When the son of his commanding officer is taken prisoner, young centurion Marcus Corvo is tasked with recruiting men from the underbelly of the Empire to rescue him.
Corvo sets about scouring the gladiatorial arenas, prisons and slave markets, for men desperate and tough enough to join him on what is likely to be a suicide mission.
The quest will take them to the eastern fringes of the Empire where the prisoner is being held in Armenia.
Corvo attempts to mould his recruits into a cohesive fighting force, but long before they are ready they are ordered to leave.
In a land where brother fights brother, and where Corvo and his men could easily be mistaken for the enemy or deserters, Corvo must keep his wits about him as they cross hostile land.
Can Corvo keep his wilful legion of men in line? Will they work together to complete the task?
Or will the journey prove too perilous for even the most hardened men of Rome…?
Congratulations to 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?
Set in seventeenth-century Europe, the series follows the adventures of a gifted cleric-turned-sleuth.
In Graham’s words:
“After eight adventures, Mercurius is very keen that there should not be a ninth. He wants a peaceful life surrounded by his books, and perhaps now that the Stadhouder is King of England he can have it. So long as William III is in England, and Mercurius stays in Leiden, he should be quite safe.
“The long vacation is approaching, and Mercurius decides to make doubly sure by not being in Leiden either. He is planning a tour of great German cathedrals, something that he has long wanted to do. He has even been learning some German in preparation.
“But then comes an invitation he cannot refuse. An old friend would like some advice on buying books for a library. It will take the whole summer, but then those cathedrals will still be there next year, and he has always wanted to spend someone else’s money on books…
“And while he is there, a baffling crime is committed — or is it?
“The Mercurius stories are a delight to write and I am grateful to Sapere Books for showing such faith in them. If he were alive today, I am sure Master Mercurius would love to see his name on the covers. After all, his multi-volume Commentary on the Nicomachean Ethics is rarely read these days, but his memoirs continue to find readers, for which I am very grateful.”
Congratulations to R. M. Cullen, whose absorbing historical thriller, Harlequin is Dead, is out now!
Harlequin is Dead is the first historical murder investigation in the Richard Brinsley Sheridan Mystery Series: eighteenth-century crime thrillers set in London at a time of Revolution.
1791
Revolution in France is causing refugees to flee to England and London is fast becoming a hotbed of spies, government agents and fanatics.
When renowned Irish playwright, Richard Brinsley Sheriden is led to the skeletal remains of a harlequin in his theatre, he is determined to get justice for his employee.
With the aid of Bow Street Runner, Constable Nicholls, Sheridan starts to investigate.
He soon realises two more performers have disappeared. And the discovery of a decorative cross suggests there is a link with a dangerous secret society, the Huguenot Brotherhood.
But why would French political migrants be targeting the theatre?
Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales has received an anonymous letter accusing him of Treason and Sheridan is tasked with hunting out the sender.
Could both mysteries be linked? Is London heading for the same bloodthirsty scenes as Paris?
Or can Sheridan help stop the insurgents from taking hold in England…?
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 David Field, whose absorbing historical thriller, Death By Gunpowder, is out now!
Death By Gunpowderis the sixth instalment of the Bailiff Mountsorrel Tudor Mystery Series – private investigation crime novels set during the reign of Elizabeth I and beyond.
Nottingham, England, 1605
Frustrated in their two previous attempts to restore the Catholic faith to England, a group of heretics plan to assassinate King James in Parliament in a massive explosion timed for November 5th, 1605.
But when that plot also fails and Guy Fawkes starts revealing the names of accomplices under torture in the Tower, those who had been complicit in the plot run for cover.
Not long after, Nottinghamshire bailiff, Edward Mountsorrel is called to investigate a mysterious explosion in a row of houses that has left four people dead.
And he soon unearths evidence that suggests this crime is linked to the larger plot on the king’s life.
His suspicions are confirmed when an official from London, acting with royal authority, orders Edward and fellow bailiff Francis Barton to hunt down the gunpowder fugitives who are believed to be hiding out in the local area.
But the men won’t go down without a fight. And Edward could find himself in the firing line…
Congratulations to C. P. Giuliani, whose absorbing historical thriller, A Matter of Blood, is out now!
A Matter of Blood is a page-turning espionage adventure set in Tudor England. It is the sixth book in the Tom Walsingham Mysteries series.
London, 1588
Mary Stuart, the deposed Queen of Scots, polestar of all Catholic intriguers, and a life-long danger to England has met the executioner’s axe.
But many of her supporters still hold influential positions in Paris and her death has not endeared England to the French.
Unbeknownst to the Queen of England, her spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, had more than a little to do with manipulating her into finally condemning her cousin.
And now a letter has been leaked exposing Walsingham’s secret to the Queen’s ambassador in Paris, Sir Edward Stafford.
There is no love lost between Stafford and Walsingham and the ambassador will happily expose his nemesis, no matter the consequences for England.
Walsingham instructs his cousin Tom to travel to Paris to quell the rumours and discover Stafford’s intentions. But then a troublesome Catholic leader, a kinsman of Stafford’s, is suspected to have been poisoned, and Tom finds himself embroiled in another mystery.
Can Tom win the trust of Stafford? Will he save his cousin’s reputation?
Or will the Parisians seek revenge on this hapless Englishman…?
Congratulations to Adele Jordan, whose captivating espionage adventure, Death At The Tower, is published today!
Death At The Tower is the second book in the Shadow Cutpurses Tudor Thriller Series: gripping adventures set during King Henry VIII’s reign in England with a strong female lead.
1536, London
Thief Gwynnie Wightham has a new master in Elric Tombstone. She may follow his word, but she has little loyalty for him, and there is even less friendship between them.
She has agreed to assist him to make sure he keeps his word to never go hunting for her mother. For if Emlyn is ever found, she will be tried not just for being a jewel thief, but for murder.
Tombstone’s task for Gwynnie is to investigate Captain Daundelyon, for there has been a tipoff that the Dandy Lyon, as he’s nicknamed, is a French spy, come to ingratiate himself with the king.
Gwynnie follows Captain Daundelyon around, noticing he’s a common thief, almost as skilled as her in her deception, but she finds no hint of his spy work.
But the Tudor court is cracking into factions – a great rift has swelled between King Henry and Queen Anne Boleyn, and what she does find is that Daundelyon’s presence is inextricably linked with Queen Anne’s downfall.
What is Daundelyon’s relationship to Anne Boleyn? Is he plotting against the king?
And can Gwynnie prove her worth and find a way to clear her mother’s name…?
Set in 1960s London, Simon Michael’s Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers follow a barrister with a tough past as he becomes embroiled in dangerous cases.
The first nine books in the series are already published, and we are delighted to announce that we have now signed up the tenth instalment.
In Simon’s words:
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be publishing my tenth Charles Holborne legal thriller with Sapere Books! When my previous publisher went bust four books into the series I feared my writing career had hit another brick wall, but Sapere were absolutely brilliant, offering to republish the first four books and continue with the series. Five years later, book 10 is taking shape. Regular readers will be aware that having worked throughout the 1960s, in Nothing But The Truth Charles’s nemeses, the Kray twins, were finally outwitted. Nonetheless, there are still plenty of evil men and topical social issues for Charles to confront. Thank you, Sapere!”
The series follows the espionage adventures of Tom Walsingham during the Elizabethan era in Tudor England.
In C.P. Giuliani’s words:
“Tom Walsingham sleuths on! I’m thrilled to have signed up three more adventures featuring my Elizabethan detective and spy with Sapere Books. I have great plans for Tom. He will be tasked with recovering a misplaced foreign ambassador — whose mission could change the course of Anglo-Spanish relations; he’ll become involved in a personal investigation when death strikes at his family home, Scadbury Manor; and poor Tom will find himself in prison when his money troubles and Sir Francis Walsingham’s plans collide. Plenty of mysteries and dangers lie ahead for Tom!
“I’m really happy to be working with Sapere, whose welcoming and stimulating atmosphere and competent, friendly and helpful team have made (and are making) my publishing journey a truly lovely adventure.”
We invent friends in our heads, decide how they speak, what they wear, where they go, then spend countless hours conversing with them. No two writers share the same head-friends, oddly, despite running in the same social circles. Neither do any two writers develop a story the same way.
Specific routines keep us on track, or don’t (looking at you, internet), and each work proceeds at its own pace. Most writers are one of two species: a plotter or a pantser. A plotter maps out each scene, chapter, and verse before putting fingers to keyboard. Pantsers fly by the seat of their pants, beginning with an idea, then writing towards a vaguely defined ending. I mapped out my first novel, Brotherhood of Wolves, but tossed the map aside by chapter 3. I found pantsing more rewarding, and still do, because much of the fun (and frustration) is writing myself into a corner and finding a path out.
My novels are historical fiction, where history provides setting, culture, and place. History can also frame the plot. Story is given precedent over history, however, because the goal is to entertain, not to educate. One or more characters are historical persons and the fictional protagonist lives within their orbit. Historical fiction should stay true to history and the fiction takes flight where history grows murky — which it usually does, especially the further back in time one travels. The murk is where the fun begins, in my opinion, and its where the what if fleshes out the story, where the pantser finds out what happens to his head-friends.
Writers are also strange creatures.
Some writers have habits, like a dog that circles exactly three and a half times before lying down, and these rituals are intended to fuel creativity. Isabel Allende started her first novel on January 8, 1981, and that day became a ceremonial start date for all her subsequent works. The poet Friedrich Schiller kept rotten apples in his desk and, when his mind needed a jolt, he would give one a sniff.
My writing rituals are more mundane and less … smelly. I start with two (not one, not three) cups of coffee. I keep a stuffie of Curious George on my desk, in honour of Curious George Rides a Bike, the first book I read cover-to-cover. I say hello to George each morning.
Ritual also comes from my father. He was a painter and writer and used a second-hand desk as his art space. I acquired that desk, set to rehabbing it, but foolishly sanded the top to expose wood veneer over composite. I left his dried paint splashes along the edges, though, and I touch them when I write. They make me think of him, and thinking of him puts me in a creative mood. I told him I had begun writing historical fiction, his favourite genre, but he passed away before reading Brotherhood of Wolves. I often wonder what he would think of my series, and suspect he would be pleased (except for the part where I ruined his desk).
Congratulations to Adele Jordan, whose nail-biting historical thriller, Murder At Greenwich Palace, is published today!
Murder At Greenwich Palace is the first book in the Shadow Cutpurses Tudor Thriller Series. It is an espionage adventure set during King Henry VIII’s reign in England with a feisty female lead.
1536, London
Mother and daughter ‘shadow cutpurse’ team, Emlyn and Gwynnie have been stealing to survive for years, but they are ready to make their big break and escape a life of crime forever.
While Emlyn distracts the guards at Greenwich Palace, Gwynnie sneaks inside, searching for the royal jewels that will set them up for life.
But Gwynnie is disturbed in the act and whilst hiding, she sees something she can never unsee.
A man is murdered in front of her.
Gwynnie flees the crime scene but extreme flooding blocks her escape from the palace grounds.
And with the break-in discovered, suspicion for the murder is placed on the thieves.
If Gwynnie admits to what she has seen, she could find herself executed for a crime she didn’t commit.
Can Gwynnie find a way to reveal what she saw? Will she manage to find her way to freedom?
Congratulations to Simon Michael, whose exciting legal thriller, Death, Adjourned, is published today!
Death, Adjourned is the ninth crime novel in the Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers series — gritty, hard-boiled mysteries set in 1960s London.
London, 1969
The Kray twins, the nemeses of Charles Holborne, barrister, are finally convicted of multiple murders and sent away for the longest prison terms ever imposed by a British court.
But with London in the grip of a housing crisis and unscrupulous landlords hiking rents, there are new ruthless enforcers terrorising destitute East Enders.
When a tenant dies during a violent altercation with bailiffs, Charles is instructed to represent the businessmen charged with conspiracy to murder. There is motive, an eyewitness and a confession – seemingly an open and shut case.
But Charles suspects his clients are pawns in a much more dangerous game being played by shadowy Establishment figures.
But are his instincts wrong this time? Is he being manipulated into defending a guilty man?
And as dark secrets are revealed, will he have to choose between moral integrity and professional success?
Congratulations to Patrick Larsimont, whose thrilling wartime adventure, The Vulcan and the Straits, is out now!
The Vulcan and the Straits is the fourth book in the Jox McNabb Aviation Thrillers series: action-packed, authentic historical adventures following a young RAF pilot during the Second World War.
Autumn, 1942
Fighter pilot, Jox McNabb has survived the desert and the second battle of El Alamein, but now No. 111 Squadron is heading into a fresh new storm.
They embark on Operation Torch, the invasion of Vichy North Africa, but adverse weather conditions make flying almost impossible.
And their Commanding Officer, Tony Bartley is losing control as he becomes more and more dependent on alcohol.
After a rocky few months, and a final disastrous mission, it is decided that Jox should step up to Squadron Leader.
But as the North African campaign worsens and Bartley becomes increasingly erratic, Jox finds himself fighting an uphill battle.
Is Jox up for the challenge of command? Can he lead his men to victory?
Congratulations to Eric Helm, whose nail-biting military drama, Pioneer Post, is published today!
Pioneer Post is the twenty-eighth book in the Vietnam: Ground Zero series: action-packed, authentic historical thrillers set during the Vietnam War.
Hawaii, 1969
U.S. Army Special Forces Major Mack Gerber and Sergeant Major Anthony Fetterman knew the promise of R&R in Hawaii was too good to be true.
Barely a day into the trip, they are called into a top-secret meeting to discuss classified intelligence. But when they get there, the generals in charge seem reluctant to share any information.
Gerber and Fetterman have recently come back from a mission in Vietnam. Though they were successful, the location where they established their base camp went against instructions from their superiors – and they covered certain things up in their final debrief reports.
All had seemed well when they first returned to the US, but now Gerber is suspicious that a case is being built against them.
Gerber and Fetterman are told they have been called to Hawaii to share base-building tactics with a new team working on the set up of a mission that will take place in Vietnam. But are they really being used for their expertise, or is someone setting them up for a fall?
How loyal are the fellow green berets who served with them in combat? Will secrets be spilled about their time in the jungle?
And will Gerber and Fetterman’s illustrious careers end in tatters…?
Congratulations to Tim Chant, whose gripping naval adventure, The Guns of Zanzibar, is out now!
The Guns of Zanzibar is the fourth 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.
August, 1914
Lieutenant Marcus Baxter has been sent from cold, grey London to the tropical climes of Zanzibar in East Africa on the pretence of carrying out a survey on the local naval station.
In reality, the Royal Navy’s Intelligence Division have sent Baxter to find out if one of their ex-members, Mr Arbuthnott is now working for a potentially hostile foreign power and sharing British secrets.
Baxter is under strict orders not to reveal his true mission to anyone in the small naval contingent he’s been sent to, which makes executing his orders complicated.
He leaves the British protectorate of Zanzibar and crosses the water to the German-occupied port of Dar Es-Salaam to try and subtly gain intelligence.
But once he arrives, he is certain he is being followed.
Returning to Zanzibar, he discovers that the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand has been shot, escalating tensions between the British and German forces and making Baxter’s mission more urgent.
Where is Arbuthnott? Is he betraying the British?
Can Baxter complete his mission before his shadowy stalker catches up with him…?
Congratulations to Richard Kurti, whose twisty biographical crime novel, Requiem of Revenge, is out now!
Requiem of Revenge is a page-turning historical thriller based on the mystery surrounding the death of J S Bach.
Bath, England, 1761
A gruesome discovery is made in one of the city’s wealthiest townhouses. A man has been imprisoned and blinded; left to die in his own home.
He is rescued and his wife, Lady Arabella Taylor is arrested for the crimes.
Doctor Erasmus Harvey examines the victim, and finds out he is Chevalier John Taylor, an esteemed surgeon. The chevalier is keen to see his wife punished and Harvey is sent to take her confession.
But when Harvey meets with Arabella, he is astonished to find she shows no remorse. In fact, she insists her crimes were justified.
Repulsed by this she-devil, Harvey is unsure whether to declare her insane. But as he hears her testimony, what she reveals shocks him to his core.
And he soon realises he is not only unravelling the truth behind the crimes inflicted on the chevalier, but also the death of the celebrated composer J.S. Bach.
Who is the victim and who is the criminal? Why did Arabella torture her husband?
Her crimes could expose a scandal that will send shockwaves through Europe…
Congratulations to 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?
Despite being the story of a man who leaves a trail of chaos and suffering in his wake, Requiem of Revenge began as a search for inner peace.
I always listen to music when I write, often choosing film scores that resonate with the tone of the story I’m working on. But as populist leaders took power in country after country and the world seemed to retreat from democracy, my mood slumped. Instinctively, I turned to the music of Bach and Handel.
The richness of their music was incredibly healing, and I clung to the thought that whatever dark times they endured, both composers were still able to produce works of incredible beauty. And then I wondered, What exactly did they live through?
I started reading about the lives of Bach and Handel. They were both born in 1685 in Germany, barely 90 miles apart; they spent their lives as composers and musicians, yet they never met. Although they are now recognised as being the greatest composers of their age, both men had very different lives. Handel moved to London, where he enjoyed wealth and fame, while Bach spent much of his life working in Leipzig, scraping a living as the director of church music.
Bach certainly knew of Handel and greatly admired him; he is even quoted as saying “[Handel] is the only person I would wish to see before I die, and the only person I would wish to be.”
And then, as I was rummaging around in the footnotes of history, I discovered an extraordinary coincidence: both composers were destroyed by the same fraudulent English eye surgeon, ‘Chevalier’ John Taylor.
I dug deeper into the Chevalier’s life, and realised there was a shocking resonance across the centuries: the charlatans who were wreaking havoc in the modern world seemed to be cut from the same cloth as the man who destroyed the genius of Bach and Handel 250 years ago.
Perhaps telling the story of one liar and cheat could shed light on how liars and cheats are able to triumph across the world?
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?
Following the success of Adele Jordan’s absorbing Kit Scarlett Tudor Mysteries, we are delighted to announce that we have signed her new series of Tudor thrillers.
In Adele’s words:
“I’m thrilled to be working with Sapere Books once more on my new series, The Shadow Cutpurses. This first instalment is the culmination of a lot of research into the Tudor era and a fascination with women’s lives outside of the royal court. This tale about cutpurses or thieves is a thriller, looking at what can happen when a woman at the bottom of the hierarchy is pitted against a man of ultimate power.
“My hope is that every page is a thrilling step in Gwynnie’s adventure. I hope that fans of my first series will find the same pace and spirit of adventure in this series, while plunging into the darkness of life during a slightly different period of Tudor history. It’s been a great joy to work with the Sapere family, and my huge thanks goes to Amy, Caoimhe, Richard and Natalie, for their support. My thanks also have to go to the other authors with Sapere, who through our chats have helped me to improve my writing.”
We are thrilled to announce that we have signed the fourth instalment of the Knights Templar Thriller series by Daniel Colter.
Book 1 in the Knights Templar Thriller series
The series follows the military adventures of Finn of Struan, a young knight, as he fights in the wars in the Holy Land.
In Daniel’s words:
“The first three novels in the Templar Thriller series spun out of a lifelong fascination with the Crusades. The next instalment will be set on the heels of the Battle of Hattin, in July 1187, and at the onset of the Third Crusade. These years were a clash of cultures, a settling of old grudges, and paint an especially vicious backdrop — desperate battles, scheming nobles, warring religions.
“Field of Bones, the upcoming fourth novel, finds Finn of Struan and his brothers at the siege of Tyre, a desperate fight to defend the Kingdom of Jerusalem’s last stronghold. The fifth and sixth novels weave them into the kingdom’s death spiral and the legendary duels between the Sultan Saladin and Richard the Lionheart, the warrior king of England. Finn whispers in my head the Templar story is not done, not yet, and urges me to forge on with new tales!
“I am proud to be part of the Sapere Books family. Working with Amy, Matilda, Natalie, and Caoimhe has been a pleasure, their support invaluable. Fellowship with Sapere’s cadre of authors, each skilled beyond measure, has been a rare privilege. I look forward to more of the same!”
Congratulations to Daniel Colter, whose absorbing historical adventure, Fortress of Crows, is out now!
Fortress of Crows is the second book in the Knights Templar Thriller series: action-packed, Crusader military novels set during the Medieval era.
The Judean Desert, 1186
Finn of Struan, a Templar knight, has orders to find the Copper Scroll, a relic describing where priceless treasures from Solomon’s Temple were hidden away.
He is also charged with protecting a relic hunter, one who procures religious relics, as she unravels the tangled web of clues held in the ancient text.
But rival relic hunters also hunt the scroll. And their leader, Le Scélérat, the Evildoer, will stop at nothing to get it.
Greed rules the hearts of many, turns friend against friend, and Finn’s quest soon becomes a bloody fight filled with deceit and death.
Will he and his loyal Brothers survive murderous enemies? Can Finn complete his quest? Or will Templar bones rot in the bleak wastes of the Judean?
Congratulations to Daniel Colter, whose gripping historical adventure, Brotherhood of Wolves, is published today!
Brotherhood of Wolves is the first instalment of Knights Templar Thrillers series: action-packed Crusader novels set during the Medieval era.
Jerusalem, 1177
The Holy City is in Christian hands and the Sultan Saladin has vowed to retake her, whatever the cost.
Two faiths are warring over sacred ground. It is within this feverish hotbed that Finn of Struan, a young knight dedicated to the Templars, is stationed.
Finn’s world unravels when his mentor, Robert of Saint Albans, murders a brother in cold blood. Worse, Robert joins the Devil himself — Saladin.
The foul deeds stain the Templar name and Finn is tasked with killing Robert, a man with a mind sharper than any sword.
But as Finn slips into enemy territory, he finds the hunter has become the prey…
As Templar fights Templar for control of the Holy City, can Finn avenge his dead comrade? Will the Brotherhood prevail?
Congratulations to C. P. Giuliani, whose absorbing espionage adventure, Death in Rheims, is published today!
Death in Rheimsis the third book in the Tom Walsingham Mysteries series: spy thrillers set during the Elizabethan era in Tudor Europe.
France, 1585
Tom Walsingham has been sent to France by his spymaster cousin, Sir Francis.
One of Sir Francis’s French informers has recently died in suspicious circumstances and Tom has been dispatched to investigate the death.
The dead man’s daughter is sure her father’s death was quite natural – but this doesn’t mean there aren’t strange circumstances surrounding it.
The informer lived in Rheims, close to a local English college where Catholic exiles are known to train for forbidden priesthood, and Sir Francis’s current plant at the college – a fiery young poet named Kit Marley – claims at least one of the young men has been murdered.
With yet another bout of civil war looming over France, and everyone pursuing their own agenda, Tom has his work cut for him, with plenty of aliases, betrayals and lies to disentangle.
And with relations still tense between the French and English, he must be careful not to betray his true identity and end up as the next victim…
Was the English informer targeted? Is there a serial killer at large?
Congratulations to Keith Moray, whose gripping historical thriller, Death of a Poet, is published today!
Death of a Poetis the first book in the Ancient Egypt Mystery series.
275 BC, Alexandria
Hanufer of Crocodilopolis, newly appointed Overseer of the Police in Alexandria, is keen to prove himself worthy to both the citizens of the city and to the Pharaoh, Ptolemy Philadelphus.
When an altar is desecrated with a poem intended to insult the Pharaoh and his wife, Queen Arsinoe, Hanufer and his trusted sergeant Sabu are tasked with discovering who committed the outrage.
As the poet himself, Sotades the Obscene, was recently executed, Hanufer sets about finding out who else is familiar with his poetry.
Before long another poet is found murdered – a poem by Sotades left near the corpse as a macabre calling card.
With a growing number of murders to be investigated, Hanufer must make his mark and solve the mysteries.
But just where — and how high up — will the clues lead him?
Did Sotades really drown? Is there a serial killer on the loose in Alexandria?
And can Hanufer appease both the Pharoah and the gods?
Congratulations to Alexandra Walsh, whose page-turning historical saga, The Jane Seymour Conspiracy, is published today!
The Jane Seymour Conspiracyis the fourth book in the Marquess House series, dual timeline conspiracy thrillers with an ingenious twist on a well-known period of Tudor and Stuart history.
London, 1527
Nineteen-year-old Jane Seymour arrives at court to take her place with Queen Katherine of Aragon. Discovering a court already beginning to divide into factions between Katherine and Jane’s second cousin, Anne Boleyn, Jane finds herself caught between the old world and the new. Determined to have a son, the king appears to be prepared to take whatever steps he deems necessary to secure the Tudor dynasty.
When King Henry VIII finally succeeds in his pursuit of Anne, Jane witnesses the slow unravelling of his interest in the new queen as she, too, fails in her task to deliver a son. Having watched both Katherine and Anne fall from grace, Jane has no ambition for the throne, but when the king begins seeking her out, Jane realises the decision may be out of her hands…
Pembrokeshire, 2020
When a set of papers called The Pentagram Manuscript makes its way to Perdita and Piper at Marquess House, they find they have a new mystery to unravel. The manuscript is the tale of five women on a quest to find true love, written while Anne Boleyn was queen. As Perdita begins to unravel the text, she discovers a code that leads to a whole new outlook on Henry’s relationship with Jane Seymour.
But before they have a chance to reveal all, the twins find themselves under threat from a different source. Their second cousin, Xavier Connors, is determined to wrest Marquess House from them. As Marquess House must be passed down through the female line, and Perdita and Piper do not have children, Xavier sees his twin daughter as being next in line. And when Piper is nearly driven off the road, they realise he will stop at nothing to get what he wants…
What really happened to Henry VIII’s Tudor queens? Why was history rewritten?
Will Piper and Perdita be able to unravel all of the secrets before it’s too late…?
Congratulations to David Field, whose dramatic medieval thriller, An Uncivil War, is published today!
England, 1120
When Henry I dies with no legitimate male heir, the nation is thrown into chaos.
The two rivals for the crown are Henry’s daughter Matilda and his nephew Stephen of Blois, both of whom are determined to emerge victorious.
A bitter struggle ensues which threatens to reduce England to a barren wasteland and many ordinary people find themselves torn apart from each other in the confusion of deciding which side to fight for.
One of those caught up in the fray is young soldier Richard Walsingham who is fighting alongside Stephen. But his sister Elinor is employed as a companion to Matilda.
As the family members come to terms with being on opposite sides of a treacherous dynastic conflict a new contender for the throne enters the picture…
Which of the rivals will emerge triumphant? Can the nation be pieced back together again?
Or will more than lives be lost in this uncivil war…?
Congratulations to Charlie Garratt, whose gripping historical mystery, A Malignant Death, is published today!
June, 1940
With most of Europe now in the brutal grip of the Second World War, James Given and his wife, Rachel, have been forced to give up their dream life in France to return to England.
Still haunted by his past cases, James has no intention of resuming his role as a detective in the police force. However, when his ex-boss Superintendent Henry Dyer asks him to investigate the theft of some sensitive military blueprints, James reluctantly agrees to help.
However, things take a turn for the worse when Henry goes missing. Fearing for his friend’s life, James feels compelled to search for him.
With a long history in the force, Henry had plenty of opportunities to make enemies. As James digs further, it becomes apparent that he may have had something to hide.
And though James has vowed to leave behind the danger and violence of his old life, the pull of an unsolved mystery soon proves too strong to ignore…
Congratulations to Graham Brack, whose fabulous historical mystery, The Lying Dutchman, is published today!
The Lying Dutchmanis the sixth book in the Master Mercurius series: atmospheric crime thrillers set in seventeenth-century Europe.
1685, The Netherlands
Master Mercurius has once again been summoned to The Hague by Stadhouder William of Orange. And a letter from William is never good news.
King Charles II of England has died and William, with his wife Mary, is now next in line to the throne once the current king, James II dies.
But Charles II’s illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth, has put a spanner in the works.
Monmouth is being encouraged to stage a rebellion and take the English throne. William needs to stop him so as not to jeopardise his own claim, but he also wants to keep Monmouth as an ally.
So, Mercurius is ordered to travel once again to England, and this time on an even more dangerous mission. He must plant a letter containing Monmouth’s invasion plans at court so that James summons an army in response and scares Monmouth off.
The only problem is that if Mercurius is caught and tried for espionage, the punishment is certain death…
My writing rituals are more mundane and less … smelly. I start with two (not one, not three) cups of coffee. I keep a stuffie of Curious George on my desk, in honour of Curious George Rides a Bike, the first book I read cover-to-cover. I say hello to George each morning.
authentic historical thrillers set during the Vietnam War.
