Congratulations to C. P. Giuliani, whose deadly espionage adventure, A Deadly Complot, is published today!

A Deadly Complot is the fourth book in The Tom Walsingham Mysteries series.

England, 1586

Tom Walsingham has been tasked with keeping watch over the network of spies recruited by his spymaster cousin, Sir Francis Walsingham.

After intercepting a series of letters sent to and from Chartley Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots has been imprisoned, the spies have infiltrated a ring of Catholic plotters. Led by the zealous Anthony Babington, the conspirators plan to murder Queen Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, thus restoring Catholicism to the realm.

With most of the plotters under careful observation, the spies have only to wait for the right moment to have them arrested. However, when one of the spies’ couriers — Isaac Finch — is murdered, it seems that Babington’s conspirators may suspect that they have informers in their midst.

Fearing that Finch may have been forced to reveal the spies’ plans, Tom vows to find out who killed him.

As he follows the sinister trail, Tom discovers that there is no shortage of people who may have wished Finch harm. And with the queen and the realm under threat, the pressure is on to solve the mystery before any more of Sir Francis’s recruits are lost…

Have Sir Francis’s spies been discovered? Is there a traitor in their midst?

And can Tom unravel the courier’s fate before Babington’s plotters act on their treasonous scheme…?

Congratulations to David Field, whose absorbing historical thriller, The Assassination Players, is published today!

The Assassination Players is the second instalment in the Bailiff Mountsorrel Tudor Mystery Series – private investigation crime novels set during the reign of Elizabeth I and beyond.

Nottinghamshire, England, 1591

Two of Queen Elizabeth I’s justices have been murdered within a week of each other, along with a woman who was involved with one of them and a man who had been awaiting trial by the other.

County Bailiff Edward Mountsorrel and Town Bailiff Francis Barton are tasked with investigating the deaths, but they are thrown off course by a visit from the queen’s secretary, Baron Burghley.

Burghley has discovered a plot to kill the Protestant queen and replace her with a Catholic alternative.

He tasks the bailiffs with journeying into a neighbouring county to infiltrate the gang of suspected traitors.

Time is of the essence as the threat already seems to have infiltrated Elizabeth’s court.

But the men behind the plot are ruthless and the path to discover them is fraught with danger.

Will Mountsorrel and Barton unmask the traitors? Who is behind the plot to kill the queen?

Can the bailiffs stop them before they change the course of history forever…?

Congratulations to Richard Kurti, whose twisty biographical crime novel, Requiem of Revenge, is out now!

Requiem of Revenge is a page-turning historical thriller based on the mystery surrounding the death of J S Bach.

Bath, England, 1761

A gruesome discovery is made in one of the city’s wealthiest townhouses. A man has been imprisoned and blinded; left to die in his own home.

He is rescued and his wife, Lady Arabella Taylor is arrested for the crimes.

Doctor Erasmus Harvey examines the victim, and finds out he is Chevalier John Taylor, an esteemed surgeon. The chevalier is keen to see his wife punished and Harvey is sent to take her confession.

But when Harvey meets with Arabella, he is astonished to find she shows no remorse. In fact, she insists her crimes were justified.

Repulsed by this she-devil, Harvey is unsure whether to declare her insane. But as he hears her testimony, what she reveals shocks him to his core.

And he soon realises he is not only unravelling the truth behind the crimes inflicted on the chevalier, but also the death of the celebrated composer J.S. Bach.

Who is the victim and who is the criminal? Why did Arabella torture her husband?

Her crimes could expose a scandal that will send shockwaves through Europe…

Congratulations to Alistair Forrest, whose gripping Roman adventure, Sea of Flames, is out now!

33BC

On landing in Ephesus to trade, Lachares, a Greek sea merchant, is seized and unfairly executed by Mark Antony, the triumvir of Rome’s eastern provinces.

Lachares’ crew are left to deliver the news to his son, Eurycles, the governor of a Greek trading post. Horrified, Eurycles vows to take revenge on Mark Antony.

With conflict brewing between Antony and his greatest political rival, Octavian Caesar, Eurycles is invited to work against Antony’s cause by smuggling two defectors out of his camp. Eager for an opportunity to get close to his enemy, Eurycles pledges his ship and men to Caesar.

Now embroiled in the deadly machinations of spies and defectors, Eurycles must decide who he can trust.

And when Mark Antony’s legions land in Actium and begin to prepare for an all-out war, Eurycles starts to wonder whether he will survive long enough to exact his revenge…

Congratulations to Austin Hernon, whose captivating medieval adventure, The Abandoned Queen, is out now!

The Abandoned Queen is the second book in the Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy: Early Plantagenet novels set during the Third Crusade and the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

1191

Having married Richard the LionheartBerengaria of Navarre is now preparing herself for the turbulent life of a queen.

Though he has not yet secured an heir, Richard is determined not to settle down until he has recaptured Jerusalem from the Saracen forces. Vowing to stay by his side for as long as possible, Berengaria accompanies him on the perilous voyage to the Holy Land.

Caught up in battle plans, Richard has barely a moment to spare for his new bride. And after witnessing a sea battle and a deadly siege in Akko, Berengaria is left disturbed by the king’s ruthlessness.

Surrounded by misery and bloodshed, the young queen begins to understand the true cost of war. And as Richard becomes ever more consumed by his ambitions, she starts to wonder whether their marriage will ever have a chance to flourish…

Will Richard survive his brutal Crusade? Will he and Berengaria return to England in triumph?

Or will the horrors of war tear their marriage apart?

Congratulations to Angela Ranson, whose gripping murder mystery, Dead Foretold, is published today!

Dead Foretold is the second book in the Catrin Surovell Tudor Mystery Series. It is an exciting historical thriller set at the court of Elizabeth I.

1561

Queen Elizabeth is under pressure from all her advisors to marry, but no one can agree on a potential husband.

The conflict is slowly eroding Elizabeth’s power and authority among the nobility, especially when a prophecy starts to spread that seems to predict the deaths of senior members of the queen’s court.

Tension grows when one of the queen’s maids of honour, Mathilda, is killed and placed on a false altar of hawthorn branches.

Her death follows the first lines of the prophecy, making people fearful about who could be next.

Amid rising hysteria, the queen orders her trusted lady-in-waiting Catrin Surovell to investigate.

Catrin soon learns that there is more to this mysterious death than anyone thought.

Strange symbols and eerie events put her on the trail of the murderer.

What do the symbols mean? Is someone using the guise of magic to destabilise the queen’s reign?

Catrin has to figure it out and stop the murderer before he strikes again…

Congratulations to J. C. Briggs, whose atmospheric Gothic mystery, The Legacy of Foulstone Manor, is published today!

Westmorland, England, 1970

Dark and imposing in a bleak landscape, Foulstone Manor stands abandoned on the edges of the Lake District.

Reclusive Joan Goss inherited Foulstone, but her fragmented memories of her childhood there still disturb her and she keeps her distance in a cottage on the outskirts of the land.

Joan was brought up by adoptive parents after her mother died and her father abandoned her.

And she has spent her adult life haunted by the dark rumours of her past.

When Joan’s niece Amanda comes to stay with her, she is finally forced to confront the secrets behind Foulstone Manor.

Records show that Joan’s father committed suicide. But what happened to her mother? And why was Joan never told the truth about her childhood?

As Joan uncovers her mother’s diary, the full truth of her parents’ marriage is revealed.

Did his traumatic experiences in the First World War force her father into an early grave? What caused Joan’s mother’s untimely death?

Can Joan come to accept the inheritance that she has always rejected…?

Congratulations to Neil Denby, whose absorbing Roman adventure, Optio, is out now!

Optio is the third book in the Quintus Roman Thrillers series: action-packed, authentic historical military adventures set in Ancient Rome.

Julius Quintus Quirinius, Decanus of his contubernium, has failed in his mission to secure a bridgehead in Britannia for the emperor Augustus.

Despite their failure, they have collected valuable intelligence from the British tribes that they are keen to share with Augustus, hoping that will restore their reputation.

Together with his rescued comrades, Quintus flees the misted isle of the enemy and begins the long and treacherous journey home.

Once they locate the remnants of their cohort, Quintus is promoted to Optio and tasked with leading his men against rebel Germanic tribes.

Success could mean a fast route back to Rome and the favour of the emperor. But failure means an almost certain death.

When disaster strikes, can Quintus rescue the honour of Rome and lead the cohort to safety?

Or will the odds once more refuse to fall in their favour…?

Neil Denby is the author of the Quintus Roman Thrillers series: action-packed, authentic historical military adventures set in Ancient Rome.

No doubt you are familiar with the major Roman gods: mighty Jupiter/Jove of the thunderbolts, king of the gods; Juno, his wife and the protector of the community; and their sons, Mars, god of war and lame Vulcan, god of the forge. Perhaps you also know that these were pretty much taken wholesale from the Greeks: Zeus does thunderbolts and lightning, and Hephaestus the blacksmith limps. However, unlike the Greek gods, who had their home on top of Mount Olympus, their Roman equivalents lived in forests, rivers and seas, at crossroads (compitalia) and boundaries and, if important enough, in temples.

The legionary soldier was as superstitious as the next Roman, perhaps even more so. Each had family gods, and needed not only to appease the gods, but to avoid offending them. The protagonist in my book series, Quintus, reveres Ceres, as goddess of agriculture. His comrade, Crassus, reveres Vulcan of the forge, while another comrade, Sextus, reveres Mercury, god of thieves and tricksters.

It was a central part of legionaries’ duties to carry out the correct sacrifices, with the right animals, on the designated days. If this was not possible, a legionary or officer would become a priest himself — a simple matter of covering one’s head — and make the necessary requests and offerings. One of my characters, Tullius, will sacrifice anything to appease the gods (a seal, a mouse, a cockroach), whilst Sextus is adept at reading omens, auguries and stars, as seen in Legionary.

The gods were invoked for good fortune, honoured with sacrifices and remembered on particular occasions. The oddest thing about Roman gods was the number of them that started their life as humans. When it came to turning actual people into divine beings, the Romans did not hold back. Romulus, founder of Rome, had a temple, and the shepherd’s hut in which he and his brother had lived still stood in Rome 700 years after his death. Julius Caesar claimed descent, via Aeneas, from Venus.

With Caesar’s death came what is referred to as the ‘imperial cult’. After his assassination and on the orders of the victors of Actium, he became a god — Divus Julius — gaining temples, priests and sacrifices. The newly minted Augustus (previously Octavian) became divi filius — son of a god — one of the titles he most loved. Other emperors followed, including both Augustus and his wife.

The legionaries in my stories refer to Julius Caesar as the general, the dictator or Divine Julius, depending on how well they knew him. He was assassinated in 44BC, less than thirty years before the beginning of the first book, Legionary. This is within living memory for many of my characters; indeed, the veteran Marcus served under Caesar as a young man.

There were countless gods that fell in and out of fashion, including all the souls of the departed. Larés and manés were the minor gods that represented the benevolent souls of the dead, whilst the lemurés were reckoned to be malevolent.

Religion thus permeated every aspect of a soldier’s life. They were all gods-fearing, if not gods-bothering — though they may have actually met some of those who were deified!

Congratulations to Patrick Larsimont, whose gripping aviation adventure, The Maple and the Blue, is published today!

The Maple and the Blue is the third book in the Jox McNabb Aviation Thrillers series: action-packed, authentic historical adventures following a young RAF pilot during the Second World War.

Spring, 1942

The Allies and Fighter Command have gone on the offensive. The French town of Dieppe is selected for the first major assault on the European continent.

But Jox McNabb and No.111 Squadron start to feel like they are being lured into a trap.

And their new leader is acting unpredictably, making them worried that he can’t be trusted.

As the largest air armada since the Battle of Britain prepares for the operation, Jox suspects their squadron leader is using the men for his own vanity and ambition.

And if the Dieppe raid goes wrong could it prove to be a devastating sacrifice.

Can Jox lead his men to victory? Will the ambitious operation be a success? Or will the squadron face disaster…?

Following the success of her Julia McAllister Victorian Mysteries series, we are thrilled to announce that we have signed a new Edwardian series by Marilyn Todd.

Book 1 in the Julia McAllister Victorian Mysteries series

In Marilyn’s words:

“My terrific relationship with Sapere Books continues with the signing of my new series.

“This time it’s crime
In Edwardian time,
With a heroine sharper than lime.
They’re nail-biting thrillers,
And though she catches the killers
She don’t ’arf have a bloody good time.

“The world might have been changing fast back then, but not for women. They still had no rights, no vote, and men could still “chastise” them until 10pm, after which it constituted a noise violation. I wanted to give those women a voice, so I created a character who rips up the rule book by running a refuge for battered wives, funded by a gentleman’s club with a fleet of… Let’s call them exotic dancers. And quite frankly, neither she or I could be in better hands, thanks to the guidance, support and encouragement from this young, dynamic publishing house. Go Sapere!”

Graham Ley is the author of the Wentworth Family Regency Saga Series: absorbing historical novels set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. The third instalment, Lady at the Lodge, is out now.

My novels are set in the period just before the rise of the great names of Napoleon and Nelson, and after the stormy days of the French revolution in 1789 and the terror that followed, with the execution of the King and Queen of France and the declaration of a Republic. Great Britain was at war with France from that time, and my first novel started with Britain’s most significant involvement on the continent to date: its support for a force of exiled French landed by the British navy on the Brittany coast at Quiberon.

This small army, clad in red British uniforms and carrying British weapons, formed an uneasy alliance with the remarkable Breton insurrection known as the Chouans, a name that may have come from their mimicry of the call of an owl. Brittany was divided in its loyalties, with the Chouans looking back nostalgically to the monarchy and the Catholic Church, while many in the towns supported the new Republic and its freedoms from the old regime. Like all civil wars, the Chouan revolt was marked by outbursts of great cruelty, with much proceeding in secrecy and poorly armed peasant fighters slipping back into the forests, or raiding unexpectedly in towns.

Since the Middle Ages, the English had been allied with Brittany against the power of France. As one who is half Breton and half English, my hero Justin Wentworth had no need to question his loyalties when going undercover in Brittany to liaise with the rebels on behalf of the British commanders at Quiberon. Justin’s Breton mother Sempronie brought the manor of Kergohan into the family via her marriage to his father, who for his part inherited the manor of Chittesleigh, north of Dartmoor. Underpinning all of the novels is this continuing connection of the Wentworth family with Brittany and with Devon in England, one which involves them in the lives and fates of those who live at Kergohan and Chittesleigh.

Yet for all the historical background against which they play out, I see the novels in personal terms, with ambition, greed, deceit, loyalty, honour and love as major motives in the lives of the characters, whether French Republicans, former slaves from the Caribbean, Breton farmers and villagers or English gentry, soldiers, Quakers or actresses. That is why it may be best to see these as romantic historical novels, since romance need not be confined exclusively to salons, drawing rooms and assemblies — of which there are still many to be found in the shifting scenes that make up these stories.

Richard Kurti is the author of the Basilica Diaries Medieval Mysteries series and Requiem of Revenge: a page-turning historical thriller based on the mystery surrounding the death of J S Bach.

Despite being the story of a man who leaves a trail of chaos and suffering in his wake, Requiem of Revenge began as a search for inner peace.

I always listen to music when I write, often choosing film scores that resonate with the tone of the story I’m working on. But as populist leaders took power in country after country and the world seemed to retreat from democracy, my mood slumped. Instinctively, I turned to the music of Bach and Handel.

The richness of their music was incredibly healing, and I clung to the thought that whatever dark times they endured, both composers were still able to produce works of incredible beauty. And then I wondered, What exactly did they live through?

I started reading about the lives of Bach and Handel. They were both born in 1685 in Germany, barely 90 miles apart; they spent their lives as composers and musicians, yet they never met. Although they are now recognised as being the greatest composers of their age, both men had very different lives. Handel moved to London, where he enjoyed wealth and fame, while Bach spent much of his life working in Leipzig, scraping a living as the director of church music.

Bach certainly knew of Handel and greatly admired him; he is even quoted as saying “[Handel] is the only person I would wish to see before I die, and the only person I would wish to be.”

And then, as I was rummaging around in the footnotes of history, I discovered an extraordinary coincidence: both composers were destroyed by the same fraudulent English eye surgeon, ‘Chevalier’ John Taylor.

I dug deeper into the Chevalier’s life, and realised there was a shocking resonance across the centuries: the charlatans who were wreaking havoc in the modern world seemed to be cut from the same cloth as the man who destroyed the genius of Bach and Handel 250 years ago.

Perhaps telling the story of one liar and cheat could shed light on how liars and cheats are able to triumph across the world?

And that was when I started writing.

Congratulations to Graham Ley, whose captivating Regency saga, Lady at the Lodge, is out now!

Lady at the Lodge is the third book in the Wentworth Family Regency Saga Series: historical novels set between England and France during the French Revolution.

England and Brittany, 1796

Rumours of a planned French invasion of Britain have reached the British military leaders, prompting them to prepare their troops and mobilise their spies. Amid the unrest, the Wentworth family — Anglo-French aristocrats — continue to move forward with their lives.

After visiting Brittany — her birthplace — to put right a past wrong, Sempronie has returned to Devonshire. However, she has left an inheritance dispute behind her that could change the lives of the small Breton community that surround her old family estate.

Recovering from her recent illness, Amelia is sampling London society and getting involved with the abolitionist movement. But when a sinister figure from her past reappears on English shores, her safety is once again under threat.

Living peacefully at Chittesleigh Manor in Devonshire, Justin and Arabella are expecting their first child. Though grateful for her good fortune, Arabella is impatient with Justin’s cossetting and misses her old independence. And despite her good sense, her determination to be active seems set to land her in danger…

Patrick Larsimont is the author of The Maple and the Blue, the third instalment of Jox McNabb Aviation Thrillers series: action-packed historical adventures following a young RAF pilot during the Second World War.

The Maple and the Blue sees Jox McNabb and his comrades of No. 111 Squadron, the Treble Ones, prepare and train for Operation Jubilee, the raid on the French seaside town of Dieppe in Normandy. It would be the first major Allied assault on the European continent, spearheaded by Canadian ground forces, but it also promised to be the largest air battle since the Battle of Britain.

When writing Jox’s adventures, I like to include some of the real characters, locations and events that I uncover during the course of my research into the period. I hope by doing so I provide a convincing evocation of the time, but also share the stories of people, locations and events on the very edge of living memory.

Here are three examples from my next book:

During the training phase before Operation Jubilee, Jox and his commanding officer are invited to a party near Biggin Hill at a large villa called The Red House. This was the home of Moira and Sheila Macneal, six-foot twin sisters known as the Belles of Biggin Hill. Wealthy socialites whose father was known as the Black Knight, they hosted celebrated parties for ‘The Few’ during the Battle of Britain and afterwards.  Suffice to say, Jox attracts the interest of one of them and he finds her to be as formidable an adversary as any he’s met up in the skies.

During this time, Jox also drops in for a drink at the celebrated Battle of Britain pub, the White Hart in Brasted. On the wall in the bar is the famous blackboard covered with the signatures of many legendary aces including Sailor Malan, Al Deere, Colin Gray, Johnny Kent and Johnnie Johnson.

Image courtesy of Dougal Fisken

Later on in the story, Jox and his Norwegian comrade (spoiler alert), Axel Fisken, find themselves stranded on the ground near the Dieppe Pourville Golf Club, one of the oldest golf courses in France. Somehow, they manage to find an escape vehicle, which turns out to be a beautiful 1929 Bentley Speed Six tourer, like the one which won the Le Mans twenty-four hours in 1930. As it happens, my own good friend, Dougal Fisken’s family own this one pictured, and so provide the inspiration for the tale.

This and many other personalities, factoids and anecdotes litter my stories, and I hope you enjoy discovering them as much as I enjoy finding a place for them in Jox McNabb’s tale. Jox’s war is just getting started, so I hope you’ll join me for his forthcoming adventures.

Congratulations to David Field, whose page-turning Tudor mystery, The Castle Abductions, is out now!

The Castle Abductions is the first historical thriller in the Bailiff Mountsorrel Tudor Mystery Series: private investigation crime novels set during the reign of Elizabeth I and beyond.

Nottingham, England, 1590

County Bailiff Edward Mountsorrel and Town Bailiff Francis Barton have vowed to root out the criminals of Nottinghamshire and bring them to justice.

But after acting on information from a questionable source, Edward is tricked into allowing several deer to be stolen from a local estate. Furious, he sets about tracking them down.

Meanwhile, Francis is asked to investigate the disappearance of Nell, a young woman who was last seen at a local alehouse with a wealthy stranger.

When the bailiffs’ shared house is burned down and their servant is found stabbed to death, Edward and Francis begin to suspect that their cases are linked.

And when more young women go missing, the two bailiffs worry they are running out of time to retrieve them from danger…

Who wishes to silence to Edward and Francis? What happened to the missing women?

And can the two bailiffs find them before it’s too late…?

We are thrilled to announce that we have signed a series of historical mysteries by Rose M Cullen.

In Rose’s words:

“I am absolutely delighted at the prospect of working with Sapere Books on my series. Opening with Harlequin is Dead, the novels are set in London in the 1790s against the turbulent backdrop of the French Revolution across the Channel and feature playwright and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan as my sometimes-hapless sleuth. As a historian and someone who has worked in the theatre, I have long had a fascination with Sheridan. He was a wonderfully rich and complex character who mixed in worlds both high and low — from the inner circles around the Prince of Wales and Houses of Parliament to the actors and entertainers of his theatre company and those living in the nearby slums. Sheridan had a keen interest in policing and trained in the law before embracing the stage. He was unquestionably brave, having survived a number of duels in his youth, and as a man with boundless curiosity and acuity, he seemed to me well placed to become embroiled in a series of mysteries.

“In Harlequin is Dead, we see him insist that his wife’s illegitimate child be recognised as his own, and he does everything he can to protect her from scandal. I enjoy peppering my fictional world with historical figures, and some of the most extraordinary characters in my novels are based on real people. Sheridan wrote rather wonderful comedies, and so I aim to weave a thread of humour into the books along with the murder and mayhem.

“Joining the Sapere Books family of authors has been a great pleasure. The team offer a supportive environment for my first traditional publications, and fellow authors are on hand with invaluable advice and encouragement.”

Austin Hernon is the author of The Wars of the Magna Carta series — military historical sagas — and the Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy: early Plantagenet novels set during the Third Crusade and the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

For the second instalment of my Berengaria of Navarre trilogy, The Abandoned Queen, I wanted to provide a little historical background. Why did England have a Basque queen between 1191 and 1199? Queen Berengaria didn’t chase or lobby for that crown. She was fully occupied managing her widowed father’s court.

Her father, King Sancho VI of Navarre was an enlightened man and ensured that all his children received the same comprehensive education. Therefore, by the time she was in her twenties, Berengaria was educated, multilingual, intelligent, and a keen observer of European politics and diplomacy of the time. The person who invited her to become Queen of England was none other than Richard the Lionheart’s mother: the dowager Queen of England, Eleanor of Aquitaine. She, the matriarch of the Plantagenet dynasty, was anxious to preserve the royal bloodline. With Richard already bound for Palestine, there was no guarantee he would return, and she was also determined to keep the runt Prince John off the throne.

But why was Richard bound for the Holy Land? The answer to that lies in the Third Crusade. Pope Gregory VIII called for the Crusade, which was intended to conquer the Holy Land and bring it under Christian control. Three kings responded to his call: King Phillip II of France; Frederick I, the Holy Roman Emperor; and Richard I of England.

A glance at a map of the time reveals that the kingdom of Navarre abutted Eleanor’s duchy of Aquitaine. In proposing that Berengaria marry Richard, Eleanor was able to satisfy her desire for a daughter-in-law and secure a useful ally on her southern border. And what princess would refuse the opportunity to be made a queen?

Once Berengaria had agreed to the plan, she and Eleanor set off together in hot pursuit of the war-bound king. And what an unexpected adventure the brave princess had volunteered for.

Congratulations to Elizabeth Bailey, whose page-turning Georgian mystery, The Hanging Cheat, is published today!

The Hanging Cheat is the tenth book in the Lady Fan Mystery series: historical  murder mysteries with a courageous woman sleuth embarking on traditional British, private investigations in eighteenth-century England.

1796, England

Heavily pregnant Lady Ottilia Fanshawe should not really be travelling. But when her sister-in-law dies, she goes with her husband Francis to comfort her brother and her two nephews.

And of course it’s not long before the services of her alter-ego, Lady Fan, are required.

While playing in the woodlands, the two boys come across a gruesome discovery. A dead man is hanging from a tree.

The corpse is quickly identified as the local justice, Hector Penkevil, a man universally disliked for his meanness.

And it’s soon clear that his death was not suicide, but murder.

With Penkevil so disliked in the community, how can Lady Fan narrow down the suspects? Will she find the killer?

And can she solve the mystery before she is forced to bed with her pregnancy…?

Congratulations to Angela Ranson, whose absorbing historical mystery, Shades of Death, is out now!

Shades of Death is the first book in the Catrin Surovell Tudor Mystery Series: exciting historical thrillers set at the court of Elizabeth I.

1560

When Elizabeth Tudor first became queen, the realm rejoiced. Now, two years later, the queen has formed an attachment to Lord Robert Dudley that is causing widespread restlessness and discontent.

The tense situation threatens to become a full-blown disaster when Lord Robert’s wife, Amy, is found dead at the bottom of a staircase. Rumours fly through court suggesting Lord Robert killed her so he could marry the queen.

He is banished from court, but the queen is sure he is innocent. She sends her ladies-in-waiting, Catrin Surovell and Lucy Howard to the scene of Amy’s death, Cumnor Place, to discover as much as they can about what really happened.

Once there, Catrin and Lucy find evidence that the death was no accident, and discover that a stranger was with Lady Amy on the day she died.

And as Catrin investigates further, she finds a secret cache of dangerous documents in Amy’s handwriting, suggesting that she was part of a conspiracy against the crown.

But to find out who was responsible for Lady Amy’s death, Catrin will have to put her own life in danger…

Who was the stranger with Amy Dudley on the day of her murder? Did he cause her untimely death?

And can Catrin escape this dangerous web of secrets and betrayal?

We are thrilled to announce that we have signed a series of Medieval sagas by Isolde Martyn.

Isolde is the author of nine novels and, recently, a history picture book for children. Her debut novel, set during the Wars of the Roses, won significant awards in the USA and Australia.

In Isolde’s words:

“The Wars of the Roses era is often overshadowed by the Tudor century, yet it is full of so many fascinating people, so I am delighted that Sapere Books are republishing my novels set in this time period. There are some strong, fantastic women I’d love readers to get to know better: Mistress Shore, seeking a way out of a loveless marriage; young mothers Elizabeth Woodville and Katherine Neville, struggling to survive in the aftermath of battles that took their husbands; and Margaret Neville, Warwick the Kingmaker’s bastard daughter, secret agent in France for the King of England.

“It’s a great pleasure to be working with the wonderful team at Sapere books and I look forward to getting to know my fellow authors and Sapere’s great family of readers.”

We are delighted to announce that we have signed a new series of Tudor mysteries by Paul Walker.

In Paul’s words:

“I’m thrilled to have a contract with Sapere Books for my new series. With a well-deserved reputation for publishing outstanding and innovative historical fiction, it’s a privilege to join such a talented group of authors under the Sapere banner.

“The series is a spin-off from the first of my William Constable books, State of Treason. Hector Askham, a captain of Spymaster Walsingham’s guards, was rewarded with retirement to a small estate in North Norfolk for his role in foiling a plot against Queen Elizabeth. Eight years later, now a country squire settled into his new life, an unwelcome command from Walsingham arrives only a few weeks after the dispersal of the Spanish Armada. Another threat, more subtle and insidious, is understood to be nearing the Norfolk coast. Askham is expected to lead an ill-prepared and under-resourced defence. But is the intelligence flawed? Can he trust the word of spies and paid informers? To disobey Walsingham’s command is not an option, but the odds are stacked against success and if he fails, the consequences could be severe.”

We are delighted to announce that the first three books in D. R. Bailey’s absorbing World War II adventure series, the Spitfire Mavericks Thrillers, will be released as audiobooks by Tantor Media.

The books follow the progress of RAF officer Angus Mackennelly as he flies into battle while becoming embroiled in a series of mysteries.

In David’s words:

“I am very excited to be working with Tantor to bring my books to the audio platform. This is a tremendous boost for any author, and I’m pleased that it will take the Spitfire Mavericks series to a new audience. Working with Sapere has been an excellent experience and I’m very happy that the series is set to continue.

“The Spitfire Mavericks was born out of a love for Spitfires, plus the feeling of wanting to write something new and different about the air war. The series is a mixture of action, love, romance, thriller, mystery and all of the things I like to put into my writing. It is of course fictional, set within the historical context of World War II. As an author, I love to explore the ‘what if’ and weave a story from that. I am very attached to my characters too, in spite of the tribulations I put them through. Joining Sapere has been everything I had hoped. It has taken my writing career to new heights, and I’m eternally grateful for all of the support from Amy, Caoimhe, Richard and Natalie, and the opportunity to bring my work to a wider audience.”

Congratulations to D. R. Bailey, whose gripping aviation novel, The Fleeting Target, is out now!

The Fleeting Target is the third book in the Spitfire Mavericks Thrillers series: action-packed aviation adventures set during the second world war and featuring a team of vigilante pilots.

1941

Flying Officer Angus Mackennelly is flying over Northern France when his tank is holed and he’s forced to crash-land.

Luckily, he is picked up by the French Resistance before the enemy can get to him and, after a tense few days moving between safe houses, he escapes back to Blighty.

Reunited with his squadron, Angus expects to return to flying duties. However, Squadron Leader Bentley informs him that he’s not going to be flying sorties. He is singled out to lead a top-secret mission.

The special mission is to conduct a low flying night operation with six blacked out Spitfires to strafe a convoy carrying a top general from the German High Command and assassinate him.

Training quickly commences but a spate of unexpected enemy fighter attacks leads the team to suspect that a spy is trying to leak details of the upcoming mission to the Germans.

Angus is put on the case to squirrel out the informer and protect the rest of the men from the enemy within.

Will Angus succeed in his secret mission? Can he identify the mole?

Or will the lives of all the men in Maverick Squadron be compromised…?

Richard Kurti is the author of the Basilica Diaries Medieval Mysteries series: historical thrillers set in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Rome and featuring a brother and sister investigative duo.

Donato Bramante (1444-1514) was the brilliant architect who designed St Peter’s Basilica in Rome and oversaw the initial stages of construction. If you could put him in a time machine, bring him forward five hundred years, and lay out the current problems of the HS2 railway line before him, I doubt he would be very surprised. Bramante discovered the hard way that huge, ambitious construction projects that test the limits of technology always run into the same dilemmas and have the same questions hanging over them:

Why build it at all?

Isn’t the existing structure good enough?

What philosophy should drive the new project?

How can you prevent the costs ballooning out of control?

Will the public lose interest and turn against you?

How will you cope with unforeseen complications?

How will you prevent corrupt builders skimming off vast sums for their own personal enrichment?

Take a moment to think about building something like St Peter’s without the use of computers, high-powered machinery or sophisticated scientific instruments. It took one hundred and twenty years, and Bramante was long dead by the time it was completed, but its construction was still a lot quicker than Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, or York Minster. And once built, these cathedrals have stood the test of time. How many railway lines will still be operating half a millennia after they were constructed?

The triumph of this superhuman achievement inspired me to write a series of novels centred on the construction of St Peter’s. Each murder mystery swirls around a different theme linked to the vast building project. Omens of Death explores the morality of building St Peter’s in the first place; Palette of Blood focuses on the vicious battle between artists competing to design it; and the newest book, Demon of Truth, shows what happens when you make a catastrophic discovery mid-construction.

Although the novels are fictional thrillers, I spent a lot of time doing research to find elements that grounded the stories in the sixteenth century, but also resonated with the dilemmas of the modern world.

So, the next time you find yourself on a rail replacement bus service, why not download some Basilica Diaries to while away the time?

Congratulations to Laura Martin, whose absorbing Regency mystery, A Poisoned Fortune, is published today!

A Poisoned Fortune is the third book in the Jane Austen Investigation series: thrilling Regency-era murder mysteries with a tenacious literary heroine working as a female sleuth.

1797, Bath, England

Devastated by the news of the death of her fiancé, Cassandra Austen has slipped into a melancholy that her sister Jane is desperate to relieve.

Jane suggests a short trip to stay with their aunt, Mrs Leigh-Perrot, in Bath with the aim of lifting Cassandra’s spirits.

Whilst out walking they meet Lady Arabella Waters, and they receive an invitation to meet her at the musical celebration in the Parade Gardens by the river.

But after taking a sip of his drink, Lady Arabella’s husband, Lord Waters collapses, dead.

Despite his advanced years Jane feels there is something not quite right about his death, and her suspicions are confirmed when the inquest determines Lord Waters was poisoned.

The magistrate announces he has found belladonna in Lady Waters’ possessions. He takes her into custody and sends her to the gaol in Ilchester. As she is taken away she pleads with Jane and Cassandra to help her prove her innocence.

Jane believes in Lady Waters, but why was there poison in her possession? And who else could have a motive for killing Lord Waters?

Can the Austen sisters unravel the mystery and prove the innocence of their new friend?

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

Book 1 in the Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series

The series follows the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his acquaintance Mr Stamford during their years at St Bartholomew’s Medical College.

In Linda’s words:

“I am delighted to have signed with Sapere for three more books in the Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series, my chronicle of his youthful adventures.  In these next three we will meet a young Mycroft, enter the world of theatrical illusions, and encounter a devious confidence trickster with a mysterious device.

“My grateful thanks are due to the dedicated team at Sapere Books, for their invaluable support, and the friendly encouragement of the growing family of Sapere authors.”

Congratulations to Austin Hernon, whose page-turning Medieval saga, The Lionheart’s Bride, is out now!

The Lionheart’s Bride is the first novel in The Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy: early Plantagenet novels set during the Third Crusade and the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

1191

Eleanor of Aquitaine sets her sights on Berengaria, Princess of Navarre as a potential bride for her son, Richard the Lionheart.

Richard is determined to make his mark crusading, and might not return, so Eleanor is keen to see an heir on the way to stop his feckless younger brother John from inheriting the kingdom.

Richard is not averse to his mother’s plans for the succession, but his priority lies in fulfilling his reputation as an indomitable warrior.

Berengaria is charmed by the prospect of travelling to a distant land to marry a handsome king of a distant land but she finds she has to accompany Eleanor in a race across Europe to catch her elusive bridegroom.

War on land, storms at sea, and the risk of alienating a conniving Pope go only some way to preparing Berengaria for life with the crusading Lionheart.

Will Richard’s blood-fuelled ambition be compatible with the husband Berengaria dreams of? Can she make her mark under Eleanor’s wing?

Or will she find her new life to be a lot more than she bargained for…?

We are thrilled to announce that we have signed the fourth instalment of the Knights Templar Thriller series by Daniel Colter.

Book 1 in the Knights Templar Thriller series

The series follows the military adventures of Finn of Struan, a young knight, as he fights in the wars in the Holy Land.

In Daniel’s words:

“The first three novels in the Templar Thriller series spun out of a lifelong fascination with the Crusades. The next instalment will be set on the heels of the Battle of Hattin, in July 1187, and at the onset of the Third Crusade. These years were a clash of cultures, a settling of old grudges, and paint an especially vicious backdrop — desperate battles, scheming nobles, warring religions.

Field of Bones, the upcoming fourth novel, finds Finn of Struan and his brothers at the siege of Tyre, a desperate fight to defend the Kingdom of Jerusalem’s last stronghold. The fifth and sixth novels weave them into the kingdom’s death spiral and the legendary duels between the Sultan Saladin and Richard the Lionheart, the warrior king of England. Finn whispers in my head the Templar story is not done, not yet, and urges me to forge on with new tales!

“I am proud to be part of the Sapere Books family. Working with Amy, Matilda, Natalie, and Caoimhe has been a pleasure, their support invaluable. Fellowship with Sapere’s cadre of authors, each skilled beyond measure, has been a rare privilege. I look forward to more of the same!”

Congratulations to Richard Kurti, whose absorbing Medieval crime adventure, Demon of Truth, is published today!

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

1504, Rome

The construction of the new Basilica is finally making progress when a shocking discovery is made: St Peter’s tomb, which has housed the saint’s remains for over a thousand years, is found to only contain animal bones.

Immediately the Pope panics – St Peter’s tomb is a central part of the mythology of the Rome, underpinning its legitimacy. If the tomb is a fraud, the entire Church could be undermined.

Scholar Cristina Falchoni’s vast and unorthodox learning may provide a solution, and she is summoned to the Vatican. She immediately dives into Rome’s archives, searching for clues to find the real burial place of St Peter.

But just as she believes she’s found the answer, the body of a priest is discovered with a piece of parchment stuffed in its mouth, dedicating the killing to God.

And when more bodies laid out in a similar fashion start appearing, a battle of competing myths tears Rome in two.

Is a benign St Peter blessing Rome with miracles? Or is the city being punished with a spate murders?

With the help of her brother, Domenico, Cristina is determined to discover the truth…

Congratulations to Keith Moray, whose absorbing Egyptian thriller, Fall Of A Scribe, is out now!

Fall Of A Scribe is the second book in the Ancient Egypt Mystery series: historical thrillers set in Alexandria and featuring Overseer of the Police, Hanufer.

275 BC, Alexandria

Hanufer of Crocodilopolis, the captain of the Medjay police is being plagued by nightmares. Strange shadows haunting him in the night that are not banished by the gods he prays to.

He is worried it is a sign of evil to come.

And when two separate murder cases land at his door, he fears he is right.

Two prostitutes have been brutally slain in separate incidents, pointing towards a serial killer.

And a Necropolis guard has been stabbed through the eye by one of his colleagues – the murderer rambling about an evil spirit.

Things are complicated further when Hanufer is summoned to court by the High Priest to investigate rumours of a witch manipulating the Pharoah and his queen.

As his shadowy nightmares intensify, Hanufer struggles to unravel all the threads.

Are the crimes all related? Is some evil force infecting the city? Or are these foul deeds the work of man….?

Congratulations to David Field, whose enthralling naval adventure, Westward To Freedom, is out now!

Westward To Freedom is the third Tudor/Renaissance novel in The New World Nautical Saga Series – historical novels set during the reign of Elizabeth I and beyond.

1607

The English Separatists seek only the right to be allowed to worship in their own way in their humble North Nottinghamshire village, but their beliefs are anathema to King James.

When they are given cause to believe that their clandestine meetings have come to the notice of the authorities they move to Gainsborough with a view to taking ship to the Low Countries.

After being betrayed three times they eventually make it to the comparative safety of Holland, but even there they are in danger of persecution.

So in one final throw of the dice they sign up to be members of a ‘settler’ community financed by merchant adventurers.

But to start their new life they must survive the perilous crossing on The Mayflower.

And the wilderness waiting for them on the other side is not quite what they had hoped for.

Will they succumb to the elements, disease or starvation?

Or will fortune shine on this assembly of pilgrims and finally allow them a sanctuary of their own creation?

Congratulations to Amy Licence, whose absorbing Tudor saga, False Mistress, is out now!

False Mistress is the third book in the Marwood Family Tudor Saga Series.

1528

Thomasin Marwood is one of Queen Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting at the court of Henry VIII, and she does not trust Lady Anne Boleyn.

But when an accident forces Thomasin and her family to take refuge at the Boleyn family home at Hever Castle, Thomasin is entrusted with an unexpected mission by Anne’s mother.

At court, Catherine’s attempts to regain the attentions of her husband are rebuffed, with his sights clearly set on a new queen.

And with Thomasin’s own heart in turmoil with the reappearance of a former love, she struggles to find a way to fulfil her obligation to Lady Boleyn without betraying Queen Catherine.

In despair, Catherine’s allies launch a desperate plot to distract the king. A false mistress is chosen from among her circle, to draw Henry away from Anne and lead her back to the Queen.

It is a dangerous task, to beguile the king into bed and incur Anne’s wrath. Not every woman could do it.

Will Thomasin find herself caught up in the plot? Can she retain her position at court?

Or will she be forced to change her allegiances…?

Congratulations to Neil Denby, whose Roman military adventure, Decanus, is out now!

Decanus is the second book in the Quintus Roman Thrillers series.

Julius Quintus Quirinius and his cohort sail to the mysterious land of Britannia. They have been sent on a mission to scout out the savage country and battle the local tribesman to pave the way for their emperor.

But before they can land, a violent storm scatters their ships, separating Quintus, newly promoted to Decanus, from some of his comrades. In seeking them, he encounters Britons who may be friend or foe.

Betrayal is in the air when he discovers the missing legionaries have been captured by a local tribe. And the tribesmen are not willing to release the Romans alive.

Quintus is prepared to rescue his men or die in the attempt. His oath demands it. But can the legionary training of the Roman soldiers defeat the fierce foreign tribesmen?

Or will Quintus’ first foreign mission be his last?

Congratulations to Graham Brack, whose darkly humorous murder mystery, Murder in Maastricht, is published today!

Murder in Maastricht is the seventh historical murder investigation in the Master Mercurius Mystery series: atmospheric crime thrillers set in seventeenth-century Europe.

1686, The Netherlands

After getting Master Mercurius jailed and nearly put to death with one of his schemes, the Stadhouder, William of Orange, has finally left Mercurius in peace.

But Mercurius is not able to remain in Leiden for long. A friendly debate on the sin of witchcraft has been proposed between the University of Leiden and the University of Leuven. And the scholars are to meet part-way in the city of Maastricht.

When researching the local witch trials from 70 years ago, Mercurius comes across astonishing charges that could not possibly be true.

But the opposing side brings forth a witch-finder as a witness who is adamant that the women he charges bear the signs of the devil.

Before the debate can continue, the witch-finder is found brutally murdered. His body was left inside the library, locked from the inside with no other available exit.

Could this be the work of Satan? His wrath provoked by the investigation into local witch trials?

Or is the culprit someone grounded much more in reality…?

Congratulations to Jane Cable, whose captivating time-shift romance, The Lost Heir, is published today!

The Lost Heir is the second book in the Cornish Echoes Dual Timeline Mystery series.

Cornwall, 2020

Teacher Carla Burgess is using her time in solitude to revaluate her life. She loves living on the beautiful Cornish coast, but she no longer enjoys her job, and it’s certainly time to kick her on-off boyfriend, Kitto, into touch.

With lockdowns forcing her to spend most of her days indoors at her parents’ family farm, she joins her father in researching their family history, and she discovers the first Burgess to farm Koll Hendra was actually a smuggler. And when Carla finds a locked Georgian tea caddy in the barn, the secrets of the past start to encroach on the present…

Cornwall, 1810

Harriet Lemon’s position as companion to Lady Frances Basset has been the ideal cover for their clandestine romantic relationship. But when Frances is raped and falls pregnant, their perfect happiness is shattered. The lovers are desperate to remain together, but they will need to conceal Frances’s baby.

They hope to hide the pregnancy and place the baby with adoptive family, but the only person who may be able to help them is Frances’s childhood friend, William Burgess, a notorious smuggler. William has secrets of his own he needs to protect. Will he be willing to risk his own neck for the sake of the two lovers?

Congratulations to D. R. Bailey, whose page-turning World War II adventure, A Fool’s Errand, is published today!

A Fool’s Errand is the second book in the Spitfire Mavericks Thrillers series: action-packed aviation adventures set during the second world war and featuring a team of vigilante pilots.

1941

The Battle of Britain is over, and RAF Fighter Command turns its attention to France.

Flying Officer Angus Mackennelly and the rest of ‘Maverick’ Squadron 696 are engaged in tactics to lure the Luftwaffe into battle.

But Angus has grave misgivings about the orders he has been given, which are justified when he loses a brand-new pilot on their first incursion.

And the squadron is dealt another blow when one of their pilot officers is discovered dead in the hangar.

The inquest rules the death a suicide, but Angus is certain something more sinister has happened.

In between bouts of furious dogfights in the skies, Angus and his good friend Flying Officer Tomas Jezek work tirelessly to investigate the murder.

While they risk their lives fighting a deadly foe, could the real threat be coming from an enemy within? Are the Spitfire Mavericks being targeted by someone who is supposed to be on their side…?

Congratulations to Natalie Kleinman, whose captivating Regency romance, Some Day My Prince Will Come, is published today!

England, 1819

Having suffered at the hands of an unscrupulous suitor during her first season in London, twenty-one-year-old Rebecca Ware has vowed to leave her ordeal in the past and is now embarking on her second season.

Though she is wary of opening her heart, Rebecca soon finds herself drawn to Comte Hugo du Berge, a handsome French nobleman who has recently arrived in London.

As the season progresses and Rebecca and Hugo find themselves thrown into closer proximity, their warm and easy friendship deepens.

However, with a long-buried family mystery to unravel, it seems that Hugo is not in a position to settle down. And when he prepares to return to France in search of answers, Rebecca begins to worry that she has lost her heart to a man she may never see again…

Congratulations to Adele Jordan, whose captivating espionage adventure, The Traitor Queen, is out now!

The Traitor Queen is the fifth book in the Kit Scarlett Tudor Mysteries Series.

1586

Female espionage agent, Kit Scarlett is stationed at Chartley Castle, where Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, is under house arrest for plotting against the English Queen Elizabeth.

Kit helps Sir Francis Walsingham’s top codebreaker, Thomas Phelippes, as they intercept Mary Stuart’s communications with her conspiring supporters.

And when they have the proof that Mary Stuart has sanctioned Queen Elizabeth’s assassination, Kit races to deliver the message to Walsingham.

But before they can persuade Queen Elizabeth to sign Mary Stuart’s death warrant, the Scottish queen escapes.

And as Kit delves deeper into her mission, she finally discovers answers about her own past that shock her to her core.

With Queen Elizabeth’s life now in imminent jeopardy, can Kit find Mary Stuart and bring her to justice?

Even if Kit achieves her task, will she find the London she returns to is no longer the home she once thought it was…?

Congratulations to Linda Stratmann, whose atmospheric historical mystery, Sherlock Holmes and the Legend of the Great Auk, is published today!

Sherlock Holmes and the Legend of the Great Auk is the fifth Victorian crime thriller in the Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series.

London, 1877

The unveiling of a new specimen of the extinct Great Auk leads to accusations of fraud against the British Museum and a ferocious attack on the exhibit by ornithologist Charles Smith.

Sherlock Holmes is tasked with saving the reputation of the museum, but before long, Smith is found murdered.

Police think it was a random robbery gone wrong but when Holmes examines the crime scene, he is sure there is more to it.

Aided by his loyal friend Mr Stamford, Holmes is determined to discover if the museum has something to hide.

Is there more to the legend of the Great Auk? Why has this exhibit attracted so much controversy?

Could more lives be in danger…?

Congratulations to David Field, whose gripping nautical adventure, Pirates and Patriots, is out now!

Pirates and Patriots is the first novel in The New World Nautical Saga Series: historical adventures set during the reign of Elizabeth I and beyond.

England, 1554

Fifteen-year-old Francis Drake is realising his dream of sailing on the open seas. After training with his cousins William and John Hawkins in their naval business, he takes his first commission upon the Bonaventure.

But when disaster strikes the ship and Francis saves the men with his quick-thinking, he makes an enemy of the captain, who threatens to charge Francis with mutiny.

Francis must seek a new path to make his fortune and he joins with the Hawkins brothers to search for glory in foreign lands.

But trading on the world stage is already being dominated by Spanish and Portuguese explorers and so Francis must act quickly if he wishes to make his mark.

And as one Tudor queen makes way for another, and Spanish relations grow ever tenser, Francis Drake may soon be needed to help save his country from the threat of war…

Congratulations to C. P. Giuliani, whose absorbing espionage adventure, Death in Rheims, is published today!

Death in Rheims is the third book in the Tom Walsingham Mysteries series: spy thrillers set during the Elizabethan era in Tudor Europe.

France, 1585

Tom Walsingham has been sent to France by his spymaster cousin, Sir Francis.

One of Sir Francis’s French informers has recently died in suspicious circumstances and Tom has been dispatched to investigate the death.

The dead man’s daughter is sure her father’s death was quite natural – but this doesn’t mean there aren’t strange circumstances surrounding it.

The informer lived in Rheims, close to a local English college where Catholic exiles are known to train for forbidden priesthood, and Sir Francis’s current plant at the college – a fiery young poet named Kit Marley – claims at least one of the young men has been murdered.

With yet another bout of civil war looming over France, and everyone pursuing their own agenda, Tom has his work cut for him, with plenty of aliases, betrayals and lies to disentangle.

And with relations still tense between the French and English, he must be careful not to betray his true identity and end up as the next victim…

Was the English informer targeted? Is there a serial killer at large?

And can Tom prevent any more deaths in Rheims…?

Congratulations to Natalie Kleinman, whose enchanting Regency romance, The Wishing Well, is published today!

England 1818

Ever since the deaths of her fiancé and her father, Harriet Lambert has thrown herself into the management of her family’s estate to cope with her grief. Though time has eased her sorrow, she has had little opportunity to once again pursue romance.

But when she is called on to accompany her younger sister, Amabel, to London for her introduction into respectable society, Harriet finds herself caught in a flurry of social engagements. And when she meets Major Brew Ware at a soirée, the two form an immediate connection.

Having experienced tragedy at an early age, Brew understands the significance of Harriet’s loss. With their shared interests and honest approach, their friendship continues to flourish as the season wears on.

Though no man has turned her head since she lost her fiancé, Harriet is aware that her affection for Brew is growing stronger. And as she tentatively considers her future, she must now decide whether she is prepared to take another chance on love…

Congratulations to Laura Martin, whose gripping historical murder mystery, Death of a Lady, is published today!

Death of a Lady is first book in the Jane Austen Investigation series: thrilling Regency-era murder mysteries with a tenacious literary heroine working as a female sleuth.

1795, Hampshire, England

Jane Austen and her family are delighted to be attending Lord Wentworth’s ball. The event has been at the centre of village gossip after it was announced Wentworth was holding a ball to celebrate the return of his brother, who went missing in India many years earlier and had been declared dead.

At the ball an old friend, Emma Roscoe, bumps into Jane and tells her she saw something she shouldn’t have. She asks Jane to meet her at ten o’clock in the library to discuss it.

Delayed by dancing with the charming Mr Tom Lefroy, Jane is late to meet to her friend.

But when she arrives, she finds the body of Emma Roscoe lying on the floor with a dagger sticking out of her chest.

Distraught and feeling horribly guilty, Jane is determined to help with the investigation into Emma’s murder.

Was it a coincidence that the murder happened on the night of Lord Wentworth’s brother being reintroduced to society? What did Emma see that was worth killing her over?

And could more people be in danger?

With the help of her sister Cassandra, Jane must use her wit and intelligence to get to the heart of the mystery.

Congratulations to Richard Kurti, whose thrilling Renaissance murder mystery, Palette of Blood, is out now!

Palette of Blood is the second book in the Basilica Diaries Medieval Mysteries: historical thrillers set in fifteenth-century Rome and featuring a brother and sister investigative duo.

1503, Rome

Power has shifted among the great families, and a new Pope has been elected.

Julius II is determined to cement his place in history by redesigning the magnificent St Peter’s Basilica and he issues a challenge to the leading artists to submit their designs.

Aware that there are rich pickings to be had from such an ambitious project, Rome’s most powerful families each back different artists, hoping to get a monopoly on valuable building contracts.

But before a winner is picked, a shocking murder disrupts proceedings.

Prominent lawyer Antonio Ricardo is found brutally dismembered next to a magnificent work of art he commissioned.

And the killings don’t stop there…

Is one of the famously ruthless families behind the killings? Could it all be a dark campaign to scare off the rival bids?

Head of Security at the Vatican, Domenico Falchoni and his astute sister Cristina are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.

But with the reputations of the most powerful families at stake, can they stop the deaths without putting their own lives on the line…?

Congratulations to David Field, whose absorbing historical saga, The Conscience of a King, is published today!

The Conscience of a King is the final instalment of The Medieval Saga Series – thrilling action-packed adventures set during and after the Norman Conquest.

England, 1229

After fighting in the Albigensian Crusade in France, Simon de Montfort – a landless nobleman – arrives at the court of Henry III, hoping to re-establish his family’s claim to the Earldom of Leicester.

In pursuit of his goal, Simon soon proves his value to Henry as a military leader and political advisor, becoming one of the king’s most trusted men.

But discontent is building within the English court. Frustrated by the king’s preference for foreign nobles and his extortionate taxes to fund wars abroad, the leading barons are constantly on the edge of rebellion.

As a man with a strong sense of justice, Simon is dismayed by Henry’s treatment of the common people and the corruptibility of the English legal system. And as the barons’ anger seems set to boil over into armed conflict, Simon must search his conscience and decide how far he is willing to go to bring about reform…

Can Simon restore his family’s fortunes? Can he help lead England into a new golden age while retaining the king’s favour?

Or will his principles cost him his life…?

Congratulations to Adele Jordan, whose gripping espionage adventure, The Lost Highlander, is out now!

The Lost Highlander is the fourth book in the Kit Scarlett Tudor Mysteries Series.

1586, London

Covert espionage agent, Kit Scarlett, is once again tasked with defending Queen Elizabeth against an assassination attempt.

With the attacks on the queen’s life mounting, Kit and spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham know they need to find a firm link between these deadly plots and Mary Queen of Scots.

But Kit is also keen to investigate a more personal matter. Her espionage partner, Iohmar Blackwood, did not return from his last mission set by Walsingham and has not been seen for a year.

When Kit is given a task by Queen Elizabeth to deliver a letter to Mary Queen of Scots, a letter not to be read by officials or any political figure, she takes advantage of the opportunity search for Iomhar and find out what happened to him.

But she soon finds herself trailed by Mary Stuart’s supporters and her journey becomes fraught with danger.

Can Kit complete her mission? Will she find out what happened to Iohmar?

Or will she become a victim in the fight to overthrow the queen of England…?

Congratulations to Neil Denby, whose action-packed military adventure, Legionary, is out now! Legionary is the first book in the Quintus Roman Thrillers series.

17 BC

Julius Quintus Quirinius, like many citizens in the years after Rome’s civil wars, must volunteer with the Roman army or be sold into slavery.

Keen to prove his worth, he becomes a member of the IXth Legion, but after only six months his cohort suffer a brutal defeat, the result of stupidity and cowardice.

Cowardice in a legionary carries a heavy punishment: the sentence of decimation – to live or die at the whim of the gods with the unlucky ones clubbed to death by their fellow soldiers.

Ursus, the man killed in Quintus’ group, lays a heavy charge on the youth, asking him to look after the remaining men and to take care of his family back in Rome.

Keen to fulfil Ursus’ last wishes, Quintus helps lead his cohort south to defeat the tribesmen skulking in the mountains in the hope that the IXth legion’s reputation will be restored.

But if they win the fight, their reward may not be the prize they had hoped for… And it soon seems as if returning to Rome is further out of reach than ever…

We are thrilled to be celebrating five years in business this month and we are incredibly grateful to all the writers, agents and literary estate holders who have helped us bring to market such a vibrant and diverse list of books.

Since launching Sapere Books in March 2018, our list has grown to include over six-hundred books by over one hundred authors. We have sold over 3 million books to date with 500 million pages read through Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program.

In 2019, we employed our first full-time staff member, Natalie Linh Bolderston, who now holds the title of Assistant Editor, and in 2020, Matilda Richards and Helen Jennings both also joined our editorial team. They have all been essential to our ongoing success and we are over the moon that they are continuing the journey with us as we celebrate our first big milestone.

In 2020, we launched our non-fiction list, which includes classic works by authors such as E R Chamberlin, Sir Peter Gretton and John Bowle. And we are now pleased to announce that we are also hiring another staff member to help look after our burgeoning military history and military fiction list.

Since launching, we have focussed primarily on fiction, particularly historical fiction and crime fiction, and in 2021 we created our first historical writing contest, asking for entrants to submit a series outline loosely based on briefs we set. The response was so strong that as well as signing up five prize-winners we also signed ten more authors from the shortlisted entries.

We have always been keen to foster a community among our authors. In 2020, to combat some of the isolation due to the pandemic, we started running weekly Zooms for our authors to join and chat about their writing. These have become a valuable part of our ethos and we want to continue to make our authors feel welcomed, valued and part of the Sapere Books family.

We are also proud to announce that we have been certified Carbon Neutral since 2021 and we have created our own Sapere Books forest, planting a tree for every author that we work with.

We look forward to continuing to build strong relationships within the writing community and to publishing more brilliant genre fiction to capture the imagination of readers. Thank you again to everyone who has supported us and we hope you continue to love our books!

Amy, Richard and Caoimhe

 

Testimonials from four of the authors who launched with us in 2018:

 

David Field, author of the Medieval Saga series, the Tudor Saga series and many more 

By one of life’s happy coincidences, I came across Amy Durant just when the publisher that had commissioned my first historical novel series decided to close down. Five years later I’ve published over twenty historical novels with Sapere, with ten more waiting to go.

When you become a member of the Sapere family, you’re all set for a rewarding writing career. If the quality’s right, you know that your latest ‘baby’ will be assured of a good home. They provide great editing, superb covers, expert marketing, regular royalty payments and guaranteed replies to your emails. Sapere authors have indeed been smiled upon by the patron saint of aspiring writers.

 

Keith Moray, author of the Inspector Torquil McKinnon series

Being published by Sapere Books has been a revelation for me as a writer. From the very first moment that Isabel Atherton, my agent at Creative Authors, arranged a chat with Amy Durant it has been a fabulous experience. Over the past five years, I have seen my backlist of fiction published along with five new novels, and I have three more under contract. Every aspect of book production from editing, cover design, publicity and marketing has been handled with flair and efficiency. On top of that, communication could not be easier or quicker, and Sapere Books have created a friendly atmosphere among all of the authors that makes me feel pleased to be part of the Sapere Books family. I could not be happier than I have been with Sapere Books, who are in my opinion without parallel in the publishing industry.

 

Linda Stratmann, author of The Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes and the Mina Scarletti Mysteries 

Becoming a Sapere Books author is like joining a warm and welcoming family, dedicated to providing the best for authors and readers. An experienced and hardworking team offers a soundly professional service, always on hand for support and advice. The last five years has seen Sapere grow and flourish, but never losing that personal touch.

 

Elizabeth Bailey, author of the Lady Fan Mystery series

Working with Sapere has been the most enjoyable and rewarding publishing experience in all my thirty-odd years as an author. That my career is flourishing is testament to the care and attention given to every book. Authors are encouraged to interact and support each other, which makes me feel part of a family, parented by the nurturing and talented Sapere team. Long may they reign! Oh, and we all love our covers!

 

 

 

Congratulations to Linda Stratmann, whose eerie historical mystery, Sherlock Holmes and the Persian Slipper, is published today!

Sherlock Holmes and the Persian Slipper is the fourth Victorian crime thriller in the Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series.

London, 1877

When medical student Mr Stamford is visited by his cousin, Lily, he is disturbed by the sinister tale she relates.

Lily’s friend, Una, has recently inherited an old country house and settled down to married life in Coldwell, a small Essex village. However, Una’s letters to Lily indicate that she is alarmed by her new husband’s secretive behaviour — especially when she discovers a gun in his drawer, tucked inside a Persian slipper. Fearing for her friend’s safety, Lily asks Stamford to pay Una a visit.

To his dismay, Stamford arrives in Coldwell to find that Una’s husband, John Clark, has been found dead, lying in bed with a gunshot wound in his chest. Close examination reveals that the bullet was fired from Clark’s own gun, through the toe of the slipper.

Stamford loses no time in alerting his acquaintance, Sherlock Holmes — an artful young sleuth — hoping that he can shed some light on Clark’s death.

As Holmes and Stamford begin to probe Clark’s past, it soon becomes obvious that he had plenty to hide. And when Holmes hears of further suspicious disappearances, he starts to search for the connection between the sinister mysteries…

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