Tudor Mystery

This riveting debut set in 1534 England secured C. J. Sansom’s place “among the most distinguished of modern historical novelists” (P. D. James). When Henry VIII’s emissary is beheaded at an English monastery, hunchbacked lawyer Matthew Shardlake is dispatched to solve the crime. But as he uncovers a cesspool of sin, three more murders occur - and Matthew may be the next target.

England, 1553. Richard Fitzwarren is a man determined to forge his own path. Once a man of importance, he was driven from his home with his half brother to scratch out a living as a mercenary. With little prospects, Richard must take whatever work comes his way, even when it leads to being thrown into the middle of a plot for the throne. But when his impulsive sibling draws attention from his wrathful family, the pair barely escapes with their lives.

Returning to an England now alien to him Thomas Berrington falls foul of a thieves’ guild. In his efforts to protect a stranger he becomes their target. When the bonemen come to inflict punishment he has no choice but to kill one of their order. Fleeing London in the company of Arthur, Prince of Wales, heir to the English throne, Thomas believes he has escaped retribution for his actions. But it is a mistake that may get him and his companions killed.

London, 1558. Queen Mary is dead, and twenty-five-year-old Elizabeth ascends the throne. Summoned to court from exile abroad, Elizabeth's intimate spy, Brendan Prescott, is reunited with the young queen, as well as his beloved Kate, scheming William Cecil, and archrival Robert Dudley.

James of Ecclestone is one such youth and when he runs away to become a billman fighting the Yorkist pretender, Lambert Simnel, he begins a journey that will shape him from a youth to a man, a wild child to a Tudor warrior. Set against the backdrop of the early years of King Henry VII’s reign, this fast-moving novel takes us from the Battle of Bramham Moor to the siege of Boulogne. Beginning with the battle of Bosworth field and ending with the Skirmish of Glastonbury Tor, we see an England changing from Yorkist to Lancastrian and James of Ecclestone becoming a warrior of renown.

Julie Tudor is forty-nine and has it all: a fantastic job (well-maintained spreadsheets are the lynchpin of an efficient office), a beautiful house (some may wonder how she got the money for it, but nothing has been proved), and the man of her dreams.

England, 1553. Haunted by his past, Brendan Prescott lives far from the intrigues of court. But his time of refuge comes to an end when his foe and mentor, the spymaster Cecil, brings him disquieting news that sends him on a dangerous mission. Elizabeth is held captive at court, the target of the Spanish ambassador, who seeks her demise. Obliged to return to the palace where he almost lost his life, Brendan finds himself working as a double agent for Queen Mary herself, who orders Brendan to secure proof that will be his cherished Elizabeth’s undoing.

Jane Grey was queen of England for nine days. Her father and his allies crowned her instead of the dead king's half sister, Mary Tudor, who quickly mustered an army, claimed her throne, and locked Jane in the Tower of London. When Jane refused to betray her Protestant faith, Mary sent her to the executioner's block, where Jane transformed her father's greedy power grab into tragic martyrdom.

When Thomas Berrington finds the bones of a human hand in his room at Ludlow Castle, he knows he must confront whoever left them. But when Thomas tracks the man down, his throat has been cut, and Thomas believes the killer is an old adversary.

Amidst this chaos lies the allure of The Beasts of the City, a mystifying tome of alchemy and prophecy. This elusive book promises immense wealth, power, and eternal life to those who can unearth it’s secrets. Yet to do so comes with perilous consequences.

James of Ecclestone thought that when Perkin Warbeck was executed his days as a spy were over. He was wrong. Kings do not forget men who are useful to them and James was a master of his craft. Wanting nothing more than a life of peace with a new family James is thrown into the maelstrom of politics, intrigue and knives in the night.

A rival is bidding to buy Myles Devereux's business. A price is agreed. Then the attacks on his person and property begin. Can Myles Devereux find out who is trying to destroy his business? Is it his rival, Garrison Bennett? Has their rocky, unwritten truce come to an end? Devereux, a London gangster with a string of ale houses, brothels, and a lucrative protection racket, is both successful and feared. He plays on his distant ties with Edward Courtney, a one-time Plantagenet contender for the throne, and styles himself as royalty amongst the filth of London. Business is good and running ...

The summer of 1553 is a time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, has been reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Prescott finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the king’s brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is soon compelled to work as a double agent by Elizabeth’s protector, William Cecil, who promises in exchange to help him unravel the secret of his own mysterious past.

All Hanna Fischer ever wanted to do was to study physics under the great Albert Einstein. But when, as a teenager in 1919, her life is suddenly turned upside down, she is catapulted into a new and extraordinary life – as a secretary, a scientist, a sister and a spy. From racist gangs in Berlin to gangsters in New York City, Nazis in the 1930s and Hitler's inner circle during the Second World War, Hanna will encounter some of history's greatest minds and most terrible moments, all while desperately trying to stay alive.

After ten years on the force, LAPD cop Sonny Rush relocates with her elderly mother to peaceful Haven, California, to join her godfather’s burgeoning PI business. What crimes could possibly happen in a town nicknamed “Mayberry by the Sea”? Sonny’s first case: find Figgy, a missing goldendoodle last seen sporting a Versace collar. At least scouting out a dognapper gives Sonny a chance to get to know her new neighbors.

Solon of Pergamon, healer of the great entertainment-warriors of a glittering age, turns detective when a cherished acquaintance is murdered. Torn between his growing love for a beguiling student and a dark secret that threatens imperial power, he must find a route into the human heart to uncover the truth. Classic storytelling in an unforgettable setting.

8 February 1601. The personal troops of a disgraced royal favourite mount up and ride on the City of London. Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex and his lieutenant, Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton are in open revolt against Queen Elizabeth I and her Government. Richard Palmer is swept up in the action. He calls himself an investigator, others call him an informer. Chief Minister Cecil has need for one - the Queen is enraged by the revival of a play at the Globe about deposing a reigning monarch in favour of a populist rival. Was Richard II meant to get the mob in the mood for regicide? ...

When the predator becomes the prey… blood will run in the gutters of Tudor London. Myles Devereux rules the streets. A ruthless gangster in the lawless underbelly of Tudor London, he controls the brothels, the taverns, the enforcers—and everyone knows not to cross him. But someone just did. His bookkeeper turns up dead. His debtors are being picked off one by one. And now the sheriff’s men are at his door, accusing him of the murders. Then Richard Fitzwarren, the Queen’s cold-eyed emissary, brings worse: a heresy charge—and death by fire This is no random attack. It’s a setup. ...

Dr. Perdita Rivers and her sister Piper have returned to their ancestral home, the Marquess House, in Pembrokeshire. But the ancient walls still contain riddles, which the twins need to solve. Perdita and Piper have already discovered earth-shattering secrets that will change the course of English history forever. But they are missing one vital piece of the puzzle. Two Tudor rings have led them to cover-ups at the Tudor court, but now they must track down a missing silver locket to slot the final parts of the mystery together.

A mysterious relic. Bones that do not belong. A Church in chaos. Settling into life near Ludlow, Thomas Berrington wants only to move the bones of his ancestors to land he owns. But while excavating them, Thomas and his children make a shocking discovery. Someone has already opened the graves and added the bodies of two children. Seeking to make sense of the extra bones Thomas begins to investigate, only to be told to stop by the local coroner. When more bodies are discovered Thomas ignores orders and carries on. Only to come up against the might of the Catholic church.