Ancient Mystery Fiction

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.

When Tiro, the confidential secretary (and slave) of a Roman senator, opens the door to a terrified stranger on a cold November morning, he sets in motion a chain of events that will eventually propel his master into one of the most suspenseful courtroom dramas in history.

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!

South of Rome on the Gulf of Puteoli stands the splendid villa of Marcus Crassus, Rome's wealthiest citizen. When the estate overseer is murdered, Crassus concludes that the deed was done by two missing slaves, who have probably run off to join the Spartacan Slave Revolt. Unless they are found within three days, Crassus vows to massacre his remaining 99 slaves.

On the eve of Marcus Cicero's inauguration as consul of Rome, the grisly death of a boy sends ripples of fear through a city already wracked by civil unrest, crime, and debauchery of every kind. Felled by a hammer, his throat slit and his organs removed, the young slave appears to have been offered as a human sacrifice, forbidden as an abomination in the Roman Republic.

In Egypt during the late Roman Republic, the young Gordianus finds himself involved in a raid to steal the golden Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great....

Stuck in the shadow realm and straight out of luck, I’m more alone than ever. Even my friends are frightened of me now that they know the truth. Happy mid-life to me! That is, until my demon in rusty armor comes to my rescue. Now, I realize the magical world is so much bigger than I ever imagined, and it turns out, bigger than anyone else did, either. The Knights Templar are determined to stage a comeback at any cost, and my star-lit blood is the key to their plans. With only a demon to guide me, I have to find a way out of the shadow realm and back to Earth before magic is unleashed ...

Beneath the waves, darkness stirs… Most know stories of Atlantis; the downfall of a superior civilization that sank into the ocean. Join these characters on the adventures of a lifetime as they navigate the dangerous depths. From exploring sunken cities where hungry monsters lurk to sanguine sirens that leave bloody trails in their wakes. From selkies stumbling across love to the discovery of elusive creatures like Nessie. Featuring stories from Jo Niederhoff, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Ella Rose, Charles Kyffhausen, M.R. Parsons, and J.E. Feldman.

In mid-seventh-century Ireland, Sister Fidelma of Cashel-sister to the King of Muman, an advocate of Brehon Courts, and religieuse of the Celtic Church-returns hastily from a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. James. The news that brings her back is that her companion and friend, the Saxon monk Brother Eadulf, is under arrest for a serious crime in the neighboring kingdom of Laigin. Riding furiously through hostile territory, she arrives only to find out she is too late.

AD 670: When an eminent scholar is found murdered in his cell in the Abbey of Lios Mor, fear spreads among his brethren. His door was secured from the inside, with no other means of exit. How did the murderer escape? And what was the content of the manuscripts apparently stolen from the scholar's room? Abbot Iarnla insists on sending for Sister Fidelma and her companion, Brother Eadulf, to investigate the killing.

Awards: GOLD BOOK AWARD - Literary Titan 2024 BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 - Paranormal by Onlinebookclub.org FIRST PLACE AWARD WINNER Spring 2022 by Bookfest AWARDED THE FIVE STAR REVIEW AWARD with Reader Views.com. FINALIST - American Legacy Book Award Embark on a captivating journey through history and mystery with the award-winning Dr. Kaili Worthy series, beginning with Disturbed Tombs. Step into a world where Cleopatra Selene of Syria and Pharaoh Seti I, two legendary figures from ancient history, are torn from their eternal rest and thrust into a modern-day museum. Their souls awaken to a ...

Fame is never what it seems. Deception, lies and death follow in her footsteps. War thrusts Secundus into the public eye - a fame that he does not want. And then when the famous Gaius Scavolo is implicated in a scam at the Temple of Jupiter it soon becomes clear that someone is plotting against the Merenda family. Loose lips lead to death as gossip and scandal follow our hero and an old flame comes to his door. With his ever-increasing role within the politics of the City, Secundus must make a choice - the life of a priest or to disappear into obscurity. And whilst he dithers and waits to ...

The year is 63 BC, and Gordianus the Finder unexpectedly achieves the dream of every Roman: owning a farm in the Etruscan countryside. Vowing to leave behind the corruption of Rome, he abandons the city, taking his family with him. This bucolic life, however, is disrupted by the machinations and murderous plots of two politicians.

In A.D. 670, an Irish merchant ship is attacked by a pirate vessel off the southern coast of the Breton peninsula. Merchad, the ship's captain, and Bressal, a prince from the Irish kingdom of Muman, are killed in cold blood after they have surrendered. Among the other passengers who manage to escape the slaughter are Fidelma of Cashel and her faithful companion, Brother Eadulf.

“This fantasy horror series swept me away from the beginning.” – Scott B., Amazon reviewer A secretive voyage hauling ancient treasure. Pirates. Drowned Ones. Dark magic. The Neseree houses a crew of questionable characters with dark pasts. But their ship has the best track record for smuggling goods while avoiding pirates who plague the waters as well as the legendary Drowned Ones—sailors who have died at sea and returned from the dead. Then the passengers and crew of the Neseree begin to die. One by one. They appear to drown without ever leaving the confines of the ship. Calec and...

In seventh-century Ireland, then the light of reason in a darkening world, Fidelma - a religious, advocate of the Brehon courts and sister to the king of Muman - is an increasingly notable figure often called upon for her wisdom, legal knowledge, and devotion to the truth. While journeying with companion Eadulf to visit the new archbishop of Canterbury, their ship is blown badly off course, and the pair find themselves on the coast of modern Wales, in the kingdom of Dyfed.

A hanged man, an estranged son, an angry business partner and a scramble for the dead man's estate. A brutal attack on a rich slave-trader triggers a chain of events leading to his apparent suicide at the Festival of Liber. As the dead man's wife, son and business partner all claim ownership of his estate Secundus is thrown once more into an investigation he doesn't want to undertake. As the clues begin to unravel Scavolo takes over the case and Secundus finds himself reassigned to a probe into corruption at a sister temple. Angry at Scavolo for his interference and convinced there is more ...

The final thrilling tale of the House of Appius Julianus. A new and deadly threat has emerged at the outskirts of the Roman Empire on the Danube, one that threatens to throw the entire region into chaos. Correus, risen to prefect of a cavalry ala on the border, and Flavius, advisor to the emperor, have both attempted to warn the erratic Domitian of the seriousness of this foe, but to no avail.

What happens when ancient secrets ignite a love as fiery as the earth itself? In Romancing the Heart of the Volcano, volcanologist Dr. Elena Pinto arrives in Indonesia with one mission: to decode Mount Merapi's dangerous signals and prevent a catastrophe. Logical, driven, and haunted by her past failures, Elena sees the volatile volcano as her ultimate challenge. But her plans take a surprising turn when she meets Reza Dharma, the enigmatic temple guardian of the ancient traditions that surround the mountain. As tensions mount and Mount Merapi’s activity reaches a boiling point, Elena and...

Princess Camilla grows up in the wood with her father, learning to hunt like Diana and fight like an Amazon. One day refugees from the Trojan War arrive in her land. Camilla trains a band of four teenage girls like herself to fight off the invaders. But will male warriors accept their help? And can a few girls really make a difference?