Historical crime and mysteries

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Book SynopsisIn Victorian England, a mother is on the run from her past—and the truth about what she did. Birmingham, 1880. Angelica Chastain has fled from London with her young son, William. She promises him a better life, far away from the terrors they left behind. Securing a job as a governess, Angelica captures the attention of wealthy widower Stanley Hampton. Soon they marry and the successful future Angelica envisaged for William starts to fall into place. But the past will not let Angelica go. As the people in her husband’s circle, once captivated by her charm, begin to question her motives, it becomes clear that forgetting where she came from—and who she ran from—is impossible. When tragedy threatens to expose her and destroy everything she’s built for herself and William, how far will she go to keep her secrets safe? And when does the love for one’s child tip over into dangerous obsession? Alias Grace meets Peaky Blinders in this tale of obsession, ambition and murder in Victorian England.Trade Review“Robinson has written a chilling character-driven story.” —AudioFile Magazine “Twenty books that you’ll want to curl up with this winter…The Penmaker’s Wife is historical fiction at its most dramatic, with plenty of twists, turns, and memorable moments.” —Popsugar Entertainment “The characters are very well developed in the story with some tender and light moments between friendships that develop, making some of what happens feel even more shocking. The end just knocked me sideways.” —Books From Dusk Till Dawn “The story engaged me like nothing else…If you love crime fiction in the domestic sphere in a historical setup, you will love reading this one.” —Shaina’s Musings “The Penmaker’s Wife[ by Steve Robinson is a historical novel and a thrilling gothic noir about murder, obsession, manipulation, that will keep you up long past your bedtime.” —Gwendalyn Books “Although this historical novel is a departure for Steve Robinson from his well-known Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mysteries, the fast-paced action scenes and an absorbing plot make it gripping.” —Historical Novel Society

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Book Synopsis“…Sweeping and intimate, warm and gripping. I loved it!” —Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Gamache novels A single twist of fate puts a servant girl to work in Queen Victoria’s royal kitchen, setting off a suspenseful, historical mystery by the New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child and The Victory Garden. Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings. Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she’s been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. What fortune! Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen’s retinue falls ill and dies. Having prepared the royal guest’s last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down—if it doesn’t send her to the gallows.Trade Review“This delightful mystery neatly blends historical details of late Victorian life, from rich foods to royalty, into a story spiced with humor and romance. Bowen’s depiction of Bella as a modern Victorian woman, skillfully navigating class differences while struggling with the choice between a safe life and her ambitions, rings true.” —Library Journal (starred review) “A treasure trove of Victoriana…A truly delightful read.” —Kirkus Reviews “Bowen serves up a vivid picture of turn-of-the-century London with its strict class distinctions, crowded streets, and devotion to the Queen…Fans of Bowen and Victorian cozies will enjoy this inside-the-palace romp.” —Booklist “[Bowen] recreates her landscapes of ‘Palace’ and ‘Kitchen’ with great skill, and readers are drawn into the lives of the characters, as much is revealed even in the close quarters of the kitchen…A delightful way to learn more about food, its preparation and its presentation; and a tender love story.” —Historical Novel Society “Rhys Bowen is a gift to all who love great writing, rich and complex characters and a plot that grabs from first words. I dare you to put it down once you’ve read [the] opening sentence. Set in Nice, Bowen brings to life a little known and riveting episode in history—the annual visit of Queen Victoria to the French seaside town and the tumult that ensues. She takes us inside the royal court, inside the kitchens, through the eye of a junior chef, and into the towns and villages of the French Riviera. It is sweeping and intimate, warm and gripping. Above the Bay of Angels is a wonderful read that will stay with you long after the book is finished. I loved it!” —Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Gamache novels

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Book SynopsisA quiet coastal village in post–World War II America is shaken when the secrets of the past and present collide in a riveting novel by the bestselling author of Under a Gilded Moon. Five years after the war, Amie Stilwell, a photo interpreter for an Allied unit in England, returns to her hometown in Maine. Jobless and discouraged but stubbornly resourceful, she’s starting over in the same coastal village where her life once went so wrong. Waiting for her is Shibby Travis, the surrogate mother with whom Amie never lost touch. But the unexpected also awaits… A silent, abandoned boy is found with a note from a stranger pleading that he be watched over. Amie and Shibby take him in, but the mysteries multiply when a Boston socialite is found dead in a nearby barn and an old friend, believed to be a casualty of war, suddenly reappears. Trained to see what others cannot, to scan for clues, and to expose enemies, Amie uses her skills to protect a child, solve a crime, and find the motive behind a veteran’s masquerade. But through the hazy filter of a town’s secrets, Amie must also confront her own painful past.Trade Review“This tale of betrayal, deceit, and redemption satisfies.” —Publishers Weekly “Joy Jordan-Lake does a great job capturing the essence of Maine and the 1950s. She also develops a strong female character…it's refreshing to have a woman with better things to do (like get her life back together, open her own art gallery, and solve mysteries) than fall in love.” —Midwest Book Review “A marvelous novel of historical fiction full of emotion, suspense, and nuanced, evocative, and provocative writing. This is a fabulous tale that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.” —M. J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tiara “Joy Jordan-Lake has written a classic murder mystery but also added her signature move: characters with deep hearts. Better buckle yourself up for all the twists and turns!” —Bren McClain, author of One Good Mama Bone, winner of the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction “A glorious mystery akin to Agatha Christie’s best.” —Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of The World Played Chess and The Silent Sisters “With sensory-rich language and a delightful cast of characters, A Bend of Light goes far deeper than most mysteries. This powerful story will keep readers hooked from the first page to the last as it proves, once again, that Joy Jordan-Lake is a master at her craft.” —Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Perennials “A moving look into 1950s America and a period we often sentimentalize. But Jordan-Lake reveals that it was full of the same love, same dreams, and same schemes that permeate throughout time. Centered around a port town in Maine, past and present come together with a cast of characters that, layer by layer, discovers the truth about old hurts and past loves, and discovers that a murder has drawn them all back together. Illuminated through compelling, realistic dialogue, readers will enjoy the escape provided.” —Camille Di Maio, bestselling author of The Memory of Us “Immersing readers squarely in a 1950s coastal town in Maine, Joy Jordan-Lake deftly draws out mysteries, schemes, romance, and a murder that pulls her characters back together. With gripping prose and pitch-perfect dialogue, this thoughtful story unfolds at a pace driven by her strong-willed heroine. This is a truly fine historical fiction that readers will be thinking about long after turning the last page.” —Kimberly Brock, award-winning author of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare “In Joy Jordan-Lake’s latest novel, we follow Amie Stilwell, courageous and strong-willed, as she tackles a series of mysteries while confronting her past. Deftly written and meticulously researched, Joy Jordan-Lake delivers a masterful novel of secrets and time and place. With pitch-perfect prose and flawless details, A Bend of Light is a thoughtful read, solidifying Jordan-Lake’s status as a standout voice in historical fiction.” —Rochelle B. Weinstein, bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends “From the evocative opening sentence to the shocking conclusion, A Bend of Light is a thrill of a ride and an engrossing read. Joy Jordan-Lake’s heartfelt and lyrical prose is paired with a mystery that won’t let you go. As layers of the truth are uncovered, the courageous Amie Stilwell navigates a small coastal town in the 1950s, and we are enthralled until the final reveal.” —Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah

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Book SynopsisA Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon Charts bestseller. From the bestselling author of The Tuscan Child comes a beautiful and heart-rending novel of a woman’s love and sacrifice during the First World War. As the Great War continues to take its toll, headstrong twenty-one-year-old Emily Bryce is determined to contribute to the war effort. She is convinced by a cheeky and handsome Australian pilot that she can do more, and it is not long before she falls in love with him and accepts his proposal of marriage. When he is sent back to the front, Emily volunteers as a “land girl,” tending to the neglected grounds of a large Devonshire estate. It’s here that Emily discovers the long-forgotten journals of a medicine woman who devoted her life to her herbal garden. The journals inspire Emily, and in the wake of devastating news, they are her saving grace. Emily’s lover has not only died a hero but has left her terrified—and with child. Since no one knows that Emily was never married, she adopts the charade of a war widow. As Emily learns more about the volatile power of healing with herbs, the found journals will bring her to the brink of disaster, but may open a path to her destiny.Trade Review“Tragedies strike, yet people grow and pull together in this rewarding romantic historical romp. Lovers of history will better understand the sacrifices in England during the Great War, while romance fans will revel in the engagement and growth of the characters. Another great read from the award-winning author.” —Library Journal “Bowen has created subtle depth of theme and character by layering in women from multiple generations…[Her] masterful weaving of these tales builds a nuanced, thematic portrayal of the inherent strengths of women and the male hackles such power can raise.” —Historical Novel Society “The Victory Garden is a stunning piece of historical fiction that will grab you from the first page.” —San Diego Entertainer “A deftly penned novel by an author with a distinctive flair for originality and an entertaining narrative storytelling style that will hold the reader’s rapt attention from beginning to end.” —Midwest Book Review “A captivating story about a determined young woman who learns that she must fight for the people and things that she cares about in a rapidly changing world.” —The Concord Insider

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Book Synopsis“Crawdads meets the Crawleys…Threaded through with a meticulously researched, well-crafted mystery, this is historical fiction at its best.” —Fiona Davis, nationally bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue From the bestselling author of A Tangled Mercy comes an enthralling novel of secrets, a tumultuous war of ideas, and murder as classes collide in the shadow of Biltmore House. Biltmore House, a palatial mansion being built by the Vanderbilts, American “royalty,” is in its final stages of construction in North Carolina. The country’s grandest example of privilege, it symbolizes the aspirations of its owner and the dreams of a girl, just as driven, who lives in its shadow. Kerry MacGregor’s future is derailed when, after two years in college in New York City, family obligations call her home to the beautiful Appalachians. She is determined to distance herself from the opulence she sees rising in the Blue Ridge Mountains, however close its reach. Her family’s land is among the last pieces required to complete the Biltmore Estate. But something more powerful than an ambitious Vanderbilt heir could change Kerry’s fate as, one by one, more outsiders descend on the changing landscape—a fugitive from Sicily, a reporter chasing a groundbreaking story, a debutante tainted by scandal, and a conservationist prepared to put anyone at risk to stoke the resentment of the locals. As Kerry finds herself caught in a war between wealth and poverty, innocence and corruption, she must navigate not only her own pride and desperation to survive but also the temptations of fortune and the men who control it.Trade Review“Elegantly written and expertly crafted, Under a Gilded Moon soars as high as any piece of literature can reach. You’re transported to a time and place in history that begs [to be] read late into the night.” —Robert Dugoni, international bestselling author of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell and the Tracy Crosswhite series “I was swept away by this dazzling, masterfully written tale of the clash of classes and cultures around the Biltmore in North Carolina. Joy Jordan-Lake brings the past alive with impeccable details, raw emotion, and parallels to our present world. A triumph.” —Emily Carpenter, bestselling author of Burying the Honeysuckle Girls “This is historical fiction at its finest. With pitch-perfect dialogue and details so rich and so right, Joy Jordan-Lake sets us squarely—lock, stock, and barrel—in 1895 Asheville, NC, in not just one but two distinctive worlds. The grand Vanderbilts and their luxurious Biltmore fascinated me, and the mountain people with their human struggles pulled at my heart.” —Bren McClain, author of One Good Mama Bone, winner of the 2017 Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction and the 2019 Patricia Winn Award for Southern Literature “Crawdads meets the Crawleys in Jordan-Lake’s latest, where she offers up a powerful location in the Biltmore House of Asheville, North Carolina. Pitting rugged locals against Gilded Age interlopers and threaded throughout with a meticulously researched, well-crafted mystery, this is historical fiction at its best.” —Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue “Dr. Joy Jordan-Lake has mastered the art of navigating story-telling risks. She sets Under a Gilded Moon in an era and place where stereotypes could dominate every aspect of her exquisite novel. Not so in the hands of this gifted author! Joy respects her characters too much to allow shallowness to creep in, and she respects her readers too much to serve up anything short of originality, depth, and excellence—in the loveliest page-turner I’ve read in years.” —Carolyn Curtis, author of Women and C.S. Lewis “A gorgeously written tale…with elements of mystery and intrigue, glamour and pure grit. Under a Gilded Moon is historical fiction at its finest. I can’t recommend it enough!” —Jane Healey, Washington Post bestselling author of The Beantown Girls and The Secret Stealers

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Book SynopsisMaxwell Dent studied law at McGill and served in the RCAF and Intelligence M-5 during the Korean War. For a private investigator, he’s as respectable as they come. No wonder then he's summoned to Huntley Ashton's Westmount mansion. A respected captain of industry, the wealthy man knows the PI can be relied upon to be discreet. Ashton’s daughter Helen has fallen into heroin addiction, and the millionaire wants Dent to smash the ring supplying her vice, just as he took down a ring operating in Korea. Set in 1954, the novel captures the dying days of the era in which Montreal had the reputation as one of the world’s great sin cities. The Damned and the Destroyed was originally published in 1962 by McClelland & Stewart in Canada and Dennis Dobson in the UK; this Ricochet Books edition marks the first print edition in more than five decades.

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Book SynopsisWith the world facing the greatest global crisis of all time – climate change – personal and political indifference has wrought a series of unfolding complications that are altering our planet, and threatening our very existence. Reacting to the warnings sounded by scientists and thinkers, writers are responding imaginatively to the seriousness of changing ocean conditions, the widening disappearance of species, genetically modified organisms, increasing food shortages, mass migrations of refugees, and the hubris behind our provoking Mother Earth herself. These stories of Climate Fiction (Cli-fi) feature perspectives by culturally diverse Canadian writers of short fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and futurist works, and transcend traditional doomsday stories by inspiring us to overcome the bleak forecasted results of our current indifference.Trade Review“Cli-Fi: Canadian Tales of Climate Change was a labor of love and a commitment to speak up about the risks and fixes for runaway global warming.” —San Diego Jewish World“Climate change is no fiction, but a new short story anthology attempts to bring an imaginative response to one of the world’s greatest crises.” —Steve Paikin, TVO's The Agenda

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Book SynopsisNamed a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, and Crime ReadsAn intense literary thriller that tears through the interlocked histories of fascism and communism in Europe without pausing for breath. Gonzalo Gil is a disaffected lawyer stuck in a failed career and a strained marriage, dodging the never-ending manipulation of his powerful father-in-law. The fragile balance of Gonzalo’s life as a father and husband is pushed to the limit when he learns, after years without news of his estranged sister, Laura, that she has committed suicide under suspicious circumstances. Resolutely investigating the steps that led to her death, Gonzalo discovers that Laura is believed to have murdered a Russian gangster who kidnapped and killed her young son. What seems to be revenge is just the beginning of a tortuous path that will take Gonzalo through the untold annals of his family’s past. He will examine the fascinating story of his father, Elías Gil, the great hero of the antifascist resistance. As a young engineer Elías traveled to the USSR committed to the ideals of the revolution, but was betrayed, arrested, and confined on the infamous Nazino Island, ultimately becoming a key figure, admired and feared, during Spain’s darkest years. Suspenseful and utterly absorbing, A Million Drops is a visceral story of enduring love and revenge postponed that introduces a master of international crime fiction to American readers.

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Book SynopsisNational Indie Excellence Award Winner for Historical Fiction Winner - Military Writers of America Silver Medal International Book Award Winner for Historical Fiction Alternative Version of American History—President Lincoln Saved from Assassination In Lincoln’s Bodyguard, an alternative version of American history, President Lincoln is saved from assassination. Though he prophesied his own death—the only way he believed the South would truly surrender—Lincoln never accounted for the heroics of his bodyguard, Joseph Foster. The biracial son of a white man and Miami Indian mother, Joseph makes an enemy of the South by killing John Wilkes Booth and preventing the death of the president. His wife is murdered and his daughter kidnapped, sending Joseph on a revenge-fueled rampage to recover his daughter. When his search fails, he disappears. The nation falls into a simmering insurgency instead of an end to the War. Years later, Joseph is still running from his past when he receives a letter from Lincoln pleading for help. The President has a secret mission. Pursued from the outset, Joseph turns to the only person who might help, the woman he abandoned years earlier. If he can win Molly over, he might just fulfill the President’s urgent request, find his daughter, and maybe even return peace to the war-torn country.Perfect for Civil War Buffs and all Fans of Historical Fiction While the novels in the Lincoln’s Bodyguard Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:Lincoln’s Bodyguard Land of Wolves Angel in the Fog

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Book SynopsisNational Indie Excellence Award Winner for Historical FictionPlucked from a personal hell, Molly Ferguson—now a Pinkerton agent—ventures far behind enemy lines in the Deep South to spy for the UnionMolly Ferguson’s comfortable life unravels when her Louisiana home is burned to the ground, her family murdered, and she is enslaved in a Baltimore brothel. Amidst the threat of the Civil War, Molly learns of secessionist plans to assassinate President-elect Abraham Lincoln as he makes his way to Washington for his inauguration. She manages to pass this information on to a Pinkerton agent posing as a client.Impressed with her fortitude and intelligence, the Pinkerton Agency arranges for Molly’s freedom and brings her under the tutelage of Mrs. Kate Warne, America’s first female detective. After they save Mr. Lincoln in Baltimore, Molly is sent by the Pinkerton Agency into the Deep South—where the Civil War now rages—a spy behind enemy lines.Molly threads a thin line between revenge and redemption as she races to unravel a sinister plan that will doom the Union and allow the Confederacy to win the Civil War—while coming face to face with the demons from her tragic past.Perfect for fans of espionage thrillers, historical fiction, and indefatigable female protagonist

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Book SynopsisA broken man from the Midwest, a secret room in Berlin—untouched since 1942—and cascading events that could change humanity forever Stag Maguire, a burnt-out journalist hardly able to prop himself up in the wake of tragedy, agrees to help a friend move. They find an urgent message—HELP ME—written on a piece of silk tacked behind a long-forgotten portrait. The message from an address in Berlin is urgent; though it had to have been written pre-World War II. Curious, Stag and his friend begin to research the address and whomever might have written the message. They trace the address to an apartment, a sealed time capsule that has not been lived in since 1942. And from one phone call to that apartment, the men unleash a nefarious plot and brutal security forces long thought vanquished. Events begin to cascade without mercy, and Stag—a broken man from the Midwest—finds himself pitted against a vestige of the Third Reich with powerful forces ensuring the propagation of Heydrich’s infamous SD—Nazi’s intelligence agency—in today’s world. Will ordinary-man Stag Maguire prevail in his lone stand against evil?Perfect for fans of Robert Harris’s Munich and The FatherlandTrade Review"The tension ratchets up degree by degree, in a plot similar to speeding down a slalom course with all its speed, twists, and turns. A thriller reader's delight from beginning to end." Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author"TR Kenneth's debut thriller, A Room Full of Night , reminded me of the best of Daniel Silva, even dare I say, John le Carré. Here is a novel riveting in its telling and shocking in its revelations. It is a story rife with decades-old secrets, treachery, and intriguing spycraft. But best of all, it's a thriller that I simply could not put down until the last page was turned. Don't miss this debut!" James Rollins, New York Times best-selling author" A Room Full of Night is an ambitious, sprawling, and wholly satisfying tale. TR Kenneth evokes the best of Jack Higgins and Frederick Forsyth in crafting a thriller that whisks us back to Nazi Germany and World War II in a fashion that would make Robert Ludlum proud as well. The pacing is pitch perfect and the characters vivid, as the story stitches a deceptively dangerous link between past and present. Not to be missed for fans of the classic thriller form." Jon Land, USA Today best-selling author" A Room Full of Night is an entertaining, imaginative piece of fiction, filled with enough historical facts to make it seem it could actually be true." New York Journal of Books"Tense, clever, almost funny finale. Recommended for anyone who enjoys creepy history chased with adventure." Booklist"TR Kenneth spins an intricate mystery into a full-blown geopolitical thriller with A Room Full of Night , masterfully connecting a frozen-in-time, World War II-era Berlin apartment with today's fraught political climate. The stakes are as high as they get, and the author's impeccable research never lets you forget this story is a breath away from non-fiction. Greed, power lust, vengeanceand just the right dash of hopeis a recipe for success with Kenneth's compelling read." Carter Wilson, USA Today best-selling author" A Room Full of Night is a simply riveting read from cover to cover and features more unexpected plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster!" Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisUSA Today best-selling authorAn ex-con traces a victim’s clues to set a cold case ablaze Between fending off a lecherous parole officer and trying to get by in 1978 San Francisco, private investigator Colleen Hayes struggles to put her life back together so she can reconnect with her runaway teenage daughter. Then her life changes dramatically. She accepts a case from wealthy, retired industrialist Edward Copeland. The old man is desperate to solve the brutal murder of his daughter, a murder that took place in Golden Gate Park eleven years earlier—during the Summer of Love. The case has since gone cold, her murderer never found. Now, in his final days, Copeland hires Colleen to find his daughter’s killer in hopes he might die in peace. Colleen understands what it means to take a life—she spent a decade in prison for killing her ex. Battling her own demons, she immerses herself in San Francisco’s underbelly, where police corruption is rampant. Her investigation turns deadly as she pries for information, yet there is little to go on. However, a song on the radio makes her wonder—did the murdered girl leave any clues that others may have missed?Perfect for fans of Elmore Leonard and Gillian Flynn While all of the novels in the Colleen Hayes Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:Vanishing in the Haight Tie Die Bad Scene Line of Darkness Night Candy (coming 2023)Trade Review"As beautifully written as it is expertly crafted, Vanishing in the Haight features characters drawn with the touch of a master artist and a story that sizzles even as it scintillates." Jon Land, USA Today best-selling author"Atmospheric and tense, this one sizzles with twists that entertain and magnetize, whetting the appetite for more." Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author"With a strong, intelligent female sleuth, a colorful location, a tantalizing puzzle, and an abundance of San Francisco lore, this will please a wide variety of mystery readers." Booklist (Starred Review)"I've just three words to say about Vanishing in the Haight by Max TomlinsonWow. Just. Wow. Tomlinson's taut, spare, evocative writing style is an absolute beauty. You couldn't ask for a better guide through the dark, shadowy flashback haze of '70s San Francisco." Tracy Clark, author of Broken Places"Max Tomlinson serves up the perfect mystery in this edgy new detective series set in '70s San Francisco. Colleen Hayes, an ex-con in search of her missing teenage daughter, finally lands her first big case. There's just one problem: she must find a killer who's been lurking since the Summer of Love. Not to be missed." James N. Frey, author of How to Write a Damn Good Thriller"[In Vanishing in the Haight ,] Tomlinson's confidence in his characters will have readers ready for his follow-up." Kirkus Reviews"Max Tomlinson delivers a gritty, gripping story set in a fascinating time. Colleen Hayes is a deeply sympathetic sleuth, all too human. I can't wait for her next adventure." Evan Marshall, author of City in Shadow"[In Tie Die , Tomlinson] deepens the character of his multi-layered lead, Colleen Hayes, an unlicensed PI and ex-con who's still on parole. Readers will want to learn more about this surprising and pragmatic woman." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

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Book SynopsisOn a dark and stormy night in 1816, a teenage girl sat down and invented science fiction. Mary Shelley was no more than 18 years old when she wrote ""Frankenstein"". From the moment of its publication 200 years ago, readers have been wondering, as Mary put it, ""How I, then a young girl, came to think of, and to dilate upon, so very hideous an idea?"" ""Outcasts"" takes readers behind the scenes, to reveal the surprisingly contemporary thoughts and feelings of Mary, an unmarried mother and the lover of radical poet Percy Shelley, their friend Lord Byron, and the other guests at the ""most famous literary party in history"". What led the daughter of two of the most radical philosophers in England to turn her hand to horror? As the 200th anniversary of ""Frankenstein"" approaches, many readers will be rediscovering the novel, perhaps reading it for the first time. ""Outcasts"" reveals new insights into the origin of the most famous monster in the world, while showing us the stunning new science, radical politics and social turmoil of Europe in the wake of the Napoleonic wars. The world was on the brink of a new era, when anything and everything was possible, and in this brave new world a new literature – and a timeless Creature – was born.

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Book SynopsisA heavily pregnant detective winds up on the sacred island of Delos... where it is illegal to give birth

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Book SynopsisThe second entry of the Bertie, Prince of Wales mystery series, featuring future King Edward VII, Albert Edward, as an amateur sleuth solving suspicious murders in Victorian England.Bertie, Prince of Wales, is delighted to be invited by Lady Amelia, a recently widowed young woman, to Desborough Hall for a week-long shooting party. The eleven other motley guests include a poet, a chaplain, and an Amazon explorer. The party promises a week of shooting, socializing, and feasting, but these expectations are soon shattered as one of the guests collapses face first into her dessert and dies before the night is out. At first, this death is believed to be an accident, and the party continues with their hunting plans for the week. But when another guest turns up dead the very next day, Bertie realizes that the deaths cannot be coincidence.

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Book SynopsisThe third and final entry of the Bertie Prince of Wales mystery series, featuring future King Edward VII, Albert Edward, as an amateur sleuth solving suspicious murders in Victorian England.Bertie, amateur sleuth and the Crown Prince of Wales, loves food and women. This is why Bertie enjoys his frequent trips to Paris, a city that is known not only as the City of Lights, but also as the city of romance and fine cuisine. In 1891, however, Bertie’s yearly Paris vacation becomes much more eventful than he had anticipated when, soon after his arrival, he learns that the future son-in-law of his old friend, Jules d’ Agincourt, was recently murdered at the Moulin Rouge. Unable to resist practicing his detective skills, Bertie resolves to assist the Sûreté, the French police force, in solving the ongoing case. He enlists the help of the reluctant Sarah Bernhardt, renowned actress and Bertie’s long-time friend, and together, Bertie and Sarah travel around Paris following possible leads, questioning witnesses, and even apprehending the murder weapon. When the Sûreté discovers that the victim’s fiancée has a much older lover who was present at the scene of the murder, they immediately arrest him on the suspicion that the murder was a crime of passion. Bertie’s instincts tell him that this man is innocent, but the Sûreté is convinced he is the killer. With the threat of the guillotine looming over the innocent man’s head, it is up to Bertie to find the real killer and close the case before it is too late.

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Book SynopsisJudge Dee and Lao She must use all their powers of deduction—and kung fu skills—to take down a sinister conspiracy between Imperial Russia, Japan, and China in a rollicking new mystery set in 1920s London.The follow-up to The Murder of Mr. Ma, this historical adventure-mystery is perfect for fans of Laurie R. King and the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes films.London, 1924. Following several months abroad, Judge Dee Ren Jie has returned to the city to foil a transaction between a Russian diplomat and a Japanese mercenary. Aided by Lao She—the Watson to his Holmes—along with several other colorful characters, Dee stops the illicit sale of an extremely valuable “dragon-taming” mace.The mace’s owner is a Chinese businesswoman who thanks Dee for its retrieval by throwing a lavish dinner party. In attendance is British banking official A. G. Stephen, who argues with the group about the tenuous state of Chinese nationalism—and is poisoned two days later. Dee knows this cannot be a coincidence, and suspects Stephen won’t be the only victim. Sure enough, a young Chinese communist of Lao’s acquaintance is killed not long after—and a note with a strange symbol is found by his body.What could connect these murders? Could it be related to rumors of a conspiracy regarding the Chinese Eastern Railway? It is once again all on the unlikely crime-solving duo of Dee and Lao to solve the case before anyone else ends up tied to the rails.

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Book SynopsisFor fans of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes films, this stunning, swashbuckling series opener by a powerhouse duo of authors is at once comfortingly familiar and tantalizingly new.Two unlikely allies race through the cobbled streets of 1920s London in search of a killer targeting Chinese immigrants.London, 1924. When shy academic Lao She meets larger-than-life Judge Dee Ren Jie, his quiet life abruptly turns from books and lectures to daring chases and narrow escapes. Dee has come to London to investigate the murder of a man he’d known during World War I when serving with the Chinese Labour Corps. No sooner has Dee interviewed the grieving widow than another dead body turns up. Then another. All stabbed to death with a butterfly sword. Will Dee and Lao be able to connect the threads of the murders—or are they next in line as victims?Blending traditional gong’an crime fiction with the most iconic aspects of the Sherlock Holmes canon, Dee and Lao’s first adventure is as thrilling and visual as an action film, as imaginative and transportive as a timeless classic.

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Book SynopsisOut Front the Following Sea is a historical epic of one woman’s survival in a time when the wilderness is still wild, heresy is publicly punishable, and being independent is worse than scorned—it is a death sentence. At the onset of King William’s War between French and English settlers in 1689 New England, Ruth Miner is accused of witchcraft for the murder of her parents and must flee the brutality of her town. She stows away on the ship of the only other person who knows her innocence: an audacious sailor—Owen—bound to her by years of attraction, friendship, and shared secrets. But when Owen’s French ancestry finds him at odds with a violent English commander, the turmoil becomes life-or-death for the sailor, the headstrong Ruth, and the cast of Quakers, Pequot Indians, soldiers, highwaymen, and townsfolk dragged into the fray. Now Ruth must choose between sending Owen to the gallows or keeping her own neck from the noose.Trade Review"With Out Front the Following Sea , Leah Angstman reveals herself as a brave new voice in historical fiction. With staggering authenticity, Angstman gives us a story of America before it was Americaan era rife with witch hunts and colonial intrigue and New World battles all but forgotten in our history books and popular culture. This is historical fiction that speaks to the present, recalling the bold spirits and cultural upheavals of a nation yet to be born." Taylor Brown, author of Pride of Eden, Gods of Howl Mountain, The River of Kings, Fallen Land , and In the Season of Blood & Gold"Steeped in lush prose, authentic period detail, and edge-of-your-seat action, Out Front the Following Sea is a rollicking good read. Leah Angstman keeps the story moving at a breathtaking pace, and she knows more 17th century seafaring language and items of everyday use than you can shake a stick at. The result is a compelling work of romance, adventure, and historical illumination that pulls the reader straight in." Rilla Askew, author of Fire in Beulah and The Mercy Seat"Leah Angstman has written the historical novel that I didn't know I needed to read. Out Front the Following Sea is set in an oft-forgotten time in the brutal wilds of pre-America that is so vividly and authentically drawn, with characters that are so alive and relevant, and a narrative so masterfully paced and plotted, that Angstman has performed the miracle of layering the tumultuous past over our troubled present to gift us a sparkling new reality." Kevin Catalano, author of Where the Sun Shines Out and Deleted Scenes and Other Stories"Out Front the Following Sea is a fascinating book, the kind of historical novel that evokes its time and place so vividly that the effect is just shy of hallucinogenic. I enjoyed it immensely." Scott Phillips, author of The Ice Harvest, The Walkaway, Cottonwood, Hop Alley, The Adjustment , and Rake" Out Front the Following Sea is a meticulously researched novel that mixes history, love story, and suspense. Watching Angstman's willful protagonist, Ruth Miner, openly challenge the brutal world of 17th-Century New England, with its limiting ideas about gender, race, and science, was a delight." Aline Ohanesian, author of Orhan's Inheritance"Leah Angstman is a gifted storyteller with a poet's sense of both beauty and darkness, and her stunning historical novel, Out Front the Following Sea , establishes her as one of the most exciting young novelists in the country. Angstman plunges the reader into a brilliantly realized historical milieu peopled by characters real enough to touch. And in Ruth Miner, we are introduced to one of the most compelling protagonists in contemporary literature, a penetratingly intelligent, headstrong woman who is trying to survive on her wits alone in a Colonial America that you won't find in the history books. A compulsive, vivid read that will change the way you look at the origins of our country, Leah Angstman's Out Front the Following Sea announces the arrival of a preternatural talent." Ashley Shelby, author of Muri, South Pole Station , and Red River Rising"Rich, lyrical, and atmospheric, with a poet's hand and a historian's attention to detail. In Out Front the Following Sea , Leah Angstman creates an immersive world for readers to get lost in and a fascinating story to propel them through it. A thoroughly engaging and compelling tale." Steph Post, author of Holding Smoke, Miraculum, Walk in the Fire, Lightwood, and A Tree Born Crooked"Rich in deeply researched detail, and peopled by complex characters, Out Front the Following Sea is a fascinating story that is bound to entrance readers of historical fiction." Kathleen Grissom, author of The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything

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Book SynopsisRepressed desires, irresistible obsessions, and perception-twisting games. When lady’s maid Marian Osley and footman Valentine Hobbs assume their positions at the cliff-top estate of Valor Rise, they already share a history. Raised together as paupers in a London workhouse, they escaped through games of imaginary crimes and sublime punishment. Now they’ve been unexpectedly reunited—in subservience to the brooding Wythe Bornholdt and his frail wife, Diana. A master and mistress with their own dark secrets. In private, Marian and Valentine return to their playful and addictive games—now tinged with BDSM. But when lecherous Wythe sees something he desires in Marian, he turns the pair’s diversions violently against them. The line between servitude and bondage is drawn, and the dynamics of dominance and submission will shift in this sensually charged novel of Gothic suspense.Trade Review“Don’t stop ‘till you get enough…which you won’t.” —P. J. Vernon, award-nominated author of Bath Haus “McGuckin pens the kind of book that draws all attention and then ambushes with deadly secrets. Delicious, seductive, dangerous, On Good Authority keeps us bound tight to the page. Wouldn't have it any other way.” —Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth “On Good Authority is a tantalizing tale of upstairs-downstairs, manor house intrigue that crackles with desire and dread. Readers will be hard-pressed to put it down once they're caught in its grip.” —Kelly J. Ford, author of Cottonmouths and Real Bad Things

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Under a Gilded Moon comes the soaring story of an unlikely friendship of three men and one extraordinary woman and the legacy they built—if their own secrets don’t destroy it.In the midst of World War II, a Tennessee farm boy, a Jewish Cambridge student, and a German POW forge a connection that endures—against all odds.But now everything that Will Dobbins, Dov Silverberg, and Hans Hessler fought for is at risk as their descendants clash for control of the corporation they founded together. In an attempt to remake its tattered corporate image, the firm hires event planner Hadley Jacks and her sister Kitzie to organize a reunion for the families on St. Simons Island, Georgia, the place that changed all three men’s lives forever.As Hadley and her sister delve into the friends’ past, they uncover the life of the courageous young woman who links them all together…and the old wounds that

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Under a Gilded Moon comes the soaring story of an unlikely friendship of three men and one extraordinary woman and the legacy they built—if their own secrets don’t destroy it.In the midst of World War II, a Tennessee farm boy, a Jewish Cambridge student, and a German POW forge a connection that endures—against all odds.But now everything that Will Dobbins, Dov Silverberg, and Hans Hessler fought for is at risk as their descendants clash for control of the corporation they founded together. In an attempt to remake its tattered corporate image, the firm hires event planner Hadley Jacks and her sister Kitzie to organize a reunion for the families on St. Simons Island, Georgia, the place that changed all three men’s lives forever.As Hadley and her sister delve into the friends’ past, they uncover the life of the courageous young woman who links them all together…and the old wounds that

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Book SynopsisSet in the 1950s, this thriller by Edgar Award-winning author Lori Roy reimagines the life of Marilyn Monroe, tying her fate to a dreamy teenager whose boyfriend runs afoul of the mob.Desperate to break free of small-town Florida, Addie Anne Buckley dreams of following in the path of her glamorous aunt Jean—known to the world as Marilyn Monroe. When Aunt Jean plans a trip to Hollywood for Addie’s eighteenth birthday, Addie sees her chance to escape.One thing stands in her way: her boyfriend. Truitt Holt is Addie’s first and only love and will be joining her in California. But days before Addie’s due to leave, Truitt does an about-face and gives her a painful ultimatum: stay and marry him, or they’re through. Addie chooses her dream.Hurt and angry, Truitt unwittingly exposes the illegal bolita game he’s been running in mob territory. Now the Tampa Mafia is after him, and he has until midnight to cut a deal that will save

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