Whether your passion is The Ancient Greeks, The Wars of The Roses or The Russian Revolution, you'll find stories of life during these eras and every other, often using factual accounts to build a fictional narrative.
Historical Fiction Books
Chiltern Publishing Hard Times
Book SynopsisChiltern Publishing creates the most beautiful editions of the World?s finest literature. Your favorite classic titles in a way you have never seen them before; the tactile layers, fine details and beautiful colors of these remarkable covers make these titles feel extra special and will look striking on any shelf.Hard Times was published in 1854 and is set in Northern England in Coketown, a polluted and suffering place with smoke-filled factories and soulless workers who have been downtrodden by the cruel and heartless Thomas Gradgrind and Josiah Bounderby. The novel was published to mixed criticism, with many feeling at the time that it was too distressing. However, many modern critics have praised the book, calling it a gripping and revealing exploration of Victorian society.
£18.00
The Conrad Press The Banks of the River Thillai
Book SynopsisThis gorgeous, funny novel paints a picture of a bygone era, depicting the changing society in Ceylon after Independence from the British in 1948. Three Tamil girl cousins, Gowry, Saratha and Buvana, grow up in the old-fashioned village of Kolavil in Eastern Sri Lanka near the beautiful River Thillai. As they approach womanhood, they each struggle in their own way to assert themselves in opposition to the strict traditions of Tamil culture and their powerful Grandma. Their idyllic village life is threatened by people and by events beyond their control. Meanwhile, the reader can get lost in a colourful world of flamingos, temple bells and coconut prawn curry.
£9.49
The Conrad Press Lured by the Hoard: An Anglo-Saxon mystery
Book SynopsisEmotions swing wildly in this tense, intriguing tale of mystery and obsession. Ordinary folk react in dramatically different ways as they are caught up in savage struggles between Anglo-Saxon and British warlords. The story hinges on a fateful night in the kingdom of Northumbria in AD638. Two young men dig up a priceless treasure hoard and re-bury it on a lonely hillside. Prejudice, greed, fear and jealousy shape the many personal stories which have led the men to this point. Events twist and turn over the next few weeks towards a nerve-wracking climax as they are pulled in different directions, their loyalties tested to the limit repeatedly.
£9.49
The Conrad Press The Dying of the Fire
Book Synopsis‘The Dying of the Fire’ is a gripping page-turner, full of twists, which immerses the reader in mid-sixteenth century Canterbury, south-east England, as its citizens tread a perilous path through the battlefields of faith and sickness. November 1558. Queen Mary is dying and England is fast approaching a historic and fateful turning-point. Can catholic England survive? Does it deserve to? In Canterbury, John Hewett, an illiterate carpenter, is burdened with a dangerous message from a disturbingly heretical voice claiming to be God. Meanwhile, Archdeacon Harpsfield has arrived in the city, determined to reassert the authority of the church. His young secretary, Francis Coppyn, returns to Canterbury with a mission to uncover the long-buried truth, prevent a second rupture with Rome and continental Europe, and to restore the fortunes of the city.
£9.49
The Conrad Press Marjorie and Claudette
Book SynopsisWhen Marjorie Fitzpatrick is forced to leave her teaching post in Jersey due to the outbreak of war, she finds herself working for the Admiralty in their London headquarters. It’s there she meets Captain Tristan Melville, a young officer waiting for his ship to be fitted with revolutionary new guns. They fall madly in love and Marjorie agrees to marry him when he returns on his first leave on shore. On New Year’s Day, Tristan takes Marjorie to the London apartment his father has given them to begin their married life. There they plan their lives together, but it’s wartime and Marjorie’s dreams are shattered when Tristan’s ship is attacked at sea. Years later, Marjorie meets Claudette Gilbert, a teacher from Rouen in France. Claude, as she is known to her friends, is vivacious, stylish and modern, everything Marjorie is not. Their friendship takes them from a cottage in Portbradden on the North Coast of Ireland to an apartment in Paris. Marjorie is feeling alive again and the arrival of Philippe and Madeleine in their lives provides her with the family she never thought she’d have.
£9.49
The Conrad Press Cissy's War
Book Synopsis‘Cissy’s War’ is a riveting and truly emotionally engaging novel about how a colossal tragedy can change the shape of the future. This dramatic story shows the main character having to come to terms with the loss of her entire family and the only life she knew. Cissy Browning adores living in the East End of London with her parents and siblings in 1939. When the Second World War starts she hopes that it won’t interfere, too much, with her cosy existence. Sadly, it does and the events that follow rock all of Cissy’s world. First, Cissy’s close friend, Dolly, is evacuated then almost all of Cissy’s family are killed in an air raid. Cissy finds herself fighting an inner battle with herself to try and come to terms with the new life that was thrust upon her by events she can’t control.
£9.49
The Conrad Press Serving Shaka
Book Synopsis‘Serving Shaka’ is a dramatic evocation of Zulu nation-building, immersing the reader in vivid battle scenes, poignant relationships and tense political machinations. Having masterminded Napoleon Bonaparte’s escape from St Helena with his friend Emile Béraud in Needing Napoleon, history teacher Richard Davey now finds himself stranded on the African coast. Richard and Emile encounter Shaka Zulu, a leader even more ruthless and ambitious than the former French emperor. Richard’s secret, that he is from the future, is revealed; Bonaparte seeks to outmanoeuvre Shaka; and Emile joins the nascent Zulu army. Buffeted by the birth pangs of nation-building, Richard tries to exert his influence and retain his sense of self, relying on half-remembered lectures from two hundred years in the future.
£9.49
The Conrad Press Rest Not These Dead
Book Synopsis'Rest Not These Dead’, this final part of the Cellist Soldier trilogy, lays bare terrible guilt over the injustice of war, overlaid by a new era of love. The end of World War One brings no peace for Ben and his Jamaican lover Pearl in post-war London. A horrific racial attack sends her, grief-stricken, back to Jamaica. Ben is desperate to win Pearl back and, nursing a deeper guilt over his failure to prevent the unjustified execution of his cello-playing soldier friend, takes up the horrific job of body exhumation. But will a dramatic collaboration with a journalist in Arras, France, bring Ben and Pearl back together and reconcile the injustice done to his friend?
£9.49
Jantar Publishing Ltd Newton's Brain
Book SynopsisA young man creates his own time machine and travels back in time to witness battles between Prussia and Austria. The first ever SF novel written in Czech by the celebrated Modernist author Jakub Arbes.
£12.34
Jantar Publishing Ltd The Science of the Stars
Book SynopsisWritten and published in 1856, before Jules Verne published any of his novels. A young explorer sets off to map the stars in a balloon. The first ever SF novel written in Slovak.
£14.25
EnvelopeBooks Belle Nash and the Bath Soufflé
Book SynopsisWhen a soufflé fails to rise, friends try to find out why and uncover a web of corruption that spreads throughout Bath's legal system. Set in the early 1830s, this comic gay historical novel exposes the bigotry of the times but also introduces a new literary and moral hero—Belle Nash, city councillor and bachelor. About time!Trade ReviewAlexander McCall Smith -- "A real romp of a book - full of surprises!" / Jeanette Winterson -- "Funny, clever, silly in the right way, and strangely moving in its unexpected ending. I love the alt-Regency Bath that Keeling has built." / Matthew Parris -- "By turns incisive, outlandish and hilarious! ... there's a brilliance in The Gay Street Chronicles, half-modern, half-Dickensian." / Peter Tatchell -- "Bravo. A rollicking tale of corruption, intrigue and romance. A racy read!"
£13.19
EnvelopeBooks Belle Nash and the Bath Circus
Book SynopsisAt the end of his last adventure (Belle Nash and the Bath Souffle), Belle Nash was banished for four years to the island of Grenada. It is now 1835, and Belle has returned to Bath, glad to be back but pained by the absence of his most recent Caribbean love. His heartache leads to confusions when he meets Pablo Fanque, the Black equestrian acrobat from Norfolk who longs to set up his own circus. As a well-loved figure in Bath, Belle uses his influence to try and help, but has to run the gauntlet of Lord Servitude, the most hated man in England and a die-hard supporter of slavery. As ever, William Keeling's whimsical tale brings Belle, his gay hero, into a situation where comedy does not obscure stark moral issues to do with prejudice and bigotry that are as alive today as they were in Regency times.Trade ReviewOf the author's first novel: 'A real romp of a book - full of surprises!' (Alexander McCall Smith). 'Funny, clever, silly in the right way, and strangely moving in its unexpected ending. I love the alt-Regency Bath universe Keeling has built' (Jeanette Winterson). 'By turns incisive, outlandish and hilarious! ... There's a brilliance in The Gay Street Chronicles, half-modern, half-Dickensian' (Matthew Parris). 'Bravo! A rollicking tale of corruption, intrigue and romance. A racy read!' (Peter Tatchell). 'An unputdownable Regency frolic!' (Jane Ridley). 'A triumph!' (Michael Holman)
£12.30
Legend Press Ltd The London Seance Society: The New York Times
Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERTHE ENCHANTING NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE LOST APOTHECARY''GLORIOUSLY GOTHIC, DELIGHTFULLY ATMOSPHERIC SLICE OF VICTORIANA'' DAILY MAIL''PENNER HAS CRAFTED ANOTHER BLOCKBUSTER NOVEL THAT IS MAGICALLY EVEN BETTER THAN HER DEBUT'' NATALIE JENNERFrom the author of the intoxicating bestseller The Lost Apothecary comes an entrancing exploration of the blurred lines between truth and illusion and the grave risks women take to avenge the ones they love.May mercy be upon the man who finds himself the enemy of a vengeful medium1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D'Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister's death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London's exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselvesA Most Anticipated title by: Good Housekeeping, Washington Post, E! News, Bookpage, CrimeReads, Readers Digest, Popsugar, The EveryGirl, Sunset Magazine and more.''A great choice for fans of historical European settings, the power of women, and the fringes of the paranormal'' Booklist Starred Review''Steeped in suspense, mystery, and illusion'' Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Maid''Breathtaking'' Pam Jenoff''Smart and seductive'' Fiona Davis''An explosive, immersive, time-bomb of a novel'' Laurie Lico Albanese''Mesmerizing, seductive and absolutely irresistible'' Hank Phillippi Ryan''An evocative and delicious read with a mystery that will have you turning pages late into the night'' Madeline Martin''A Victorian whodunit crackling with tension and lavished with ambiance'' Heather WebbA New York Times Bestseller March 2023
£13.49
Crumps Barn Studio Stolen Lives
Book SynopsisAlice Jerrard is returning to Hillbury in Dorset. But when a travelling merchant is found dead and the main suspect is a servant within her friend's household, Alice must be careful for someone is a master of lies, and one man is already dead ... A thrilling, page-turning read full of historical intrigue
£13.16
Crumps Barn Studio Mr Redmonds Mending Day
Book SynopsisA dispersed family. A family that has not met together in one place for many years. Until today. The poignant and tender story about love, loss and the threads that make a family, from the renowned radio scriptwriter
£11.69
Crumps Barn Studio Just Causes
Book SynopsisAlice Edwards is on her own and fighting for all she holds dear. But in a time of deadly plague, sickness is not the only danger. A gripping murder mystery steeped in authentic historical detail - the first spellbinding case for 17th century investigator Alice Edwards
£11.69
Saraband / Contraband The Salt and the Flame
Book SynopsisApril 21, 1923. The SS Metagama is inching out of Stornoway harbour on the Isle of Lewis, bound for Canada. On board are Finlay and Mairead; they are young and hopeful, leaving behind a community that has been touched by tragedy to change their lives foreverOn the other side of the Atlantic, though, they face the realities of an uncaring industrial society. The effects of the Great Depression are inescapable, prejudice and division are rife, and though they remain bound by a shared past, their own lives soon diverge.In an adopted country that is tense with both opportunity and loss, social progress and violent backlash, can Mairead and Finlay keep their promises to one another, to look only forward, and resist the constant pull of home?From the author of the prize-winning As the Women Lay Dreaming comes a poignant and deeply evocative novel of the 20th-century emigrant experience in the New World. With lyrical prose and masterful storytelling, Murray paints a vivid portrait of the resilient Hebrideans-in-exile who struggled between holding on and letting go.
£9.49
Edward Everett Root Publishers Co. Ltd. Hamlet and the Psychotherapist
Book SynopsisThis fascinating novel prompts many unusual questions about the most famous play in the world. / It explores the mind of the quizzical Hamlet himself, and of Shakespeare - if he was, indeed, the author. / It features a 21st-century Psychotherapist of mixed race, Jacob Fortune, who doesn''t like the age-old classic play - especially its conclusion. / In detective style, through virtual reality, he travels back to try to get into the mind of Hamlet, in order to change the narrative of the play and also to prove himself right about the false claim of authorship.
£19.99
The Book Guild Ltd The Forgotten King: Edward the Elder
Book Synopsis“I haven’t even heard of Edward the Elder.” “Few people have. Edward is a forgotten King of England and deserves much more credit than he has received. Let me tell you about him.” History is Leo’s favourite subject in school, and when he learns of the Saxon King, Edward the Elder, son of Alfred the Great and his amazing achievements he can’t help but be fascinated. Edward has ambitions to not only be King of Wessex but to regain the land taken by the Vikings during his father’s reign. To achieve this, he has the support of his sister the warrior Queen of Mercia, Athelflaed. Meanwhile, the Saxons at Maldon in Essex are threatened by Viking invaders and the prominent leading family there, who become tied up with these dramatic events, become closely connected to King Edward. The Forgotten King is a historical novel reflecting the life and times of the true first king of England, in all but name, bringing to life a lesser-known area of English History to transport readers back in time.
£999.99
The Book Guild Ltd The Judas Case
Book SynopsisYehuda from Kerioth was the most able undercover agent that the Temple guard ever produced. After eighteen months of meticulous preparation infiltrating the entourage of a Galilean holy man and would-be king of Israel, Yeshua from Nazareth, he came to Jerusalem at Passover and pulled off his greatest coup. Two days later he was dead. What went wrong? Retired spymaster Solomon Eliades is called back from his vineyard to investigate the death of his protegee. But secrets from his own past – and the search for an inconveniently missing body – put him and his family in danger...
£9.49
Northodox Press Trials of the Heart
Book SynopsisWill the forbidden fruits of their labours come to light? As the end of the Second World War nears its close, a tense mood surrounds Leeds. Karel Letnov faces the noose at the Leeds assizes. Accused of a string of suspicious killings in the peaceful village of Forley, a war-ravaged community contemplates its future.
£9.49
Watkins Media Limited March's End
Book SynopsisThe March's End is a multi-generational portal fantasy of strange magics, epic warfare, and deadly intrigue, in which the personality conflicts and toxic struggles of the Harrow family are reflected in the fantasy world they've sworn to protect. The Harrows are a typical suburban family who, since time immemorial, have borne a sacred and terrible charge. In the daylight they are teachers, doctors, bartenders and vagrants, but at night they are the rulers and protectors of the March, a fantastical secondary world populated with animate antiquated toys and sentient lichen, a panorama of the impossible where cities are carried on the backs of giant snails, and thunderstorms can be subdued with song. But beneath this dreamlike exterior lie dark secrets, and for generation after generation the Harrows have defended the March from the perils that wait outside its borders - when they are not consumed in their own bitter internecine quarrels. In the modern day the Harrow clan are composed of Sophia, the High Queen of the March, a brilliant, calculating matriarch, and her three children - noble Constance, visionary, rebellious Mary Ann, and clever, amoral Will. Moving back and forth between their youth, adolescence, and adulthood, we watch as this family fractures, then reconciles in the face of a conflict endangering not only the existence of the March, but of the 'real world' itself. THE MARCH'S END is a book about growing up, in which the familial struggles of the Harrows are threaded through the mythic history of the fantastical land they protect. It is a story of failure and redemption, in which the power of love is tested against forces that seek to break it, and the necessity of each generation to recreate itself is asserted.Trade Review"The battles of politics and war give a real feeling of tension and life to this novel. Readers who enjoy the political complexity and epic battles of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin as well as the classic fantasy of The Nutcracker will enjoy this stand-alone." – Library Journal"Readers who crave a touch of whimsy in their dark family sagas will get both itches scratched by this one."– Publishers Weekly"Framed inside the stunning worldbuilding of sentient lichen and antique toys lies a heartfelt story of family seeking resolution and absolution from their own madness." – SciFiNow “Daniel Polansky is one of my favorite new writers. Again and again, he manages to reinvent and invert well-worn genres.” – David S. Goyer, screenwriter and director “Polansky is his own genre.” – Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma “Surges like a revelation.” – Matt Fraction, Eisner Award-winning comic book writer “This f*cking guy. He’s too good to live…” – John Hornor Jacobs, author of Southern Gods
£9.49
Watkins Media Limited Earth Retrograde: Book II
Book SynopsisBecoming the planet's most (in)famous human has not changed Brooklyn Lamontagne one bit, but the time has come for him to choose where his allegiances really lie. The United Nations is working to get everyone off Earth by the deadline - set by the planet's true owners, the aliens known as the First. It's a task made somewhat easier by a mysterious virus that rendered at least fifty percent of humanity unable to have children. Meanwhile, the USA and the USSR have set their sights on Mars, claiming half a planet each. Brooklyn Lamontagne doesn't remember saving the world eight years ago, but he's been paying for it ever since. The conquered Earth governments don't trust him, the Average Joe can't make up their mind, but they all agree that Brooklyn should stay in space. Now, he's just about covering his bills with junk-food runs to Venus and transporting horny honeymooners to Tycho aboard his aging spaceship, the Victory. When a pal asks for a ride to Mars, Brooklyn lands in a solar system's worth of espionage, backroom alliances, ancient treasures and secret plots while encountering a navigation system that just wants to be loved...Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR MERCURY RISING "Greene remixes sci-fi conventions into a wild, satisfying adventure in a nearly picaresque vein…Readers willing to roll with the punches will delight in following Greene’s winding path."– Publishers Weekly "Mercury Rising is a rollicking, funny, picaresque adventure novel… Recommended for fans of old sf-adventure serials and Ernest Cline's Armada."– Booklist "The action in Mercury Rising is compelling from the first chapter. Greene’s skill at creating an alternate space-faring America in the mid-1970’s is studded with the perfect amount of pop culture references, and his many-layered Everyman, Brooklyn Lamontagne, feels like a long-lost best friend. All this combines to lock you in for a thrilling story that’s impossible to put down."– Ginger Smith, author of The Rush's Edge "Everything I've come to love about Greene: impeccable story logic, fantastic prose, sly humor, and hope in all its glory."– Zig Zag Claybourne, author of Afro Puffs are the Antennae of the Universe "Mercury Rising charmed and fascinated me. Greene has taken an absolutely wild premise and somehow made it fit like a puzzle piece into our own history and knowledge of the greater universe. It is unexpected and clever, heartfelt and funny, with big, conceptual penny-drop moments that hit the reader as hard as they hit the novel's weary protagonist, Brooklyn Lamontagne."– Chris Panatier, author of Stringers and The Phlebotomist "Surprising, engaging, and with plenty of smart nods to society’s bullshit, Mercury Rising is a slice of alternative history that reads like science-fiction Stephen King. A joy."– Dan Hanks, author of Swashbucklers "Greene's world is immersive, compelling, and fun. Brooklyn's saga takes us from a dank New York City jail cell to bone-dry Texas, the rim of a still-smoking crater, the Arctic circle, a Vegas-like city on the moon, and beyond. And, like Brooklyn, I could only hang on for dear life and enjoy the ride. As with all good alternate history, it entertains while shining a light on issues that bedevil this world, and makes you think about the missed opportunities in our own timeline.” – B.L. Blanchard, author of The Peacekeeper "With a deft weaving of rock ‘n roll, denim suits, AMC Pacers and nuclear-powered spaceships, Greene effortlessly recreates a 1970s America that could have been. This thoroughly plausible alternate history in which asteroid-slinging aliens threaten a spacefaring human race is narrated by Greene’s unlikely hero, Brooklyn Lamontagne. Seemingly a brash young ne-er-do well, Brooklyn is redeemed by his love for his mother and his loyalty to his friends and you can’t help but root for him as he navigates a rocky path from the cold streets of NYC to the moon and beyond. As the stakes intensify and the mystery around earth’s implacable enemy deepens, the story becomes a ride as fast as an Oppenheimer-powered rocket and you won’t want it to stop. Can’t wait to see what comes next!"– Sarah J. Daley, author of Obsidian
£9.49
Watkins Media Limited The War Born: Seven Forges, Book VI
Book SynopsisThe Overlords have risen! They've torn apart the Wellish Steppes and raised mountains, they're fighting against the gods themselves, attacking the Daxar Taaalor and bringing the wrath of the Children of the Forges. They've turned one of the greatest sorcerers in the history of Fellein to their side and divided the council of wizards, forcing Desh Krohan into battle with old allies. The empire is at war. The Sa'ba Taalor are preparing for battle, and the Overlords have begun their own plans, raising an army of shapechangers called the War-Born to do their bidding. The armies of the Overlords are savage, they hunt, kill and eat their prey. They are endlessly hungry. The final war is on, one that will change the shape of the Fellein Empire. Even as the gods involve themselves in the final confrontations between the empire and the enemies, old and new. File Under: Fantasy [ Last Stand The Battle Persists Rising Enemy Cold Front ]Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR JAMES A. MOORE "Fantasy does not get much better than this." - Morpheus Tales "James A. Moore keeps getting better. The cast of characters expands. Moore juggles them with ease, giving each one some background so that they don't all run together. And the battle scenes, whether it's individual combat or armies clashing, are riveting. Plus the intrigue keeps on getting more complex. This is one is highly recommended." - Adventures Fantastic "The prose is sharp, the pace wonderfully timed with great action tempered with some wonderful lulls to allow you to get your breath back. Back this up with some great characters alongside a world that is delightfully designed all round makes this a series that continues to go from strength to strength. Finally, and this is the clincher for me, Moore gives the characters a depth with their dialogue that not only shows their devotions but also gives them a roundedness that allows you to become fully immersed. Cracking." - Falcata Times "I need more stories set in this world. Please indulge me, Mr Moore." - Fantasy Book Review "A strong instalment with no shortage of action." - The Speculative Herald "I love this series, I will not lie about it. It has ALL the things that make a great fantasy read." - Shelf Inflicted
£11.69
Clink Street Publishing Warbird
Book Synopsis
£12.34
Monsoon Books Operation Blowpipe
Book SynopsisAt the end of the Malayan Emergency Jason Rance visits the orang asli hill tribes in Malaya and only the skill of a Gurkha saves him from being killed by four poisoned blowpipe darts.
£9.49
Monsoon Books Emporium
Book SynopsisIn Volume 3 of Penang Chronicles, as the 18th century draws to a close, Penang must fortify and prepare for war, and Francis Light's partner, Martinha Rozells, learns to negotiate the murky waters of colonial prejudice and corruption for the sake of her family.
£9.49
The Book Guild Ltd The Wonderful Discovery of Elizabeth Sawyer
Book SynopsisThe year is 1621: a time of paranoia following the English Reformation. In London’s Newgate prison, Elizabeth Sawyer, the mother of eleven children, lies shackled in her cell. Denounced as a witch by her woodland neighbours and condemned to death by the court, Elizabeth has one last chance to make her peace with this world. By way of confession, she tells the prison chaplain three stories about her life. Chaplain Goodcole at first responds with revulsion. Like the court he condemns Elizabeth as wicked and depraved but as her execution draws near, his opinion shifts. Does this ‘ignorant’ countrywoman know something that he doesn’t? Has she indeed made a wonderful discovery, or has he, as his colleagues suspect, fallen under the spell of a wily and malign witch? Based on a true story, this novel is rooted in the struggles of rural women 400 years ago. Exploring different types of power, it unravels the fear and superstitions surrounding any girl or woman who spoke her mind.
£8.54
The Book Guild Ltd The Play's the Thing: Acting in a World of Great
Book SynopsisGreat loves, great theatre roles and great betrayals; rarely have the secrets and seductions of the theatre world been explored with such intensity. Michael Driscoll, the finest actor of his generation, is tempted by magnificent roles and manipulated when he accepts them. He reaches the dizzy international heights before his Faustian bargain catches up with him. Set in apartheid-era South Africa, The Play’s the Thing shows that it is when the world is at its most dishonest that we need the truth of theatre the most.
£8.09
Bell Jar Books Solstice: Newcastle witch trials historical
Book Synopsis
£8.99
The Conrad Press Falling: the third diary of Lady Jane Tremayne
Book SynopsisAnother enthralling, fast-paced whodunnit in the series of Lady Tremayne’s diaries. The year is 1655. In the seventeenth century many people still believed that those suffering from the falling sickness (what is today called epilepsy) were possessed by the devil. When Lady Jane’s uncle is found murdered, her former wet nurse’s daughter, who suffers from the falling sickness, is accused of the crime. Jane is convinced of her innocence but when she is put on trial and convicted, Jane is faced with a race against time to find sufficient evidence to prevent her execution and in so doing discover the identity of her uncle’s actual murderer.
£9.49
The Conrad Press The Bengal Tiger's Silent Roar
Book Synopsis‘The Bengal Tiger’s Silent Roar’ is a powerful, fast-paced, highly atmospheric novel with a passionate love story at its heart. It explores the widest range of human emotions. Thirty-year-old Tarun, who has learning difficulties, wants to get married. His mother is horrified; she considers him incapable of raising a family. This is a dramatic and highly engaging story of Tarun’s struggles to find a wife in a society where the families arrange marriages. His boss’s daughter, Sangeeta, is trying to befriend him, while he has fallen in love with Manju, the daughter of his house cleaner. The problem is Manju is already married. Can Tarun prevail despite fearsome obstacles and find a woman to marry whom he truly loves?
£999.99
The Conrad Press How the Light Shines
Book Synopsis'How the Light Shines’ is a historical thriller set in the 1930s in England, France and southern Africa. It is an exciting tale of the attempted acquisition of diamonds by the German High Command and the British counter-espionage forces’ attempts to foil them. For Germany, the re-arming of the nation has been given top priority. But in a small office on Piccadilly, Captain Morris Shuttleworth and his team at the Secret Intelligence Service have noticed the unusual journeyings to southern Africa of a member of the Abwehr. Meanwhile, romance and cocktails intermingle with each forces’ ploys to outwit each other.
£9.49
The Conrad Press Serafino da Ferrara
Book SynopsisFerrara, 1505 AD. Talented Serafino is apprenticed to Mastro Filargiro, one of the city's leading artists. Serafino finds love, but his mastery takes him on a perilous journey across Italy's feuding city-states, unaware that his virtuosity is a threat to the pre-eminence of the hitherto unchallenged masters of the Renaissance. His life must take a dramatic new turn in the hope of escaping their enmity. Washington DC, 2008. Parker's first year at Georgetown High is coming to an end. His father is appointed Consul General in Florence. Parker enthusiastically embraces his new life and befriends handsome Beppe. But almost everyone around him has been keeping secrets. And the fifteenth-century palazzo where his family now lives unexpectedly reveals its long-buried mysteries. Separated by five hundred years, yet united by their talent, Serafino and Parker embark on similar journeys of discovery while fellow artists, assassins, princes and envious classmates rage and scheme around them.
£10.44
The Conrad Press Song of Buchenwald: A novel about the great
Book SynopsisIn 1905, a sixteen-year-old Austrian boy falls in love with the music of his compatriot Franz Lehár when he attends the premiere of Lehár’s operetta ‘The Merry Widow’. The boy dreams of becoming an artist in Vienna, has no great interest in politics and shows no signs of anti-Semitism. His name is Adolf Hitler. Inspired by real events, ‘Song of Buchenwald’ vividly portrays Hitler’s transformation into a murderous, racist fanatic, and Vienna’s degeneration into a hotbed of extremism and hate, where Lehár’s Jewish wife Sophie and his Jewish colleagues – including the great librettist Fritz Löhner-Beda – find themselves in grave and constant danger. Yet one fact remains unchanged: Hitler is still a great admirer of Lehár’s music. Can Lehár use this to persuade Hitler to spare Sophie a
£10.44
The Conrad Press Rescuing Richard
Book Synopsis‘Rescuing Richard’ is a breathless quest that sweeps the reader from the blood-soaked battlefields of Zululand to the corridors of power in Regency London. Richard is astonished when Shaka appoints him to his inner council, where he vies for influence with his friend, Napoleon Bonaparte. Drawn to a feisty, intelligent young Zulu woman, Richard wrestles with his conscience while confronting betrayal and colonial adventurers exploiting the land he is sworn to protect. Having helped equip the Zulu army with artillery, he is sent as ambassador to the court of King George, where he defends Zulu interests while trying to help an old acquaintance escape an abusive relationship.
£10.44
The Conrad Press Finding Rosamond
Book SynopsisWhen mother Jackie Wallis’s life falls apart following the loss of her daughter Allison through suicide, writing ‘Finding Rosamond’ is her saviour. Incredibly, when nothing else could console her, a young lady who died nearly two centuries ago came to Jackie’s spiritual and emotional rescue. The chance discovery of an almost indecipherable young lady’s diary from 1835 led Jackie on her own personal journey while unravelling, and imagining, the secrets hidden within its tiny pages. As Rosamond’s story unfolds during the reign of William IV, in a tiny hamlet near Aylesford in Kent, Rosamond introduces us to her family and social life, then confides in us of her loves, losses and ultimate fears. Was it Rose’s wish that one day someone would read her diary and tell her story? Novel, memoir, ‘Finding Rosamond’ combines all that is best about both genres.
£13.29
The Conrad Press Wodka, or Tea with Milk
Book Synopsis‘Wodka, or Tea with Milk’ takes the reader on an immersive, rollercoaster ride into the Solidarnosc years in 1980s Poland. Marya Weiclawski is second-generation British, the daughter of Polish refugees who fled during World War Two. When her Cambridge University interview goes wrong – her fault actually – she resolves to seek out her Polish family whom no one speaks of, and her father’s RAF comrade, Pyotr Murkowski, whom her beloved dad, Jerzy, has suddenly stopped talking about. Marya becomes involved in the shipyard strikes in Gdansk in 1980 and falls in love with Jan, a shipyard worker. Jan is well liked by colleagues, unflappable and down-to-earth - a bit too much so for volatile Marya – but he appears to have no family and in Poland family is everything.
£11.39
The Conrad Press Marlowe - Soul'd to the Devil
Book SynopsisIn ‘Marlowe - Soul’d to the Devil’, you will read how this ambitious Divinity student from Canterbury and Cambridge became a poet and playwright as well as Shakespeare’s most serious rival. Moving from Cambridge to London, Marlowe writes smash-hit plays, erotic poetry and also acts as an informer for Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster, Walsingham. As such he is also sent to France and Holland to spy on the queen’s potential enemies. However, back home, despite his success with ‘Tamburlaine’ and ‘Doctor Faustus’, he makes some powerful enemies through his unconventional views and alleged sexual preferences. As a result his meteoric career crashes in an unexpected way.
£11.39
The Conrad Press The Dress
Book SynopsisThe Fifties were a difficult time to be a married woman and daughters in particular carried the burden of this unhappiness. Forbidden to socialise, Alice, the seventeen-year-old heroine of ‘The Dress’, defies her mother and escapes to a glamorous and glitzy party but is terrified she will be shamed, humiliated and dragged home. She thinks she has got away with it, then something unexpectedly dreadful happens. This mesmerising and unforgettable novel describes what it was like to be young after the Second World War and the tensions in society as the more colourful Sixties begin to unfold.
£10.44
The Conrad Press When a Good Man Comes to Town
Book Synopsis'When a Good Man Comes to Town' is a rip-roaring ride through the Wild West of old-time Wyoming. Packed full of gunslinging action, this thrilling novel is a fast-paced, highly atmospheric tale of a good man trying to save the day. A nameless bounty hunter takes a step into the unknown when he accepts a job to help right an emotional wrong. Haunted by past loss, and only used to tracking scum and villainy, he is shocked when this adventure sees him finding love with a woman who is more than his match. Together they must face their demons and defeat an evil plot that could have terrible ramifications for all the people of the Cowboy State.
£10.44
The Conrad Press Poverty's Pain
Book SynopsisSet in the early twentieth century, 'Poverty's Pain' is a remarkable novel telling the story of Edna Pain, a young woman struggling with survival. Her resilience against extreme poverty and the life that comes with it, is exciting yet fascinating, as it engulfs the reader and transports them into Edna's world. This is a place in time where people have become marginalised in society and trapped, not only because of the ravages of war, but also due to the era into which they have been born. This is a tale of romance, intrigue, great emotional catastrophe and is evocative of a time which may have been forgotten but for this novel, when life was not soft and cosy, but harsh and a bit wild: a true haunting novel. The reader will become submerged into Edna's search for hope and happiness. Will she ever find true love? Will she ever be truly happy?
£10.44
The Conrad Press Warp and Weft
Book SynopsisIn ‘Warp and Weft’ a Leicestershire mill owner’s uneventful life is set to change. His daughter Veeve discovering her husband’s infidelity, demands a divorce. When Veeve is told to stay in France to avoid the scandal, Ruth, her younger sister, refuses to abandon her. The outbreak of the First World War severs the friendship between the sisters, with tragic consequences. Ruth returns from Paris with her three-year old son and thirteen year old nephew, Veeve’s son. She is stubbornly silent about her war years. One man is determined to uncover her secret and the build-up to the Second World War gives him his opportunity.
£12.34
Dedalus Ltd The Ballad of John Clare
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Scribe Publications Can’t I Go Instead
Book SynopsisFrom the author of The Picture Bride, two women’s lives and identities are intertwined — through World War II and the Korean War — revealing the harsh realities of class division in the early part of the 20th century. Can’t I Go Instead follows the lives of the daughter of a Korean nobleman and her maidservant in the early 20th century. When the daughter’s suitor is arrested as a Korean Independence activist, and she is implicated during the investigation, she is quickly forced into marriage to one of her father’s Japanese employees and shipped off to the United States. At the same time, her maidservant is sent in her mistress’s place to be a comfort woman to the Japanese Imperial army. Years of hardship, survival, and even happiness follow. In the aftermath of WWII, the women make their way home, where they must reckon with the tangled lives they’ve led, in an attempt to reclaim their identities, and find their places in an independent Korea. Trade Review‘Can't I Go Instead’s complex and profoundly human characters will captivate, devastate, and move you, all at once.’ -- Juhea Kim, author of Beasts of a Little Land and Dayton Literary Peace Prize finalist‘A true feast for historical fiction readers who love unpredictable stories and complex characters!’ -- Lorena Hughes, award-winning author of The Spanish Daughter‘Compelling and inspiring, this story speaks of resilience and determination to make the best out of the situation one has been dealt.’ * Booklist *‘Can’t I Go Instead is an epic work of historical fiction by acclaimed Korean author Lee Geum-yi that vividly brings to life the tumultuous early 20th century in Korea … Lee’s exhaustive research into the realities of the era, from the atrocities of the Imperial Army to the treatment of Asians in America, underpins this propulsive novel. Fans of emotional yet historically accurate fiction will find Can’t I Go Instead a transportive reading experience and meaningful perspective on the past.’ * NZ Booklovers *Praise for The Picture Bride: ‘Cleverly orchestrated and poignantly conveyed throughout.’ * Daily Mail *Praise for The Picture Bride: ‘Lee Geum-yi has a gift for taking little-known embers of history and transforming them into moving, compelling, and uplifting stories ... a must read!’ -- Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Three SistersPraise for The Picture Bride: ‘Lee Geum-yi has a gift for taking little-known embers of history and transforming them into moving, compelling, and uplifting stories. I loved Willow from the first page to the last. Loved her courage, and her tenacious, yet caring, beautiful soul. The Picture Bride is the ultimate story of the power of friendship — a must read!’ -- Heather Morris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Three SistersPraise for The Picture Bride: ‘A fascinating journey into the world of Korean “picture brides” whose lives take unexpected turns as they land on distant shores. A beautiful testimony to those women bold and determined enough to leave behind all that was familiar, seeking a better life.’ -- Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author Before We Were Yours and The Book of Lost FriendsPraise for The Picture Bride: ‘A transporting and immersive story that will enthral historical fiction readers. Poignant and moving, its unforgettable characters will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.’ -- Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba
£13.49
Book Guild Publishing Ltd Newspaper Curtains: Who Really Knows What Lies
Book SynopsisTwo teenage girls from opposite sides of the tracks in 1960s Midlands England are forced into prostitution in this engrossing tale of loss, liberty, and love. Weep at the relationship between clever Janet and spoiled Priscilla, as their handsome, young English teacher, Mr Edwards – and his corrupting father – become embroiled in their tortuous journeys. But then a smart heroine Tara fatefully enters the fray on a secret detective mission. Dramatic and topical events include a city-slum killing, police malfeasance, newspaper-business bribery, emotional blackmail, destitute homelessness, and a mountaineering adventure. This saga combines a socio-political struggle by the under-privileged against repression, with both feminine and asexual insights into love, to produce a thought-provoking, yet stylishly old-fashioned, romantic rollercoaster.
£9.49
Book Guild Publishing Ltd King Alfred's Daughter: The remarkable story of
Book SynopsisKing Alfred is dead and the achievements that made him great are in jeopardy. Rebels challenge the succession of his son Edward to the Wessex throne, and his old ally in Mercia is sick. The Vikings in the Danelaw sense the time has come to complete their conquest of England. It falls on Alfred’s firstborn, his daughter, Æthelflæd, to unite the Anglo-Saxons. Reluctantly, she takes up the challenge. But can a woman rebuild ruined towns and lead men into battle against hardened Viking warriors? And can Æthelflæd fulfil her father’s dream of uniting England? Based on contemporary sources and archaeological evidence, King Alfred’s Daughter is rich in drama, family conflict and historical achievement.
£9.02
Book Guild Publishing Ltd Vermisst: Missing in Russia
Book SynopsisYoung Paul Goetz loves aeroplanes and so joins the Luftwaffe as soon as he can. Like so many, he’s taken in, swept along in the unquestioning tide of excitement, keen to be airborne as a fighter pilot. His first posting sees him sent to Leningrad in December 1941. His squadron shoot down huge numbers of enemy aeroplanes and victory seems certain, but the war drags on for a second winter, becoming increasingly difficult. Comrades are lost or reported ‘Vermisst’ – missing – and he learns of terrible German activities across the east. Then, Paul’s nightmare becomes reality, when his engine fails behind enemy lines, and he is captured… Vermisst: Missing in Russia is a rarity; an English-language novel written from a German viewpoint. Rich in historical details and packed with exciting aerial combat scenes, it is a gripping war story of extreme conditions, and survival in the harshest captivity.
£9.49
