Edward Marston Books In Order

Bullet Hole

In the world of championship golf, the stakes are high and passions run to match. And never more so than at the British Open Championship, particularly when it is played at Saint Andrews, venerable home of the game. For Alan Saxon, too long ago a champion and once again in top form, this is a crucial tournament, and he must carefully prepare himself. But his ritual is rudely interrupted by the appearance of a young, pretty golf groupie who starts by demanding a lift and ends up naked and dead in his bed. She is not the only casualty, and it fast becomes clear that someone wants Saxon out of the open. As the championship builds to its climax, at last Saxon thinks he knows who the killer is but then he must decide: which hole is the Bullet Hole?

Double Eagle

Alan Saxon, pro golfer and amateur sleuth, has hit rock bottom. After a disastrous season on the golf circuit, he is hounded by his bank, harassed by his ex wife and on the verge of losing his current girlfriend. So when his friend and fellow pro golfer, Zuke Everett, invites him to trade another dreary English winter for a tournament at the posh new Golden Haze Golf Club in sunny California, he leaps at the chance. However, Saxon soon finds himself enmeshed in a tenacious web of violence and intrigue as he attempts to find his friend’s killer and free himself from suspicion. Beatings, betrayal and police badgering are par for this, the most treacherous course of Saxon’s life. Double Eagle, Miles’ second Saxon mystery, with its clever plotting, humor and breathless suspense, will delight readers whether they golf or not.

Green Murder

Professional golfer Alan Saxon, finding himself short of money, is grateful to get an offer to fly off to Australia to take part in a prestigious Skins Game. But Sydney proves no escape; he’s back in the city where he spent his honeymoon. Sadly, his ex wife, Rosemary, is about to marry and deny him access to their beloved teenage daughter. To add to his troubles, Diane, the attractive wife of wealthy Warren Oxley, the Aussie tycoon who’s sponsoring the Skins, idolizes Saxon and insists on being his caddie during the contest. When he plays a practice round with her at the Greenblades Country Club, Saxon is overpowered and Diane is abducted, plunging him into a nightmare world of violence, betrayal, murder, financial intrigue, and sexual obsession, as well as the ploys of dedicated environmentalists. The Skins Game becomes a struggle to save his own hide where only his skill with a golf club can ward off extreme danger and deepening heartache.

Bermuda Grass

Alan Saxon is helping to design a golf course at a new hotel in Bermuda. When his daughter, Lynette, agrees to spend a week on the island with him, he envisages an idyllic holiday. He is soon disillusioned. To begin with, Lynette brings a fellow student from Oxford with her on the trip and Saxon has grave doubts about Jessica Hadlow. The girl is arrogant, outspoken and brim*ming with sexuality. Because her father is a wealthy international businessman, her attitude to people and to money makes Saxon gasp. Once in Bermuda, his troubles really start. The nervous Peter Fullard, the course architect working with Saxon, tells him that someone is trying to sabotage their work. Saxon at first refuses to believe this but, when he discovers a dead body hanging from a cedar in the middle of the new golf course, he has to revise his opinion. Then his problems multiply as his ex wife, Rosemary, is only too pleased to tell him. Saxon begins to wish that he d never come anywhere near Bermuda…
Alan Saxon made his first appearance in Bullet Hole 1986. Other titles in the series were Double Eagle, Green Murder and Flagstick.

Honolulu Play-Off (As:Keith Miles)

Alan Saxon flies to Honololu to act as best man at the wedding of a close friend, Donald Dukelow, an American golfer who has always beaten Saxon is play offs. In the party are the groom’s mother, who hates the idea of her son marrying a Hawaiian beauty so much younger than him, and Dukelow’s first wife, Heidi, a keen golfer and admirer of Saxon. Troubles start when Saxon and Heidi play a round on the Ko Olina course. Things get rapidly worse that evening when Saxon and Dukelow have a meal together. They go on to a nightclub with disastrous results. Though Saxon manages to carry his friend back to the hotel, he finds him brutally murdered in his bed next morning. Since Dukelow has joked that he wanted Saxon there as a bodyguard, the latter feels guilty especially when he realizes how easily he was duped. To solve the crime and avenge his friend, Saxon has to investigate the Kaheiki family into which Dukelow was about to marry. When he lifts the stones, he does not like what he finds underneath them and he is soon in jeopardy himself. In addition to calming Heidi, consoling Dukelow’s mother, keeping the police off his back, following his own lines of inquiry and dealing with the violent Nick Kaheiki, he has to keep one step ahead of two people who seem intent on killing him. Indeed, it’s almost as if they’re involved in a play off to see who can murder him first. Unaware of who either of his assassins might be, Saxon weaves, dodges and tries every trick he knows to stay alive. Hawaii is no dream holiday for him. HONOLOULU PLAY OFF is a racy golf mystery with an intriguing Hawaiian cocktail of murder, suspense, deception and family conflict. It’s thesixth novel in the Alan Saxon series.

Flagstick

Pro golfer Alan Saxon is in Japan to make an instructional video when his employer is literally blown to pieces. Saxon is caught up in a vicious family battle for power and has to play a life or death game of golf against his would be assassin.

The Queen’s Head

1587, and Mary, Queen of Scots, dies by the executioner’s axe, her head, shorn of its auburn wig, rolling across the platform. Will her death end the ceaseless plotting against Mary’s red haired cousin, Elizabeth?1588, the year of the Spanish Armada, is a time of more terror and triumph, not just for queen and court but for the whole of England. The turmoil is reflected in its theatres and under the galleries of inns like London’s The Queen’s Head where Lord Westfield’s Men perform. The scene there on grows even more tumultuous when one of the actors is murdered by a mysterious stranger during a brawl. Nicholas Bracewell, the company’s bookholder, a role far wider than mere producer, faces two immediate repercussions. The first is to secure a replacement acceptable to its temperamental star and chief shareholder Lawrence Firethorn. The second is to keep his promise to the dying Will Fowler and catch his killer. Soon further robberies, accidents, and misfortunes strike Lord Westfield’s Men even as their stage successes swell. Bracewell begins to suspect a conspiracy, not a single murderous act, but where lies the proof? Then the players are rewarded with the ultimate accolade an appearance at court and the canny bookholder senses the end to the drama is at hand…
. First published to great acclaim in 1988, The Queen’s Head anticipated the lure of bawdy, boisterous, yet elegant epics like Shakespeare in Love. Actor and playwrite Marston has followed with, to date, ten more lusty, historically grounded, theatrically sound Bracewell mysteries that explore the face of England and reveal his deep love for its rich literary and dramatic heritage. The Roaring Boy wasnominated for a 1996 Edgar Award for Best Novel.

The Merry Devils

Think Shakespeare in Love with a devilishly murderous plot packed with stagecraft. Bookholder Nicholas Bracewell, fresh from his triumph holding together his volatile players? company during a treasonous plot against Queen Elizabeth, is set to make the galleries of The Queen?s Head ring with laughter with a new comedy, The Merry Devils. The lugubrious landlord is sure mischief will result. Nicholas sees only a harmless comedy that will not summon up real devils, but two actors adept at tumbling. How then, during the crucial scene, do three devils appear on stage, one looking disturbingly real? And what of the deviltry that follow? One imp, in fact, soon lies dead beneath the stage? The author?s knowledge of Elizabethan stagecraft and his deep affection for the period show in every word. Originally published in the U.S. in 1989 by St. Martin?s Press 0 312 03863 1 and Fawcett in pbk. 0 449 21880 5, The Merry Devils is the second Nicholas Bracewell Elizabethan mystery following The Queen?s Head 1 890208 45 0.

The Trip to Jerusalem

London is under siege by the Black Plague, closing its theaters and losing its frightened citizens to the countryside. Lord Westfield?s Men decide upon the relative safety of the road and a tour of the North. Before they can pack up and depart, one player in the troupe is murdered. As they travel, the company of players managed by its bookholder, Nicholas Bracewell, learns that their arch rivals, Banbury?s Men, have been pirating their best works. Hoping to shake off Banbury?s Men, actor Lawrence Firethorn eventually leads his troupe to York where all is revealed in a thrilling performance. Originally published in the U.S. in 1990 by St. Martin?s Press, The Trip to Jerusalem is the third Nicholas Bracewell Elizabethan mystery following The Queen?s Head and The Merry Devils. The most recent Bracewell from St. Martin?s Press is The Wanton Angel 0 312 24116 X

The Nine Giants

‘Marston’s wit and vivid evocation of Elizabethan London’s sights and smells provide a delightfully ribald backdrop for this clever series.’ Publishers Weekly .,.’all the swashbuckling thrills and romantic swagger of the blood and thunder tragedies that are meat and drink to Westfield’s Men.’ New York Times Book Review The fiery star, Laurence Firethorn, is hot for a lady, wife of the Lord Mayor elect. A tryst at London’s Nine Giants inn is arranged. Meanwhile, the lugubrious landlord of the actors’ home base is laid even lower by a plot to take over ownership of the inn. A young apprentice actor is subjected to a horrible assault. And a waterman pulls a mangled corpse from the Thames. The drama comes to a climax at the annual Lord Mayor’s show as his barge moves grandly down the river…
. ‘As rich in background color, language, and vivid characters as it is in plot structure, Marston has another winner here.’ Kirkus Reviews Originally published in 1991, it is the fourth in series following Poisoned Pen Press’ republications of The Queen’s Head, The Merry Devils, and The Trip to Jerusalem.

The Mad Courtesan

‘In this riotous fifth novel…
the tragedies being performed onstage pale in comparison to all the blood and thunder offstage.’ The Washington Post Book World Though the lusty star of Lord Westfield’s Men, Laurence Firethorn, is always ripe for seducing women bewitched by his art, the vicious rivalry that disrupts the acting troupe erupts between two other players. Owen Elias is a surly, envious Welshman, while Sebastian Carrick is an amiable and attractive gentleman. Their onstage duels become ever more realistic, but it is an axe that splits open Sebastian’s head one night in a Clerkenwell alley. Company book holder Nicholas Bracewell, accustomed to damage control, begins to investigate the victim’s death and learns that in life, he was prone to make enemies from his weakness for women and his willingness to welch on debts. A web of deception has in fact been spun that stretches from lowly to high ranking courtesans, all the way to the Virgin Queen. And what of the horse Nimbus, promised to perform Pegasus like at the very top of St. Paul’s Church? Edward Marston, under his real name, was raised in Wales and went on to study modern history at Oxford. He has been a university lecturer, radio, television, and theatre dramatist, and in addition to writing has worked as an actor, director, and dramatist. His Elizabethan novel, The Roaring Boy, was a 1996 Edgar Allan Poe Award nominee for best novel. He lives in Kent.

The Silent Woman

Fortune casts the lot of Lord Westfield’s men among thieves and murderers…
When fire destroys their London theater, Lord Westfield’s players must seek out humbler venues in the countryside. But company manager Nicholas Bracewell is distracted by a shocking tragedy: a mysterious messenger from his native Devon is murdered by poison. Though the messenger is silenced, Nicholas understands what he must do return to his birthplace and reconcile some unfinished business of the past. The rest of Westfield’s Men, penniless and dejected, ride forth with him on a nightmare tour that will perhaps become their valedictory, dogged by plague, poverty, rogues, and thieves. And among the sinister shadows that glide silently with them toward Devon is one who means Nicholas never to arrive…

The Roaring Boy

Dame Fortune has abandoned Lord Westfield’s men to calamity…
One member of the popular London acting troupe has died. Their present production is a failure. Then an anonymous playwright hands company mainstay Nicholas Bracewell a chance for salvation: a new script that exposes a tragic miscarriage of justice in a murder case. News of the impending production of The Roaring Boy swiftly reaches high places. Long before rehearsals begin, the company is menaced by enemies who target both script and players for destruction. For The Roaring Boy establishes the innocence of the two people executed for the crime and points a bold finger at the real murderer. Not even Lord Westfield, the company’s powerful patron, can save the troupe from the mortal danger that now encompas*ses them…

The Laughing Hangman

Jonas Applegarth is a brilliant but belligerent playwright. When his play, The Misfortunes of Marriage, is performed by Lord Westfield’s Men, it causes an uproar. All of Applegarth’s enemies attack the company. Nicholas Bracewell defends the playwright loyally, but alas, Applegarth is soon found hanged by the neck. It is only the first of many mysteries that Nicholas has to solve. Lord Westfield’s Men are furious when they are satirized by a rival children’s theater company at the Blackfriars playhouse. A second attack by the killer laughing hangman throws the actors in further disarray. Nicholas is under enormous pressure, not least because he is trying to rekindle his romance with Anne Hendrik by helping her to fend off an aggressive suitor. His beloved company is under threat as never before, and he has to call on all of his resources to rescue them. ‘Marston’s wit and vivid evocation of Elizabethan London’s sights and smells provide a delightfully ribald backdrop for this clever series.’ Publishers Weekly ‘A delightfully dazzling period piece suffused with humor, wit and atmospheric drama.’ Booklist Edward Marston, under his real name, Keith Miles, was raised in Wales and went on to study modern history at Oxford. He has been a university lecturer, radio, television, and theatre dramatist, and in addition to writing has worked as an actor and director. His Elizabethan novel, The Roaring Boy, was a 1996 Edgar Allan Poe Award nominee for best novel. He lives in Kent.

The Fair Maid of Bohemia

When plague strikes London, Lord Westfield’s Men count themselves fortunate they’ve been invited to perform as part of the wedding celebrations for Sophia Magdalena, The Fair Maid of Bohemia. The long journey across Europe is a daunting prospect but stage manger Nicholas Bracewell is confident they will arrive safely, and confident the mission Lord Westfield sets them to deliver secret documents to Talbot Roydon, an English alchemist at the Imperial Court, will go without a hitch. En route, murder strikes one of the actors during their first performance at Flushing. It’s the first of many setbacks. Once in Prague, Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II proves a madcap host. Worse, not only do attacks on the players continue as the royal wedding day approaches, but someone kidnaps Nicholas’ sweetheart Anne Henrik…
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The Devil’s Apprentice

London is in the grip of an icy winter and Westfield’s Men are out of work. Invited to perform at a manor house in Essex, they accept willingly even though the offer comes with two conditions: they must perform an entirely new play and agree to take a new apprentice, Davy Stratton, into the company. At first it seems as though Davy is a talented and eager addition to the theater troupe. However, he soon disrupts the group’s camaraderie when he quarrels with the other apprentices and runs away on a reconnaissance trip to Essex. Nicholas Bracewell just manages to hold the group together during the rehearsals for their new play, The Witch of Colchester. But when the lead actor succumbs to a series of strange illnesses, identical to those which afflict his character in the play, some members of Westfield’s Men fear there may be a witch among them. Then a prominent audience member dies during the opening night performance, and Nicholas Bracewell has to confront the deadliest foe of all. Rich in historical detail and wonderfully evoking the golden age of theater, The Devil’s Apprentice is an exciting, suspenseful addition to this Edgar nominated series.

The Bawdy Basket

Moll Comfrey is a bawdy basket, which means the comely young woman has something more illicit to sell than the small items she Farries. Shes also mixed up in murder. Its up to Nicholas Bracewell, stage manager of Westfields Men, to find out what shes hiding before the theaternot to mention another lifegoes dark.

The Vagabond Clown

When unexpected disaster strikes Lord Westfield’s Men during a packed performance, Nicholas Bracewell, the theater company’s stage manager and all around performer of miracles, must save the day once again. A melee caused by disguised men is brought under control, but before the troupe can lament their destroyed set Nick discovers a body in the stands with a knife sticking out of it’s back. They soon realize they are out one theater and one clown: Barnaby Gill, always hilarious on the stage and hopelessly curmudgeonly off, has broken his leg. With long months of repairs before them, Westfield’s Men embark on a tour of the Kent countryside in order to salvage some of the down time. They hire a stand in for Gill, one Gideon Mussett, a gifted comedian and an even more gifted drunk. It seems no clown is perfect; while Gill has never been a barrel of laughs when not in front of an audience, Musset simply doesn’t seem to know when to quit being funny. Their major wound bandaged, no matter how temporarily, Nick and the troupe are hoping to leave their troubles behind. But misfortune follows them at every turn, and the company finds that no matter what they do or where they go someone very sinister is just moments behind. It’s up to Nick Bracewell to find out what’s going on, and exactly how it ties in to their wayward comedian. Will The Vagabond Clown prophecy the end of Westfield’s Men, and perhaps the demise of Nick himself? Longtime readers of mystery master Edward Marston will line up to find out in this suspenseful entry in a series that never disappoints.

The Counterfeit Crank

Nicholas Bracewell, the book holder for the London theater troupe Westfield’s Men, has a few problems on his hands. The troupe’s playwright is ill, a gambler is making short work of many of the actors’ salaries, and their costumes have gone missing. When Nicholas meets a pair of troubled con artists, steering them clear of murder is almost more than he can handle. But he’s got a good heart and an inquisitive mind. After all, the show must go on in Edward Marston’s delightful fan favorite, Edgar nominated series.

The Wolves of Savernake

In Norman England, in 1086, a royal tribunal discovers a terrible murder in the village of Bedwyn, and soldier Ralph Delchard and clerk Gervase Bret chase a potentially nonhuman killer.

The Ravens of Blackwater

The second volume of the Domesday Books, set shortly after the Norman Conquest in England, follows Soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret as they are drawn into the investigation into the murder of a powerful landholder’s son.

The Dragons of Archenfield

DOMESDAY IS COMINGIn 1086, England’s mighty king, William the Conqueror, sends out surveyors and census takers to record the resources of his land and its people. Some welcome these inquisitive royal agents and their day of judgment. Others hate them. But wherever the king’s men go they bring excitement and sometimes murder…
. Calamity smolders on the Welsh English frontier, where three powerful men squabble over the same rich tract of land. When King William’s clever agents soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret arrive to settle the dispute, one of the claimants has been brutally burned alive, and the king’s men are saddled with a formidable murder investigation. Before the frightful truth shines clear, everyone will be scorched by the flames of violence…
.’Marston is a marvel at re creating the atmosphere of the times while constructing a fascinating murder case.’ Anniston Star’ An outstanding medieval mystery brim*ming with intrigue, suspense, and authentic historical detail.’ Booklist

The Lions of the North

William the Conqueror sends Gervase Bret and Ralph Delchard into the lands of Yorkshire to investigate a rogue named Olaf Evil Child, but on the way, they hear rumors of two lions owned by a rich merchant that have been killing people.

The Stallions of Woodstock

Edward Marston’s Domesday books continue to attract readers with their rich period detail and tightly plotted, suspenseful mysteries. Now once again, with The Stallions of Woodstock, he vividly re creates the years immediately following the Norman conquest of England. Just outside of Oxford, three powerful Norman lords and a downtrodden Saxon watch as their most valued horses race near the forest of Woodstock. A great deal of money and even more pride are at stake, and the owners will do almost anything to ensure a win. But the race takes a deadly turn when one of the riders is stabbed and thrown from his mount before he can cross the finish line. On the same day, Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret, Domesday commissioners on behalf of the King, travel to Oxford where they’ve been asked to settle a land dispute. When news of the race reaches them, however, the rider’s murder eclipses their original assignment. Several people stand to gain from the death, and Ralph and Gervase must find the truth in a town determined to hide its secrets. The Stallions of Woodstock is an engrossing, finely crafted historical mystery, evoking the cruelty and the beauty of the eleventh century Domesday age.

The Hawks of Delamere

When Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, leads a hunting party into the Forest of Delamere his prized hawk is killed by an arrow. Two poachers are discovered hiding in the forest, and the Earl demands that they be imprisoned, but unanswered questions linger. Meanwhile, Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret, Domesday commissioners for the King, are guests of the Earl while they settle a land dispute in nearby Winchester. Exploring their new surroundings, they uncover secrets that bear directly on the shooting incident, and they discover that the intended victim was not the hawk, but the Earl himself. Inspired by genuine entries in the Domesday Book, this thrilling and richly evocative eleventh century tale will appeal to crime and history lovers alike.

The Wildcats of Exeter

In the gathering dusk of the Devonshire countryside, Nicholas Picard is riding home when a snarling wildcat attacks him. Neighbors find his lacerated body in the woods, but when they discover the slit in his throat, it soon becomes clear that human hands are responsible for his demise. Picard’s death complicates an already difficult land dispute that Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret have been sent to settle in nearby Exeter. The murdered man had a stake in the outcome, and now his widow, Catherine, believes she should be the rightful owner of the land in question. However, Picard’s mistress and the mother of a previous deed holder see things very differently. So determined is each woman to prove her claim that Ralph and Gervase begin to wonder whether one of them is capable of murder. Inspired by actual entries in the Domesday Book, The Wildcats of Exeter is a thrilling addition to Edward Marston’s acclaimed historical series.

The Foxes of Warwick

Henry Beaumont keeps a renowned pack of foxhounds: quick, brave and ruthless at the kill. Yet one December hunt, the dogs uncover more than a fox in the woodlands brushing aside dead leaves, Beaumont finds the crushed body of Martin Reynard, a former member of his own household. Enraged, Henry swears to find the killer, though he is not trained in investigation. Before long his hot head and rudimentary skills lead him to arrest a man of questionable guilt. Luckily, Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret are in the area to settle a land dispute and are available to lend their expertise. Upon close consideration of the circumstances leading up to the grisly murder, the two Domesday Commissioners begin a full scale investigation designed to bring the true murderer to justice, whoever he may be. Full of the impeccable historical detail for which Edward Marston is known, The Foxes of Warwick is a gripping mystery sure to fascinate both longtime fans and readers new to the Domesday series.

The Owls of Gloucester

The ordered calm of Gloucester Abbey is shattered by the disappearance of one of the resident monks. Two novices, Elaf and Kenelm, show little concern for the missing Brother Nicholas. Rebelling against monastic discipline, they indulge in secret midnight adventures. Fearing discovery during their latest exploit, they hide in the Bell Tower, certain that they won t be found. Elaf, stumbling in the dark, trips over something and realizes, to his horror, that it is a dead body. Brother Nicholas has been found, his throat slit from ear to ear. The Abbey becomes paralyzed with fear. The Abbot is ill equipped to deal with such a heinous crime and is still reeling from his conversation with the sheriff, who is convinced that one of the other brothers must be a killer. After all, who else would have access to the Abbey Church? Domesday commissioners Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret arrive, sent to resolve a land dispute. The vicious murder takes immediate priority, however, and they doubt the local sheriff’s ability to solve the baffling case. Before long, Ralph and Gervase realize that the killing is just a symptom of a sinister presence that threatens the whole community and must be stopped at any cost. Inspired by real entries in the historic Domesday Book, The Owls of Gloucester is the tenth mystery in Edward Marston s spellbinding and richly drawn eleventh century crime series.

Murder on the Minnesota (By:Conrad Allen)

Fresh from a harrowing trans Atlantic crossing aboard the Mauretania, and having recently earned a reputation as the best team of shipboard sleuths to sail the seven seas, George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield hardly set foot on land before embarking on another assignment. Temporarily forsaking the Cunard Line to work as private detectives aboard the Minnesota, a combination freighter and passenger ship owned by the Great Northern Steamship Company, the couple are eagerly anticipating the prospect of a cruise bound for the Far East. Once aboard, the two begin to establish separate social circles in order to keep an eye on as many passengers and crew as possible. As the ship gets underway it’s smooth sailing, and George and Genevieve are hoping that perhaps this will be their first uneventful cruise. Unfortunately, their luck turns quickly as a fiery Catholic missionary is murdered in what proves to be the first of a series of crimes that will stretch them to their limit. Dillman and Genevieve have to use all their skills to combat danger on more than one front, and to prevent an otherwise idyllic and romantic trip from becoming a terrifying nightmare. As fans of Conrad Allen and his nautical adventures have come to expect, Murder on the Minnesota packs another fast paced, exhilarating mystery into the exquisitely rendered world of romance and suspense aboard the majestic ocean liners of the early 20th century. AUTHORBIO: CONRAD ALLEN is the author of two previous mysteries in this series, Murder on the Lusitania and Murder on the Mauretania. He lives in England.

Murder on the Caronia (By:Conrad Allen)

As ship’s detectives for the Cunard Line, Genevieve Masefield and George Porter Dillman have met all kinds of people. Their latest voyage, this time aboard the famous Caronia, is another hugely fun romp on the high seas for two detectives rapidly becoming fan favorites in Conrad Allen’s inventive historical series.

Murder on the Marmora (By:Conrad Allen)

George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield, used to the grand opulence of the Cunard cruise line, are at first disappointed with the Marmora, a small, unimpressive ship that’s part of the P&O shipping line, the company that now employs them as ship’s detectives. They know that they’re certain to encounter the same petty thefts and confidence tricksters they’re used to dealing with, though they hope identifying the culprits among the 500 or so passengers will prove a little easier than it does aboard the great 2,000 passenger Cunard ships. Their hope is misplaced, however, and they soon settle in to the routine of taking reports from agitated passengers and doing their best to recover whatever stolen jewelry or purloined cash the unfortunate travelers are missing. The cruise is certain to be unique in at least one respect, however: the Duke and Duchess of Fife, along with their two small children, are aboard, and the detectives’ secondary task is to keep an eye on the royals and do their best to ensure their security. When a dead body turns up, however, George and Genevieve know they’ve got their work cut out for them. Suspects abound, and on such a small ship keeping the demise of the poor victim a secret is proving tougher than they’d like. Through the eyes of Conrad Allen, a luxury cruise to Egypt in 1908 becomes a majestic voyage, albeit with murder in the mix, upon which readers will be eager to embark.

Murder on the Salsette (By:Conrad Allen)

Genevieve Masefield and George Porter Dillman make a living anonymously, cruising the seven seas aboard the early twentieth century’s most extravagant sailing vessels as ship’s detectives. In this line of work they’ve experienced more than their share of humanity. Along with the members of first class in all their finery, the card cheats and pickpockets plying their trade, the lascivious crew members and elderly cruise matrons that normally populate the voyages George and Genevieve work on, the Salsette boasts a group of travelers whose lives are set to intersect in ways none of them could have foreseen on dry land. There are a pair of British men, traveling independently, who clearly know each other from another place and time; though each tries to hide it, there is no love lost between them. There’s an elderly Indian man whose powers of deduction may be based on more earthly techniques than the mystical energy he claims to possess. Not to mention a young woman and her wheelchair bound mother traveling on their own, determined to make new friends, who seemingly find their way smack into the middle of every bit of trouble aboard the Salsette including murder. George and Genevieve know that nothing in the cloying, claustrophobic confines of an ocean liner is as straightforward as it seems, and as the ship inches toward port the relationships between all of these people, both those in plain sight and some hidden from view, will be revealed. But will the exposure of the intricate web of deceit that’s covered the Salsette lead George and Genevieve to the killer? Readers of Conrad Allen’s sparkling ocean liner mysteries know that nothing stops this intrepid pair of shipboard detectives, and their newest adventure is sure to delight.

Murder on the Oceanic (By:Conrad Allen)

When the Oceanic sets sail from England’s Port of Southampton, it s ultimate destination is New York. But it must make one very important stop first: at Cherbourg, in France, to pick up internationally renowned financier and art collector J.P. Morgan, fresh from a continental buying spree sure to have turned up numerous priceless objets d art. Needless to say, George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield, the ship s detectives aboard the Oceanic, are slightly nervous about the presence of such an important passenger, not to mention his valuable cargo, aboard ship. For in their five years as detectives aboard the most elegant, regal sailing ships of their time, the two sleuths have never known a transatlantic voyage to pass without incident. Traveling in addition to Mr. Morgan are a recently engaged couple, a charming rake who seems set on breaking them apart as well as seducing Genevieve, a controversial painter of nudes traveling with his bohemian wife and his alluring French model, and a pair of cabin stewards who have exclusive access to the private lairs of all aboard. The latest shipboard tale from master of mystery Conrad Allen is certain to sail right into the hearts of the many fans of this delightful series.

Murder on the Celtic (By:Conrad Allen)

George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield have crossed the Atlantic Ocean numerous times in their capacity as ship’s detectives for many of the huge passenger lines of the early twentieth century. On several of those crossings they ve had the pleasure, and in some cases the trouble, of sailing with some very famous passengers. Dukes. Duchesses. Artists. Actors. Musicians. Kings and queens from exotic foreign lands. They have even broken bread aboard ship with J. P. Morgan. But few names have quite the level of fame and fortune as their fellow traveler on this particular ocean crossing aboard the Celtic: They ll be sailing with none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the most famous detective in the world, Sherlock Holmes. As the two excellent investigators encounter the usual array of card sharps, cat burglars, drug smugglers, and crooked passengers of all kinds, will the famous writer help them or hinder them?

The King’s Evil

In a London ravaged by the Great Fire, Christopher Redmayne envisages the rebuilding of the city. He is thrown together with Jonathan Bale, a decidedly Puritan constable, when one of his clients is killed, leading the pair on a journey through the dark underbelly of London and the hedonistic Court. Meeting in the ashes, Christopher Redmayne, an architect with Cavalier instincts, and Jonathan Bale are hardly kindred spirits. Redmayne dedicates himself to rebuilding the city that Bale believes was destroyed by its own inner corruption. The two men are thrown together when they catch thieves who are stealing from the house that Redmayne has designed for Sir Ambrose Northcott. The foul murder of Sir Ambrose joins them again, albeit reluctantly, in a complex and perilous investigation that takes them through the brothels and gaming houses of London, across to Paris, and back again to the hedonistic Court.

The Frost Fair

Christmas, 1669. In the grip of the coldest winter for years, the River Thames is frozen from bank to bank and London celebrates with a traditional frost fair held on its broad back. Revellers come from far and wide to enjoy the spectacle. Among the throng is ambitious young architect Christopher Redmayne. By chance he meets a good friend, Constable Jonathan Bale, attending with his family. As the adults talk, Bale’s sons skate around them. But their competitive nature spells trouble onto thin ice and is in danger of crashing into the freezing water below. Christopher and Jonathan save the boy but make a chilling discovery the frozen corpse of a naked man embedded in the ice. Bale vows to investigate but Christopher sees no reason to involve himself further until his own brother Henry is accused of the murder and thrown in jail. Now Henry faces execution if Christopher cannot prove his innocence. The architect must risk all he holds dear, both professionally and personally, to uncover the truth.

The Parliament House

London, 1670. The completion of his new project could not have run more smoothly for Christopher Redmayne. Commissioned to design a new house for Francis Polegate, a merchant, Christopher is pleased that everything has gone without a hitch. To celebrate the success of the venture, Polegate throws a party and invites Christopher as an honoured guest. Also invited are Susan Cheever, Christopher’s sweetheart, her father, Sir Julius Cheever MP, and Bernard Everett, Polegate s brother in law. But the party comes to an abrupt end when one of the guests is murdered upon leaving the house…
With blood staining the doorstep of his new creation, Christopher can t help but feel involved. With the help of his good friend, the Puritan Constable Jonathan Bale, and his dissolute brother, Henry, Christopher vows to find the killer and bring him to justice. However, preliminary investigations suggest that the victim was a well liked man with no known enemies. Could it therefore have been a case of mistaken identity? In which case, just who was the intended target?

The Painted Lady

Araminta Jewell is one of the beauties of her day; a witty, resourceful, dazzling young lady who manages to resist all the blandishments that come her way. Even her marriage to the staid and ugly Sir Martin Culthorpe has not discouraged the rakes of London; for them she has assumed an almost iconic status. Before she wed, a special club had been set up the Society for the Capture of Araminta’s Maidenhood with the first man to bed her standing to win a sizeable wager. Though she is now a wife, she is still pursued with unflagging zeal. It is during her first sitting for a portrait painted by the fashionable French artist Jean Paul Villemot that the architect Christopher Redmayne meets the lovely Lady Culthorpe, although he has heard much about her through his dissipated brother Henry, one of her most ardent pursuers. Before the portrait can be finished and revealed, however, Sir Martin is murdered. Joining forces with Henry and his good friend the puritan Constable Jonathan Bale, Christopher embarks on a quest to discover the killer s identity. But with each new day bringing a fresh batch of suspects, and the matter of whether Sir Martin was killed because of his shady business dealings or for the exquisite prize of his wife still unclear, Christopher knows this will be far from an easy case to crack.

The Railway Detective

First in a new historical mystery series set in nineteenth century London. A robbery on the London Birmingham mail train takes Inspector Robert Colbeck into the heart of the seedy dens of the ‘Devil’s Acre’.

In 1851 England, the London to Birmingham mail train is robbed and derailed, injuring the driver and others aboard. However, further investigation proves the seemingly simple robbery to have been impossible. Inspector Robert Colbeck knows this is a case that won t be easily solved. He is faced with the question of how the robbers got into a safe with two keys that were secure at opposite sides of the country. To get to the bottom of the mystery, he enlists the aid of volatile former policeman Brendan Mulryne behind his Superintendent s back to search out the criminals in the notorious Devil s Acre, a cluster of gambling dens in the shadow of Westminster Abbey. However, it may turn out that Mulryne can create more trouble than he can cure.

Things get even more complicated as the beautiful daughter of the injured train driver, Madeleine Andrews, comes to Colbeck to provide information, unwittingly drawing the attentions of the crooks. When prime suspects begin to disappear and he learns that there was more than just money on the train, Colbeck realizes that he is dealing with the most driven and powerful criminal he has faced in his career. As the very citizens he is trying to protect begin to be affected by this mastermind, Colbeck must join Mulryne in a race against time before all the evidence is efficiently blown away.

The Railway Detective is an action packed dip into murky 1850s London. Full of twists and with memorable characters, this is a mystery that will surprise you at every turn.

The Excursion Train

London, 1852. On the shocking discovery of a passenger’s body on the Great Western Railway excursion train, Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck and his assistant, Sergeant Victor Leeming, are dispatched to the scene. Faced with what initially appears to be a motiveless murder, Colbeck is intrigued by the murder weapon a noose. When it emerges that the victim had worked as a public executioner, Colbeck realizes that this must be intrinsically linked to the killer’s choice of weapon. However, the further he delves into the case, the more mysterious it becomes. When a second man is strangled with a noose on the train, Colbeck knows that he must act quickly; can he catch the murderer before more lives are lost? The memorable characters, first featured in The Railway Detective, again lead you down unexpected paths in their quest to solve the mystery of the noose murders.

The Railway Viaduct

As a train speeds over the Sankey Viaduct, the dead body of a man is hurled into the canal below. Inspector Robert Colbeck and Sergeant Victor Leeming take charge of their most complex and difficult case yet. Hampered by the fact that the corpse has nothing on him to indicate his identity, they are baffled until a young woman comes forward to explain that the murder victim, Gaston Chabal, is an engineer, working on a major rail link in France. As the case takes on an international dimension, problems accumulate. The detectives wonder if the murder is connected to a series of vicious attacks on the rail link that is being built by British navvies under the direction of a British construction engineer. Colbeck and Leeming have to survive personal danger, resistance from the French government, broadsides from their Superintendent, and many other setbacks before they solve the crime.

The Iron Horse

Derby Day at Epsom Downs. A multitude of people crowd to watch the races: dukes and dustmen, bishops and beggars, privileged ladies and prostitutes the gamut of Victorian society and a hotbed for crime and crooks of all kinds. With the nation a flutter in the run up to this national event, a disembodied head is discovered on a passenger train at Crewe; the first in a murky course of events that takes in murder, fraud and race fixing. Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck and his assistant are assigned to the case and are soon snarled up in a web of skullduggery stretching across the country. They are forced to ask themselves, just how much is someone prepared to hazard to win?

Murder on the Brighton Express

When the engines finally met, there was a deafening clash and the Brighton Express twisted and buckled, tipping its carriages on to the other line. It was a scene of utter devastation. October 1854. As crowds of passengers rush to make the departure of the London to Brighton Express, a man watches from the shadows nearby. Chaos, fatalities and unbelievable destruction are the scene soon after when the train derails just outside the Balcombe Tunnel. Could it simply be a case of driver error? Detective Inspector Colbeck thinks not. But digging deep to discover the intended target of the accident takes time, something Colbeck doesn’t have as the killer prepares to strike again.

The Silver Locomotive Mystery

An exquisite silver coffeepot in the shape of a locomotive is on its way to Cardiff in the care of the young silversmith, Hugh Kellow. But before he can deliver it a gruesome murder is committed. Inspector Colbeck is confronted all too soon with complications and with no shortage of suspects and he must sift through layers of deceit to find the killer. Commissioned by wealthy ironmaster Clifford Tomkins for his acquisitive wife, who wants it to be the envy of all her friends and enemies, the coffeepot is stolen. When a gruesome murder is committed at the Railway Hotel, Winifred Tomkins is distraught. Caring little for the dead silversmith, all she can think about is her missing treasure. Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming of the Detective Department are summoned to Wales from London by telegraph and they are soon confronted by some additional crimes. The situation is complicated by the arrival of a famous theatre company and by revelations of illicit liaisons among members of the local high society. Colbeck has to find the killer before it is too late.

Railway to the Grave

Tragedy strikes close to the Detective Department when an old army friend of Superintendent Tallis walks to meet a speeding train head on. The suicide, prompted by the disappearance of the man’s wife, has shocked the local community and leaves plenty for Inspector Robert Colbeck, the Railway Detective, to uncover. Whispers and rumors abound but did the dead man, Captain Randall, really take his own life in repentance for some harm he did his wife?

Soldier of Fortune

It is 1704 and Europe is at war. ‘Take this sword as your own and wear it with more honour than the man from whom you took it’. With Lord Churchill’s words ringing in his ears, the courageous young Captain Daniel Rawson embarks on a dangerous mission to lead his men into battle against the French enemy. He must succeed at all costs the future of England is at stake. The author of the bestselling ‘Railway Detective’ series triumphs with this stunning first book in the Captain Rawson series.

Drums of War

We come across our hero, Captain Rawson, deep inside the war ravaged borders of Europe, as he fights alongside the brave and resolute Earl of Marlborough in defeating the, self proclaimed, ‘invincible’ French army. Yet victory is short lived, blunted by the dissenting voices of the Dutch, who secretly seek to wrestle the power and life from Rawson’s compatriot, Marlborough. In these hostile and insecure times, Captain Rawson is called on to succeed in his biggest, most daring mission to date: the rescue of a celebrated tapestry maker turned spy from inside the fortified Bastille the pride of a despotic France. Now alone behind enemy lines, the undaunted Rawson must apply all his guile and wit in his rescuing of the renowned prisoner and his beautiful daughter, Amalia a delicate girl to whom Rawson’s friendship soon blossoms into something more. However, unbeknownst to Rawson the French and Dutch have already combined to plot both the assassination of Marlborough and the reclaiming of his power. This time Europe is beginning to close in on him, and it will take all of his self sacrifice, skill and sincerity to once again rescue the war and the army’s pride from out of the clutches of the betrayers.

Fire and Sword

Returning to camp from a dangerous solo mission behind enemy lines, career soldier Daniel Rawson finds himself stranded on foot with French soldiers in fierce pursuit. With help from a local farmer and the loan of a horse, Daniel manages to escape by the skin of his teeth. But when Daniel returns to thank the man he finds the farmhouse and barn have been set ablaze and the farmer is approaching death, apparently at the hands of English soldiers.

Back at home in England there is political unrest. Queen Anne’s favour has shifted causing the Duke of Marlborough to resign as Commander In Chief. After several similar raids on other farms, Daniel enlists the help of his old friend, Henry Welbeck to help investigate. All the while the treacherous and scheming French Commander, the Duc de Vendome, is becoming hell bent on the capture of Daniel, by any means at his disposal.

Under Siege

In the wake of the resounding victory at the Battle of Oudenarde, career soldier Captain Daniel Rawson must take a leading role in the Allies’ new strategy to strike deeper into French Flanders and lay siege to Lille, the ‘pearl of fortresses’. Daniel is sent to steal vital plans from inside Lille but only partially successful, he has to return to the city to rescue his accomplice, the effervescent Rachel Rees. The Duke of Marlborough, meanwhile, finds his position as captain general threatened by political enemies back in England. He is not helped by his wife Sarah, whose forthrightness has soured her hitherto close friendship with Queen Anne. Daniel Rawson is unaware that his beloved Amalia is herself Under Siege in England. A dangerous admirer is determined to seduce her, even if he has to have Daniel murdered before he can do so. As the weather worsens and Lille’s famed defenses appear to be holding, Daniel has to fight against one of his own allies, dwindling supplies, weakening morale, French patrols and a hired assassin. He must battle bravely on or risk losing everything…

Murder, Ancient And Modern

TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF MURDER!!!! Iddo the Samaritan finds a severed head in a barrel of fish. A stammerer tries to save the life of the Emperor Charlemagne. William the Conqueror stares death in the face. Gerald of Wales solves a crime with the help of a shoulder blade of a ram. Nicholas Bracewell encounters murder on the high seas. A deadly assassin stalks a Victorian politician. A mild mannered author is driven to an act of slaughter. Someone steals the statue of Nelson from the top of his column in Trafalgar Square. A violinist plots the death of a female musician. Friends fall out on a boat trip to France and one of them disappears overboard. Edward Marston’s mystery stories cover two thousand years of history yet they all have an eerie topicality. What does vary is the mode of detection. While a Samaritan in the Holy Land has to rely on instinct to catch a villain, the Scotland Yard detectives who hunt for the missing Lord Nelson can call on all the resources of modern technology. Horror and humor walk hand in hand in these yarns. Crimes of all kinds are woven into them but the abiding theme is murder of a person, of a hope, of a reputation. The Guardian wrote: Consummate storytelling, a love of period and astute characterisation and plotting are the hallmarks of all Marston’s books.

Crime Archive

10 Rillington Place is an address that sends a chill down one’s spine. Within its grimy walls, its notorious resident John Christie murdered six women and then concealed them in house and garden. There are many gruesome aspects to the case including Christie’s sexual proclivities. But most unsettling of all is the fact that another tenant in Christie’s house, Timothy Evans, was hanged for murdering his wife and baby girl when Christie may have committed the act. This ‘bloody history’ takes you inside the claustrophobic confines of Notting Hill’s most famous address, drawing on the wealth of Christie trial records at the National Archives, from medical reports to floor plans of the murder house, as well as the inquiries that re examined the Evans’ verdict.

Malice Domestic 6

Esteemed mystery writer Anne Perry, author of twenty five novels and two acclaimed detective series, heads up a delectable cast of contemporary writers, the very best from both sides of the Atlantic. In the tradition of Britain’s honored crime writer Agatha Christie, Malice Domestic 6 jumps the pond between Britain and America to deliver 100 percent pure suspense in all its spine tingling glory.

The Sunken Sailor

During a weekend house party in a proper English village, a body is discovered at the bottom of a pond tied to a submerged statue of Neptune. And the weekend has only just begun. So has this ingenious mystery a literary game of round robin in which fourteen master crime writers have each contributed a chapter of their own. What they deliver is a wildly entertaining whodunit with as many dizzying twists, turnabouts, double crosses, and divergent styles as there are solutions and suspects. Featuring the bestselling and multiple award winning talents of: Simon Brett Jan Burke Dorothy Cannell Maragaret Coel Deborah Crombie Eileen Dreyer Carolyn Hart Edward Marston Francine Mathews Sharan Newman Alexandra Ripley Walter Satterthwait Sarah Smith Carolyn Whe