From historical sagas and legal thrillers to a pilgrim’s journey across France and Spain, there’s something exciting here for everyone. Scroll down to discover this month’s titles from your favourite Sapere authors.
May’s Fiction Releases
The Crowned Viper by Amy Licence is the sixth book in the Marwood Family Tudor Saga Series, set at Henry VIII’s court. When her uncle dies, newly-married Thomasin travels to London to settle his estate, and once more finds herself at the centre of court intrigue.
Shadows at the Manor by Cara Clayton is the third book in the Tapestry Tales Medieval Sagas. After a spate of robberies occur on the roads around the manor, seventeen-year-old Grace Amundeville d’Albert is determined to work out who is behind them. But could the culprit be close to home?
The Hunt for Boudica by Jeff Jones is the fourth instalment in the Legion of The Damned Roman Thrillers. Centurion Marcus Corvo and his Legion of The Damned are given a choice: face execution or accept another suicide mission — hunt down and capture Queen Boudica.
House of the Dancing Dead by Aola Vandergriff is an atmospheric Gothic mystery set in New Mexico. Abandoned by her partner and grieving the death of her mother, Christie Lynne agrees when her boss offers a year’s paid vacation in the mountains. But regrets are swift to follow when she arrives at the remote Harper abode, whose strange inhabitants sleep all day and dance all night. And when a horrifying discovery is made, everything around her is thrown into question.
The French Vendetta by Simon Michael is the eleventh novel in the Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers. When a rare gap opens in barrister Charles Holborne’s court diary, he and Sally seize the chance for their long-postponed honeymoon. But deep in the heart of rural Gascony Charles discovers a community still fighting the Second World War, where old crimes refuse to stay buried.
The Restless Wave by David Clancy is the fourth book in the Romulus Hutchinson Naval Adventures, set during the Second World War. While Romulus sees action in the Mediterranean for the Allied landings at Sicily and Salerno, as well as helping to lift the siege of Malta as part of Operation Pedestal, his twin brother Remus is once again unlucky enough to experience the wrong end of a torpedo strike.
The Scattering Murders by Keith Moray is the eighth crime thriller in the Inspector Torquil McKinnon Mystery Series, set on a remote Scottish island. When a well-liked farmer is found dead, Detective Inspector McKinnon soon finds himself with more than one mystery to solve.
An Angel’s Touch by Elizabeth Bailey is a touching Georgian romance featuring a spirited and passionate heroine. Can a young woman’s love bring a grieving recluse back into the world?
May’s Audio Releases
Lose yourself in a great audiobook this month!
Professor, friend, Soviet spy; who was the real Hugh Hambleton? Find out in Hugh Hambleton, Spy by Leo Heaps.
Two brothers are keen to start their naval careers. But could it all be over before they’ve barely begun? Find out in For Those in Peril by David Clensy.
Don’t miss this unique account of the Battle of the Atlantic from the perspective of a British destroyer captain in U-Boat Killer by Donald Macintyre.
Discover the unforgettable history of French intelligence agents and courageous British pilots who risked everything in the fight against Hitler in A House for Spies: SIS Operations into Occupied France from a Sussex Farmhouse by Edward Wake-Walker.
May’s Non-Fiction Releases
Hurricanes over Murmansk by John Golley tells the remarkable story of the RAF’s daring defence of the Soviet Union against the brutal Nazi onslaught of 1941. Drawing on first-hand accounts from RAF pilots as well as senior Soviet officials, Golley has crafted a thoroughly researched, vividly told account of bravery, sacrifice, and wartime ingenuity.
The Battle for European Skies by Chaz Bowyer is a comprehensive account of the savage aerial war fought over Europe during the Second World War. This book stands as a poignant tribute to the bravery and dedication of the men on both sides who took to the skies time and again, uncertain of their fate, in the service of their country.
To Drive the Enemy from Southern Soil by Michael W. Taylor draws upon the personal correspondence of Confederate Colonel Francis Marion Parker to recount the history of the brave men of the 30th Regiment North Carolina Troops, from its inception in September 1861 to its final surrender at Appomattox in 1865. The result is a deeply personal record of the daily life and cares of a Civil War soldier.
The Field of the Star is a searingly honest account of author Nicholas Luard’s pilgrimage along the Camino de Compostela, undertaken after the devastating illness and death of his eldest daughter.
Happy Reading! Team Sapere
Vibrant Voices. Sensational Stories. Beautiful Books.
Ahead of the publication of The Restless Wave, the fourth book in the Romulus Hutchinson Naval Adventure Series, author David Clensy takes a closer look at why Operation Pedestal was such a critical moment in the Second World War.
By the summer of 1942, Malta was perilously close to defeat. Isolated in the centre of the Mediterranean, the island had endured almost two years of relentless siege. Axis aircraft and submarines had reduced its ports, airfields and towns to rubble, while starvation and fuel shortages threatened to bring military operations to a standstill. Yet Malta remained strategically indispensable. From its harbours and airstrips, British forces could strike at Axis supply lines to North Africa, choking Rommel’s Afrika Korps just as it prepared for a decisive push towards Egypt.
Operation Pedestal was the Allies’ last throw of the dice to save the island. Conceived as a massive convoy operation and executed at extraordinary risk, it stands as one of the Royal Navy’s most hard-fought and costly triumphs of the Second World War.
It is at the heart of The Restless Wave, the fourth book in the Romulus Hutchinson Naval Adventure series: action-packed, authentic historical adventures following twin brothers fighting with the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy during the Second World War.
Rom is now a first lieutenant, rapidly getting the chance to show his mettle on the bridge, seeing action in the Mediterranean for the Allied landings at Sicily and Salerno, as well as helping to lift the siege of Malta as part of Operation Pedestal.
In this blog, I wanted to take a closer look at why the operation was so significant.
Malta under siege
By mid-1942, Malta’s position was desperate. Previous attempts to resupply the island had suffered severe losses, with convoys harried from the air by the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica, and attacked at sea by submarines and fast torpedo boats. Fuel for aircraft and ships was critically low, forcing the RAF to limit operations at the very moment when air defence was most urgently needed. Food stocks were so reduced that rationing had reached near-starvation levels for both civilians and servicemen alike.
HMS Victorious’ flight deck showing HMS Indomitable and HMS Eagle
Despite this, the island continued to disrupt Axis operations. Intelligence from signals interception and reconnaissance imposed a heavy toll on shipping bound for North Africa. The Axis understood that neutralising Malta was essential. The Royal Navy knew that losing it could turn the Mediterranean decisively against the Allies.
Launched in August 1942, Operation Pedestal was the largest and most heavily escorted convoy yet to attempt to supply the island. Fourteen merchant ships were assembled, carrying food, ammunition and fuel. Their cargo included aviation fuel in bulk and, most critically, the oil tanker SS Ohio, the survival of which would prove vital to keeping the island in Allied hands.
The escort was formidable. Under the command of Admiral Sir Neville Syfret, the Royal Navy committed two battleships, four aircraft carriers, seven cruisers and more than thirty destroyers. It was an extraordinary concentration of naval power, reflecting the strategic stakes involved. Even so, planners knew losses would be heavy. The convoy had to pass through the narrow Sicilian Channel, within range of Axis airfields, submarines and surface craft.
Running the gauntlet
The convoy sailed from Gibraltar on 10 August 1942. Almost immediately, it came under attack. Axis aircraft struck repeatedly, launching coordinated bombing and torpedo attacks designed to overwhelm the escorts. U-boats and Italian submarines waited ahead, while fast torpedo boats prepared night assaults.
The Royal Navy’s carriers played a crucial early role, providing fighter cover that blunted the worst of the air attacks in the opening days. However, as the convoy pressed eastwards, the carriers were forced to turn back in accordance with operational limits, leaving the merchant ships increasingly exposed.
SS Ohio arrives at Malta
Losses mounted. The aircraft carrier HMS Eagle was sunk by submarine attack. Several cruisers and destroyers were badly damaged or sunk while defending the convoy. Merchant ships were picked off one by one, yet the escorts continued to fight tenaciously, laying smokescreens, counterattacking submarines and engaging enemy surface forces at close range.
At the centre of the drama was SS Ohio. Heavily damaged by bombing and torpedo strikes, the tanker was left barely afloat. Her engine failed, her deck was shattered, and she was down by the bows. Yet abandoning her was not an option. Without her fuel, Malta’s air defences and naval forces would grind to a halt.
In one of the most remarkable episodes of the naval war, Royal Navy destroyers and minesweepers refused to give up. Ohio was lashed between escorting ships and painstakingly shepherded towards Malta, under constant threat of further attack. When she finally entered Grand Harbour on 15 August, broken-backed but still afloat, she was greeted by cheering crowds. It was also the Feast of the Assumption, later commemorated on the island as the day Malta was saved.
A landmark moment
Of the fourteen merchant ships that set out, only five reached Malta. The Royal Navy suffered grievous losses: a carrier, two cruisers, a destroyer and numerous aircraft. By any conventional measure, it was a costly operation.
Yet strategically, Operation Pedestal was a success. The supplies that arrived, especially the fuel carried by Ohio, enabled Malta to survive the siege. Within weeks, the island’s air and naval forces were back in action, once again savaging Axis supply lines to North Africa. This pressure played a significant role in undermining Rommel’s offensive and set the conditions for the Allied victory at El Alamein later that year.
For Malta, the convoy became a defining moment, later recognised through the award of the George Cross to the island as a whole. For the Royal Navy, Pedestal remains one of its most hard-fought convoy battles, a stark reminder that maritime logistics, often overlooked, can determine the outcome of entire campaigns.
The Restless Wave is available to pre-order now.
Stay up to date with David’s news and latest releases here.
Image credits: Operation Pedestal Carriers and SS Ohio are from Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
From action-packed naval thrillers and gripping stories of military heroism to captivating travel memoirs, there’s something exciting here for everyone. Scroll down to discover this month’s titles from your favourite Sapere authors.
April’s Fiction Releases
Tenacious by Jonathan Eyers is the first book in the Newt Beresford Naval Adventures series: Age of Sail historical adventures set in the 18th century. When Newt Beresford joins the frigate HMS Tenacious, he soon finds himself increasingly isolated on a ship full of whispered secrets, coded names, mysterious symbols and threatening messages.
A Miracle of Deliverance: A Dunkirk Short Story Anthology is a collection of linked short stories that commemorate the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940. From a British soldier reflecting on the chaos of war, to a naval lieutenant doing his best to save the army from complete disaster, each of these stories reveals the heroic actions and deeply moving stories of the men and women who took part in this remarkable evacuation.
The Blooding of Jack Absolute by C. C. Humphreys is the first book in the Jack Absolute Military Adventure series: page-turning historical thrillers set in the 18th century. Can young Jack endure bloody battles in a wild landscape?
The Cold Light of Day by Stephen Taylor is the second book in the Augustus Swift Investigations series: chilling historical mysteries set in 18th-century London. Can Augustus Swift track down the ‘Beast of London’ before there are any more deaths?
Border Winds by Eric Helm is the second book in the Global War Military Thriller series. The world war has reached America’s backyard in this alternative-history military adventure set in the 20th century.
A Trace of Memory by Elizabeth Bailey is a quirky historical romance set in Georgian England with an intriguing twist. How can Elaine trust her heart if she can’t remember who she is?
Speculator by Neil Denby is the sixth book in the Quintus Roman Thrillers series. Centurion Julius Quintus Quirinius and his comrades are pushed to their limits in this action-packed military adventure set in Ancient Rome.
April’s Fiction Backlist Releases
We are pleased to announce that Flotilla Attack and Operation Chariot by Charles Whiting writing as Duncan Harding are now available from Amazon. Don’t miss these page-turning historical naval adventures set during the Second World War.
April’s Audio Releases
Lose yourself in a great audiobook this month!
Can an enterprising thief unmask a murderer? Find out in Murder at Greenwich Palace by Adele Jordan.
Discover a thrilling police procedural with an unexpected twist in Lying and Dying by Graham Brack.
The war is intensifying for the Secret Sirens in The Night Angels by D. R. Bailey.
A young centurion is sent on a suicide mission in Fortress of Steel by Jeff Jones.
April’s Non-Fiction Releases
Bomber Barons by Chaz Bowyer is a powerful and compelling history of Bomber Command and the extraordinary men who risked everything in the skies over Nazi Germany.
Pommie Migrant by Sydney Hart is a vivid and entertaining memoir of a “Ten Pound Pom” who left post-war Britain to begin a new life in Australia, capturing both the highs and lows of the migrant experience.
Andalucia by Nicholas Luard offers a vivid portrait of the region’s landscapes, traditions, and tumultuous past — a must-read for everyone who loves travel, history, and Spain.
British Liberation Army: 1944–1945 by Charles Whiting is a gripping account of the British Infantry’s final push to liberate Europe from Nazi control in the last year of the Second World War, 1944–1945.
Happy Reading! Team Sapere
Vibrant Voices. Sensational Stories. Beautiful Books.
From medieval intrigues and Tudor mysteries to absorbing accounts of momentous battles, there’s something exciting here for everyone. Scroll down to discover this month’s titles from your favourite Sapere authors.
March’s Fiction Releases
Malta Inferno by Justin Fox is the fourth book in the Jack Pembroke Naval Thrillers series. In this instalment, Lieutenant Jack Pembroke and his small escort ship, HMSAS Southern Gannet, join a secret convoy from Egypt to relieve the beleaguered island of Malta.
Tyranny of Indulgence by Richard Kurti is the fifth book in the Basilica Diaries Medieval Mysteries series. Determined to accelerate the building of St Peter’s Basilica, the new Pope, Leo X, initiates the selling of indulgences, whereby the rich can buy forgiveness for their sins.
Matrons of Dishonour by David Field is the thirteenth book in the Esther & Jack Enright Mysteries series. Jack is tasked with assuring his superiors that rumours of unlawful assaults on suffragettes in police custody are baseless. But when he learns otherwise, he is obliged to reassess his loyalties.
A Parisian Intrigue by Suzanne Parsons is the first book in the WWII Aviatrix Adventures series. Miriam Nugent and her fiancé, Archie Bowater, are both doing their bit for the war effort. While Archie struggles to get to grips with flying Spitfires, at Bletchley Park Miriam quickly makes her mark fixing the machines that will decode enemy messages.
Grave Merriment by Angela Ranson is the third book in the Catrin Surovell Tudor Mystery series. It’s Christmas at Whitehall Palace, but Lady Catrin Surovell cannot find her celebratory spirit. The queen has asked her to stop a brute who has forced the waifs of London to work for him. And it seems the culprit may be someone at court…
A Valiant Endeavour by D. R. Bailey is the second book in the Cooper’s Renegades Aviation Thrillers series. American pilot Cooper Donahue has been sent to the RAF base at Banley to train with the British Mavericks Squadron. Before long, he finds himself flying sorties along the Sussex coast, where the threat of dogfights with the Germans lurks around every corner.
A Lady in Name by Elizabeth Bailey is a heart-warming Georgian romance. When Lucinda Graydene’s father imparts a shattering secret on his deathbed, her world is turned upside down. Bereft, she confronts the author of her unorthodox origins — but instead she finds his heir. And the autocratic Stefan Ankerville, Earl of Pennington, takes charge of her life, despite her protests.
March’s Fiction Backlist Releases
We are pleased to announce that the fourth, fifth and sixth instalments of H. Jay Riker’s gripping SEALS: The Warrior Breed series are out now. Don’t miss these action-packed military adventures, following the U.S. Navy’s elite commando demolition unit.
March’s Non-Fiction Releases
Fighter Pilots of the RAF by Chaz Bowyer is a powerful and deeply human portrait of the men who risked everything in the skies over Europe. Drawing on meticulous research, Bowyer goes beyond the famous names to uncover the untold stories of twenty pilots — many of whom received little public recognition, yet were crucial in the fight against the Luftwaffe.
The Burnside Expedition in North Carolina by Richard A. Sauers is a definitive account of Union General Ambrose E. Burnside’s North Carolina Campaign — a pivotal moment in the American Civil War.
A Short History of the Arab Peoples by Sir John Bagot Glubb draws on the author’s considerable knowledge of the Arab world gleaned from his time spent living and working in the region to explore its history, culture and politics. Spanning from the seventh century to the mid-twentieth century, this book brings to life several tumultuous and extraordinary periods of history.
Hunters From the Sky by Charles Whiting tells the fascinating true story of the Fallschirmjäger — the elite German Parachute Corps — and their role during the Second World War, 1940–1945.
Trafalgar: Nelson’s Great Victory by Donald Macintyre charts the dramatic prelude to the momentous battle — from Horatio Nelson’s rise to fame at the battles of the Nile and Copenhagen, to Pierre-Charles Villeneuve’s bold attempt to unite French naval forces in the Caribbean, before slipping past the British blockade to challenge their command of the seas.
Happy Reading! Team Sapere
To mark the publication of the first book in the WWII Aviatrix Adventures, author Suzanne Parsons takes a closer look at the inspirations behind the series.
Entering Sapere Books’ first writing competition back in 2021, I was thrilled to be awarded a contract for a three-book series. Strong female characters, wartime espionage and aviation — what a brief! The WWII Aviatrix Adventure series is the result. Before long I was immersed in everything to do with the Second World War, especially those members of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) who in Churchill’s words ‘set Europe ablaze’. There were so many inspirational stories, like that of the beautiful Violette Szabo, who worked as a courier for the SOE and was posthumously awarded the George Cross for bravery, and wireless operator — or ‘pianist’ — Noor Inayat Khan, an Indian princess. There were other stories deemed unnewsworthy, so I was determined my female protagonist would be part of that group: unremarkable, unobtrusive, someone who might even make the odd mistake.
Enter Miriam Nugent, who enjoys hill-walking, dancing and reading. Her journey to France is convoluted, beginning at that place of codes and Enigma machines, Bletchley Park, before the draw of the SOE proves irresistible. Miriam is young, naïve, and away from home for the first time. But she is a fast learner. The training is tough, the assault course at Arisaig House in the West Highlands worthy of the SAS. The gadgets are also extraordinary, making those in any Bond film appear dull, but the message is clear: war turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Years ago, I met a work colleague’s mother. There was always something behind her warm smile and friendly manner. What was it? Then I was told she had been an SOE spy.
The spectre of World War One loomed large for those in this war, and having read The General by C. S. Forester, the image of a man who sips tea and discusses fine wine in a French château as his men go ‘over the top’, was strong. What would any man think of that, twenty years on?
Enter Archie Bowater, who is ashamed of his father. He is also desperate to join the RAF and goes to extraordinary lengths to do so. He drifts from plane to plane, flying Spitfires, Hurricanes, Bristol Beaufighters and the wooden De Havilland Mosquito in his quest to be the hero his father never was.
The Moon Squadrons that supported the SOE were another inspiration, the iconic painting They Landed by Moonlight by Robert Taylor — capturing a night landing in an isolated field — hard to forget. Flying deep into France under a full moon, transporting agents and rescuing downed airmen, was dangerous. But what if a woman flew those missions? In wartime, women attracted less suspicion than men, their role to nurture uppermost in most minds. Surely an experienced aviatrix could pull off flying a bulky Lysander Mark II? In Britain, women only ever flew as part of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), but then, isn’t fiction all about the what ifs?
In book two, Red Sky at Night, the ATA takes a prominent role, we see a new aviatrix in action, and a spy is sent to Russia, where she encounters the ‘Night Witches’.
A Parisian Intrigue is available from Amazon now.
You can follow Suzanne on Facebook and X.
All images are from Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Richard Kurti is the author of the Basilica Diaries Medieval Mysteries: historical thrillers set in fifteenth-century Rome and featuring a brother and sister investigative duo. The fifth book in the series, Tyranny of Indulgence, is now available to pre-order.
I can write pretty much anywhere. As long as I have headphones and Spotify on my mobile, the words will flow. Particular favourites are writing on trains and in coffee shops, as the continual bustle of people always fires my imagination.
But it’s important to have a base, especially when writing historical fiction, as I need a place where I’m surrounded by all my notes and reference books.
When we moved to Ely in Cambridgeshire three years ago, I snapped up one of the front rooms, as it has sunlight all day and a big window to watch the world go by. The only downside is that it’s the closest room to the front door, so whenever the Amazon driver rings the bell, it’s always me who has to get up and answer it.
The room to the left of this one is lined with shelves groaning under the weight of reference books, but this room is dedicated to putting words on the page. As you can see, a pair of loudspeakers is in prime position, so that I can listen to music all day.
Incidentally, the folders on top of the printer are where I indulge my only writing superstition. When I finish a chapter, I always print it out and put it in a large file. This is because my secret fear is that one day there will be a massive solar flare that will knock out the Google Drive and OneDrive servers and wipe the discs of all my computers … so I like to have a paper copy as well, just in case!
From twisty mysteries and Roman adventures to exciting tales of historical privateers — there’s something exciting here for everyone. Scroll down to discover this month’s titles from your favourite Sapere authors.
January’s Fiction Releases
Sherlock Holmes and the Widow’s Key by Linda Stratmann is the tenth book in The Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series. In this instalment, Holmes and Stamford investigate the death of a mysterious widow — and make a gruesome discovery in the process.
Nun Shall Sleep by Graham Brack is the ninth book in the Master Mercurius Mystery series: atmospheric crime thrillers set in seventeenth-century Europe. In his latest adventure, Mercurius is drawn into strange — and possibly sinister — happenings at a convent.
Islands of Mist by Jeff Jones is the third book in the Legion of the Damned Roman Thrillers series: action-packed military adventures set in Ancient Rome. For their latest mission, Centurion Marcus Corvo and his men must prevent or crush a suspected rebellion in Britannia.
Dawn of Conflict by Eric Helm is the first book in the Global War Military Thriller Series. In this alternative-history thriller set in the late twentieth century, a series of stunning geopolitical changes destabilizes a dozen major governments around the globe, pitching the armies of each nation into world warfare.
Flight to Freedom by Anthony Palmiotti is a tense World War Two naval adventure. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, the United States is plunged into war. As one of the few remaining ships in the region, the Tanager is called to evacuate Army nurses and those fleeing from the enemy.
His True Wife by Amy Licence is the fifth book in The Marwood Family Tudor Saga series. In the latest instalment, Catherine of Aragon prepares for the Legatine Court, while lady-in-waiting Thomasin Marwood awaits a marriage proposal from the man she loves.
January’s Fiction Backlist Releases
We are pleased to announce that the fifth, sixth and seventh instalments of Gilbert Hackforth-Jones’ gripping Paul Dexter Naval Adventures series are out now! Don’t miss these entertaining and action-packed tales of life at sea.
January’s Non-Fiction Releases
The Story of the Arab Legion by John Bagot Glubb is a fascinating personal account of the development of the Arab Legion as a formidable fighting force from the 1930s to the Second World War.
SS Kommando by Charles Whiting is a compelling read for anyone interested in Kommando operations throughout World War Two — the men involved, their leaders and rivals under the Führer, and the desperate tactics employed in the face of defeat.
The Privateers by Donald Macintyre charts the golden age of privateering — from its Elizabethan origins, through the daring exploits of British and French buccaneers against Spanish treasure ships, to its eventual outlawing and brief revival during the American Civil War.
Eugene Esmonde, V.C., D.S.O. by Chaz Bowyer is a moving biography of a remarkable pilot who received a posthumous Victoria Cross for courageous but fatal actions during World War Two.
Happy Reading! Team Sapere
From medieval adventures and Gothic mysteries to gripping accounts of military heroism — there’s something exciting here for everyone. Scroll down to discover this month’s titles from your favourite Sapere authors.
December’s Fiction Releases
Death at the Altar by Donna Gowland is the third book in the Mary Shelley Investigations. In this instalment, Mary puts her grief aside as she and Percy investigate the murder of a curate at a friend’s wedding.
The Tipping Point by D. R. Bailey is the first book in the Cooper’s Renegades Aviation Thrillers, action-packed aviation adventures set during the Second World War and featuring a team of fighter pilots. When war is declared on Japan by the U.S., American pilot Cooper Donahue soon finds himself in the thick of the action.
Mutiny at the Manor by Cara Clayton is a thrilling tale of romance and rebellion in medieval England. Will this troubled period in history bring ruin to all Elizabeth Amundeville holds dear?
The Rapids and the Abbey by Patrick Larsimont is the sixth book in the Jox McNabb Aviation Thrillers. In this instalment, fighter pilot Jox McNabb takes to the war-torn skies of Italy and the capture of Monte Cassino.
The Prisoner of Raven’s Gaze Hall by J. C. Briggs is a gripping Gothic novel set in Yorkshire. When Catherine Sisley arrives at Raven’s Gaze Hall to nurse an elderly lady, she soon realises that the house — and its occupants — are not all they seem.
The Footlights Murder by David Field is the twelfth crime thriller in the Esther and Jack Enright Mysteries. In this instalment, Jack and Esther take up amateur dramatics in an attempt to track down a murderer and clear Jack’s sister’s name.
December’s Fiction Backlist Releases
We are delighted to announce that the first three instalments in William H. Keith Jr’s adrenalin-fuelled SEALS: The Warrior Breed series are out now! Don’t miss these action-packed military adventures following the U.S. Navy’s elite commando demolition unit.
December’s Non-Fiction Releases
A Captain’s War by Herbert M. Schiller is the remarkable first-hand account of life as a young Confederate officer during the brutal years of the American Civil War.
Disaster at Kasserine by Charles Whiting is a dramatic account of the Allied disaster at Kasserine Pass, where inexperienced American troops clashed with Rommel’s battle-hardened Afrika Korps in North Africa.
Admiral Rodney by Donald Macintyre is a fascinating biography chronicling the life of one of England’s greatest sea commanders, famed for his decisive victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes during the American War of Independence.
Men of Bomber Command by Chaz Bowyer tells the epic, untold story of the Allied bomber crews who helped turn the tide of World War Two.
Fighting for Defeat by Michael C. C. Adams provides a new perspective on the American Civil War and the reasons behind the Union Army’s early defeats, despite its superiority in manpower, wealth, and industry.
Happy New Year and Happy Reading! Team Sapere
With the forthcoming publication of In Danger’s Hour, the second book in his Romulus Hutchinson Naval Adventure Series, author David Clensy takes a closer look at the events surrounding Operation Excess during the Second World War.
In January 1941, the Mediterranean was a tense theatre of war. The British Royal Navy, stretched thin and under constant threat from Axis forces, launched a bold and complex operation known as Operation Excess. It was a high-stakes convoy mission designed to deliver vital supplies to Malta, Greece and Alexandria, while simultaneously striking a blow against enemy naval and air power in the region.
The convoy itself was a patchwork of merchant vessels and warships, departing from Gibraltar and heading eastward through waters teeming with danger. Malta, then under siege and of immense strategic importance, was a key destination. Supplies were desperately needed to sustain its defences and civilian population. The convoy was escorted by a formidable force of Royal Navy ships, including aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers, all tasked with protecting the vulnerable merchantmen from attack.
Operation Excess was a particularly challenging task for the Allied forces. Italian and German aircraft launched repeated assaults, particularly as the ships neared Sicily. The Royal Navy’s carrier-based aircraft, including Fairey Fulmars and Swordfish, fought valiantly to repel the attacks, often flying in difficult conditions and against superior numbers.
One of the most dramatic episodes of the operation occurred on the 10th of January, when HMS Illustrious, a key British aircraft carrier, came under ferocious air attack near Malta. The damage was severe, and casualties were high. Yet the carrier remained afloat and was eventually able to limp into Grand Harbour, where she became a symbol of resilience for the Maltese people.
Meanwhile, other elements of the operation were unfolding. British forces used the opportunity to launch diversionary attacks against Italian positions in the Dodecanese and to reinforce troops in Greece.
As part of Force B, HMS Southampton’s role was to transport troops from the Aegean to Malta before joining the main convoy. On the 11th of January, while operating south of Sicily, HMS Southampton came under sustained attack from German dive bombers of the Luftwaffe’s X Fliegerkorps. The Stukas struck with deadly precision, scoring multiple hits that ignited fires and caused catastrophic damage. With the cruiser listing and engulfed in flames, the order was given to abandon ship. HMS Southampton was eventually scuttled by torpedoes from HMS Gloucester to prevent her from falling into enemy hands.
Though the operation came at a cost, it was ultimately deemed a success. Supplies reached their destinations, and the Royal Navy showed it could still operate effectively in contested waters. Operation Excess was more than a supply run. It was a statement of intent, a show of defiance against Axis control of the Mediterranean.
November 2025 sees the release of In Danger’s Hour, the second book in the Romulus Hutchinson Naval Adventure Series. Following their earlier adventures in For Those In Peril, we follow twin brothers Romulus and Remus throughout 1941, from the Mediterranean to the coast of West Africa. It covers a series of key strategic operations, including Operation Demon — the British-led evacuation of Allied forces from mainland Greece in April 1941. At the opening, readers will join our central character, Rom, as he faces an enemy attack while serving on HMS Southampton at the height of Operation Excess.
In Danger’s Hour will be published on the 28th November 2025.
Stay up to date with David’s news and latest releases here.
Welcome to Sapere Books’ September round-up of new releases!
From Ancient Rome and Victorian London to an American Civil War siege and air gunners of World War Two — there’s something exciting here for everyone. Scroll down to discover this month’s titles from your favourite Sapere authors.
September’s Fiction Releases
The Ladies’ Lounge by Graham Brack is the eighth international crime thriller in the Josef Slonský Investigations series: atmospheric police procedurals full of dark humour. In the latest instalment, Captain Slonský investigates the suspicious death of a cabaret club manager.
Targets of Opportunity by D. R. Bailey is the seventh book in the Spitfire Mavericks Thrillers: action-packed aviation adventures set during the Second World War and featuring a team of vigilante pilots. Flight Lieutenant Angus Mackennelly and his squadron have been given a new mission, but with a thief in their midst will mistrust interfere with operations in the skies…?
Forests of Death by Jeff Jones is the second book in the Legion of the Damned Roman Thrillers series: action-packed, authentic historical military adventures set in Ancient Rome. Can Centurion Marcus Corvo and his Legion of the Damned survive the harsh forests of Germania?
The Belvedere Scandal by David Field is the eleventh crime thriller in an exciting historical series, the Esther and Jack Enright Mysteries, a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London and packed full of suspense. When the heir apparent is suspected of murder, the Enrights must prevent a scandal and secure the throne.
September’s Fiction Backlist Releases
We are delighted to announce that four new instalments of Aola Vandergriff’s gripping Daughters of America saga are out now! The series follows the tumultuous story of three sisters in 1800s America.
We are also thrilled to bring you the first four books in the Paul Dexter Naval Adventures by Gilbert Hackforth-Jones: action-packed historical naval adventures featuring young naval officer Paul Dexter.
September’s Non-Fiction Releases
Fighting Admiral: The Life of Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Somerville by Donald Macintyre is a remarkable biography of an extraordinary man. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the naval history of the Second World War.
The Lost Centuries by John Bagot Glubb is an engaging and detailed history of the Islamic world from the twelfth to the fifteenth century, tracing events from the Crusades to the fall of Constantinople.
Guns In The Sky by Chaz Bowyer pays tribute to the air gunners of Word War Two, vividly recreating their harrowing experiences while offering an in-depth exploration of the origins, evolution, and tactics of air gunnery.
Sumter Is Avenged by Herbert M. Schiller tells the dramatic story of the siege of Fort Pulaski during the American Civil War and how it changed the shape of warfare forever.
Ike’s Last Battle by Charles Whiting is a fascinating history of the Battle of the Ruhr Pocket — a crucial engagement that destroyed the last major German force in Western Europe.
Happy reading! Team Sapere
Following the success of her Medieval Ladies Series, we are delighted to have signed a new Thomas Middleton series by Coirle Mooney.
In Coirle’s words:
“While studying for my PhD, I became intrigued by Thomas Middleton. Who was this lesser known, younger, more dashing contemporary of Shakespeare who preferred to be called ‘Plain Tom’?
“In the first book of my new series, schoolboy Tom dreams of becoming a great poet like Kit Marlowe or William Shakespeare and draws inspiration from the daily crime pamphlets sold around St Paul’s Cathedral, as well as the preachers’ passionate sermons on vice and evil-doers. His essay wins the grand prize of a season ticket to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, but his plan (and childhood) is derailed when his charismatic stepfather attempts to poison his beloved mother, forcing him to give up the precious prize to help pay for the lawsuit that ensues. Alongside his poetic aspiration, Tom develops a lifelong distrust of appearances and an obsession with rooting out poisoners.
“The series follows Tom down the dark alleyways of Southwarke’s lawless baiting dens, taverns, brothels, the Rose and the (newly built) rival Globe theatre, where he meets like-minded playwrights and actors who move easily between all social ranks in late Elizabethan and early Jacobean London. Tom and his fellow artisan dissidents are well placed to root out corruption in the shape of poisoners, like his stepfather, who destroy innocent lives in the pursuit of wealth, status and power.
“All three books reimagine poisonings of the time, with Tom’s character central to discovering the murderers. Book three culminates in the Overbury murder scandal, where members of the Jacobean court and their citizen accomplices were famously put on trial for the poisoning of Sir Thomas Overbury.
“I am thrilled to be working with the marvellous team at Sapere once more and grateful to have a platform worthy of plain Tom!”
We are delighted to announce that we have signed a Viking trilogy and Medieval Templar series by Michael Burr.
In Michael’s words:
“I’m thrilled about joining the Sapere family of authors, because not only is that how the company has been represented to me, but it’s also the impression created by my first contact with Amy, Caoimhe and Natalie. I care a great deal about historical fiction and I believe that readers of that genre really tend to know their stuff, so Sapere’s reputation for excellence in matters editorial, cover design and marketing certainly lives up to that standard.
“As someone who made a career out of teaching History, I’m fussy about the twin imperatives of telling interesting stories and telling them properly. Central to this is keeping real people and their motivations as the focus, because those tend not to change, whatever else does. In fact, that’s the central premise of my trilogy, Chronicles of the Scraeling, in which a disabled teenager is snatched as a trophy from a French convent devastated by a band of marauding Vikings. His initial and derisory nickname of ‘scraeling’ becomes a badge of acknowledgement and respect among his gung-ho pagan companions through his ability to manipulate and outmanoeuvre acquaintances, enemies, and the occasional friend using an outrageous mixture of intelligence, cheek, bluff and superb man-management.
“His story rollicks in three volumes through most of the eleventh century and any number of unscrupulous kings, scheming empresses and demented eunuchs. The books encompass genuine history, graphic violence, outright comedy and even bits of down-home ordinariness.
“Similarly, I was prompted to write my Medieval Templar series by my fascination with the legendary appearance of a phalanx of Templar knights on the battlefield of Bannockburn. Where did these elite and terrible warriors of the medieval period come from? Why were they there, especially since they were supposedly dispersed, proscribed and persecuted years before? And what happened to the fabled and fabulous treasure of an Order that produced history’s first capitalists?
“So many questions, and my story of the life of the first, secret Master of the Temple after it was driven underground, is sort of an answer to them.”
Visit Michael’s website to stay up to date with his news and latest releases.
Congratulations to Linda Stratmann, whose absorbing Victorian mystery, Sherlock Holmes and the Power Principle, is out now!
Sherlock Holmes and the Power Principle is the ninth book in the Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series.
1878
Sherlock Holmes and his good friend Mr Stamford are close to completing their education at London’s St Bartholomew’s Medical College, and Holmes is keen to begin a serious career as a detective.
So when a solicitor contacts him about a new case, he quickly accepts.
Mr Ineson is concerned for his client, the widow Mrs Beauregard, who is considering investing most of her considerable assets in a new company called Baumann Motors Ltd.
In an age of industry, machines are rapidly transforming the Victorian world, and fortunes can be made – or lost – by speculating on the latest enterprise.
The Baumann motor promises to change the world transport, make manufactured goods cheaper and allow trains to run without the need for coal.
But it has not been tested, and Ineson is worried that Mrs Beauregard has fallen for the charm of its inventor.
Holmes and Stamford attend a demonstration under the pretence of being interested in investing to try and discover if the motor is as miraculous as it sounds. But soon they are involved in an even deadlier mystery…
With Holmes’ reputation as a highly intelligent and intuitive detective at stake, can he discover the truth about the highly secretive company? Or will this case prove too challenging for even the most astute of men?
Congratulations to Natalie Kleinman, whose second-chance love story, After All These Years, is out out now!
When Guy Ffoulkes walks into Honeysuckle ‘Honey’ Bunting’s tea shop in the little town of Rills Ford, she’s transported back in a flash to her teenage years – and to the pain of first love.
As a young girl she worshipped Guy from afar – but to him, she knows, she was simply his best friend’s scruffy younger sister.
Over the years Honey has poured her energy into her business and caring for her elderly mother, telling herself it’s enough for her. But no man has ever replaced Guy in her heart…
Now, fourteen years on, Guy has returned from Australia, a rich and successful architect, but a lonely man. And when he and Honey reconnect, neither can deny the spark between them.
But Honey’s loyalties are tested to the extreme when Guy reveals the reason for his return…
Does Honey know her old flame as well as she thinks? Will Guy let pride and ambition drive away the only woman he has ever loved?
And as the pair find themselves at the heart of a local scandal, can they find the strength to take a chance on love?
Congratulations to Eric Helm, whose action-packed Vietnam War adventure, Bromhead’s War, is published today!
Bromhead’s War is the thirtieth book in the Vietnam: Ground Zero series: action-packed, authentic historical thrillers set during the Vietnam War.
Republic of Vietnam, 1969
An Army general, on a recon mission near the Vietnamese/Cambodian border disappears when his aircraft is engaged by anti-aircraft fire.
A search using Air Force and Army assets is hastily set in motion because the general has information about planned critical missions.
Men are deployed from a Special Forces camp commanded by Captain Jonathan Bromhead, and he enlists the help of Major Mack Gerber and Sergeant Major Anthony Fetterman.
But Gerber and Fetterman have been given their own secret mission: to gather intelligence about the build-up of North Vietnamese Army forces just over the border in Cambodia.
And when those forces encroach on the camp, the situation suddenly becomes deadly…
Can they recover the Army general? Will the US missions remain confidential?
Or will enemy forces take over the Special Forces camp…?
Congratulations to
England, 1605
Anne of Denmark, Queen of England, gives birth to her daughter Mary, her first child since coming to England in 1603 when her husband James succeeded to the English throne.
Although they would have preferred a son, both parents are pleased the child is healthy, and their courtiers are thrilled with the birth of the first royal child on English soil in nearly seventy years.
The Scottish family has been welcomed by the English and the reign has started out well, despite continuing tension between the Catholics and the Protestants.
Although Anne has enjoyed the opportunities in England for promoting her artistic interests, she feels inferior to James, and finds satisfaction in rearing her four children, in particular her eldest son Henry.
Anne is determined to bring about an engagement for him with the Spanish infanta. But with anti-Catholic sentiment on the rise, it is not necessarily the wisest match.
Anne becomes pregnant again, but almost immediately afterward the news is clouded by the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, aimed at the near total destruction of the royal family.
The troubling psychological impact on James is enormous, and Anne worries for the stability of their family.
Can she secure a suitable match for Henry? Will her children survive to adulthood?
Or could the Stuart reign already be doomed to fail…?
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 Simon Michael, whose absorbing courtroom drama, The Fall Guy, is out now!
The Fall Guy is the tenth book in the Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers series.
London, 1969
The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who … Tin Pan Alley is the heart of London’s music scene.
It is also the dark heart of a ruthless business tainted by sex, drugs and corruption.
When a young fan is found dead from a heroin overdose at an American rock star’s accommodation and the band’s manager is charged with her murder, Charles Holborne, barrister, must defend him.
But Holborne is getting married in two weeks, and for some reason DS Sean Sloane, his best man, refuses to speak to him.
Has Sloane been turned? What has a select group of corrupt Met officers known as ‘the Team’ to do with the case?
And is Holborne’s client the unscrupulous venal businessman he is portrayed or is he, perhaps, The Fall Guy?
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 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
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…?
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…?
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 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?
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?
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…?
Congratulations to Isolde Martyn, whose enchanting medieval romance, The Lady of Mirascon, is out now!
1208
When cruel King John makes advances on her, young Adela de Whitchurch is forced to flee her comfortable position as hairbraider to the Queen of England.
After stowing away on a ship, Adela finds herself in France. Surviving on her wits and courage, she is soon accepted into the retinue of Lady Alys FitzPoyntz — a noblewoman who is on her way to meet her betrothed, Lord Ricart, Vicomte of Mirascon.
On the journey, disaster strikes when the party is attacked by brigands. As one of the only survivors, Adela decides to make her way to Mirascon to deliver Lady Alys’s jewels to Lord Ricart and throw herself on his mercy.
But when the vicomte mistakes Adela for his betrothed, she is swiftly pulled into a web of deception. With Mirascon threatened by the Pope’s brutal crusade against heretics, Lord Ricart is occupied with protecting his people, and Adela is unable to find an opportunity to tell him the truth.
And as she begins to fall for his charm and passion, she wonders whether she will ever summon the strength to leave his side…
Will Lord Ricart discover Adela’s true identity? Can he return her love?
Or will Adela’s deception cost her her life?
Congratulations to Elizabeth Bailey, whose page-turning Gothic mystery, Nell, is out now!
Nell is the second book in the Governess Trilogy: heart-warming Regency romance novels with strong female leads.
1795, England
Nell Faraday has grown up at the Paddington Charitable Seminary for Indigent Young Ladies and now, like her two best friends Prudence and Kitty, she is ready to take up a position as a governess.
A star pupil, Nell prides herself on her common-sense and practicality. But when she arrives at Castle Jarrow, the imposing abode is enough to test even the steadiest of nerves, and the brooding man in charge of it is enough to test the firmest of hearts…
Lord Jarrow is a widower with a young daughter, Hetty, who Nell is to be in charge of, but it is soon clear that Nell’s job will not be an easy one.
Dark secrets lurk within the walls of the castle, secrets that could threaten the safety of its inhabitants.
Will Nell’s steadfastness keep her from fleeing? Can she earn the trust of Lord Jarrow?
And can she help free the castle from its curse…?
Congratulations to Eric Helm, whose thrilling Vietnam War adventure, Proxy War, is published today!
Proxy War is the twenty-ninth book in the Vietnam: Ground Zero series: action-packed, authentic historical thrillers set during the Vietnam War.
Republic of Vietnam, 1969
The American government has known for a long time that there were Soviet advisors in North Vietnam, but now it seems they are ready to strike.
Intelligence has been gathered suggesting that Soviet fighter pilots have engaged in aerial combat with American Air Force and Navy pilots.
As of yet the Americans have not retaliated, as the UN is terrified of the Vietnam War escalating into a global nuclear disaster.
But the Soviets have been spotted engaging local Vietnamese troops and it seems they are readying for an attack.
U.S. Army Special Forces Major Mack Gerber and Sergeant Major Anthony Fetterman have been on light duties in Vietnam, during a relatively peaceful period in the war.
But after a visit to a Special Forces Camp, they are told that the enemy have been increasing their assaults on the base.
What are the Soviets planning? How large is their army?
Can the US Special Forces stop their deadly attack…?
Congratulations to
42BC
Two years on from Julius Caesar’s assassination, his successors still crave vengeance. The massed legions of the new Caesar, Octavian, and Mark Antony face off against Cassius and Brutus at Phillipi.
Leading the charge for New Rome are primus pilus Titus Villius Macer and his optio, Crispus.
Their heroics come to the attention of Octavian’s spymaster, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, who recruits them for his Viper network of spies.
Their mission: Return to Titus’s native Sicilia to gather intelligence on its current ruler, Sextus Pompey.
But when Titus and Crispus arrive in Sicilia, they find much has changed while they’ve been fighting with the Fifth Legion.
The woman Titus came home to marry has grown cold and he must face up to domestic troubles while trying to help Agrippa restore Sicilia to Roman rule.
Suspecting a plot to assassinate Rome’s new rulers, Titus will face savage sea warfare against the local pirate fleet.
Can he uncover the deadly plot? Will he save another Caesar from assassination?
And can he save his family from the ravages of war…?
Congratulations to C. P. Giuliani, whose gripping espionage thriller, A Snare of Deceit, is out now!
A Snare of Deceit is a page-turning adventure set during the Elizabethan era in Tudor England. It is the fifth book in The Tom Walsingham Mysteries series.
London, 1587
A new year is being celebrated at Greenwich Palace, but not everyone is in the mood for rejoicing.
Mary Stuart, the imprisoned Queen of Scots has been officially declared a traitor. But Queen Elizabeth is reluctant to sign the death warrant and her mood has been downcast, even in the middle of the festivities.
And the night is soured further when one of the performers is found dead in the tiltyard.
The show must go on, but Tom Walsingham, spying for his cousin Sir Francis, stays behind to investigate. The dead man was no ordinary player, but a man called Jack Perkin, who Tom knew was meant to be passing information to the queen’s confidants about a plot against her life.
With Perkin’s death unlikely to be an accident, Tom feels the danger of the murderous plot escalating out of control. And the player was killed before he could pass on his warning.
But that would place the murderer at court. And dangerously close to the queen…
Can Tom find the killer? Will he uncover the deadly plot?
Or will the web of deceit close in on him…?
Congratulations to D. R. Bailey, whose exciting wartime thriller, Tides of Change, is out now!
Tides of Change is the fifth book in the Spitfire Mavericks Thrillers series: action-packed aviation adventures set during the second world war and featuring a team of vigilante pilots.
December, 1941
After a tense encounter with attacking Focke-Wulfs, Flying Officer Angus Mackennelly returns to base to find Squadron Leader Bentley announcing the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
US forces are being drafted in as war is declared on Japan and an American airbase is to be established next to the RAF Banley base used by the Maverick Squadron.
Angus is promoted to Flight Lieutenant and is given orders to lead a squadron escorting the American bombers on short-range missions until they have their own escort fighters.
But after the US bombers have landed, the Germans stage an attack on the airbase and rumours start to circulate that there may be an enemy spy on base.
As Angus and the Mavericks prepare for more intense air battles over Europe, suspicion between the team grows.
Is there a spy? Are they only targeting the Americans?
And can Maverick Squadron prepare their new allies for the realities of war…?
Congratulations to Daniel Colter, whose page-turning Crusader adventure, Blood of Lions, is published today!
Blood of Lions is the third book in the Knights Templar Thriller series.
Jerusalem, 1186
Baldwin V, the Boy King of Jerusalem, is dead and the nobles of the Crusader States scheme to fill his empty throne.
Alliances are fraying and in the midst of the politicking, the Templars, and their brother order, the Hospitallers, suffer a humiliating defeat at Cresson Springs, weakening both Orders.
All the while, in Damascus, the Sultan Saladin scents blood on the air and prepares to make good on his vows to reclaim the Holy City.
Templar knight Finn of Struan has been tasked with venturing across The Black, the no-man’s land between Christian and Muslim territories, to find Saladin’s war machine and assess its threat.
The balance of power in the Holy Lands is tipping. Two forces are converging on the Horns of Hattin, where the fate of a kingdom will be decided.
Finn must wade into a bloody fight and commit pitiless deeds, while relying on the loyalty of his brothers…
Will Finn emerge victorious? Can the Brotherhood prevail?
Or will Saladin finally fulfil his deadly promise?
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…
Congratulations to Graham Brack, whose absorbing crime thriller, The Murdered Molls, is published today!
The Murdered Molls is the seventh book in the Josef Slonský Investigations series, atmospheric police procedurals full of dark humour.
A woman is discovered brutally murdered in her apartment, with some of her body parts surgically removed.
The pathologist has dubbed the perpetrator the nastiest killer he’s ever come across in the Czech Republic.
But after a scuffle with a cat burglar, Captain Josef Slonský has found himself laid up in hospital with a series of torn ligaments in his knee, unable to rush to the scene of the crime.
With his medical review due in less than nine weeks, and the threat of enforced retirement hanging on the outcome, he is determined to get out of bed and back on active duty asap.
With the help of his friend Valentin, Slonský signs himself out of hospital and puts his mind to solving the killing.
Is a serial killer at large? Are more women in danger?
And can Slonský prove his worth and keep the job that means so much to him?
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?
David Field is the author of numerous historical series, including the Bailiff Mountsorrel Tudor Mystery Series: private investigation crime novels set during the reign of Elizabeth I and beyond.
My new series features the exploits of two sheriffs’ bailiffs during the Tudor and later the Stuart eras. For me it was a labour of love because it involved researching the history of Nottingham, where I was born and raised during the immediate post-war years.
In my novels, Edward Mountsorrel and Francis Barton are colleagues in adjoining jurisdictions who have become close friends. Their work involves enforcing the law and investigating crime, under the direction of their respective employers, the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and the Sheriff of Nottingham. The fact that there are two separate sheriffs, one for the county and the other for the town, arises from a quirk of Nottingham’s history that also explodes one of the elements of the legend of Robin Hood, Nottingham’s most famous alleged resident.
A central character in the Robin Hood myth is the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham, but the truth is that he did not exist until 1449, at least two hundred years after Robin is said to have lurked in Sherwood Forest, to the north of the town. A charter in that year, granted by Henry VI, made Nottingham its own county, with its own sheriff and its own jurisdiction, not to mention its own courthouse. And therein lies another set of intriguing and quirky facts.
While the town continued to conduct its legal affairs in the old Guildhall in Weekday Cross, the county needed a place to do the same, conveniently located within the town itself. It therefore constructed what for many years was known as the Shire Hall, sitting proudly in the middle of one of the town’s most affluent streets, High Pavement. It was a small chunk of the county located within the town, and given that the boundary line ran through the centre of the original courtroom, the judge could be found seated in the town while the prisoner before him was located in the county. This august building is now the National Justice Museum, a popular destination for tourists.
Hopefully this will make up for several guaranteed disappointments for any tourist visiting Nottingham hoping to step into the Medieval world of Robin Hood. The city does indeed possess a castle, which features heavily in the first book in my forthcoming series, but the current edifice is now in its third manifestation. The original eleventh-century version constructed on the orders of William the Conqueror was destroyed at the behest of its own governor, Colonel John Hutchinson, at the end of the English Civil War, before Oliver Cromwell could get his hands on it. The reconstruction was then burned down by a mob during the Reform Bill Riots of 1831, and the current building — which is now a civic museum that houses old bicycles, coin collections and Japanese armour — became little better than a middle-class boarding house of dull Victorian architecture before being bought up for a song by the embarrassed city fathers.
At least the vandals couldn’t do much to diminish the grandeur of the rock on which the castle stands, a block of sandstone rising for one hundred and thirty feet above ground level. This is full of caves and passages where previous generations cut their way through the soft stone in order to create dwellings that were converted into dungeons when the castle was first constructed. At its foot sits a vintage hostelry, now known as The Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, that was once the castle’s in-house brewery before it became an alehouse, linked to the castle above by a series of tunnels through the sandstone. This alehouse would have been there during the time in which my novels are set, so I’ve made use of it in the first instalment, in which young women are abducted from there.
I enjoyed researching the history of my birthplace, and I think it shows in my new series, which hopefully captures the rough-and-tumble nature of law enforcement in a Tudor township.
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 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 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 D. R. Bailey, whose gripping military adventure, Dawn of Hope, is out now!
Dawn of Hope is the first book in the Spitfire Mavericks Thrillers series: action-packed aviation adventures set during the Second World War and featuring a team of vigilante pilots.
1940, England
After a series of run-ins with his superiors, Flying Officer Angus Mackennelly is posted to Squadron 696 – the Maverick unit full of misfits and outsiders.
Angus has just returned from gunning down enemy aircraft when he is given a shocking top-secret mission.
A spy is in their midst, feeding information to the Germans, and Angus is tasked with exposing him.
MI6 pin their suspicions on one of the squadron’s foreign pilots, but Angus is not convinced. He needs to get closer to the men in his unit to try and unravel their secrets.
As the fight in the skies intensifies, it is clear the Germans are anticipating their every move, putting the lives of the pilots in the Maverick squadron at a deadly risk.
Can Angus unmask the traitor? Will he save the men in his squadron?
Or will the enemy remain one step ahead…?
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…?
