British Historical Mysteries

It's Christmas 1937 and an eclectic list of guests and staff have gathered for the grand re-opening of Maybridge castle, a newly renovated yet still crumbling hotel deep in the Cumbrian countryside. An innocent game of murder-in-the-dark will turn into a real game of life and death. And by the time the first sherries have been drunk, one of these people will be dead - and one of them the killer. Someone has changed the rules, but who?

The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Jonathan Coe's brilliant new comic novel Expo 58, read by the actor Julian Rhind-Tutt. Expo 58 - Good-looking girls and sinister spies: a naive Englishman at loose in Europe in Jonathan Coe's brilliant comic novelLondon, 1958: unassuming civil servant Thomas Foley is plucked from his desk at the Central Office of Information and sent on a six-month trip to Brussels.

Loveable full-time priest and part-time detective Canon Sidney Chambers is back, continuing his investigations. A mysterious stranger seeks sanctuary in Grantchester’s church; a shooting weekend in the country has a sinister end; a friend receives poison pen letters; a piano falls on a musician’s head; a school cricket match has an explosive finish; and on a holiday in Italy, Sidney is accused of stealing a priceless painting. On the home front, his new curate has become irritatingly popular with the parish and his daughter is starting to walk and talk.

Lizzie Bennet’s beloved sister Jane has just married Darcy’s best friend, Bingley, and the Bennet family and Darcy are paying the newlyweds a visit at Bingley’s family home, Netherfield Park. It doesn’t take long for their country retreat to turn into an investigation, though, when a long-dead body is discovered stuffed up the parlor chimney. The locals are convinced that Netherfield is cursed, but Lizzie and Darcy know better than to believe in such nonsense and are determined to uncover the truth about what happened to the mysterious man in the chimney.

MURDER AT MARLEY CHASE by MARILYN CLAY is book ten in the popular JULIETTE ABBOTT REGENCY MYSTERY SERIES. Whilst Lord Marley prepares for the important Derby he is hosting at his large country estate Marley Chase, located near London, his lady wife is in the midst of readying their sumptuous mansion for the onslaught of house guests set to arrive to take part in the festivities surrounding the horse races. Frantic that she’ll not be ready in time, Lady Marley has recruited Miss Abbott’s help in assembling a prestigious art gallery in her home. Whilst gathering precious artifacts to ...

A meticulously researched novel set in 19th-century British India, The Light Horse is the story of two men who join forces to capture one of the most dreaded murderers in history - one man driven by sworn duty and the other man by vengeance. It is a psychological thriller based on documented fact, crafted after years of research into this compelling and nearly unbelievable chapter in the true history of 19th-century British-occupied India.

Being summoned to the home of a woman she despises, has upset the Dowager Duchess of Ashby's well-ordered life. Curiosity drives her to accept and find the house in chaos. Lady Honoria Huntington, also known as the notorious Lady Secrets, a much-hated gossip writer, has been murdered is a decidedly grisly way. Blythe Armstrong and her "nephew" Owen Kennedy take on the herculean task of finding the killer, among the hundreds of members of the ton who she has worked to destroy with her poison pen. Meanwhile, Owen must contend with his headstrong sister, who has turned his world on it's head.

A drizzly Manchester night, a hit and run. A chance meeting decades later leads ultimately to the exposure of a transatlantic crime family. Their story begins during the twenties New York prohibition era and follows its evolution into a modern-day underworld business. Jake Hughes and DI Jonty Ball threaten the empire and as a web of murder and deceit is exposed, the crime family bares its’ teeth, leading to an explosive finale where the winner takes all! Or do they? A crime novel with a touch of paranormal.

The theft of a priceless emerald neckless leads to murder and Blythe, the Dowager Duchess of Ashby along with Bow Street Runner Owen Kennedy must rely on a lie to find the killer before they become the next victims.

A quiet governess. A powerful politician. A dangerous conspiracy and scandal… In the heart of early 19th-century London, where whispers of intrigue echo through the corridors of power, a quiet governess named Margaret Hayworth discovers a world beyond her wildest dreams. Trapped in a life of routine and intellect, Margaret yearns for passion and adventure beyond the confines of her role. But when her path crosses with James Thornton, a rising star in the political arena, Margaret's ordinary life is turned upside down. Drawn to each other despite the societal boundaries that separate them,...

Lady Merryweather has had a shocking year. Apprehended for the murder of her husband the year before, and only recently released, she hopes a trip away from London will allow her to grieve. The isolated, but much loved, Cragside Estate in North Northumberland, home of her friends, Lord and Lady Bradbury, holds special memories for her. But, no sooner has she arrived than the body of one of the guests is found on the estate, and suspicion immediately turns on her. Perhaps, there are no friendships to be found here, after all.

Christmas Eve, 1938. The Westbury family and assorted friends have gathered for another legendary celebration at their beautiful country house. The champagne flows, the silverware sparkles and upstairs the rooms are ready for their occupants. But one bed will lie empty that night. On Christmas morning, David Campbell-Scott is found dead in the snow. There is a pistol beside him and only one set of footprints. Yet something doesn't seem right to amateur sleuth Hugh Gaveston. Campbell-Scott had just returned from overseas with untold wealth - why would he kill himself?

From hunting pickpockets in London omnibuses and ghosts in Hesse Square, Sergeant Watters and Detective Silver are led into the notorious Wild Geese public house, and a tangled mystery that involves the murder of a guardsman and the vivacious wife of an Austrian diplomat. With the help of the Irish woman Rowena, Watters trawls through the back streets of London, encounters female prize-fighters and suave cracksmen, and finds himself in the savage world of espionage. But can he unravel the mysterious words: "There is a storm from the east and the west"?

A lush historical novel set in Victorian England, When It Rained at Hembry Castle is the story of an aristocratic family, secrets that dare not be told, and the wonder of falling in love. When the 8th Earl of Staton dies, his eldest son, the unreliable Richard, inherits the title and the family’s home—Hembry Castle. The Earl's niece, the American-born Daphne, is intrigued by Edward Ellis, a rising author with first-hand knowledge of Hembry Castle—from the servants’ hall. Can Richard come to terms with his title before bringing ruin on his family? Will Edward and Daphne find their ...

A young widow desperate to escape. A past that won’t let her go. The year is 1841. Victoria is on the throne, but women are not in control of their own destiny. Elisabeth Godwin is facing a grim future after the death of her husband. Her brother-in-law is desperate to avoid ruin and determined to remove the threat she poses to him, leaving an escape to the colonies as her only option. An epic voyage in a crowded sailing ship brings its own challenges, from ferocious storms to social rivalries and single men in want of a wife. But the greatest challenge of all will be figuring out who her ...

How far would you go to save your family and a priceless heirloom? France, 1830. A young woman is facing a difficult decision about her future, when the turmoil of the July Revolution overturns her tranquil world. Her family is called upon to protect a precious heirloom for an aunt who has been forced into exile, throwing them into the path of a powerful enemy. To save her family, and fulfil a promise to her mother, she must flee her secluded life and embark on a perilous journey to England. Outwitting her adversaries will take all of her courage and ingenuity, with the help of a charming ...

1939. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, Alfred Kendall is tasked with carrying out a minor mission for the British Intelligence Service. Travelling to Prague, he takes his troubled young son, Hugh, as cover. When Hitler invades Czechoslovakia, Alfred is given an ultimatum by the Czech Resistance. They will arrange for him to return to England, but only if he leaves his son Hugh behind as collateral. Hugh is soon taken under the wing of a Nazi colonel - Helmuth Scholl.

For as far back as young Jimmy Sawyer could remember, he heard stories about buried treasure on Sawyer Key. Living in Key West in the 1950s and being a commercial fisherman, he was on the water almost every day, often just a stone's throw away from Sawyer Key. It turns out that there were others interested in the rumored treasure, including Jimmy's father, Willie, and Willie's best friend, Johnny Albury. When Johnny turns up dead, things turn ugly as the hunt becomes a much more dangerous affair.

Hitler annexes several countries; Europe is in turmoil. Britain is going to war, the call to arms is passed by parliament. The “Call Up” however, is not for everyone, certain occupations are exempt as they are considered vital to the country and the coming war effort. Despondent and angry, Detective Inspector Brakes battles with his inner conflicts as he comes to terms with not been able to join his comrades in arms. However, for DI Brakes, his case load is about to become more diverse than he could ever imagine. For him, his war is also just beginning, but on the Homefront. War-related...

As the pearling ships return to Bannin Bay after a long diving season, 20-year-old Eliza Brightwell awaits the arrival of her father’s boat. But when his lugger finally limps in, it brings a tale of tragedy: Charles Brightwell, master pearler, has gone missing at sea. Whispers from the townsfolk point to mutiny or murder. Headstrong Eliza knows it is up to her to find out who—or what—is responsible for her father’s disappearance. Searching for the truth, she delves beneath the glamorous veneer of the south sea pearling trade.