Showing results by narrator "Diana Croft" in All Categories

"Perfect for fans of Brent Weeks, George R. R. Martin, or David Gemmell . . . . The best traditional epic fantasy I have read in years." — Grimdark Magazine on Engines of Empire “An excellent start to a new series: fast-paced and engaging, with a properly epic setting and a cast of...

Jane Black is plain and smart, a combination sure to kill any prospects found in a London season. Pretending her wallflower status is of no concern, Jane focuses on the quiet country life she’s planned even as she struggles with the vow she made to her grandfather to protect the family. But when she discovers her grandfather’s friend, Dr. Seymour, carries with him the secret to unmasking the traitor behind the attacks on the Black family, Jane knows it’s her duty to rescue the doctor from Bedlam and carry him to safety. If only the Marquess of Evanshire will allow her to do so.

Fresh from maternity leave, Detective Elma finds herself confronted with a complex case, when a man is found murdered in a holiday cottage in the depths of the Icelandic countryside - the victim of a frenzied knife attack, with a shocking message scrawled on the wall above him.

When Detective Natalie Ward is called to the home of 14-year-old Roxy Curtis she can’t help but empathise with Roxy’s distraught mother Cathy. Roxy hasn’t come home, last seen heading next door for a sleepover with her best friend Ellie. As the mother of two teenagers herself, Natalie knows that this is every parent’s worst nightmare. But when Roxy’s body is found in the basement of a beautiful Victorian mansion on the other side of town, Natalie’s darkest fears are confirmed. What was Roxy doing there? Cathy seems evasive, and Ellie refuses to talk.

Giulia Tofana never wanted to be a nun, but she is determined to atone for her past misdeeds by making her new monastery a success. When an unexpected disaster closes the convent, Giulia is forced to turn to her old friend, Fabio Pasello, for help. Giulia still has intense feelings for Fabio, and Fabio’s passion for her has never diminished. But they are not the same people they were before. Giulia has taken her vows, and Fabio is apprenticed to Gianlorenzo Bernini, the famous sculptor, and has become one of Bernini’s rakish libertines.

Birdie, Morgana, and Odette are the three resident witches of Moonfell, the magical Gothic mansion that lies at the edge of Richmond Park in London. They are responsible for maintaining the centuries old magic that is woven deep in the roots of the estate. When Morgana's son and his cousin join them to celebrate Ostara, the three witches decide to honour the lore of the house by introducing them to the bees in the orchard.

Ten years ago, Penelope Paiget promised she’d wait for Samuel Black. But she was only a genteel, impoverished paid companion, forced into service after her father’s death revealed his insurmountable debts. Now she’s a successful novelist, posing as secretary to the Earl of Wickshire to hide her identity. Ten years ago, Samuel Black chose his own path instead of upholding his family’s legacy as spies. But having fought for the formation of the Metropolitan Police Force, echoes of his past and his true origins remind him how unworthy he is to call himself detective inspector.

Birdie, Morgana, and Odette are the three resident witches of Moonfell, the magical Gothic mansion that lies at the edge of Richmond Park in London. They are responsible for maintaining the centuries old magic that is woven deep in the roots of the estate. When Morgana's son and his cousin join them to celebrate Ostara, the three witches decide to honour the lore of the house by introducing them to the bees in the orchard. However, the ritual brings past catastrophic events to the present, and plunges the estate into chaos.

Corfu, Greece, 1943. Though they don’t know it, five-year-old Matilde and three-year-old Anna have kissed their mother for the last time. The Nazis have reached their sun-scorched home, and they are being taken to a place of safety, on the northeastern tip of the rocky island. They are to be hidden, at great risk, by kindly Agata and her husband, until the terrible war is over. Matilde and Anna’s tears are soothed by Agata’s bedtime stories, but she is always alert.

When Robert Baratheon died suddenly after a boar hunt, all hell broke loose. When Edward IV, King of England, died suddenly after a fishing trip in April 1483, another phase of the Wars of the Roses ensued, the Yorks (Starks) battling the Lancasters (Lannisters). Thwarted Queen is told mainly in the voice of Lady Cecylee Neville (1415-1495), the thwarted queen, but other voices are important to this tale, not least those of the Londoners, who forged their own political destiny by engaging in public debate with the powerful aristocrats of the time

Haunted by a tragic mistake in her past that endangered her family and nearly cost the life of the only man she could ever love, Emily now lives a life of exile that just so happens to include sword play and stealth on the dark streets of London in an attempt to stop innocent people from coming to harm at the hands of seedy criminals. Caring not for her own safety, Emily embarks on a life of justice at all costs, if only to rid her mind of the ghostly image of her lost love.

If you love English banter, paranormal mysteries, and loads of occult action, you’ll love this urban fantasy spin-off to the White Haven Witches series. Download now!

It’s winter at the Werth residence, and someone has turned up dead. Not that this is unusual. There’s Great-Aunt Honoria on the premises, after all. Only this corpse is freshly dead, and nobody knows how the lady came to be leaking blood all over Lady Werth's best parlour. The disastrous Miss Gussie confesses herself delighted, for nothing enlivens a dull week in February like a mysterious murder. And the culprit really ought to be discovered, for the circumstances suggest Lord Bedgberry might have had something to do with it…

The Crossroads Circus has a reputation for bringing myths to life, but it also seems that where the circus goes, death follows. When the circus sets up on the castle grounds, Newton asks Avery and the witches to investigate. This proves trickier than they expected, when an unexpected encounter finds Avery bound to a power she can’t control.

It’s close to the winter solstice when Newton reports that dead bodies have been found drained of their blood. Then people start disappearing, and Genevieve calls a coven meeting. What they hear chills their blood. This has happened before, and it’s going to get worse. The witches have to face their toughest challenge yet—vampires. At the same time, Ben and the paranormal investigators are investigating the House of Spirits, a house with links to the occult that once belonged to the mysterious medium Madame Charron. Chillingly, the new owners seem to have secrets of their own.

In the heart of Rome, the conclave is choosing a new Pope, and whoever wins will determine the fate of the Eternal City. Astrologer Mia and her fiancé Jacopo, a physician at the Santo Spirito Hospital, plan to marry, but the election result is a shock and changes everything. As Pope Innocent X takes the throne, he brings along his sister-in-law, the formidable Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, known as La Papessa – the female Pope. When Mia is offered a position as her personal astrologer, she and Jacopo find themselves on opposite sides of the most powerful family in Rome.

A Shifter family arrives in White Haven, one of them close to death. Avery offers them sanctuary, only to find their pursuers are close behind, intent on retribution. In an effort to help them, Avery and Alex are dragged into a fight they didn’t want, but must see through. As if that weren't enough trouble, strange signs begin to appear at Old Haven Church. Avery realizes that an unknown witch has wicked plans for Samhain, and is determined to breach the veils between worlds.

Ava Wells is perfect. She has the boyfriend, the career, the looks. But one night changes everything and her life suddenly isn't so seamless. Jade Fernleigh is ambitious. She's worked hard to get where she is. And she's not about to let Ava take the job she rightly deserves. Both women share a secret that could destroy them, but who will crumble first?

Stan, the town’s pseudo-druid, has decided the Christmas festivities will be different this year. He announces he is the Lord of Misrule and appoints his Court of Fools.

Witches have been living at Moonfell, the sprawling Gothic mansion in London, for five hundred years. The house and gardens are steeped in magic, and at every Yule the family gathers to reinforce the protection spells on the house.