Jack Moon is a foundling, brought up in an orphanage and then a workhouse, where he and his best friend Danny are subject to regular beatings. Together they escape, but when Danny dies in tragic circumstances, Jack secretly buries his friend in a cemetery at night.

“Alone and living in a deserted and rat-infested warehouse, Jack starts seeing Danny’s ghost, who warns him that someone is out to kill him and worse, the girl he loves, too. This is Victorian London, with its criminal underworld, body-snatchers, phrenologists, séances, ghosts and ghouls.

“I am delighted to be writing another historical series with Sapere Books, who have permitted me to set my stories in a variety of times and places, from ancient Egypt and medieval England to a contemporary Scottish island. My new mystery series delves into the occult and the psyche of the Victorian mind. It is murky, sinister and just a little bit scary.

“And one of the main characters is a ghost.”

Following the success of his many military thrillers, including the Vietnam Ground Zero Series and Wings Over Nam aviation thrillers, we are delighted to announce that we have signed a new historical military series by Eric Helm.

In Eric’s words:

“At the end of the 1980s and at the beginning of the 1990s, the world moved close to a world war that could easily escalate into a thermonuclear exchange that would end modern civilization. There were those who wished for nothing more because they believed it would thrust them to the top and in control of the world. And there were those who wanted to prevent that. Their purpose wasn’t always altruistic, but that goal matched their own climb to power. It is into this world that the characters in this series move, serving on every continent and sailing all the oceans, dealing with those problems.

“The characters are military and civilian, members of the media, and those with an academic frame of mind. Each brings an interesting take to the problems of trying to prevent a world war, except for one nation whose leaders believe such a conflict would benefit them. These are unique situations that require unique solutions. This is a tale told on the world stage with players at nearly every level of society.

“Sapere Books have been very good to me. The packaging of my Vietnam Ground Zero series has been perfect. The enthusiasm with which the books have been received has been wonderful. Sapere is a great publisher who have looked out for my best interests. Everyone seems to be excited by the various projects that I have suggested and there is no pressure to crank out a book quickly. They let it evolve naturally, which I believe makes the books that much better.”

Congratulations to D. R. Bailey, whose thrilling aviation novel, The Night Angels, is published today!

The Night Angels is the second novel in the Secret Sirens Aviation Thrillers Series, heart-pounding Second World War escapades with strong female leads.

1943

Sisters Anna and Jennifer Nightingale are recruits in the top-secret Siren Squadron: a group of women trained in the RAF to fight against the enemy.

The Sirens are tasked with flying a series of night stealth missions as part of Operation Scorpion. The first mission is successful, and on returning to base they are told that new members will be joining their ranks.

Hopeful that this means the all-female squadron has been deemed a success, the sisters welcome the new recruits and start training them on the Mosquitos.

They head out on another night mission. But this time not everyone returns.

With a downed plane found empty off the English coast, fears grow that one of the Sirens hasn’t survived.

But the show must go on. And Anna Nightingale has to destroy the crashed plane so the Sirens can remain classified.

As their night missions continue, increased skirmishes with enemy pilots suggest someone may be leaking information to the Germans.

Have the Sirens been compromised? Can they find the mole?

Or will these daring female agents be forced out of the war…?

Congratulations to Angela Ranson, whose gripping Tudor mystery, A Glittering Peril, is out now!

A Glittering Peril is the third book in the Catrin Surovell Tudor Mysteries Series: exciting historical thrillers set at the court of Elizabeth I.

1561

Every summer, Queen Elizabeth takes a journey around her kingdom. It is a time of revels and celebration, full of pleasure and extravagance.

But in July 1561, the trip begins badly when the corpse of an unknown man is left in her path.

The nervous queen asks Catrin Surovell, her trusted favourite lady-in-waiting, to find out who is trying to sabotage her journey.

But Catrin soon discovers that the queen’s nervousness stems from something greater than the mysterious death.

Someone has been leaving reminders of the queen’s mother, Anne Boleyn, in strange places. A woman appears in the distance who looks like her; the scent of Anne’s perfume is left in the queen’s chamber, and Anne’s favourite French ballads are sung by a disembodied voice as the queen is travelling.

Worst of all, Anne Boleyn’s famous gold-and-pearl necklace with teardrop pearls hanging from a letter ‘B’ is taken from the queen’s bedchamber. The queen is devastated by the loss, for the necklace was one of very few mementos she had of her mother.

The queen begins to suspect one of her courtiers, so Catrin visits his home to conduct a secret investigation into his actions. And that’s when she discovers this is the most difficult mystery she has ever had to solve.

Is Queen Elizabeth being haunted by her ill-fated mother? Or is someone trying to drive her insane?

And can Catrin find the connection between the missing jewels and the unknown corpse…?

Congratulations to Justin Fox, whose thrilling military adventure, Hell Run Tobruk, is out now!

Hell Run Tobruk is the third book in the Jack Pembroke Naval Thriller series: authentic British Navy war stories set during the Second World War.

December, 1941

Lieutenant Jack Pembroke is ordered to join a convoy and sail his small escort ship, HMSAS Gannet, from the Royal Navy base in Simon’s Town, South Africa, to Egypt.

With the Mediterranean all but closed to maritime traffic, and Rommel’s forces rampaging through North Africa, it seems unlikely that Gannet will survive the coming battles.

Jack arrives in Alexandria and is soon thrust into the action, escorting ships running supplies to the beleaguered town of Tobruk in Libya.

With the pressure building and ships around him being sunk by enemy bombers, Jack must deal with his own PTSD while leading his men to safety.

And with Tobruk surrounded, about to fall to Axis forces, Gannet is still trapped in the port…

Can Jack lead his men to safety? Will he make it out of Tobruk in one piece?

Or will this Hell Run be his last…?

Congratulations to Patrick Larsimont, whose thrilling military adventure, The Wire and the Lines, is published today!

The Wire and the Lines is  fifth instalment of the Jox McNabb Aviation Thrillers series: action-packed historical novels following a young RAF pilot during the Second World War.

Summer, 1943

When fighter pilot Jox McNabb crashes on the wrong side of the straits of Messina, he is captured by the Germans.

It seems that for Jox, the war might be over.

But Jox is never one to give up. Desperate to escape, he quickly familiarises himself with the camp and gets to know his fellow prisoners.

With punishment brutal for those that have attempted to flee previously, morale is low in the camp and there is little motivation to try and break the rules.

The war is still raging on the outside and Jox will do anything to get back to his No. 333 Squadron, the Black Pigs.

On the orders of a cruel Luftwaffe Colonel, Jox is embroiled in a scheme to use high profile POWs as human shields, covering shipments of precious artworks looted from Sicily and Italy.

Could this mission provide Jox with the means to escape? Can he blow the whistle on the stolen loot?

And can he get back in action and rejoin the war in the skies…?

Congratulations to Raymond Wemmlinger, whose page-turning Tudor adventure, The Queen’s Favourite, is out now!

England, 1558

Sixteen-year-old Catherine Seymour has always idolised her elder sister Jane. As a child Jane had been groomed to be queen, to marry her cousin King Edward, and since his death she has been determined to restore her family’s claim to throne.

Jane had spent time at Queen Mary’s court but she has now returned home to Hanworth Park to the delight of Catherine and their brother Ned.

To their surprise, Jane brings with her Lady Catherine Grey, sister of Jane Grey, the ill-fated nine-day queen, and heiress to the throne after Princess Elizabeth.

Jane confides in Catherine that she aims to bring about a betrothal between Lady Grey and Ned, so that their brother and his children have a chance to lay claim to the throne.

But everything changes when Mary suddenly dies, and Elizabeth succeeds as queen. Now the sisters must seek favour with a new monarch.

Luckily, Elizabeth’s succession proves advantageous for the Seymour family. Jane is chosen as a lady in waiting and immediately becomes a favourite.

Can Jane still bring her plan to fruition? Will it mean betraying the new queen?

Or will rumours of a romance between Queen Elizabeth and one of her courtiers change everything for the Seymour sisters…?

Congratulations to Adele Jordan, whose page-turning Tudor mystery, The Body in the Chamber, is published today!

The Body in the Chamber is the third book in the Shadow Cutpurses Tudor Thriller Series.

1536, London

With two queens already removed from King Henry VIII’s side, the Tudor court fears for his new wife, Jane Seymour.

Thief turned espionage agent, Gwynnie Wightham is tasked by her employer Elric Tombstone to watch over the new queen.

And it soon becomes clear that her task will not be an easy one when a dead body is found in the queen’s chambers.

It seems there is a murderer hiding in the palace walls, and a clear suspect has already been named.

Convicted killer, Connal Devlin, escaped the noose at Tyburn and vowed to seek revenge on King Henry for turning his back on the ‘true’ Catholic faith.

Gwynnie is tasked with finding Devlin, but something doesn’t seem right.

Is it possible Devlin isn’t as evil as he was made out to be? Could someone else be behind the murder at the palace?

And can Gwynnie stop them before another Tudor queen’s life comes to an untimely end…?

A few weeks ago, I was standing outside St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, gazing at the ancient Egyptian obelisk that sits in the middle of the square. (It’s also on the front cover of Omens of Death — the first book in The Basilica Diaries series.)

The guide who was showing me round said, “There’s an interesting story about this obelisk. When Moses was a young man, he was educated in Heliopolis (modern Cairo), where this obelisk originally stood. As he hurried back and forth to school, Moses would have seen this very stone every day. Even then it was a thousand years old. He would have walked past it, used it as a meeting point for friends, maybe even sat in its shade.

“Now, cut forward across time. The Romans have stolen the obelisk and brought it to Italy, where the Emperor Caligula ordered it to be set up at the Circus of Nero just outside the city walls. And that is the same place where St Peter was executed. Which means the very last thing St Peter saw before he died would have been this obelisk. And now you are gazing at the exact same stone.”

I could feel my brain jolt. Moses, Caligula, St Peter and myself, all connected across 4,500 years by a single object. These were no longer remote characters from the pages of the Bible — if I reached out my hand, I could touch them through this granite obelisk.

What the guide did was a brilliant demonstration of the power of narrative. He could have bombarded me with facts and figures about the height and weight of the obelisk, about where the stone was quarried and when it was carved, and how it was moved from the Circus of Nero to its current site and erected in a single day.

But he didn’t, because he knew that those facts would have gone in and out of my mind in seconds. Instead, he told a story that organised the truth in such a way that it connected me to the distant past.

That’s what I’ve been attempting to do on every page of The Basilica Diaries historical thrillers. I have spent countless hours researching the novels, but rather than bombard the reader with details, I have tried to organise the truth into narratives that will resonate with the modern world whilst also transporting us back across the centuries.

I hope you enjoy the latest adventure in the series, Carnival of Chaos, which will be published in April.

Congratulations to C. F. Dunn, whose thrilling War of the Roses saga, Wheel of Fortune, is out now!

Wheel of Fortune is the first book in the Tarnished Crown series: historical novels set in medieval Europe.

1469, England

For almost ten years, attractive and charismatic Edward IV has ruled with the Earl of Warwick’s support, but now rebellion threatens England’s fragile peace.

With the Midlands in uproar, King Edward wants peace in the shires and the last thing he needs is potential trouble in the form of an unwed heiress.

But, strong-willed and single-minded, Isobel Fenton is determined that nothing will separate her from her beloved manor of Beaumancote, even if she does have to marry to stay there.

Isobel is unaware of the importance she and her land represent, nor of the agenda of the formidable Earl in whose care she finds herself.

And as unrest boils into war, she is drawn into the very heart of the conflict.

Can Isobel escape from the web in which she is trapped? Will she find a way to decide her own fate?

Or will the Wheel of Fortune fail to turn in her favour…?

Congratulations to Graham Ley, whose compelling historical saga, Moonlight at Cuckmere Haven, is published today!

England and Brittany, 1796

In London on business, aristocrat and father-to-be Justin Wentworth chases a thief only to be confronted by a face from the past — Coline — and the news that he already has a daughter.

Amelia Wentworth is in Sussex enjoying the delights of sea-bathing with her companion Caroline North. When Caroline catches sight of a dangerous adversary in the crowd at the Brighton races — the villain Tregothen — she writes to her brother, Colonel North, who swiftly rides to their aid.

At Chittesleigh Manor in Devonshire, pregnant Arabella Wentworth is disturbed by a brief note from Justin extending his absence from her. She decides to write to Justin’s friend Eugene Picaud to ask him to inquire after Justin in London. Justin’s mother, Sempronie, comes to stay at Chittesleigh, and is drawn to Justin’s writing bureau, discovering letters from Coline from their time together.

Meanwhile at Kergohan Manor in Brittany, the villagers celebrate as bread is baked for the first time in the large oven. The gathering is interrupted by the arrival of Laurent Guèvremont, owner of the manor, who explains to Héloïse Argoubet that he has an obligation to look after her, and prepare her for life in society.

Eugene, unsure of his future, enlists as a marine aboard HMS Amphion. Justin and Amelia visit as the ship prepares to leave Plymouth. After a sudden and terrifying explosion at the dock, Justin rushes back to find that the Amphion has been blown apart, with horrendous loss of life. As he searches for Eugene amongst the bodies, he eventually sees a figure in the water…

Will Eugene survive the disaster? Will Tregothen escape justice? And is the child the result of Coline’s affair with Justin?

And when love blossoms, will it finally unite the Wentworth family once and for all?

Congratulations to David Field, whose absorbing historical thriller, Death By Gunpowder, is out now!

Death By Gunpowder is the sixth instalment of the Bailiff Mountsorrel Tudor Mystery Series – private investigation crime novels set during the reign of Elizabeth I and beyond.

Nottingham, England, 1605

Frustrated in their two previous attempts to restore the Catholic faith to England, a group of heretics plan to assassinate King James in Parliament in a massive explosion timed for November 5th, 1605.

But when that plot also fails and Guy Fawkes starts revealing the names of accomplices under torture in the Tower, those who had been complicit in the plot run for cover.

Not long after, Nottinghamshire bailiff, Edward Mountsorrel is called to investigate a mysterious explosion in a row of houses that has left four people dead.

And he soon unearths evidence that suggests this crime is linked to the larger plot on the king’s life.

His suspicions are confirmed when an official from London, acting with royal authority, orders Edward and fellow bailiff Francis Barton to hunt down the gunpowder fugitives who are believed to be hiding out in the local area.

But the men won’t go down without a fight. And Edward could find himself in the firing line…

Congratulations to J. C. Briggs, whose intriguing Gothic mystery, The Inheritors of Moonlyght Tower, is out now!

England, 1916

With her mother ill and her father threatening to marry her off to a violent neighbour, Jessie Sedgwick takes up a position as a kitchen maid at Moonlyght Tower to escape her home.

But Moonlyght is far from a sanctuary. Its imposing Gothic Tower looms menacingly over the building and Jessie is surprised to find the only other staff members are a sour housekeeper and an unfriendly nurse who looks after the bedbound lady of the house.

Not long after arriving, Jessie meets a former kitchen maid, Ethel Widdop, who warns Jessie to leave as soon as possible. But before Jessie can find out more, Ethel is found dead…

And something strange is happening at Moonlyght. Jessie sees something strange in the imposing tower and she hears footsteps coming from an empty room. A room she discovers belonged to the heir to the house, Jonathan, who fell from the tower two years ago.

It’s clear there are dark secrets hiding at Moonlyght, and despite herself, Jessie finds herself drawn in.

What ails the lady of the house? Was her son’s death really an accident – or something more sinister?

And is Jessie in danger of ending up like Ethel…?

Congratulations to D. R. Bailey, whose thrilling aviation novel, Sisters For Victory, is published today!

Sisters For Victory is the first military adventure novel in the Secret Sirens Aviation Thrillers Series, heart-pounding Second World War escapades with strong female leads.

Autumn, 1942

With the reserves of male pilots ready for combat rapidly dwindling, England’s secret service decide to try something revolutionary. They are going to send female pilots into combat.

MI6 put Wing Commander James Donovan in charge of the ‘Sirens’. Outwardly, the women chosen appear to be assisting in the transporting of planes, but this is just a cover. In reality, they will be flying secret RAF combat missions into enemy territory.

Sisters Anna and Jennifer Nightingale are two of the early recruits into the Siren Squadron. They have grown up flying Tiger Moths as part of their father’s aerial display team, and now they need to get to grips with battle-ready Mosquitos.

Once trained, the Sirens are sent out on their first mission. But it soon becomes clear someone is sabotaging their aircraft.

Can the Nightingale sisters prove they deserve to fight alongside their male counterparts? Will they lead the way for women at war?

Or will the odds be too heavily stacked against them…?

Congratulations to Elizabeth Bailey, whose absorbing historical mystery, The Killing Cave, is published today!

The Killing Cave is the eleventh book in the Lady Fan Mystery series: traditional British detective novels set in eighteenth-century England.

1799, England

A family holiday to the seaside takes a dramatic turn when Lady Ottilia Fanshawe’s young son Luke accidentally stumbles on a body in a cave.

Lady Fan and her husband Francis quickly rush to the scene and find the corpse bound and blindfolded with a bullet hole in his head.

It appears the man was executed, and with smugglers well-known to operate in the area, the local sergeant suggests it was a quarrel amongst the reprobates.

But Ottilia is not so sure. The crime scene seemed staged, and the dead man too well dressed to be a common criminal.

There is nothing else for it. The Fanshawes must extend their stay on the Norfolk coast to allow Lady Fan to take the lead.

But with her health compromised, four young children to care for and a grumbling mother-in-law in tow, can Lady Fan summon up enough strength to unravel this mystery? Or will this be the case that finally forces her into retirement?

We are delighted to announce that we have signed a new series by Angelina Hill, which follows the fortunes of a female pirate across the high seas.

In Angelina’s words:

“I’m excited to introduce my new series Freedom’s Curse, about a woman who wants what men in 1605 take for granted — freedom.

“After ten years at sea on a merchant vessel, Augusta has almost perfected the art of sailing and passing as a man. But when the crew discovers her true gender, she’s abandoned at port and forced to join the deadliest profession — piracy. Aboard a new ship, posing as both a man and a pirate, she must discover who she is, what she wants most, and what she’s willing to sacrifice to get it.

“Along the way, Augusta is surprised to find a father figure in the captain, a lover in the first mate, and a friend in an Algerian courtesan — all while she strives to outwit and outfight her brother as he chases her across the world in an attempt to bring her back to where he believes she belongs: home.

“Sapere Books is the perfect home for my Freedom’s Curse series, and I look forward to working with the team. When I first met Amy Durant at the Historical Novel Society conference, she said she was looking for a historical nautical series with a strong female lead and a dash of romance. My jaw dropped, and I almost hugged her as I exclaimed, ‘You just described my series!’”

Congratulations to Raymond Wemmlinger, whose gripping Tudor saga, The Queen’s Rival, is out now!

England, 1553

As she is seventh in line to the throne, sixteen-year-old Lady Margaret Clifford knows her marriage should be an important one. Which is why she is shocked to learn her father has agreed to entertain a proposal from a mere knight.

Sir Andrew Dudley is a court favourite and joins the ranks of the Duke of Northumberland’s family who are attempting to secure politically advantageous marriages. His nephew, Guildford Dudley is recently married to Margaret’s cousin, Lady Jane Grey, and with the boy-king Edward VI failing to secure a marriage of his own and produce an heir, it is clear the Dudleys are plotting a path to the throne.

All is flung into turmoil when the king dies and the attempt to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne is foiled. Instead, Catholic Queen Mary takes the throne and Margaret is sent to court as one of her ladies-in-waiting.

With the Dudleys’ fall from grace, Margaret is relieved that Sir Andrew’s proposal is off the cards, though she is still keen to secure herself a match befitting her royal heritage.

But first she must win the favour of the new queen. And with Queen Mary fearing rivals to her throne, that is not an easy task…

Can Margaret steer clear of the political machinations at Court? Will she strengthen her ties to the English throne through marriage?

Following the success of his many historical series, including The Bailiff Mountsorrel Tudor Mysteries and The Medieval Saga Series, we are delighted to announce that we have signed a new series focusing on the Plantagenet dynasty by David Field.

In David’s words:

“It’s so good to be in a relationship with a publisher who likes what you write, and encourages you to write more of it. A marriage made in typescript, so to speak.

“Some years ago, Publishing Director Amy Durant liked my idea of viewing English history through the eyes of ordinary folk, beginning with the conquest of England by William of Normandy in 1066. This became The Medieval Saga Series, which followed the fortunes of several fictional families over two hundred years, ending with the death of Simon de Montfort in 1265.

“I had also written a Tudor series for Sapere that began with the life of Henry VII, who became king in 1485, and ended with the reign of Elizabeth I. As I looked wistfully at the remaining gap of over two hundred years, I couldn’t help wanting to write about that period. ‘Go for it’ was Amy’s response, and The Plantagenet Series was born. It will span from 1265 to 1485, and will involve later generations of the fictional family that readers first met in 1066. When completed, Sapere will have published a novel of mine featuring every English ruler from Harold Godwinson to Elizabeth I. That’s what I call an enduring marriage!”

Following the success of her Kit Scarlett Tudor Mysteries and Shadow Cutpurses Tudor Thriller Series, we are delighted to announce that we have signed a new series set in Shakespearean England by Adele Jordan.

In Adele’s words:

“It’s 1591 and the actor starring in a play by newcomer playwright, William Shakespeare, has just been murdered, shot with an arrow on stage in the middle of a performance. When suspicions fall on the woman in charge of makeup and wig-making, Blanche Winspear must fight to prove her innocence.

“In my new series, I delve into a part of Tudor England that has always fascinated me. At university, I studied the rise of Tudor theatre — both the buildings and the plays — and how they evolved into Jacobean theatre. There’s an enduring fascination for this period thanks to Shakespeare’s enigmatic success, but how much do we really know about what went on behind the stage? It struck me that there is the potential for so much to happen in these buildings that started out as inns and bear-baiting pits, before they took their first steps towards becoming the theatres we would recognise today.

“This new story will focus on Blanche and her grandmother Nell, two people running from their past who have come to hide in this dramatic world. There will be secrets, lies, and the world of Elizabethan theatre played out both on stage and behind. The royal court, known for its love of theatre, will appear too, and keep an eye out for intriguing real-life people who will become characters in this series

“I am delighted to sign this new series with Sapere Books. Having worked as a ghostwriter for some years, Sapere were kind enough to give me my first book deal in my own name and since then have supported me in pursuing historical crime fiction with women at the centre to root for. A huge thank you to the team for supporting me in my next series!”

Congratulations to Tony Rea, whose action-packed military adventure, Bouncer’s Butcherbird, is out now!

Bouncer’s Butcherbird is the third book in the Gus Beaumont Aviation Thrillers series: aviation novels set during the Second World War.

England, 1941

Recently returned from the Mediterranean theatre, fighter pilot Gus ‘Bouncer’ Beamont is promoted and offered a posting to a secret Special Operations Executive outfit that flies dangerous night missions over occupied France.

After training, Gus leads Polish SOE mission, Operation Lódź. But the operation is a disaster, as German troops were waiting for the agents to parachute in.

The Poles place the blame on London, insisting there is a traitor at large.

And when Gus’s plane is intercepted by German’s during another mission, he thinks they might be right.

To escape, Gus is forced to crash land in Occupied France where he is picked up members of the French Resistance.

But will they be able to get him to safety?

Who is tipping the Germans off? Is it someone high up in charge of special operations?

And can Gus survive long enough to find out…?

We are thrilled to announce that we have signed the first three books in Kristi Ross’ new Scottish Queens series.

In Kristi’s words:

“My new series brings to life the untold stories of Scotland’s Stuart queens. While the histories of queens in England, France, and much of Europe are well documented, these Scottish queens have been mainly forgotten — until now.

“In this series, readers will explore the compelling journey of Queen Joan Beaufort, niece of King Henry IV and cousin to King Henry V, who enters Scotland as the wife of King James Stuart I after he was held prisoner by her English family for eighteen years. Her tale is one of true love, resilience, and determination as she navigates her husband’s assassination, becoming the  first dowager queen of Scotland in over a hundred years.

“We also delve into the story of Queen Euphemia Ross, whose life begins as King Robert Bruce I’s ends. Her rise from noblewoman to queen consort is a testament to the position of pawn that high-ranking women played. As the second wife of King Robert Stuart II, Euphemia constantly defends her children’s succession rights against rivals and navigates the complex dynamics of her husband’s family. Readers will also meet her daughter-in-law, Queen Annabella, born into the powerful Drummond clan and niece to King David Bruce II’s second wife, Queen Margaret Drummond. Annabella takes the reins of the kingdom when her husband, King Robert Stuart III, is incapacitated, showcasing her leadership and strength in crisis.

“Working with Sapere Books is a perfect match, as their commitment to historical fiction and their passion for bringing forgotten stories to light resonates deeply with me. These women had little control over their destinies, yet their strength and adaptability are fascinating. It drives me to tell the world their stories so that their legacies are remembered.”

The third Sapere Books’ Writers’ Retreat took place at The Priest House Hotel, Castle Donington between the 28th and 31st of October this year.

Adele Jordan, author of the Kit Scarlett Tudor Mysteries and the Shadow Cutpurses Tudor Thriller Series, helped to organise a full programme over the four days.

In Adele’s words:

“For a lot of writers, it’s a solitary world. Whether you are struggling to complete your manuscript or are in love with your story and find it hard to step away, it can’t be denied that for many writers a lot of time is spent in a staring contest with your computer screen, and sometimes we need to step away from that screen.

“For the last three years, a group of authors from Sapere Books have come together to create their own writing retreat, and this year saw our biggest yet. Fourteen authors, who write across various historical genres, came together to talk about all things writing.

“From romance to crime, we plundered the depths — from the importance of accuracy in military fiction, to how we plan and approach clue-filled detective stories. What transpired was not only a shared enthusiasm for our craft, but the reassurance we sometimes need that we are not alone — that there are others out there with the same passion who are keen to inspire and be inspired themselves.

“This year, we had some special sessions led by writers in the group. Highlights included an insightful look into the editing process by Neil Denby, author of the Quintus Roman Thrillers Series, and a debate on the accurate use of poisons in fiction and the importance of research by Linda Stratmann, author of The Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Series.

“Amy Durant, Sapere Books’ Publishing Director, led a popular Q&A session with authors attending the retreat. We also covered what makes a good title, how to grab your reader’s attention from the very first line, the complications around weaving a narrative with more than one viewpoint, and a friendly critique session where people were invited to bring their own work for discussion.

“Following inspiring chats, some political debates, good food and a very comfortable bar, I was delighted to see so many of the writers come away with big smiles on their faces. Thank you to everyone who came this year and to Amy Durant too for sparing the time to talk to us. Here’s hoping next year’s Writers’ Retreat is not only just as good, but the biggest and best yet!”

Some comments from the attendees:

Ros Rendle, author of The Strong Family Historical Saga and the Moondreams House Romances: ‘Thanks to all attendees at the authors’ retreat week for making it so useful and fun. Particular thanks to Adele Jordan for all the organising, the excellent programme and for keeping us on track with such diplomacy.’

Michael Fowler, author of the DS Hunter Kerr Investigations and Dr Hamlet Mottrell Investigations: ‘[The retreat] has turned the plot of my next book completely around. And it was nice to catch up with colleagues from previous retreats, as well as meet up with new ones.’

Linda Stratmann, author of The Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Series: ‘The sessions really stimulated the little grey cells of the brain, and I got some insights which had me rushing off to do some writing!’

C V Chauhan, author of the Inspector Sharma Thrillers Series: ‘It was a fantastic four days! Thanks everyone and a big thank you to Adele for leading and managing the four days so well.’

Congratulations to Ava McKevitt, whose captivating mythical adventure, Nemesis of the Gods, is published today!

Nemesis of the Gods is the third book in the HERA Greek Myths Retold Series.

The Trojan War as you’ve never heard it before…

Since Homer first sang the songs of the Iliad and the Odyssey, the tale of the Trojan War has never been forgotten.

It is one of the most revered stories in the cosmos’s long and complicated history for humans and gods alike.

But there are details within Homer’s narratives are not yet known, and a new side to this age-old tale of love and glory.

That side is Queen Hera’s. Wife, mother, goddess; Hera’s role in Olympus is infamous, but her story has only been told by famous men. Never from her own mouth.

Hera’s tale is one of adventure, heroism, and glory but it doesn’t shy away from the heinous crimes committed by the heroes. And the faults and weaknesses of her brutal husband, Zeus.

She is ready to put the record straight once and for all…