J C briggs Archives | Sapere Books

Sapere Books Sign New Gothic Mystery by J. C. Briggs

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

In Briggs’ words:

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

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

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

The Secrets of Treasonfield House is Out Now

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

England, 1952

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Inheritors of Moonlyght Tower is Out Now

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

England, 1916

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Congratulations to J. C. Briggs!

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

Westmorland, England, 1970

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Waxwork Man is Out Now!

Congratulations to J. C. Briggs, whose captivating historical adventure, The Waxwork Man, is out now!

The Waxwork Man is the eleventh book in the Charles Dickens investigations, a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London.

London, 1851

While visiting Madame Tussaud’s Chamber of Horrors, Charles Dickens crosses paths with Sir Fabian Quarterman, a judge famed for his ruthlessness in court.

Dickens reluctantly accepts an invitation to accompany Quarterman back to his mansion, where he claims to keep a gallery of waxworks that surpass Madame Tussaud’s. To his dismay, Dickens finds that they are all effigies of women who were sentenced to death or who died in brutal circumstances.

The day after Dickens’s visit, Quarterman is found dead in his gallery, his face frozen in an expression of terror. When Dickens views the scene with Superintendent Sam Jones of Bow Street, he believes that one of the waxwork women is missing.

Though the cause of Quarterman’s death is assumed to be apoplexy, Dickens is convinced that there are more sinister forces at work. And when waxwork women begin mysteriously appearing around London and two more men are found dead in suspicious circumstances, Dickens and Jones must once again embark on a search for a deranged criminal…

What happened to the missing waxwork? Did someone seek revenge on the judge?

And can Dickens unearth the secrets of the dead…?

Happy Publication Day to J. C. Briggs!

Congratulations to J. C. Briggs, whose thrilling Dickensian adventure, The Jaggard Case, is published today!

The Jaggard Case is the tenth urban mystery in J. C. Briggs’ literary historical series, the Charles Dickens investigations, a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London.

London, 1851

With Superintendent Sam Jones away in Southampton on the trail of missing murderer Martin Jaggard, his wife, Elizabeth, enlists the help of Charles Dickens when her beloved servant, Posy, goes missing.

Meanwhile, Jones apprehends Jaggard’s mistress, Cora Davies, who is in possession of stolen jewels belonging to Jaggard’s murder victim, Sir William Pell.

But Jones is no closer to finding the man himself, so he returns to London where he believes Jaggard may be hiding.

Dickens and Jones discover that their separate cases both have links to Clerkenwell – a notorious haunt for criminals and forgers.

And when they suspect they are being followed, they realise Jaggard may be onto them.

Was Jaggard behind Posy’s abduction? Is the servant girl still alive?

Or will more victims be found dead in the mysterious Jaggard Case…?

Summons to Murder Published Today

Congratulations to J. C. Briggs, whose absorbing historical mystery, Summons to Murder, is publishing today!

Summons to Murder is set in Victorian England and is the ninth book in the Charles Dickens Investigations series.

Pierce Mallory, a gentleman journalist, is found dead in his lodgings with a gunshot wound in his head and a duelling pistol beside him.

Though the death is deemed a suicide, Mallory’s friends — including Charles Dickens — don’t believe that he would have taken his own life.

Dickens therefore returns to the scene of Mallory’s demise, along with Superintendent Sam Jones from Bow Street. On further investigation, they soon find evidence that Mallory was murdered.

A notorious philanderer, there are plenty of people who could have wanted Mallory dead — including abandoned lovers and jealous husbands.

And as Dickens and Jones dig further into Mallory’s personal affairs, it seems that there are more shocking scandals waiting to be uncovered…

Click here to order Summons to Murder

Sapere Books Sign Two New Historical Mysteries by J. C. Briggs

J C Briggs’ gripping Charles Dickens Investigations follow the famous writer-turned-detective as he dives into the seedy underbelly of Victorian London.

The first six books in the series have been published, and we are thrilled to announce that we have signed up the next two instalments.

In J C Briggs’ words:

“I am thrilled that Sapere Books are to publish two new cases featuring Charles Dickens and Superintendent Jones. Number seven in the series is THE HAWKE SAPPHIRES, which begins at Hawke Court, an almost derelict mansion where Sir Gerald Hawke is dying. His two wives and his only son are dead. His heir is a clergyman, Meredith Case, for whom Hawke has one last command. Hawke has commanded all his vicious life and expects to be obeyed. Meredith Case must ‘find Sapphire Hawke’, who vanished over twenty years ago.

“A chance meeting with Charles Dickens sends Case to the north of England. Meanwhile, Dickens and Superintendent Jones of Bow Street are investigating the death of a young man who was found on the steps of a bookshop.

“Charles Dickens begins to suspect that the two cases are connected. He and the young detective, Scrap, experience a frightening night at Hawke Court.

“Book eight in the series is THE CHINESE PUZZLE. On the first day of The Great Exhibition in May 1851, a Chinese man bowed before Queen Victoria. It was assumed that he was a representative of the Celestial Empire. He wasn’t. It was reported in the newspapers of the day.

“In THE CHINESE PUZZLE, behind the scenes the Home Secretary is furious at the breach of security. There have been attempts on the Queen’s life before.

“And also concerning for the government, a wealthy banker and former opium merchant of Canton vanishes on the first day of the Exhibition. The Prime Minister, Lord John Russell, appoints Superintendent Jones to carry out a most secret investigation. The case may involve high-powered bankers and politicians. Jones cannot afford to get it wrong. Only Charles Dickens can help him find his way about the houses of some very important people. There is danger from high and low when the case takes them to the East End opium trade and some very dangerous criminals.

“It really is great to work with Sapere Books again and to know that they have faith in my series. They are a wonderfully supportive publisher to all the writers in the Sapere family.”

Click here to order THE MURDER OF PATIENCE BROOKE

Click here to find out more about the Charles Dickens Investigations

What to Expect from 2020

Happy new year to all of our wonderful authors and readers, and thank you for your continued faith and support! 2019 saw us expand our list with some incredible titles and we can’t wait to share more with you this year.

Here’s what to expect from 2020:

We will soon launch our non-fiction list, led by Sapere co-founder Richard Simpson. Richard is on the lookout for military history titles – backlist in particular – and aims to launch the first few books on our second anniversary in March.

Our ‘call for nautical fiction’ has been successful and we will soon be releasing Irving A. Greenfield’s Depth Force series – thrilling submarine adventures set in the 90s, as well as the first in a series of Second World War naval thrillers by Justin Fox, and a trilogy of Tudor nautical adventure books by David Field.

We also have plenty of exciting new projects from our current authors, so look out for the next books in the series you already love! These include the final instalment of Alexandra Walsh’s Marquess House Trilogy; the next ghostly adventure in Linda Stratmann’s Mina Scarletti series; a new Lady Fan regency mystery from Elizabeth Bailey and a return of Charles Dickens as private investigator in J C Briggs’ Victorian series.

We also have brand new authors launching next year and plenty more fan favourites! Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with our latest releases and monthly deals.

MIDWINTER MYSTERIES: Our Christmas Crime Anthology

This Christmas, we’ve put together an anthology of festive crime fiction that is sure to give you the chills! Here’s a taste of what to expect from MIDWINTER MYSTERIES…

In Graham Brack’s AWAY IN A MANGER, a decidedly non-festive Lieutenant Josef Slonský investigates a string of thefts amid Prague’s bustling Christmas market.

At a Christmas Eve gathering, Charles Dickens weaves a gory, atmospheric ghost story that becomes a little too real in J C Briggs’ FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW.

Keith Moray’s LOST AND FOUND follows the residents of West Uist as they merrily prepare for their New Year’s Eve traditions – until one of them is found dead…

While trying to provide for his family, young Alfie finds himself investigating the disappearance of gold bars from a bullion store – which have vanished along with his beloved dog, Mutsy – in Cora Harrison’s THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.

In Seán Gibbons’ THE STOLEN SANTA SACK, unlucky driver Ben Miller is stuck with a dead Santa Claus and a sackful of cash in the back of his cab…

While hurrying to develop her clients’ portraits in time for Christmas, photographer Julia McAllister is landed with a drunken newlywed and a photograph of a ghost in Marilyn Todd’s WILL POWER.

Gaynor Torrance’s CHRISTMAS SPIRITS follows headstrong Detective Inspector Jemima Huxley as she finds herself caught up in an armed robbery while doing her Christmas shopping.

In David Field’s THE ESSEX NATIVITY, Detective Sergeant Jack Enright discovers a destitute couple expecting their first child in the shelter of a barn.

When one of her clients is stalked by a mysterious figure, Private Investigator Eden Grey attempts to uncover the unwelcome follower in Kim Fleet’s SECRET SANTA.

Major Thankful and Thomazine Russell investigate the theft of a scandalous manuscript written by the king in M J Logue’s STIR UP SUNDAY.

In Linda Stratmann’s THE CHRISTMAS GHOST, wilful sleuth Mina Scarletti attempts to bring peace to a woman haunted by the spirit of her dead son.

Click here to order MIDWINTER MYSTERIES!