Historical Fiction

Set in an era of superstition and hysteria, and inspired by the true events of a doomed summer, The Dance Tree is a story of family secrets, forbidden love, and women pushed to the edge. The gripping, historical novel from Kiran Millwood Hargrave, as seen on BBC Two's Between the Covers.‘Brilliant’ – Marian Keyes‘I absolutely loved this book’ – Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den Strasbourg, 1518. In the midst of a blisteringly hot summer, a lone woman begins to dance in the city square. She dances for days without pause, and as she is joined by hundreds of others, the authorities declare an emergency: musicians will be brought in to play the Devil out of these women.Beyond the city, pregnant Lisbet tends the bees that are her livelihood. And then, as the dancing plague gathers momentum, Lisbet’s sister-in-law Nethe returns from seven years’ penance in the mountains for a crime no one will name.As the city buckles under the beat of a thousand feet, Lisbet finds herself thrust into a dangerous web of deceit and clandestine passion, but she is dancing to a dangerous tune . . .Shortlisted for the HWA Gold Crown‘Intriguing, haunting, beautiful’ – Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne‘Extraordinary, enthralling’ – Sunday Times

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_____________________'An enthralling adventure story, honest and powerful. The Wars of the Roses are imagined here with energy, with ferocity, with hunger to engage the reader.' Hilary MantelFEBRUARY 1460In the bitter dawn of a winter’s morning, a young man and a woman escape from a priory.Fearing for their lives, they are forced to flee across a land ravaged by conflict.For this England, torn apart by the infamous Wars of the Roses, one of the most savage and bloody civil wars in history.Brother confronts brother. King faces king,And Thomas and Katherine, two seemingly unimportant figures in the midst of chaos and bloodshed, must fight just to stay alive ...

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'A panoramic, ambitious tale.' The Times'Exceptional.' Salman Rushdie'Powerful.' Christine Mangan'Captivating.' ElleFrom the internationally bestselling author of Lullaby, The Country of Others is perfect for fans of Elena Ferrante, Tracy Chevalier, and Maggie O'Farrell.1944. After the Liberation, Mathilde leaves France to join her husband in Morocco.But life here is unrecognisable to this brave and passionate young woman. Her life is now that of a farmer's wife - with all the sacrifices and vexations that brings. Suffocated by the heat, by her loneliness on the farm and by the mistrust she inspires as a foreigner, Mathilde grows increasingly restless.As Morocco's struggle for independence intensifies, Mathilde and her husband find themselves caught in the crossfire.

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Go with God and Fight Like the Devil. The remarkable new novel by Britain’s master storyteller, which culminates at the Battle of Poitiers. 1356: France stands alert to danger. The English army, victorious at the battle of Crécy and led by the Black Prince, is invading and the French are hunting them down. The bloodiest battles of the Hundred Years War are yet to be fought. Thomas of Hookton, an English archer, becomes trapped with his outnumbered army. And here, near the town of Poitiers, an extraordinary confrontation will ignite one of the greatest battles of all time.

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'A wonderful book; rich, evocative, original. I loved it' Joanne Harris “One in ten trees comes up sweet…” In the inhospitable Black Swamp of Ohio, the Goodenough family are barely scratching out a living. Life there is harsh, tempered only by the apples they grow for eating and for the cider that dulls their pain. Hot-headed Sadie and buttoned-up James are a poor match, and Robert and his sister Martha can only watch helplessly as their parents tear each other apart. One particularly vicious fight sends Robert out alone across America, far from his sister, to seek his fortune among the mighty redwoods and sequoias of Gold Rush California. But even across a continent, he can feel the pull of family loyalties…

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The latest Daisy Styles novel___________It's 1944 and Britain is a country at war. The young women of the Phoenix munitions factory are giving their all to the cause, but romance is beckoning . . . The life of a Bomb Girl isn't usually glamourous. But Maggie is getting married, so she is going to make sure her wedding day is - even if she does have to spend every other day slaving on the factory floor. This blasted factory was not what Julia had in mind either. She had always dreamed of attending Oxford University rather than getting her hands dirty and the easy laughter of the other women intimidate her terribly. But they are all here together in this munitions factory in a Lancashire mill town, sharing firsts, pitching in and getting on. Despite rationing, dangerous hard work and new situations these Bomb Girls are going to do their best at work, and in love.

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The Worldwide Number One Bestseller Wilbur Smith returns to Ancient Egypt in a captivating new novel that will transport you to extraordinary times. EGYPT IS UNDER ATTACK. The old Pharaoh Tamose lies mortally wounded.The ancient city of Luxor is surrounded.All seems lost. Taita, ex-slave and general of Tamose’s armies, leads his men to victory against Egypt’s enemies. But upon his victorious return to Luxor, he is seized as a traitor. Tamose is dead and a new Pharaoh has risen. Pharaoh Utteric is young and cruel, and threatened by Taita’s influence within the palace – especially his friendship with Utteric’s younger and worthier brother, Rameses. Rameses is torn between duty to his family and loyalty to his friends. Yet he knows that there is no choice. Taita must be set free, Utteric must be stopped and Egypt must be reclaimed.

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The sixth century was not a peaceful time for the Roman empire. Invaders threatened on all fronties, but they grew to respect and fear the name of Belisarius, the Emperor Justinian's greatest general. With this book Robert Graves again demonstrates his command of a vast historical subject, creating a startling and vivid picture of a decadent era.

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For a man of war, peacetime is the ultimate challenge. Leaving behind them a Europe still taking stock after the definitive battle of Waterloo, Jack Aubrey and his friend Stephen Maturin set sail for Chile. But even with the newly minted peace, life at sea remains beset with danger and imminent disaster, and the political turmoil of the South American continent is equal to any threat they have yet faced. Out of loss – of purpose, of love – can the two friends rescue what they most desire? ‘Beyond his superbly elegant writing, wit and originality, [O’Brian] showed an understanding of the nature of a floating world at the mercy of the wind and sea which has never been surpassed.’MAX HASTINGS, Evening Standard ‘From the opening page I was addicted to what I judge to be one of the greatest cycles of storytelling in the English language.’WILLIAM WALDEGRAVE, Daily Telegraph

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**FROM THE AUTHOR OF INSIDE THE WAVE, THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017** Leningrad, September 1941. Hitler orders the German forces to surround the city at the start of the most dangerous, desperate winter in its history. For two pairs of lovers - Anna and Andrei, Anna's novelist father and banned actress Marina - the siege becomes a battle for survival. They will soon discover what it is like to be so hungry you boil shoe leather to make soup, so cold you burn furniture and books. But this is not just a struggle to exist, it is also a fight to keep the spark of hope alive...A brilliantly imagined novel of war and the wounds it inflicts on ordinary people's lives, and a profoundly moving celebration of love, life and survival. 'Remarkable, affecting...there are few more interesting stories than this; and few writers who could have told it better' Rachel Cusk, Daily Telegraph 'Literary writing of the highest order set against a background if suffering so intimately reconstructed it is hard to believe that Dunmore was not there' Richard Overy, Sunday Telegraph 'Utterly convincing. A deeply moving account of two love stories in terrible circumstances. The story of their struggle to survive appears simple, as all great literature should. . . a world-class novel' Antony Beevor, The Times Novelist and poet Helen Dunmore has achieved great critical acclaim since publishing her first adult novel, the McKitterick Prize winning, Zennor in Darkness. Her novels, Counting the Stars, Your Blue-Eyed Boy, With Your Crooked Heart, Burning Bright, House of Orphans, Mourning Ruby, A Spell of Winter, and Talking to the Dead, and her collection of short stories Love of Fat Men are all published by Penguin. This edition includes the first chapter of Betrayal, the sequel to The Siege.

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‘Banville is superb . . . there are not many historical novels of which it can be said that they illuminate both the time that forms their subject matter and the time in which they are read: Doctor Copernicus is among the very best of them’ The EconomistThe first in John Banville Revolutions Trilogy and winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, Doctor Copernicus is a rich historical novel that explores the life of one of history's greatest scientists. The work of Nicholas Koppernigk, better known as Copernicus, shattered the medieval view of the universe and led to the formulation of the image of the solar system we know today. Here his life is powerfully evoked in a novel that offers a vivid portrait of a man of painful reticence, haunted by a malevolent brother and baffled by the conspiracies that rage around him and his ideas while he searches for the secret of life.

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'Sumptuous, sexy and haunting. I adored this novel' SANTA MONTEFIORE. Starving men and women stalk the streets of St. Petersburg. Revolution is brewing. Yet in the Imperial court of Nicholas II and the lavish palaces of the aristocracy, there is unimaginable luxury and extravagance. Into this world of stifling splendour come two sisters. Princesses Anastasia and Militza from Montenegro are famed for their wild beauty and mystical powers. They befriend the isolated Tsarina Alexandra and use their psychic gifts to help in her increasingly desperate quest to produce a male heir. In one doomed last throw of the dice, the princesses introduce Rasputin to the Russian court. Forgotten by history, these extraordinary sisters played a frustrating role in the fate of the Romanov family – a true story of love, lust, power and betrayal. 'I couldn't put it down' CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN. 'Brilliant' CANDACE BUSHNELL. 'A rip-roaring read' DAISY GOODWIN. 'Sumptuous... Intrigue and black magic in the time of Rasputin' iNewspaper. 'Glamour, scandal and Russian princesses... A rollicking read' Good Housekeeping.

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In the Four Streets, a dreadful murder has been committed and 14-year-old Kitty Doherty is pregnant with the dead man's child. This secret is so dangerous that it is decided Kitty must go to Ireland to await the baby's birth. But in Liverpool, the police aren't giving up their search for the truth. Somewhere, in this tight-knit Irish Catholic community, someone must know something. The streets are alive with gossip and rumour, and it isn't easy to keep a secret that big. Another stunning novel from the bestselling author of The Four Streets.

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"Three Kingdoms" tells the story of the fateful last reign of the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), when the Chinese empire was divided into three warring kingdoms. This decisive period in Chinese history became a subject of intense and continuing interest to historians, poets, and dramatists. Writing some 1,200 years later, the Ming author Luo Guanzhong drew on this rich literary heritage to fashion a sophisticated, compelling narrative that has become the Chinese national epic. Luo's novel offers a startling and unsparing view of how power is wielded, how diplomacy is conducted, and how wars are planned and fought; it has influenced the ways the Chinese think about power, diplomacy, and war even to this day. As important for Chinese culture as the Homeric epics have been for the West, this Ming dynasty masterpiece continues to be widely influential in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, and remains a great work of world literature. The University of California Press is pleased to make the complete and unabridged translation available again.

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A glorious, bloody, perfect Viking saga of honour, courage, blood feud and revenge from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lancelot, Giles Kristian. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Games of Thrones."Unrelenting pace, brilliant action and characters. A masterwork." - CONN IGGULDEN"Action-packed storytelling which stirs the blood and thrills the soul" - WILBUR SMITH"Easily one of the best books I've had the pleasure to read" - ***** Reader review.*******************************************************************************IT BEGAN WITH THE BETRAYAL OF A LORD BY A KING...Norway 785 AD. When King Gorm puts Jarl Harald's family to the sword, he makes one fatal mistake - he fails to kill Harald's youngest son, Sigurd.His kin slain, his village seized, his taken as slaves, Sigurd wonders if the gods have forsaken him. Hunted by powerful men, he is unsure who to trust and yet he has a small band of loyal followers at his side. With them - and with the help of the All-Father, Odin - he determines to make a king pay for his treachery.Using cunning and war-craft, Sigurd gathers together a fellowship of warriors - including his father's right-hand man Olaf, Bram (who men call Bear), Black Floki who wields death with a blade, and the shield maiden Valgerd, who fears no man - and convinces them to follow him. For, whether Ódin is with him or not, Sigurd WILL have vengeance. And neither men nor gods had best stand in his way . . .Sigurd's story continues in Winter's Fire.

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The complete collection of Robert Fabbri's Vespasian novella series about Magnus and the South Quirinal Crossroads Brotherhood.Marcus Salvius Magnus, leader of the South Quirinal Crossroads Brotherhood, has long dominated his part of Rome's criminal underworld. From rival gangs and unpaid debts to rigged chariot races and blood feuds - if you have a problem, Magnus is the man to solve it. He'll do everything in his power to preserve his grip on the less-travelled back alleys of Rome, and of course, make a profit.But while Magnus inhabits the underbelly of the city, his patron, Gaius Vespasius Pollo, moves in a different circle. As a senator, he needs men like Magnus to do his dirty work as he manoeuvres his way deeper into the imperial court...In these thrilling tales from the bestselling Vespasian series, spanning from the rule of Tiberius through the bloody savagery of Caligula to the coming of Nero, Robert Fabbri exposes a world of violence, mayhem and murder that echos down the ages.______________________________________________Don't miss Robert Fabbri's epic new series Alexander's Legacy

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⭐ Don’t miss the new uplifting historical saga series from Molly Green, set at famous Bletchley Park: Summer Secrets at Bletchley Park – available to pre-order now! ⭐ Her duty is to keep smiling through… When World War II breaks out, Suzanne’s dream of attending the Royal Academy of Music crumbles. Determined to do her bit, she joins a swing band that entertains troops in some of the worst-hit cities of Europe. Through singing, Suzanne finds a confidence she never knew she had, and she soon wins the admiration of Britain’s brave servicemen. But her heart already belongs to a Navy officer who is serving out at sea. The question is… will they meet again? A gripping tale of love, courage and camaraderie, perfect for fans of Nancy Revell, Donna Douglas and Vera Lynn.

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In the epic clash of Greece and Persia, a hero is forged - a monumental novel from the author of the Tyrant series.Arimnestos is a farm boy when war breaks out between the citizens of his native Plataea and their overbearing neighbours, Thebes. Standing in the battle line for the first time, alongside his father and brother, he shares in a famous and unlikely victory. But after being knocked unconscious in the melee, he awakes not a hero, but a slave.Betrayed by his jealous and cowardly cousin, the freedom he fought for has now vanished, and he becomes the property of a rich citizen. So begins an epic journey out of slavery that takes the young Arimnestos through a world poised on the brink of an epic confrontation, as the emerging civilization of the Greeks starts to flex its muscles against the established empire of the Persians. As he tries to make his fortune and revenge himself on the man who disinherited him, Arimnestos discovers that he has a talent that pays well in this new, violent world - for like his hero, Achilles, he is 'a killer of men'.

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In 1788 Daniel Rooke sets out on a journey that will change the course of his life. As a lieutenant in the First Fleet, he lands on the wild and unknown shores of New South Wales. There he sets up an observatory to chart the stars. But this country will prove far more revelatory than the skies above.Based on real events, The Lieutenant tells the unforgettable story of Rooke's connection to an Aboriginal child - a remarkable friendship that resonates across the oceans and the centuries.

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The Stasi and MI6 clash in this gripping Cold War crime thriller, from the award-winning author of Stasi Child.______________________Dresden, East Germany, 1980 - A man's body is found buried in concrete at a building site in the new town district. When People's Police homicide captain Karin Müller arrives at the scene, she discovers that all of the body's identifiable features have been removed - including its fingertips.The deeper Müller digs, the more the Stasi begin to hamper her investigations. She soon realises that this crime is just one part of a clandestine battle between two secret services - the Stasi of East Germany and Britain's MI6 - to control the truth behind one of the deadliest events of World War II.The Stasi Game brilliantly fictionalises the true story of how Britain's wartime leaders justifed the fire-bombing of German city of Dresden, which many have since condemned as a war crime.

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The No.1 bestselling novel of the Great Irish Famine from one of Ireland's most beloved writersIreland's hopes for freedom are dashed with the arrival of a deadly potato blight that strikes terror in the heart of its people.1845. Seamstress Mary Sullivan's dreams of a better future are shattered as she looks out over their ruined crop. Refusing to give in to despair, she must use every ounce of courage and strength to protect her family as they fight to survive.Dr Dan Donovan is Medical Officer to the Skibbereen Union. The arrival of 'The Hunger' soon brings starving men, women and children crowding into the town and the workhouse, desperate for assistance.Fr John Fitzpatrick's faith is tested by the suffering that surrounds him as his pleas for help fall on deaf ears.Inspired by true Irish heroes, The Hungry Road is the heartbreaking story of the Great Irish Famine told by one of Ireland's best loved writers.__________'Compelling ... An essential book' Sunday Times'Heartbreaking and powerful' Her.ie'Gripping' Business Post'Captivating' Sunday Independent'Powerful ... illustrate[s] the enormity of the tragedy' Irish Independent

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WINNER OF THE LIBRIS AWARD FOR BEST FICTION & BEST AUTHOR SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROGER WRITERS' TRUST FICTION AWARD LONGLISTED FOR THE SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE 'Historical fiction at its best' Sunday Telegraph A mesmerizing epic set in the wilds of 17th century North America, from a Giller Prize-winning author 1640s, The New World In the remote winter landscape, a brutal massacre and the kidnapping of a young Iroquois girl violently re-ignites a deep rift between two tribes. The girl's captor, Bird, is one of the Huron Nation's great warriors and statesmen. Years have passed since the murder of his family, but they are never far from his mind. In the girl, he recognizes the ghost of his lost daughter, but as he fights for her heart and allegiance, small battles erupt into bigger wars as both tribes face a new, more dangerous threat. Travelling with the Huron is Christophe, a charismatic missionary who has found his calling among the tribe. An emissary from distant lands, he brings much more than his faith to this new world, with its natural beauty and riches. As these three souls dance with each other through intricately woven acts of duplicity, their social, political and spiritual worlds collide - and a new nation rises from a world in flux.

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'Palmer spins a cracking tale that, despite its disconcerting subject, is piquantly cheerful and compassionate . . . With empathy and imagination, Palmer explores the master/apprentice relationship, first love and first rivalry, spite and kindness: conjuring a world to raise a wry smile' New York Times---------------------------------------------------------------------------------A stunning, powerfully evocative new novel based on a true story - in 1726 in the small town of Godalming, England, a young woman confounds the medical community by giving birth to dead rabbits.Surgeon John Howard is a rational man. His apprentice Zachary knows John is reluctant to believe anything that purports to exist outside the realm of logic. But even John cannot explain how or why Mary Toft, the wife of a local farmer, manages to give birth to a dead rabbit. When this singular event becomes a regular occurrence, John realizes that nothing in his experience as a village physician has prepared him to deal with a situation as disturbing as this. He writes to several preeminent surgeons in London, three of whom quickly arrive in the small town of Godalming ready to observe and opine. When Mary's plight reaches the attention of King George, Mary and her doctors are summoned to London, where Zachary experiences for the first time a world apart from his small-town existence, and is exposed to some of the darkest corners of the human soul. All the while, Mary lies in bed, waiting for another birth, as doubts begin to blossom among the surgeons and a growing group of onlookers grow impatient for another miracle . . .

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Orphaned. Betrayed. Determined.England, 1820. Angélique Latham grew up in her magnificent country house, Belgrave Castle with her father, the Duke of Westerfield, after the death of her mother. But when he dies, her half-brothers brutally deny her very existence and send her out into the world alone. At eighteen, Angélique has a keen mind, remarkable beauty and an envelope of money her late father pressed upon her. Unable to secure employment, Angélique desperately makes her way to Paris. To survive, she will need all her resources – and one bold stroke of fortune. Angélique takes an unfamiliar and unimaginable path in setting up what becomes a highly successful business. But she lives on the edge of scandal; can she ever make a life for herself? From England to Paris and New York, cosy up with this fan-favourite from Danielle Steel, as she weaves an enchanting story of a woman of unquenchable spirit in The Duchess.

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A major film from the makers of Normal People and Room, starring Florence Pugh and streaming on Netflix.An eleven-year-old girl stops eating, but remains miraculously alive and well. A nurse, sent to investigate whether she is a fraud, meets a journalist hungry for a story . . .Set in the Irish Midlands in the 1850s, Emma Donoghue's The Wonder – inspired by numerous cases of 'fasting girls' between the sixteenth century and the twentieth – is a psychological thriller about a child's murder threatening to happen in slow motion before our eyes. Pitting all the seductions of fundamentalism against sense and love, it is a searing examination of what nourishes us, body and soul.

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An international bestseller by one of Turkey’s most beloved authors. As the daughter of one of Turkey’s last Ottoman pashas, Selva could win the heart of any man in Ankara. Yet the spirited young beauty only has eyes for Rafael Alfandari, the handsome Jewish son of an esteemed court physician. In defiance of their families, they marry, fleeing to Paris to build a new life. But when the Nazis invade France and begin rounding up Jews, the exiled lovers will learn that nothing—not war, not politics, not even religion—can break the bonds of family. For after they learn that Selva is but one of their fellow citizens trapped in France, a handful of brave Turkish diplomats hatch a plan to spirit the Alfandaris and hundreds of innocents, many of whom are Jewish, to safety. Together, they must traverse a war-torn continent, crossing enemy lines and risking everything in a desperate bid for freedom. From Ankara to Paris, Cairo, and Berlin, Last Train to Istanbul is an uplifting tale of love and adventure from Turkey’s beloved bestselling novelist Ayşe Kulin.

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Deep in an Estonian forest, two women, one young, one old, are hiding.Zara is a prostitute and a murderer, on the run from brutal captors - men who know how to punish a woman. Aliide offers refuge but not safety: she has her own criminal secrets - traitorous crimes of passion and revenge committed long ago, during the country's brutal Soviet years.Both women have survived lives of abuse. But this time their survival depends on revealing the one thing history has taught them to keep safely hidden: the truth.A haunting, intimate and gripping story of suspicion, betrayal and retribution against a backdrop of Soviet oppression and European war.

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When the Crown Prince of Egypt needs a wife, the beautiful, charismatic, ambitious and connected Nefertiti is his mother's first choice. She quickly becomes accustomed to the opulence of her new life. As Queen of the world's first great empire at the height of its power, all her dreams are realised. Beguiling and wilful, Nefertiti is soon as powerful as the Pharaoh himself. But when her husband breaks with a thousand years of tradition, defying the priests and the military, it will take all Nefertiti's wiles to keep the nation from being torn apart. Watching from the shadows, her sister, Mutny, detests the back-stabbing nature of palace life, and as she dreams of a simple life in the countryside, she records her sister's transformation from teenage girl to living goddess. But Nefertiti's star quality can only take her so far, and when she's prepared to sacrifice her sister to strengthen her power, the two women become locked in a feud which only death can break...

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Jessie Burton is the author of the Sunday Times number one and New York Times bestsellers The Miniaturist and The Muse, and the children's book The Restless Girls. In its year of publication The Miniaturist sold over a million copies, and in 2017 it was adapted into a major TV series for BBC One. Her novels have been translated into thirty-eight languages, and she is a regular essay writer for newspapers and magazines. She lives in London.

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Some three thousand years ago, in a time before history, the warriors of Greece journeyed to the ends of the earth in the greatest expedition the world had ever seen.One woman fought alongside them.Abandoned at birth on the slopes of Mount Pelion, Atalanta is determined to prove her worth to the father who cast her aside. Having taught herself to hunt and fight, and disguised as a man, she wins a place on the greatest voyage of that heroic age: with Jason and his band of Argonauts in search of the legendary Golden Fleece. And it is here, in the company of men who will go down in history as heroes, that Atalanta must battle against the odds – and the will of the gods – to take control of her destiny and change her life forever.With her unrivalled knowledge and captivating storytelling, Emily Hauser brings alive an ancient world where the gods can transform a mortal’s life on a whim, where warriors carve out names that will echo down the ages . . . and where one woman fights to determine her own fate.

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*SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA ENDEAVOUR HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD 2017* LONDON 1885 – A woman’s body is discovered on Edgware Road. Ten miles away, her head is pulled from the dark muddy waters of the Thames. For two men, this event will push them to the very brink. DETECTIVE WILLIAM PINKERTON – ‘Thirty-nine years old, already famous and already lonely’. In an attempt to solve this case, he must descend into the seedy, gas-lit streets, opium dens, sewers and séance halls of Victorian London. ADAM FOOLE – A gentleman without a past, haunted by a love affair ten years gone. What he learns from his lover’s fate will force him to confront a past, and a grief, he thought long buried.

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The Forgotten Legion fought against almighty odds at the very edge of the known world - and lost.Now Brennus the Gaul, Tarquinius the Etruscan soothsayer and Romulus, bastard son of a Roman nobleman, are prisoners of Parthia. They dream of escape, but in the brutal fighting which lies ahead, only two will survive.Meanwhile, Fabiola, Romulus's twin sister, is caught up in the vicious eddies of Roman politics. Hunted by slave catchers she flees, hoping to find her lover, Brutus, bound for Alexandria with Caesar.Ben Kane's brilliant second novel plunges his characters into a cauldron of war and terror, as Caesar and the Roman Republic hurtle towards their day of reckoning.

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Can she keep her son safe? Previously published as A Father’s Revenge. When Pearl’s ex-husband Kevin was sent to prison, she left her old life in Battersea behind, determined to protect her son from the truth about his father. But when her dear friend Bessie dies, she is forced to return to the one place she’d rather forget. While Pearl makes plans to take over Bessie’s shop, Kevin is released from jail and begins to swindle his parents for money. Once he gets what he wants, he’ll soon be after his child. Pearl will do whatever it takes to keep her boy out of his father’s reach – but will it be enough? A gripping and emotional family drama from the Sunday Times bestselling author, perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Katie Flynn. Readers love A Mother’s Struggle: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant book, couldn't put it down as usual, the characters seem so real. Looking forward to reading the next one.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I am a bedtime reader and Kitty Neale certainly kept me up until the wee small hours; just keep reading one more chapter.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Kept me gripped from the first page to the last one. I could not put it down. Brilliant.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘There were loads of twists to this one and I couldn't put it down. Absolutely fantastic read.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What an amazing book, I can't put in down. The story is brilliant, I'm obsessed with Neale’s Books.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fantastic… I read it in a few days, could not put it down. Kept me on the edge if my seat all the way through.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Kitty Neale never ever lets you down, from the first page to the last. You feel you are right there in the story with them. Great.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wonderful… Loved every moment of this, hard to put down! A very heartfelt tale and lovely story.’ Reader review

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On a cold January evening in 50BC, two strangers enter Rome - one an Egyptian ambassador and the other a eunuch priest. Both are seeking Gordianus the Finder, who has a reputation for solving murders. But the ambassador, a philosopher named Dio, asks for something Gordianus cannot give - help in staying alive. And before the night is out, Dio is brutally assassinated.Now Gordianus must begin the most dangerous case of his career. Hired to investigate Dio's murder by a beautiful woman with a scandalous reputation, he will follow a trail of intrigue into the highest circles of political power and the city's secret arenas of debauchery. There Gordianus will learn that nothing is as it seems, not the damning evidence he uncovers, nor the suspect he sends to trial, not even the real truth behind Dio's death which also lies shrouded in secrets - though not of the state, but of the heart.

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From the author of The Power, winner of the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction 2017IT BEGINS AND ENDS WITH A SACRIFICE... It was a time of brutal tyranny and occupation. Young men and women took to the streets to protest. Dictators put them down with iron force. Rumours spread. Rebels attacked the greatest empire the world had ever known. The empire gathered its forces to make those rebels pay. And in the midst of all of that, one preacher by the name of Jesus died. And either something miraculous happened or someone lied. This is the truth according to The Liars' Gospel.

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Dear Reader, the man I love is trying to kill me...A spellbinding tale of secrets, entrapment and obsession from the author of the BBC2 Between the Covers pick The Dictator's Wife.'A delicious page-turning mystery within a mystery' LIZ HYDER'A twisty treasure hunt of a novel... Utterly beguiling' LIZZIE POOK 'It glistens with a hint of the danger that lurks within' CHARLOTTE PHILBY'Claustrophobic and clever storytelling' JANE SHEMILT_________1932. Emily Blackwood, a young adventuress and plant hunter, travels north for a curious new commission. A gentleman has written to request she catalogue his vast collection of taxidermied creatures before sale.On arrival, Emily finds a ruined castle, its owner haunted by the memory of a woman who disappeared five decades before. And when she discovers the ripped pages of an old diary, crammed into the walls, she realises a dark secret lies here, waiting to entrap her too...'Outstanding...has Berry's signature way of drawing a reader in, and keeping hold of them until the very last page. Lovers of crime, mystery and intrigue should order this immediately' HARPER'S BAZAAR'In 1932, adventuress Emily Blackwood journeys to a ruined castle where a treasure hunt sees dark, long-buried secrets begin to unravel. The Birdcage Library is wonderfully gothic and immersive' NEW EUROPEAN'An atmospheric read - add in a literary treasure hunt and this is irresistible' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'Very clever. Keeps you glued until the final twist' WOMAN & HOME'Compulsive. A twisty, atmospheric tale of dark secrets and hidden clues' KATE HAMER'Gorgeous, atmospheric; an immersive page-turner to be swept up in' ELLERY LLOYD'Addictive . Beautifully atmospheric and darkly compelling, this tale of two unusual women, murder and obsession will draw you in and keep you guessing until the final page' HEAT'A most intriguing detective story within the most gothic of atmospheres - a double shiver of pleasure' THE CHAP

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When Caroline Trent is kidnapped by Blake Ravenscroft, she doesn't even try to elude this dangerously handsome agent of the crown. After all, she's been running from unwanted marriage proposals. Yes, Blake believes she's a notorious spy named Carlotta De Leon, but for six weeks until her twenty-first birthday, when she'll gain control of her fortune, hiding out in the titillating company of a mysterious captor is awfully convenient - and maybe just a little romantic, too.Blake Ravenscroft's mission is to bring 'Carlotta' to justice, not to fall in love. His heart has been hardened by years of intrigue, but this little temptress proves oddly disarming and thoroughly kissable. And suddenly the unthinkable becomes possible - and this mismatched couple might be destined for love.

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‘Sophie Irwin is an exciting and original voice. She's a must-buy author for me.’ Taylor Jenkins Reid ‘A delicious Regency romp for fans of Bridgerton.’ Red A lifetime of dutyWidowed at just seven-and-twenty from her marriage of convenience, Eliza, now Countess of Somerset, is bequeathed a fortune, hers to keep – provided she can steer clear of scandal. The promise of loveThe last thing she expects is to be torn between two very different men – a face from the past, whose loss she’s always mourned, and a roguish poet, who scorns convention. A taste of freedomBut a lady’s reputation is fragile and with jealous eyes on Eliza’s fortune, it will only take one whisper of gossip for her to lose it all… Escape with the most delightful, historical romance of the year from the Sunday Times bestselling author Sophie Irwin! ‘A very modern sensibility, witty and fun’ Adele Parks ‘Fans of Bridgerton will enjoy this well-observed Regency story with a plucky protagonist.’ Candis ‘A delicious Regency romp for fans of Bridgerton.’ Red Readers are LOVING A Lady’s Guide to Scandal: ‘LOVED this’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An excellent, delightful, refreshing Regency Romance’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What an absolute treat’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Inhaled it. Loved it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fun, light and romantic’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘20 stars out of 5!! This book was a balm to my soul’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘It is going to become a go-to favourite’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An absolute must read for fans of Regency romance’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘So enjoyable, unpredictable, wonderful characters, just SO GOOD’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Sophie Irwin – she is such a fresh, fun, witty writer in this space. I'd read anything she wrote’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sophie Irwin's book 'A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 09-05-2022.

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If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer!'The greatest writer who ever lived' ANTONIA FRASER'Absolutely delicious tales of Regency heroes . . . Utter, immersive escapism' SOPHIE KINSELLA'One of my perennial comfort authors. Heyer's books are as incisively witty and quietly subversive as any of Jane Austen's' JOANNE HARRIS__________________Serena Carlow's former love now controls her future happiness.After her father's unexpected death, Serena's jilted ex-fiancé - the Marquis of Rotherham - is made the sole trustee of her wealth and marriage prospects.Eager for an escape, she moves to Bath and encounters her childhood sweetheart, the dashing Hector Kirkby - but will Rotherham approve the match?Before long, they are all entangled in a confusion of marriage and manners the likes of which Regency Bath has rarely seen.__________________'I've read her over and over and over again' Stephen Fry'Wonderful characters . . . rapturously romantic' Katie Fforde'Utterly delightful' The Guardian__________________Readers love Bath Tangle ...***** 'It was sheer entertainment from beginning to end, and I embarrassingly laughed out loud several times.' ***** 'I laughed through the entire story.'***** 'If you are truly a fan of Heyer's, 'Bath Tangle' is definitely a must read. It is up there as a favourite.'***** 'Highly recommended to fans of both Heyer and Austen.'***** 'So much fun! I'm so glad I have just about her entire collection to look forward to reading.'

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Affairs of honour between bucks and blades, rakes and rascals; and affairs of the heart between heirs and orphans, beauties and bachelors; romance, intrigue, escapades and duels at dawn: all the gallantry, villainy and elegance of the age that Georgette Heyer has so triumphantly made her own are exquisitely revived in these eleven stories of the Regency.Georgette Heyer's historical accuracy and eye for a wonderful story of romance is unequalled, and in Pistols For Two we can see the skills which won her a devoted audience that continues to this day.

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