Ancient Mystery Fiction

A sacred relic. A hidden agenda. A race to protect history itself. Thalia “Phoe” Phoenix thought she’d seen everything—until she’s recruited by a Vatican emissary to authenticate what might be the real Shroud of Turin. But this mission is no quiet inspection. The relic has vanished… and the trail of clues points to a conspiracy stretching across continents and centuries. As Phoe and Peter Kellerman chase the truth from Rome to the highlands of Scotland, they’re hunted by enemies who will kill to possess the shroud—and the power it may contain. Legends claim it bears not only...

When young Telemachus gets the chance to join the crew of the merchant ship Selene, he's delighted to escape the rough streets of Piraeus. He knows little of the dangers of life at sea. And even past hardship has not prepared him for the terror on board when a pirate ship appears on the horizon. The fight is bloody, but the result is never in doubt. Then the victorious pirate chief, Bulla, offers the beaten men a cruel choice: join us, or die.

In the first century, under Domitian's reign, strange and brutal goings on are nothing new in Rome. Flavia Albia, daughter of Marcus Didius Falco, has taken over her father's business as a private informer but she tries to shy away from the brutal, the complicated, and the political—because nothing good comes of any of them. Unfortunately, she's not very good at turning them down. This time a commission shows up on her doorstep—someone is staging brutal murders in some of the most beautiful buildings in Rome, each staging different.

An ancient weapon. A buried secret. A hunt across time. Chyna Stone heads to the Russian Far East to investigate rumors of a legendary artifact: a bow carved from ivory and said to have belonged to a forgotten Siberian warrior queen. But what begins as an academic dig quickly spirals into danger when mercenaries show up with orders to retrieve the artifact—at any cost. As Chyna and her team navigate frozen landscapes, hidden caves, and ancient burial sites, they uncover clues that suggest the bow is more than a myth. It holds power. And someone ruthless is determined to use it. With ...

It’s business as usual on the set of another cheap sword-and-sandal production by Pharos Pictures—until the lead actress suddenly falls into a deep, mysterious sleep. Jordan Harper can talk down high-strung starlets and knock sense into stuntmen, but this…this is the kind of uncanny problem that he’d usually bring to Mrs. Hope. Unfortunately, the preternaturally capable secretary is on a business trip with the studio head. Harper must get to the bottom of the mystery on his own before another cast member succumbs—or worse, they blow the budget.

Douglas Island sits off the coast of New York State, its imposing cliffs warning away visitors. Still, Finn Douglas has big plans for his inheritance and the rambling manor house that dominates the landscape. He has a vision to turn the island into a resort getaway for overworked city dwellers. But when the broken body of his business partner is found at the base of the rocky escarpment, he fears it wasn’t an accident.

Beware of avalanches! When the magic tree house whisks Jack and Annie back in time to the highest pass in the Swiss Alps, they discover an ancient monastery filled with monks and Saint Bernard dogs. Annie can’t resist offering to train a wild young dog named Barry, but he is quite the handful! Before the night is over, Jack and Annie will be forced to use some crazy magic!

Four novella-length stories written to illuminate Lindsey Davis's unparalleled output of the last 30 years, with an introduction written and narrated by the author.

Join Nicholas Foxe and his new bride Nina on a honeymoon turned treasure hunt.When a mysterious stranger hints at the existence of a legendary Roman treasure buried beneath the ashes of Pompeii, the couple is drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. As they unravel ancient secrets, face off against ruthless treasure hunters, and decode cryptic messages, Nicholas and Nina must rely on their wits and each other to uncover the truth. Perfect for fans of historical mysteries and adventure, this novel takes you from the bustling streets of New York to the ancient ruins of Italy. Will they ...

A hidden artifact. A deadly conspiracy. A past that won’t stay buried. Lucas Thorne never expected to be pulled back into the shadows. But when a mysterious artifact linked to his forgotten past surfaces, he and Professor Isobel Hart are thrust into a dangerous web of secret societies and ancient secrets. What begins as a plea for help quickly unravels into a high-stakes conspiracy with global implications. As Lucas confronts ghosts from a world he tried to leave behind, Isobel follows the trail of her father’s disappearance—one that leads deep into the heart of a powerful faction ...

Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro, hardened veterans of the Roman army, have faced the empire's enemies from Britannia to Parthia, from Hispania to Judea. Now once again they are on a mission that will imperil their lives and those of all who serve with them. Loyal to the last to their comrades in battle, fearless in the face of the most brutal or barbaric opponents, they are the finest men the emperor can call on in the service of Rome.

In the late autumn of AD 666, Fidelma of Cashel - an advocate of the Brehon courts, sister to the king of Cashel, and religieuse of the Celtic Church - is at a crossroads. Needing to reflect upon her commitment to the religious life and her relationship to the Saxon monk Eadulf, she leaves Eadulf behind and joins a small band sailing from Ireland on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James in modern-day Spain.

It is 1066 and the Saxon leadership lie dead at Senlac Hill. Only Aelfraed and his northern rebels hold out against the Norman war machine. Fighting treachery as well as Normans Aelfraed and his warriors bravely take the fight to the Normans. Forced to become outlaws they fight a rearguard action from the northern forests until William relentlessly hunts them down.

One empire will rise Flamininus of Rome and Macedonian King Philip's battle-hardened armies are on the march towards their final, climactic encounter. The other must burn. The outcome will decide the fate of Greece. But, on opposite sides, legionary Felix and Phalanx soldier Demetrios have more pressing concerns: staying alive long enough to taste glory....

The greatest biblical relic in history... has just resurfaced. When a covert military agency asks Thalia “Phoe” Phoenix to track down a missing team of archaeologists in the Ethiopian desert, she expects danger—but not a mission tied to one of the most powerful artifacts ever known: the Ark of the Covenant. As legends clash with modern warfare, Phoe and her loyal partner Peter Kellerman must navigate a deadly web of secrets, mercenaries, and ancient clues. The missing archaeologists may have found the Ark—and triggered a force that some believe was never meant to be disturbed. In ...

A pair of forensic archaeologists discover a strange skull buried with the original occupant inside a 15th century tomb. That same night, one archaeologist is murdered and the skull stolen, leaving the surviving archaeologist to dispatch a plea for help. Enter Phoebe McCabe and the Agency of the Ancient Lost and Found, now assigned to help a headless client become reunited with his skull.

An ancient secret society holds the key that could reshape the world, or destroy it. Archaeology student Ella Rosen’s idyllic life in Crete is turned upside down when she saves a priceless Minoan artifact. Now on the run, she struggles to survive while uncovering a shocking revelation that completely upends what experts once knew about the origins of human civilization. With the help of a seasoned ex-soldier, Ella searches for clues in a race against time to unravel this breathtaking mystery. But there are powerful forces arrayed against them who will stop at nothing to prevent this ...

It is ancient Rome, and Gordianus the Finder has a knack for finding trouble. Known to many as the one man in the ancient world who can both keep a secret and uncover one, Gordianus lays bare some of his most intriguing and compelling adventures.

"The world is in great peril," the Pope said. "Of being destroyed!" Jules Verne and Alexander Dumas stood in stunned silence at the words spoken by the Pope. If true, it could mean the end of the world . If not true, it could mean the end of their world. A mission is described which is so important and so dangerous that only these two brave young men were chosen to take it. But to be honest, can two authors, even if smart and brave, be enough to stop the destruction of the world? As they embark on their mission, they are joined by a third party. An international pirate. A man dedicated to ...

At the winter solstice, South Mardian's swordsmen weave their blades in an ancient ritual dance. But for one of them, the excitement proves too heady, and his decapitation turns the fertility rite into a pageant of death. Now Inspector Roderick Alleyn must penetrate not only the mysteries of folklore but also the secrets and sins of an eccentric group, including a surly blacksmith, a domineering dowager, and a not-so-simple village idiot.