Showing titles in Historical Fiction

Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North. In the remote villages of Southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving - a test of courage and skill that not all survive. But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war.

When disaster strikes, Marianne Bray finds herself in quite a mess, and the most important things in the world are at stake: her family name and her reputation. Desperation leads to a solution she cannot bear, but she has no choice. She must bind herself to a man who can protect her, save her, and, more importantly, tolerate her. Unfortunately for her, that man is Kit Gerrard.

Elizabeth, Lady Beauchamp, fears for her life. When she discovers her dissolute and long-estranged husband has syphilis—and he wants to beget an heir no matter the cost—she flees to a remote part of Scotland to begin a new life as the widowed governess, Mrs. Beth Eliott at Eilean Tor Castle. When Mrs. Eliott unexpectedly arrives on his doorstep, the reclusive and recently widowed Marquess of Rothsburgh is both irritated and intrigued. No longer in need of a governess—his young daughter now resides with his sister's family—he proposes the beautiful widow fill a position of a different kind.

An irresistible collection of sparkling stories featuring John Mortimer's beloved comic creation: Horace Rumpole is the most erudite, astute, and seldom defeated of barristers in the annals of the Old Bailey. In these 32 dramas, arranged in order of broadcast, four distinguished actors don the wig and white band to portray our hero as he recalls his long, eventful career.

When the Earl of Granville is skewered with a pitchfork in his own stables, Inspector Haze and Lord Redmond must unearth decades-old family secrets in order to unravel the motive behind the murder. But just when they think they’re making headway, disturbing new revelations come to light and cast doubt on their findings.

Sir Waldo Hawkridge - wealthy, handsome, eligible, illustrious and known as 'The Nonesuch' for his athletic prowess - believes he is past the age of falling in love. But when he comes North to inspect his unusual inheritance at Broom Hall in the West Riding, his arrival leads to the most entertaining of ramifications.

Hardy's first major literary success, here brought to life by narrator Nathaniel Parker, is the story of the independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene, who inherits her uncle's farm, the largest estate in the area. She surprises the villagers of Weatherbury by deciding to run it herself. Attracted to this bold young woman are three suitors all vying for her affections. They include the lonely gentleman-farmer Boldwood, the young and handsome but inconsiderate Sergeant Troy and the faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak.

Lubji Hoch escapes from the Nazis, moves to Berlin and changes his name to Richard Armitage. After a successful career in the British Army, he takes over a struggling newspaper and with unrivalled ruthlessness begins building his media empire. Meanwhile, Keith Townsend, the son of a millionaire and Oxford educated, returns to Australia from London to take over his father's newspaper with similar ambitions. As both men move their quest for power to the world stage, they realise they are more than a match for one another's brilliance and ambition.

On New Year’s Eve, Professor Frederick Latham—renowned antiquarian and self-professed treasure hunter—gathers friends and rivals at his ancestral home. At midnight, he promises he will soon reveal the discovery that has defined his life’s work. But before the sun rises on the first day of the new decade, Latham is found dead at the heart of his beloved maze. The only witness: a marble statue of the horned god Cernunnos, looming silently over the body.

Two years ago, Elizabeth Bennet walked away from Mr Darcy with a broken heart and no reason to expect their paths would ever cross again. Tragedy, scandal, and loss forced her from Longbourn, and her family now lives in quiet obscurity in Yorkshire—until a chance encounter at a winter ball changes everything.

July, 1941. When Evie Harris vanishes after visiting her late fiancé's parents, the Homefront Sleuths of Crofter's Green vow to find her. But their investigation takes a bizarre turn when Nigel's police superiors send him to nearby Clarion Castle. There, the first under-butler has just taken his final bow in the castle's wine cellar. Could there be a connection with Evie's disappearance? Or with a hush-hush VIP visit to the castle?

My father called them messengers. He once told me they walked among us and that somewhere in this dark and godless city, there shined a faint sliver of hope. I had only to look for the signs. Well, I’ve spent my whole life investigating the inexplicable and all I've found are the unsettling vestiges of iniquity—the evidence of another world shrouded by the obscure. Purgatory to some, where depravity hides in shadows, and girls like me are little more than delicious bites of temptation. Others call it Nightshade.

Marriage is not for Margaret Dashwood. Where others see duty, Margaret sees entrapment. And rage.But when an invitation from family friend Mrs Jennings hurls her into the chaotic heart of Covent Garden, Margaret discovers an intoxicating world beyond afternoon tea and polite society. Here she meets three women who live unapologetically: Nelly, an impulsive actress; Hester, a witch who works in the textile factory; and Inge, a sex worker who loves money and knows exactly how to get it.

Northern Ireland, spring 1981. Hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young woman’s suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things—and people—aren’t always what they seem. Detective Sergeant Duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. It’s no easy job—especially when it turns out that one of the victims was involved in the IRA but was last seen discussing business with someone from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force.

Amelia Berger needs the Rogue, and she needs everything he can offer without revealing everything she knows. Her secrets are her own, and she has far too many to risk revealing even one. But when working with Rogue turns into something entirely unexpected, she finds that the secrets she began with are not the ones she most needs to protect.

Everyone knows that Gemma Templeton is a wonderful, cheerful, friendly young woman who is well worth one’s acquaintance. She is vibrant and warm, and plays the violin with exquisite talent. The only thing she lacks is a husband, and time is growing short for her in that regard. When an interesting opportunity arises from an unlikely source, Gemma’s future is suddenly far more appealing, and a small wager makes all the difference.

Colin Gerrard has everything. He is a handsome, charming, and unattached gentleman in possession of a fortune. What nobody knows, and would never suspect, is that he is not nearly as carefree as he seems, nor is his heart free for anyone’s taking. It was already taken long ago, and when his lost love unexpectedly reappears, in London of all places, he’s very much afraid she still has it.

When a guest at a séance dies under suspicious circumstances, Inspector Haze and Lord Redmond quickly realize his death was a cleverly plotted execution. The main suspects are the other guests - including Daniel’s wife Sarah. Delving into the life of the deceased reveals a growing list of possible suspects, while the motive remains elusive.

Mary Hamilton has had enough of being passed over by all of the eligible men in London, though she's had years and years of practice, and she's ready to give it up. But before she hangs up her dancing shoes for good, she wants one season of everything she's never had - invitations, flirtation, and suitors. But will all of that actually give her what she's always secretly wanted? Behind every little secret, there's another secret waiting....

When the body of a young man is found stuffed into the tomb of a medieval knight, Parish Constable Daniel Haze is tasked with investigating his first solo murder case. Suspicion instantly falls on the only stranger to arrive in the village of Birch Hill just before the crime took place, but the American captain proves to be an unexpected asset. A former soldier and a skilled surgeon, Jason Redmond is not only willing to assist Haze with the investigation but will risk his own safety to apprehend the killer.