We successfully completed Thanksgiving, but now we’re trapped in the dead zone between roast turkey and roasting chestnuts. When our first December issue arrives, we’ll kick off holiday celebrations anew, though, with more great novels and short stories.But in the meantime, we have an original crime story by the always-masterful Elizabeth Elwood (thanks to Acquiring editor Michael Bracken), a Early Christman treat by Mark Thielman (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman), a myster...

Though her main duty is still looking after Consort Gyokuyou, Maomao finds time to help her friends and acquaintances in the rear palace, including Xiaolan, who will need a job after her term of service ends, and Consort Lishu, who’s convinced she’s seen a ghost! When complications arise with Gyokuyou’s pregnancy, however, Maomao knows she’s not skilled enough to handle a situation that could threaten the life of both mother and child. She knows someone who is, but they haven’t been welcom...

A crazy collection of "odd but true" tales. Some of them deal with the paranormal, while others recount curious events from history. Some are scary, and some may make you laugh. All are good reading and full of food for thought. Volume One includes the stories: "An Odd Experience at Cape Cod"… "The Mystery of the Missing Ambassador"… "Winged Fright"… "Heroic Medicine"… "Facts & Fictions of History"… and "My Dog and the Dancing Lights"…

'Rats are always bigger than you expect...'Marcus Didius Falco, ancient Rome's hangdog investigator, hates sharing a cell with a rodent - though being bailed by his old mother is almost as embarassing. His highborn girlfriend can't decide if she wants him and Titus Caesar's reward for past services is a wet fish. Hoping for a better life, or at least a better apartment, he takes on new clients.On the elegant slopes of the Pincian Hill, three nouveaux riches freedmen with tw...

'For a totally exhilarating romp through Ancient Rome, Lindsey Davis' latest Flavia Alba novel won't be beaten and offers an immersive experience of a vibrant world full of real, recognisable characters' Mike Ripley, ShotsmagDon't go to the Grove . . .Julius Caesar left his gardens to the citizens of Rome, a peaceful sanctuary across the Tiber. Now the gardens and their sacred grove are dangerous haunts, especially for women alone....

***The Sunday Times Crime Club Star Pick***'Lighthearted, witty and effortlessly clever, just like its wonderful heroine, this is a window into ancient Rome, and a tonic and a joy to read' The Observer'It positively crackles with knowledge of the city and its people, mixed with social comment, ingenious and bloody plots and sharp observational skills leavened by more than a smattering of genuine and sometimes earthy humour'...

Rome, the very end of December. The Field of Mars is packed with monuments, none more beautiful than Domitian's new Odeon and Stadium. But the area has been overtaken by ugly events: elaborately staged murders. Someone bears a spectacular grudge against the theatrical community, and intends to get revenge in the most spectacular way possible. The killer's method is to re-enact bloody scenes from the gruesome side of popular theatre, where characters in plays really die on stage.A f...

Ten years after the eruption of Vesuvius, the surrounding countryside lies buried and barren. But the destroyed cities and luxury villas on the Bay of Naples are not utterly lost.Flavia Albia and her husband Tiberius Manlius are tasked with restoring one villa and identifying any surviving remains.What they unearth is beyond disturbing. When the volcano erupted some people were left to their fate here, unable to escape. They included the previous owner, Publius Primus - lai...

Aurelius Magnus has not yet been stolen by the Sun and Moon.He has not yet led the Empire of Astandalas into what will later be hailed as a golden age, nor met the man whose friendship and loyalty will be celebrated in legend for two thousand years.He has not yet even earned the epithet “Magnus.”He is only Aurelius, twenty-one years old and already six years an emperor. War is all he has ever known.Until now.

"It’s about Roman blood, survival and money. Mostly yours."A killer with a personal vendetta is hunting New Yorker Karen Brown. Desperate, she makes a snap decision to flee to Roma Nova – her late mother’s homeland and the last remnant of the Roman Empire in the 21st century. But survival in this tough, unfamiliar culture isn’t easy.Stifled by her powerful Roma Novan family, deceived by her new lover, yet determined to prove herself, she launches i...

When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #49:Stallion at Starlight, they had lots of questions. Why did people tame horses? What jobs do horses have today? Why was Alexander the Great's horse so famous? What are some other famous horses in history? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts. Filled with up-to-date information, photos, illustrations, and fun tidbits from Jack and Annie, the Magic Tree House Fact T...

Syria, 262 AD.Imperial agent Abascantius has failed his superiors and now faces the unwelcome prospect of a return to the legions. With only hours to work with, he will need resourcefulness and ruthlessness in equal measure if he is to salvage the situation and save himself. From Agent of Rome author Nick Brown, this compelling short story is set in the violent, corrupt underbelly of third century Antioch.