Historical crime and mysteries

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Book SynopsisEveryone’s Favorite British Detective Is Back!Read the newest and most thrilling stories about the most famous super sleuth in this new novel by critically acclaimed author, Maxim Jakubowski.Revisit Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legacy. Sherlock Holmes and Watson have been household names and icons for generations. In this new anthology by Maxim Jakubowski, you can read all about the dynamic duo in a new light. From brand new stories, to deeper looks into famous Sherlock Holmes cases, you’ll fall in love with these short detective stories.The perfect book for Sherlock and mystery fans alike. Whether you are a Sherlock super-fan, or an avid crime and mystery reader, The Return of Sherlock Holmes is the perfect novel for you. With brand new, mind-boggling stories, you can delve into the world of Sherlock Holmes and his crime-solving abilities. In this book, you can read: All new Sherlock Holmes stories The return of the world-famous British detective And so much more! If you enjoyed books like American Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Collection or Sherlock Holmes: Complete Collections & Stories, then you’ll love The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

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Book SynopsisA historical mystery in the vein of The Alienist, in which a young woman in Gilded Age New York must use a special talent to unravel a deadly conspiracy.Amelia Matthew has done the all-but-impossible, especially for an orphan in Gilded Age New York City. Along with her foster brother Jonas, she has parleyed her modest psychic talent into a safe and comfortable life. But safety and comfort vanish when a head injury leaves Amelia with a dramatically-expanded gift. After she publicly channels an angry spirit, she finds herself imprisoned in the notorious insane asylum on Blackwell''s Island. As Jonas searches for a way to free her, Amelia struggles to control her disturbing new abilities and survive a place where cruelty and despair threaten her sanity. Andrew Cavanaugh is familiar with despair. In the wake of a devastating loss, he abandons a promising medical career''and his place in Philadelphia society''to devote himself to the study and treatment of mental disease. Miss Amelia Matthew is just another patient''until she channels a spirit in front of him and proves her gift is real. When a distraught mother comes to Andrew searching for her missing daughter''a daughter she believes is being hidden at the asylum''he turns to Amelia. Together, they uncover evidence of a deadly conspiracy, and then it''s no longer just Amelia''s sanity and freedom at stake. Amelia must master her gift and use it to catch a killer''or risk becoming the next victim.

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Book SynopsisAfter a year away from Paris, Kiki Button is delighted to be back in City of Lights. But danger threatens her return as she is pulled into another spy missionone that brings her ever closer to the rising fascist threat in Europe.October 1922. Kiki Button has had a rough year at home in Australia after her mother's sudden death. As the leaves turn gold on the Parisian boulevards, Kiki returns to Europe, more desperately in need of Paris and all its liveliness than ever. As soon as she arrives back in Montparnasse, Kiki takes up her life again, drinking with artists at the Cafe Rotonde, gossiping with her friends, and finding lovers among the enormous expatriate community. Even her summertime lover from the year before, handsome Russian exile Prince Theo Romanov, is waiting for her. But it's not all champagne and moonlit trysts. Theo is worried that his brother-in-law is being led astray by political fanatics. Kiki's boy from home, Tom, is still hiding under a false name. Her friends are in troubleMaisie has been blackmailed and looks for revenge, Bertie is still lovesick and lonely, and Harry has important information about her mother. And to top it off, she is found by Dr. Fox, her former spymaster, who insists that she work for him once more. Amidst the gaiety of 1920s Paris, Kiki stalks the haunted, the hunted, and people still heartsore from the war. She parties with princes and Communist comrades, she wears ballgowns with Chanel and the Marchesa Casati, she talks politics with Hemingway and poetry with Sylvia Beach, and sips tea with Gertrude Stein. She confronts the men who would bring Europe into another war. And as she uses her gossip columnist connections for her mission, she also meets people who knew her mother, and can help to answer her burning question: why did her mother leave England all those years ago?

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Book SynopsisWho is stalking Florence Nightingale and her nurses? Is it the legendary Beast of the Crimean, or someone closer to home? In 1855, Britain and France are fighting to keep the Russians from snatching the Crimean Peninsula from the Ottoman Empire, and Nightingale, a wealthy young society woman, has made it her mission to improve the wretched conditions in the British military hospitals in Turkey-despite fierce objections from the male doctors around her. When young women start turning up dead, their mouths sewn shut with embroidered fabric roses, Inspector Charles Field (the real-life inspiration for Charles Dickens's Inspector Bucket in Bleak House) is sent from England to find the killer among the doctors, military men, journalists, and others swarming Turkey's famous Barrack Hospital. Here Field meets both the famous Nightingale as well as Nurse Jane Rolly, the woman who will become his wife, and as he races to protect them, the prime suspect takes his own life.Case closed. Or is it?Twelve years later, back in London, amid the turmoil surrounding the expansion of voting rights, women again start turning up dead, their mouths covered by that telltale embroidered rose. Did Field suspect the wrong man before, or is he dealing with a deviant copycat? Either way, he must race against time to stop the killer before more bodies are discovered, and before his own family gets pulled into danger. Populated by real figures of the day, from Benjamin Disraeli to novelist Wilkie Collins to, of course, Florence Nightingale herself, and steeped in historical details of 1860s London, The Nightingale Affair plays out against a backdrop of a rapidly changing society. Most of all, it is a pure reading delight, offering shocks, unforgettably vivid scenes, and surprising twists.Trade Review"Time-travel through the gilded halls and sinister streets of Victorian London and onward to the horrors of the Crimean War as a determined detective tracks a ruthless killer. Political intrigue, a backdrop of social upheaval, and a cast of nineteenth-century luminaries make this stylish, cleverly plotted thriller a must-read for fans of historical fiction."—Dean Jobb, author of The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream"Richness of incident, absorbing details and a breathtaking finale elevate “The Nightingale Affair” to the top rank of historical shockers."—The Wall Street Journal"Richness of incident, absorbing details and a breathtaking finale elevate The Nightingale Affair to the top rank of historical shockers."—The Wall Street Journal"The Nightingale Affair is the best kind of historical thriller — beautifully written, expertly plotted, and brimming with vivid characters and detail. Tim Mason made a brilliant debut with The Darwin Affair, and this one is even better."—Daniel Stashower, author of American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America’s Jack the Ripper."In Field (introduced in The Darwin Affair, 2019), readers will find a detective whose humility, unflinching observations, and pragmatic take on rules are bound to charm. Mason’s second Field thriller is a deep, gritty dive into Victorian London that’s perfect for fans of Alex Grecian’s Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad series and Caleb Carr’s The Alienist."—Booklist“Because Mason places the killer and his excuses openly among his protagonists, and the threats to Field and his family are menacing and time-linked, The Nightingale Affair is at least as much of a thriller (think: ticking clock) as it is a historical novel. Yet the portrait of Nightingale both in her prime and as an aging yet still effective advocate is strong and memorable, giving the book its lively flavor that hints at all the shifts in women’s rights and health care about to unfold. Don’t expect an extraordinary police investigation here; read the book instead for the colorful storytelling around this classic “change agent” and her insistence on respect, honor, and care.”—The New York Journal of Books"The Nightingale Affair is the best kind of historical thriller — beautifully written, expertly plotted, and brimming with vivid characters and detail. Tim Mason made a brilliant debut with The Darwin Affair, and this one is even better."—Daniel Stashower, author of American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America’s Jack the Ripper."The book's first part, set mainly in Crimea, is compelling, in part because Nightingale herself is a fascinating character... It does boast a blockbuster ending in subterranean London, rich historical detail, and a cast of real characters, from Benjamin Disraeli to Dickens himself. A killer who once stalked Florence Nightingale’s nurses seems to be resurrected in this satisfying thriller."—Kirkus Reviews"The book's language and tone are firmly grounded in the time and place... While it all too accurately portrays the misogyny of the era, this mystery will keep readers captivated and will be popular with admirers of Victorian detective novels."—Library Journal"Inspector Charles Field makes a welcome return in Mason’s stellar second historical whodunit... The action alternates between past and present, each switch masterfully heightening the tension. Mason’s superb plotting and well-drawn lead bode well for future installments."—Publishers Weekly"In Field (introduced in The Darwin Affair, 2019), readers will find a detective whose humility, unflinching observations, and pragmatic take on rules are bound to charm. Mason’s second Field thriller is a deep, gritty dive into Victorian London that’s perfect for fans of Alex Grecian’s Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad series and Caleb Carr’s The Alienist."—Booklist“This is a fast-paced, compelling novel with historical fact and fiction expertly interwoven. The historical characters never overpower the story, nor does the fiction detract from fact.”—Historical Novels Review

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Book Synopsis“Intellectually stimulating and viscerally exciting, The Darwin Affair is breathtaking from start to stop.” —The Wall Street Journal A Barnes & Noble Discover Pick * A Wall Street Journal Best Mystery Book of the Year * A Reader’s Digest Best Summer Book * A Forbes.com Best Historical Novel of the SummerGet ready for one of the most inventive and entertaining novels of 2019—an edge-of-your-seat Victorian-era thriller, where the controversial publication On the Origin of Species sets off a string of unspeakable crimes.London, June 1860: When an assassination attempt is made on Queen Victoria, and a petty thief is gruesomely murdered moments later—and only a block away—Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field quickly surmises that the crimes are connected. Was Victoria really the assassin’s target? Or were both crimes part of an even more sinister plot? Field’s investigation soon exposes a shocking conspiracy: the publication of Charles Darwin’s controversial On the Origin of Species has set off a string of terrible crimes—murder, arson, kidnapping. Witnesses describe a shadowy figure with lifeless, coal-black eyes. As the investigation takes Field from the dangerous alleyways of London to the hallowed halls of Oxford, the list of possible conspirators grows, and the body count escalates. And as he edges closer to the dastardly madman called the Chorister, he uncovers dark secrets that were meant to remain forever hidden.Trade Review"London in 1860 is the principal setting of Tim Mason's The Darwin Affair, which evokes the pleasures of such period authors as Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens. [A] memorable page-turner. Intellectually stimulating and viscerally exciting, The Darwin Affair is breathtaking from start to stop." --The Wall Street Journal "A perfect addition to your summer reading list. Fast-paced and lively, this page-turner would appeal to fans of Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle." --Reader's Digest "An audacious historical thriller . . . The intelligent plot features prominent figures of the time, including Karl Marx . . . and Charles Darwin, whose heretical theory of evolution has unsettled some very powerful men. Wry prose and vivid period detail help make Mason's speculations feel plausible." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "Readers of historical fiction, murder mysteries, action/adventure and thrillers will be equally entertained and perhaps edified: beneath the excitement lie thought-provoking questions about class and order, the interplay of science and religion and intellectual curiosity. The Darwin Affair has it all: thrills, engrossing characters, taut pacing and historical interest." --Shelf Awareness "Mason's Dickensian London, layered with gritty, horror-tinged period details and the imaginative interweaving of Typhoid Mary and the underworld's grave-robbing industry, provides a rare time-traveling experience for historical-mystery readers. The novel shares the edgy appeal of Caleb Carr's The Alienist and Louis Bayard's Mr. Timothy." --Booklist, starred review "While readers cheer for Inspector Field, a true-life detective and friend of Charles Dickens, they will inadvertently learn a smattering of history--and enjoy every second of it. Author Tim Mason makes it fun. He writes with authenticity and knows precisely how to keep his audience on the edge of their seats. Oh, and just when you believe he's about to wrap it up, get comfortable, because he has a whole lot more action in store." --Bookreporter.com "With many grisly murders and many shocking surprises along the way, the book rockets toward a last dark twist. Careful research, a driving plot, wry wit, and compelling characters make this a most entertaining read." --Kirkus Reviews "Set in Victorian era London, Tim Mason's The Darwin Affair is a fantastic and original historical thriller. In fact, this is one of the best thrillers I've read in years." --The Missourian "The Darwin Affair by Tim Mason . . . set in Victorian England of the 1860s . . . grabs the reader and tosses him or her into the middle of an assassination attempt of the Royals--Queen Victoria and Prince Albert . . . [T]he plot unfolds in an exciting dash to save Prince Albert, and bring Decimus Cobb . . . easily the most frightening antagonist since Hannibal Lecter . . . to justice." --New York Journal of Books "This clever, yeasty detective yarn is like a runaway hansom cab that pauses just long enough to take on passengers ranging from Darwin to Dickens before hurtling onward. It's a grand ride, a serious education and a delightful addiction." --Louis Bayard, author of Courting Mr. Lincoln "An engaging historic mystery." --BBC.com "It's London 1860, and an assassination attempt has been made on Queen Vict

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Book SynopsisIn this twisty Victorian detective thriller from the author of The Darwin Affair, Inspector Charles Field hunts a serial killer with a sinister signature targeting Florence Nightingale’s nurses in Crimea and women in London.  Who is stalking Florence Nightingale and her nurses? Is it the legendary Beast of the Crimean, or someone closer to home? In 1855, Britain and France are fighting to keep the Russians from snatching the Crimean Peninsula from the Ottoman Empire, and Nightingale, a wealthy young society woman, has made it her mission to improve the wretched conditions in the British military hospitals in Turkey—despite fierce objections from the male doctors around her. When young women start turning up dead, their mouths sewn shut with embroidered fabric roses, Inspector Charles Field (the real-life inspiration for Charles Dickens’s Inspector Bucket in Bleak House) is sent from England to find the killer among the doctors, military

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Book SynopsisThe mist-shrouded moors of Devon offer many delights for two visiting zoologists - until a maid goes missing. Is something monstrous afoot?

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Book SynopsisThe arrival of a woman named Mary Todd wedges a rift between Abraham Lincoln and Joshua Speed in this compelling mystery.

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Book SynopsisFrances Brody's eleventh Kate Shackleton mystery is sure to delight readers of Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear.Two murders. A one-way ticket to trouble.And it's up to Kate to derail the killer.London, 1929. In the darkness before dawn, a railway porter, unloading a special train from Yorkshire, discovers a man's body, shot and placed in a sack. There are no means of identification to be found and as Scotland Yard hits a dead end, they call on the inimitable Kate Shackleton, a local sleuth, confident her local knowledge and investigative skills will produce results. But it's no easy task. Suspicion of political intrigue and fears of unrest in the Yorkshire coalfields, impose secrecy on her already difficult task. The murder of a shopkeeper, around the same time, seems too much of a coincidence. The convicted felon was found with blood on his hands, but it's too tidy and Kate becomes convinced the police have the wrong man.By then it's too late. Kate finds herself in a den of vipers. The real killer is still at large, and having tinkered with Kate's car, nearly causes her to crash. Not only that, but Scotland Yard has turned their back on her. As Kate edges toward the shocking truth, she's going to need all the strength and resourcefulness she can muster to uncover this sinister web of deceit.

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Book SynopsisGlittering Gilded-Age New York holds its lavish charms - and a litany of deadly sins - as intrepid reporter Genevieve Stewart uncovers a trail of corruption and murder.

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Book SynopsisFrances Brody's eleventh Kate Shackleton mystery is sure to delight readers of Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear.Two murders. A one-way ticket to trouble.And it's up to Kate to derail the killer.London, 1929. In the darkness before dawn, a railway porter, unloading a special train from Yorkshire, discovers a man's body, shot and placed in a sack. There are no means of identification to be found and as Scotland Yard hits a dead end, they call on the inimitable Kate Shackleton, a local sleuth, confident her local knowledge and investigative skills will produce results. But it's no easy task.Suspicion of political intrigue and fears of unrest in the Yorkshire coalfields, impose secrecy on her already difficult task. The murder of a shopkeeper, around the same time, seems too much of a coincidence. The convicted felon was found with blood on his hands, but it's too tidy and Kate becomes convinced the police have the wrong man.By then it's too late. Kate finds herself in a den of vipers. The real killer is still at large, and having tinkered with Kate's car, nearly causes her to crash. Not only that, but Scotland Yard has turned their back on her. As Kate edges toward the shocking truth, she's going to need all the strength and resourcefulness she can muster to uncover this sinister web of deceit.

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Book SynopsisOld bones speak from the grave as a curse descends on Saltaire in acclaimed author Frances Brody’s thirteenth Kate Shackleton mystery, perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear.When Kate Shackleton disembarks at Saltaire station, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, she has no idea what to expect. A stranger, Ronnie Creswell, has written to say that he has urgent information about the past that will interest her, and he persuades her to make the journey to Milner Field, the grand house that is said to be cursed. But moments after Kate arrives at the lodge, a messenger brings devastating news to Ronnie’s parents: he has been found drowned in the mill reservoir. Ronnie’s father suspects that this was no accident, and the post-mortem proves him right. Ronnie was murdered. Terrified and distraught, Mrs. Creswell refuses to stay at the Lodge a moment longer. But events take an even more shocking turn when ten-year-old Nancy Creswell, eyes and ears for her blind Uncle Nick, goes missing. An account of the fateful Saturday of Ronnie’s death arouses Kate’s suspicions, and furhter investigations could prove her right. But truth is never so straightforward at Milner Field. Uncle Nick spins an old story that could hold the key to finding Nancy alive—though the fabled curse may not have claimed its last victim yet. And only a set of old bones buried on the grounds will finally reveal the horrifying truth.

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Book SynopsisFrances Brody's twelfth Kate Shackleton mystery will positively intoxicate fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Nicola Upson.A competition for the crown proves deadly when confidences are betrayed and secrets are spilled.North Yorkshire, 1930. It's the season for warm and spirited countryside celebrations. Ever since the war, pubs have been in the doldrums, and in an attempt to promote and breathe new life back into the business, brewers select a charismatic employee as local queen--to be the face of their industry. And this year's queen, wages clerk Ruth Parnaby, has invited the ever intrepid Kate Shackleton and her niece Harriet to accompany her on public engagements at a garden party thrown in her honor. But when Ruth leads children to the stables for pony rides, the drayman is missing, later found in the last place imaginable--the fermentation room, deceased.What looked to be a simple case of asphyxiation in the dangerous fermentation room is quickly clarified by the pathologist as murder--the drayman was already dead before he was taken into the room. Someone was looking to cover it up. The horse dealer who sold the pony to the drayman comes under suspicion, but more and more Ruth's nasty father, Slater Parnaby's strong motive to dissuade his daughter from any festivities lingers in Kate's mind, despite his having an alibi. The case is muddy, at best, and it's going to take Kate at her keenest to decipher the truth.

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Book SynopsisIt takes a village to bury a child...September 1st, 1939. As the mass evacuation takes place across Britain, thousands of children leave London for the countryside, but when a little girl vanishes without a trace, the reality of separation becomes more urgent and more deadly for those who love her.In the chaos and uncertainty of war, Josephine struggles with the prospect of change. As a cloud of suspicion falls across the small Suffolk village she has come to love, the conflict becomes personal, and events take a dark and sinister turn.Blending a Golden Age mystery with the timeless fears of a child’s abduction, Dear Little Corpses is an atmospheric snapshot of England in the early days of war.

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Book SynopsisRenowned archaeologist, Dr. Steven Carning, has been dreaming of discovery. Now, with his team of graduate students, he makes the discovery of a lifetime under the Great Sphinx. A hall of knowledge, left behind by an ancient civilization, older than can be imagined and lost to time. Now, as his team is scrambling to understand this fantastic find, with some unsolicited help by a cryptic monk, Steven undertakes translating the works of this lost civilization. As this translation evolves, Steven is looking into a window over 13,000 years old, understanding the roots of some of mankind's greatest civilizations.Through this window, a world of pre-ancient cities and societies comes to light, unseen for eons, led by men and women who will remain immortal in the memory of mankind. Amongst this gaggle of near mythical figures and cities, the greatest of these centers of light is the famed Atlantis of legend. Led by their two great princes, Dias and Heracles, Steven unveils their life and trials. The brothers of thunder, as coined during their time, continually face internal challenges and threats to their bull throne. All the while, a rising evil in the east threatens their cousin, Prince Theseus and the city of Athens.As the story of this lost era of man unfolds for Steven, mysterious forces are also watching with eager eyes, and unknown agendas. The Chronicles of Atlantis: The Age of Immortals is an exciting action tale where our long forgotten past will directly dictate the fate of mankind forever.

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Book Synopsis“Mixing Romance and Mystery in a Fizzy 1930s Cocktail!”In this seventh book of the series, Clive and Henrietta return to England to find Castle Linley in financial ruin. When Clive’s cousin, Wallace, invites an estate agent in to assess the home’s value, the agent is later found poisoned, throwing all of the Castle’s guests into suspicion. Clive and Henrietta are soon drawn into an investigation, which is slowed by an incompetent local inspector and several unexplained phenomena—the cause of which many, especially the frail Lady Linley, believe to be the workings of the ghost of a hanged maid.Meanwhile, Gunther and Elsie have begun life on a farm in Omaha. Circumstances are difficult, but they are content—until Oldrich Exely appears, proposing an option Elsie finds difficult to ignore. Melody Merriweather, still masquerading as a nun to aid Elsie’s escape, likewise finds it difficult to ignore a letter with tragic news from home, while Julia, on the other hand, receives a very different sort of letter from Glenn Forbes.Back in England, Clive is called away to London on suspicious business, leaving Henrietta to carry on with the investigation alone. When she is mysteriously locked in the study one night, however, things take on a more deadly, supernatural feel, leaving her to fear that Lady Linley's “ghost” might just be real after all… Trade ReviewFor A Girl Like You: “Michelle Cox masterfully recreates 1930s Chicago, bringing to life its diverse neighborhoods and eclectic residents, as well as its seedy side. Henrietta and Inspector Howard are the best pair of sleuths I’ve come across in ages—Cox makes us care not just about the case but also about her characters. A fantastic start to what is sure to be a long-running series.” —Tasha Alexander, New York Times best-selling author of The Lady Emily Mysteries “Fans of spunky, historical heroines will love Henrietta Von Harmon.” —Booklist, starred review “Flavored with 1930s slang and fashion, this first volume in what one hopes will be a long series is absorbing. Henrietta and Clive are a sexy, endearing, and downright fun pair of sleuths. Readers will not see the final twist coming.” —Library Journal, starred reviewFor A Ring of Truth:“An engaging and effective romp rich with historical details.” —Kirkus Reviews“Set in the 1930s, this romantic mystery combines the teetering elegance of Downton Abbey and the staid traditions of Pride and Prejudice with a bit of spunk and determination that suggest Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs.” —Booklist “Henrietta and Inspector Howard make a charming odd couple in A Ring of Truth, mixing mystery and romance in a fizzy 1930s cocktail.” —Hallie Ephron, New York Times best-selling authorFor A Promise Given:“Cox’s eye for historical detail remains sharp. . . . A pleasant, escapist diversion.” —Kirkus Reviews“The mix of sleuthing and aristocratic life pairs well with Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness series.” —Booklist“Series fans will cheer the beginning of Clive and Henrietta’s private investigation business in an entry with welcome echoes of Pride and Prejudice.” —Publishers WeeklyFor A Veil Removed: “Entertaining . . . composed of large dollops of romance and a soupçon of mystery, this confection will appeal!” —Publishers Weekly “This is a wonderfully written, engaging story with excellent character treatment and a thrilling mystery.” —IBPA, Independent Book Publishers Association“Cox draws textured visuals of a 1930s Chicago mansion replete with cherrywood drink carts, embroidered goose down pillows, brand new wireless radios, Worth gowns, Rothschild coats, and the music of Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey. It puts us back in the romantically turbulent 1930s Chicago. This engaging story charms us.” —BookTribFor A Child Lost: “. . . vivid, descriptive prose and historical accuracy.” —Publishers Weekly“Michelle Cox’s delightful storytelling has a bewitching charm that will keep readers glued to their seats with a perfect blend of absorbing historical facts, intriguing mystery, and thrilling romance.” —Readers Favorite“Once again, Cox delivers the passion and intrigue of Henrietta and Clive with a story that leaps right off the page. A Child Lost is a true thrill . . .” —Paperback ParisFor A Spying Eye:“A fun and spunky heroine and a plot involving an old castle in Strasbourg make this a fast-paced, delightful read.” —Rhys Bowen, New York Times best-selling author“An exciting mystery with engaging characters. It kept me guessing to the end!” —Clare Broyles, coauthor of Wild Irish Rose“This book is an excellent read for historical romance and historical mystery fans. The author does a beautiful job transporting readers to another time and place.” —Angela Thompson, Vine Voice

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Book SynopsisA Notable African Book of 2023 (Brittle Paper)Tightly plotted and taboo-breaking, this explosive story takes readers to the roots of religious strife where the smallest of sparks can start a bonfire Nader, an idealistic public prosecutor at the outset of his career, leaves Cairo to start a new posting in rural upper Egypt. On his first night, a mysterious woman named Hoda shows up at his lodgings. She is on the run from an abusive husband and, harboring a dark secret, seeks a new start in this small village and hopes to escape her harrowing past.Nothing is to be easy for Hoda or Nader, and the dramatic circumstances of their first meeting signal the disquiet to come. It is not long before tensions between Copts and Muslims, already on a knife-edge, spiral into a spate of unexplained killings and arson attacks. The locals blame the trouble on the supernatural, and Nader is thrown into a quagmire of sectarian conflict and superstition that no amount of formal training could have prepared him for. His investigations are thwarted at every turn, by uncooperative witnesses and an obstructive police force. As Nader and Hoda each pursue happiness and justice, their parallel journeys struggle against the forces of ignorance, poverty, hatred, and greed. With its echoes of Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Diary of a Country Prosecutor, this is a powerful and personal tale of conflict, crime, and upheaval in rural Egypt.Trade Review“The House of the Coptic Woman is intelligent, complex and rich.”—Arab News“A provocative story of religious strife, justice, and tragedy. . . with a tinge of macabre humor. . . unnerving, and courageous.”—The New Arab“People's houses mysteriously burn, lands change hands and old grudges are never settled. . . . This can be seen as a disquieting novel. It is primarily a portrait of how hard it can be to be human in the midst of other human beings who don't know how to live and let live.”—Daily Kos"These are credible characters and they really ground the story of upheaval and conflict, giving it heft and poignancy, elegantly told, slowly building on the passion behind the story."—Crime Time FM“[An] intricate legal drama. Two disparate narrators—a public prosecutor and a brutalized runaway woman—take turns relating the events in Upper Egypt, where religion-driven politics engender antagonism and violence. . . . . El-Ashmawi's fiction proves to be a sobering exposé of the multilayered abuses of ominous power.”—Shelf Awareness"Captivating yet painful, this story unfolds like a beautiful mosaic around the entrance of an abandoned palace.”—Ibrahim Abdel Meguid, author of Clouds Over Alexandria“This masterpiece will remain one of the best Arabic novels of the past fifty years and it shall live for another fifty years.”—Amad“This excellent book shows incredible courage . . . fast-paced and very realistic. The novel is a cry against injustice.”—Shorouk“Ashraf El-Ashmawi breaks down the three deep-seated taboos in Arab writing: religion, sex, and politics.”—Reuters (Arabic edition)"Ashmawi drills deep into the soul of Egypt. Reminiscent of Alaa Al Aswany's The Yacoubian Building, The House of the Coptic Woman uncovers a complex web of religious conflict, abuse of power, and competition over land in the crammed Nile Valley."—Magdi Abdelhadi, formerly of the BBC"An allegorical tale of religious strife. . . . Much of the story can be read as a thinly veiled critique of the last years of the Mubarak regime, marked by sectarian violence and official corruption."—Kirkus Reviews“Full of pain, tears, and blood, as well as the bitterness of broken dreams, this book fires a warning shot, drawing our attention to the absence of justice, law, and freedom.”—al-Ahram“[A] creative testimony to one of the darkest, most bitter chapters in modern history.”—al-Masry al-YoumPRAISE FOR EL-ASHMAWI'S PREVIOUS NOVEL, THE LADY OF ZAMALEK:"A grand family drama set in a society at once strange and familiar, rife with surprise revelations that keep the reader fully engaged. . . .It deserves to be a bestseller."—Washington Independent Review of Books"There's something very compelling about opening a book to read about a place you've never visited before, from the eyes of an author who knows it well." —LitReactor"Set in the confines of one toxic family as its members, over decades, perpetually attempt to outmaneuver one another, the narrative creates a sense of vicious hopelessness. In the family, as, it’s implied, the country around them, this cycle swallows all; even acts of extreme insurrection feed back into a negative cycle."—LitHub"The sweep of Egyptian history and the portrait of class, social norms, and values are fascinating."—Historical Novels Review"A brilliantly spun tale. . . playing with politics and powerful people. El-Ashmawi paints a story where money comes and goes, power changes hands, and where both can disappear in an instant."—Arab News"A bold attempt to reimagine not only the transformations of the Zamalek district of Cairo, but also those of the Egyptian nation itself."—al-Dostoor"Ashraf El-Ashmawy holds a scalpel to dissect the classes of Egyptian society over more than half a century.” —al-Youm al-Sabe'

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Book SynopsisA gripping new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.The Great Depression. High-level corruption. And a murder that’s about to become Seattle’s hottest mystery. It’s the kind of story that can make a reporter’s career. If he lives to write about it.Seattle, 1933. The city is in the grips of the Great Depression, Prohibition, and vice. Cutting his teeth on a small-time beat, hungry and ambitious young reporter William “Shoe” Shumacher gets a tip that could change his career. There’s been a murder at a social club on Profanity Hill—an underworld magnet for vice crimes only a privileged few can afford. The story is going to be front-page news, and Shoe is the first reporter on the scene.The victim, Frankie Ray, is a former prizefighter. His accused killer? Club owner and mobster George Miller, who claims he pulled the trigger in self-defense. Soon the whole town’s tal

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Book SynopsisA gripping new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.The Great Depression. High-level corruption. And a murder that’s about to become Seattle’s hottest mystery. It’s the kind of story that can make a reporter’s career. If he lives to write about it.Seattle, 1933. The city is in the grips of the Great Depression, Prohibition, and vice. Cutting his teeth on a small-time beat, hungry and ambitious young reporter William “Shoe” Shumacher gets a tip that could change his career. There’s been a murder at a social club on Profanity Hill—an underworld magnet for vice crimes only a privileged few can afford. The story is going to be front-page news, and Shoe is the first reporter on the scene.The victim, Frankie Ray, is a former prizefighter. His accused killer? Club owner and mobster George Miller, who claims he pulled the trigger in self-defense. Soon the whole town’s tal

Read more less