A Book of Secrets is the story of a woman named Susan Charlewood living in Elizabethan England. Born in what is now Ghana, Susan is enslaved by the Portuguese but later rescued by British sailors, who bring her to England. Once in England, she is raised and educated in an English Catholic household.When Susan comes of age, the family marry her off to an older Catholic man, John Charlewood. Charlewood runs a printing press and uses it to supply the Papist nobility with ille...

Who decides what is right or wrong, ethical or immoral, just or unjust? In the world of crime and spy fiction between 1880 and 1920, the boundaries of the law were blurred and justice called into question humanity's moral code. As fictional detectives mutated into spies near the turn of the century, the waning influence of morality on decision-making signaled a shift in behavior from idealistic principles towards a pragmatic outlook taken in the national interest.Taking a fresh app...

The first book in the No. 1 Times bestselling series‘This is terrific stuff’ Daily Telegraph‘A breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era’ Financial Times‘A masterclass in how to weave a well-researched history into a complex plot’ The TimesOver 1 Million Andrew Taylor Novels Sold!A CITY IN FLAMESLondon, 1666. As the Great Fire consumes ever...

A terrible power struggle threatens the very core of BritainIn 1376, the Black Prince dies of a terrible sickness, closely followed by his father, King Edward III in 1377. The crown of England is left in the hands of a mere boy, and the great nobles gather like hungry wolves round the empty throne.Soon the prelates of the church and the powerful Merchant Princes of London are drawn in. One of these, Sir Thomas Springall, ...

The first thrilling instalment in a legendary historical adventure series.Paris, 1307. The Knights Templar have been destroyed by Pope Clement, having been persuaded by a jealous king that they are corrupt devil worshippers. There is one survivor a knight who swears vengeance.Devon, 1316. A charred body is discovered in a burned-out cottage, and newly appointed Bailiff, Simon Puttock, believes it to be accidental. Until the new master of ...

An arsonist proves to be a tough adversary for Worcester's sleuthsSeptember 1143. Serjeant Catchpoll hopes a fire at a Worcester silversmith's is just an accident, but when a charred corpse is discovered following a second fire, he has no choice but to call in the undersheriff.Hugh Bradecote may be new to the job compared to his wily colleague, but his analytical eye is soon hard at work. With further fires and a hooded figure stalking the streets, the duo must piece togeth...

This enchanting collection of stories gathers together folk tales from across England in one special volume. Drawn from The History Press' popular Folk Tales series, herein lies a treasure trove of tales from a wealth of talented storytellers performing in the country today, including prominent figures Taffy Thomas MBE, Hugh Lupton and Helen East. From hidden chapels and murderous vicars to travelling fiddlers and magical shape-shifters, this book celebrates the distinct c...

A deadly hunt for a dangerous secret and a ruthless killer...The twenty-second novel in Michael Jecks' Knights Templar mysteries is a riveting tale of murder and intrigue in the King's Court. Perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin and****Ellis Peters.'Another rip-roaring medieval intrigue. Terrific' - Nottingham Evening Post1324 and the English kingdom is in uproar: Roger Mortimer, once the King's most able commander and n...

'A new Bradecote and Catchpoll (and Wakelin) medieval mystery is always a true delight ... An absolute joy'M. J. PORTER1140s Worcestershire is a place death visits often, and it is up to Serjeant Catchpoll and his new, unwanted superior, Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote to ensure that the guilty are brought to justice.In Servant of Death, the much-feared and hated Eudo - the Lord Bishop of Winchester's clerk - is ...

Starring Thomas Treviot, each novel in this thrilling new series of historical mysteries is based on a real unsolved Tudor crime.In the corrupt heart of Tudor London a killer waits in the shadows...The Real CrimeBefore dawn on a misty November morning in 1536, prominent mercer Robert Packington was gunned down as he crossed Cheapside on his way to early morning mass. It was the first assassination by handgu...

"Within the hollow crown that rounds the mortal temples of a king…" —Shakespeare, The Tragedy of King Richard IIUnlike his father, the Black Prince, or his namesake, King Richard the Lionheart, Richard II never really wanted to be king. But the mantle of royalty is thrust upon his shoulders at age 11, at a time when England is racked by unrest and class warefare. A leader as unexpected as he is inexperienced, young Richard must find a way to triumph over a...

A tremendously vivid, page-turning and plausible novel that depicts the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the most spirited, independent and courageous of Henry’s queens, as viewed from both the bedrooms and the kitchens of the Tudor court.Everyone knows the story of Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII divorced his longstanding, long-suffering, older, Spanish wife for a young, black-eyed English beauty, and, in doing so, severed England from Rome and indeed from the rest of the western world. Then...