William Falkland is a dead man.A Royalist dragoon who fought against Parliament, he is currently awaiting execution at Newgate prison. Yet when he is led away from Newgate with a sack over his head, it is not the gallows to which they take him, but to Oliver Cromwell himself.Cromwell has heard of Falkland's reputation as an investigator and now more than ever he needs a man of conscience. His New Model Army are wintering in Devon but mysterious deaths are sweeping the camp ...

Autumn,1646. The First Civil War is over, but the killing is not yet done.William Falkland, former favourite of King Charles turned reluctant investigator for Cromwell, seeks his missing family. As his hopes are once again dashed, a figure from his past reappears - Cromwell is not finished with him. Ordered to London, Falkland must help an irascible man of letters named John Milton, whose cherished sister was apparently abducted by the king's supporters.Falkland's task will...

The first John Grey historical mysteryThe theatres are padlocked.Christmas has been cancelled.It is 1657 and the unloved English Republic is eight years old. Though Cromwell's joyless grip on power appears immovable, many still look to Charles Stuart's dissolute and threadbare court-in-exile, and some are prepared to risk their lives plotting a restoration.For the officers of the Republic, constant vigilance is needed. So, when the bloody corp...

In this mystery by the author of Crooked Herring, a lawyer in Cromwell's England receives dangerous info that could stop a murder—or get him killed.John Grey is a newly minted lawyer and would-be ladies' man with a bad habit of poking his nose into other people's business and getting tangled up in intrigue. That's unfortunate, because a mis-delivered letter from royalists has left Grey with more information about a murderous plot than it's entirely safe to ...

A politically sensitive murder is detected amid the chaos of a deadly plague in this "stellar . . . well-crafted" mystery set in Restoration London ( Publishers Weekly, starred review).It's 1665, and the Black Death has London in its hideous grip. It's bad news for everyone . . . almost. For a mysterious killer, it presents an opportunity to hide a dead body among a city full of them. But as corpses are collected and brought to the burial pit, one of the b...

***Includes bonus short story***Introduces us to the life of John Shakespeare, Queen's Spy.-------------------------------------------------------'Sixteenth-century London comes alive in all its tawdriness' Daily Mail'Beautifully done . . . alive and tremendously engrossing' Daily Telegraph'Plot and dialogue that hums with Elizabethan slang, profanity and wi...

The stunning final story in the one-of-a-kind mystery series, the last mission in the iconic career of John Shakespeare, Queen's Spy.-------------------------------------------------------'Sixteenth-century London comes alive in all its tawdriness' Daily Mail'Beautifully done . . . alive and tremendously engrossing' Daily Telegraph'Plot and dialogue that hums with Elizabethan slang,...

Ethelred Tressider, mid-list crime writer, is surprised when fellow author Henry Holiday unexpectedly turns up on his doorstep. He's even more surprised when Henry confesses that he may have committed murder while drunk on New Year's Eve. Though he has little recollection of the night, Henry fears he may have killed drinking companion and fellow crime writer Crispin Vynall, and asks Ethelred to discreetly make enquiries in order to discover the truth.

In Regency London, an unconventional scientist and a fearless female artist team up to trap a cold-hearted killer: “Thoroughly enjoyable” (Deanna Raybourn, New York Times–bestselling author).The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their w...

The first Bradecote & Catchpoll medieaval mysteryJune, 1143. The much-feared and hated Eudo - the Lord Bishop of Winchester's clerk - is bludgeoned to death in Pershore Abbey and laid before the altar like a penitent. A despicable man he may have been, but who had reason to kill him?As the walls of the Abbey close in on the suspects, Serjeant Catchpoll and his new, unwanted superior, Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote must find the answer before the killer strikes...

A riveting novella set in Elizabethan England—perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and The Tudors.Just a few days before Christmas, a reluctant John Shakespeare—brother of a rising playwright—answers a plea for help from Joshua Peace, Searcher of the Dead, but he has no idea the kind of menace he will face. A naked man has been found in a snowdrift, a wreath of holly crowning his head and a bullet in his back.As all around him prepare for the festive season, Shakespeare must un...

Disease. Danger. Death. Sir Hugh Corbett returns...Hugh Corbett is takes up a life of danger yet again in Dark Serpent, the eighteenth novel in Paul Doherty's series. Perfect for fans of Susanna Gregory and Robin Hobb.After his recent unveiling of a devious assassin, Sir Hugh Corbett has returned to service as the Keeper of the Secret Seal, begrudgingly admitting that his appetite for adventure has once again been ...