When Leonardo da Vinci is commissioned to paint 'The Last Supper' , he believes it will seal his reputation as the finest artist in Italy.Yet all does not go as planned. The notorious Papal emissary, Father Rodrigo of Salamanca accuses him of blasphemy over his decision to choose a lowly peasant, Alessandro, to be his model for Jesus.To Leonardo's horror, Alessandro takes on quasi-religious significance for the populace of Milan, dragging both into a journey of pol...

Donna Russo's 'Vincent's Women' is the untold story of Vincent's loves: how they shaped his life, his art, and his death. It writes against the ‘myths,’ exploring the possibility that none of them are true. It is the only novel to bring into question his sexuality, how he lost his ear, who he lost it for, and how he might have died, all through the eyes of a woman. We learn of Her; we learn all of it through Her.The story is guided by Johanna van Gogh Bonger, Vincent's sister-in-la...

At the dawn of World War Two, German-born nurse Emma Taylor sits by the bedside of a Jewish heiress in London as she reminisces over her dear friend, Oscar Wilde.As the story of Wilde unravels, so does Emma's past. What really happened to her husband?She's taken back to her days in Singapore on the eve of World War One. To her disappointing marriage to a British export agent, her struggle to fit into colonial life and the need to hide her true identity.Emma is caugh...

France, 1682. Louis XIV, the Sun King, is at the height of his power. The court at Versailles is a paradise for privileged young women.Jeanne Yvette Mas Du Bois is unlike most other courtiers: her thirst for knowledge often incurs her father's brutal wrath. But her uncle encourages Jeanne's independence, secretly teaching her fencing in the palace's labyrinthine basement. When two of the king's Musketeers are beset by criminals, mere feet from Jeanne's fencing lesson, she intervene...

From USA Today bestselling author Jackie Weger and Jerri Hines comes an unforgettable Southern mystery set in the final years of World War II, where secrets run deep and nothing is as it seems.In a town ruled by whispers, one girl hears the truth no one else dares face.In the shadow of the Appalachian Mountains during the final years of WWII, Cady Blue lives on the edges of Oak Flatt—poor, misunderstood, and burdened with the “bell...

July 1924. Sarah Cunningham, a young Modernist painter, arrives in Carmel-by-the-Sea from Paris to bury her older sister, Ada Belle. En route, she is shocked to learn that Ada Belle’s suspicious death is a suicide. But why kill herself? Her plein air paintings were famous and her upcoming exhibition of portraitures would bring her even wider recognition.Sarah puts her own artistic career on hold and, trailed by Ada Belle’s devoted dog, Albert, becomes a secret sleuth, a task made h...

Palace eunuch and secretary Stephen records Empress Theodora's life as she navigates wars, political and religious crises, a citywide rebellion, and the first world plague pandemic, all in a male-dominated world.. As the most powerful woman of the Byzantine Empire, one-time prostitute Theodora installs her own candidate for pope, legislates women's rights, and shuts down a massive riot, saving the empire. "A gorgeous tapestry of impeccable research and intricate worldbuilding."

In 15th century Florence, five women and a legendary artist weave together a dangerous plot that could bring peace - or get them all killed.Seeking to wrest power from the Medici, members of the Pazzi family slay the beloved Giuliano. But Lorenzo de' Medici survives the attack and seeks revenge on everyone involved, plunging the city into murderous chaos. Bodies are dragged through the streets, and no one is safe.Five women steal away to a church to ply their craft in secre...

The clouds of war are gathering across Europe, but life in the Durham village of Ashbrook Stills carries on as it has for generations, the miners and farmers unmindful of the catastrophe that is about to engulf their world and put them all in danger.The Garforth family lies at the epicentre of the upcoming change, as the young men of the village eagerly heed the Call to Arms and rush to enlist. Soon, young Edgar Garforth finds himself fighting for his life...

Winner of the 16th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards"A vivid and engaging suspense tale with a wide-ranging cast." — Kirkus ReviewsWell’s Peake, 1810. Aleksandar Scott, a promising young inventor, hopes to build his future at the first-ever World’s Fair — until his invention falls into the hands of a mysterious masked man. After the disturbing murders of fellow innovators come to light, he fears for his life as the city turns dangerou...

Whilst searching a windswept mountainside for the fabled ghost moth fungus, a young Tibetan boy unearths a mysterious relic. Moments later the People’s Liberation Army of China marches into his isolated village in the valley below and begins to dismantle an ancient way of life. As the brutal oppression grows, the boy’s precious find becomes first a symbol of hope for the villagers then a tool of survival for a people and a religion. It must be preserved at all costs.Sixty years lat...

~INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS~A companion to the internationally bestselling novel, The Brass Compass, Operation Blackbird takes the reader on a spy adventure from South America to Europe during a time when the yoke of Communism is tightening the reins on an unwilling people.One defection could shift the balance of power—or ignite a global war.October 1952. While recovering in A...