Best of
Historical-Mystery

2012

The Heiress of Linn Hagh


Karen Charlton - 2012
    Northumberland, 1809: A beautiful young heiress disappears from her locked bedchamber at Linn Hagh.The local constables are baffled and the townsfolk cry ‘witchcraft’.The heiress’s uncle summons help from Detective Lavender and his assistant, Constable Woods, who face one of their most challenging cases: The servants and local gypsies aren’t talking; Helen’s siblings are uncooperative; and the sullen local farmers are about to take the law into their own hands.Lavender and Woods find themselves trapped in the middle of a simmering feud as they uncover a world of family secrets, intrigue and deception in their search for the missing heiress.Taut, wry and delightful, The Heiress of Linn Hagh is a rollicking tale featuring Lavender and Woods—a double act worthy of Holmes and Watson. Revised edition: This edition of The Heiress of Linn Hagh includes editorial revisions.

Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries Volume One


Ashley Gardner - 2012
    He’s pulled into a search for a missing young woman, and thus begins investigating crime, using his status as a gentleman--albeit a poor one--to cross the boundaries between the top of society and the working class of the back streets.In The Hanover Square Affair, a missing girl and horrific corpse plunge Captain Lacey into the dark underworld of Regency London.In A Regimental Murder, Captain Lacey is on hand to save the life of a beautiful widow, then investigates the death of her husband, a colonel who had been accused of murdering a cavalry officer during the Peninsular War.In The Glass House, Lacey investigates the death of a barrister’s young wife, and links her to a notorious brothel where the haut ton play.Two short stories finish off the collection. In “The Disappearance of Miss Sarah Oswald,” Lacey is asked to locate a man’s missing daughter, though he senses that the family would be just as happy for her to remain missing. In “The Gentleman’s Walking Stick,” Lacey untangles a web of deceit involving a respectable society man, his only clue being a missing walking stick.

The Man in the Snow


Rory Clements - 2012
    A naked man has been found in a snowdrift, a wreath of holly crowning his head and a bullet in his back. But it is no ordinary corpse. Shakespeare recognises him as Giovanni Jesu, a black man from Venice, a close associate - and some say much more - of the disgraced Earl of Oxford. Who would kill such a man and why? As all around him prepare for the festive season, Shakespeare must unravel a complex plot of passion and treachery and confront a cold-blooded murderer who will not hesitate to kill again.

The Hugh Corbett Omnibus


Paul Doherty - 2012
    Includes Satan in St Mary's, Crown in Darkness and Spy in Chancery. Perfect for fans of Ellis Peters, Susanna Gregory, Michael Jecks and Robin Hobb.Satan in St Mary's: 1284: Edward I is battling a traitorous movement founded by the late Simon de Montfort, the rebel who lost his life at the Battle of Evesham in 1258. The Pentangle, the movement's underground society whose members are known to practice the black arts, is thought to be behind the apparent suicide of Lawrence Duket, one of the King's loyal subjects. The King, deeply suspicious of the affair, orders his wily Chancellor, Burnell, to look into the matter. Burnell chooses a sharp and clever clerk from the Court of King's Bench, Hugh Corbett, to conduct the investigation. Corbett - together with his manservant, Ranulf - is swiftly drawn into the tangled politics and dark and dangerous underworld of medieval London.Crown in Darkness: 1286: on a storm-ridden night, King Alexander III of Scotland is riding across the Firth of Forth to meet his beautiful French bride Yolande. He never reaches his final destination as his horse mysteriously slips, sending them both crashing to their death on the rocks. The Scottish throne is left vacant of any real heir and immediately the great European princes and the powerful nobles of Alexander's kingdom start fighting for the glittering prize. The Chancellor of England, Burnell, ever mindful of the interest his king, Edward I, has in Scotland, sends his faithful clerk, Hugh Corbett, to report on the chaotic situation at the Scottish court. Concerned that a connection exists between the king's death and those now desirous of taking the Scottish throne, Corbett is drawn into a maelstrom of intrigue, conspiracy and danger.Spy in Chancery: Edward I of England and Philip IV of France are at war. Philip, by devious means, has managed to seize control of the English duchy of Aquitaine in France, and is now determined to crush Edward. King Edward suspects that his enemy is being aided by a spy in the English court and commissions his chancery clerk, Hugh Corbett, to trace and, if possible, destroy the traitor. Corbett's mission brings him into danger on both land and at sea, and takes him to Paris, and its dangerous underworld, and then to hostile Wales. Unwillingly he is drawn into the murky undercurrents of international politics in the last decade of the thirteenth century.

The Canterbury Tales By Night Omnibus


Paul Doherty - 2012
    Includes An Ancient Evil, A Tapestry of Murders and A Tournament of Murders. Perfect for fans of Ellis Peters and Susanna Gregory.An Ancient Evil: As the travellers gather at the start of a pilgrimage to Canterbury, they agree to amuse themselves on their journey with evening tales of mystery, terror and murder. So begins the Knight's tale. It opens with the destruction of a sinister cult during the reign of William the Conqueror, and then moves to Oxford some two hundred years later where terrible murders are being committed. The Abbess of the Convent of St Anne's, believes the murders are connected with the legends of the cult and petitions the King for help... A Tapestry of Murders: As Chaucer's pilgrims continue towards Canterbury, they choose the Man of Law to narrate the next tale of fear and sinister dealings. In August 1358, the adulterous Dowager Queen Isabella, the 'She Wolf of France', lies dying of the pestilence in the sombre fortress of Castle Rising, where her 'loving' son has kept her incarcerated. But as in life so in death Isabella causes intrigue, violence and murder. Nicholas Chirke, an honest young lawyer, is brought in to investigate strange events following her death - and quickly finds himself at his wits' end trying to resolve the mysteries before a great scandal unfolds. A Tournament of Murders: While Chaucer's pilgrims settle for the night, the Franklin narrates a mysterious, bloody tale... In 1356 the Black Prince has won his resounding victory at Poitiers. As impoverished knight Gilbert Savage lies dying in the wake of the fight he tells his squire, Richard Greenele, that the story of his parents perishing during the plague is untrue. Richard, if he wishes to uncover what really happened, must travel to Colchester and seek out a sealed letter telling the truth of his parentage, and a most macabre confession that will set him on a mission for revenge from which there is no turning back...

The Murder of Patience Brooke


J.C. Briggs - 2012
     But he is shocked when the matron’s assistant – Patience Brooke – is found hanging outside the property, covered in blood. Desperate to protect the reputation of the Home and to stop a scandal from spreading, Dickens takes the investigation into his own hands. With the help of his good friend, Superintendent Sam Jones of Bow Street, and a description of the suspect as ‘a man with a crooked face’, Dickens's search takes him deep into the filthy slums of Victorian London. Can Dickens save his reputation? Will he find out the secrets of Patience Brooke’s troubled past? Or will the killer strike again …? The Murder of Patience Brooke is the first urban mystery in J. C. Briggs' literary historical series, the Charles Dickens investigations, a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London.The Charles Dickens Investigations Series: BOOK ONE: The Murder of Patience Brooke BOOK TWO: Death at Hungerford Stairs BOOK THREE: Murder by Ghostlight BOOK FOUR: The Quickening and the Dead

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Poisoned Lilly


Roger Riccard - 2012
     Known on stage as ‘Loraine Fontaine’; the public love her, and the critics predict a glittering future as one of Victorian England’s most celebrated actresses. But someone wants her dead. Scared for her safety, she confides her fears to her friend Mary, who happens to be married to Dr. John H. Watson… When both Lillian and Mary become hospitalised, Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes must push themselves to the limit to catch the poisoner before it is too late. They find themselves applying their powers of observation and analysis to the only clues they have: a poisoned pitcher of milk and a bunch of meticulously arranged flowers. In pursuit of the truth, the trail leads them to Lyceum Theatre, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, Scotland Yard and even rural Hertfordshire. Who would want to kill Lillian? Could it be her understudy, Lily Harley, who is desperate for a leading role…? Her old director, Harrison Colby, bitter because Lillian left his scandalous play…? Or the elusive Mr. Henshaw, who keeps appearing in the case…? With a list of suspects to choose from, and plenty of possible motives, can Sherlock Holmes solve The Case of the Poisoned Lilly?

Memories of the Dead: A Clara Fitzgerald Mystery


Evelyn James - 2012
    Clara Fitzgerald is trying to earn a little respect as the first female private detective in Brighton, when Mrs Wilton turns up on her doorstep one snowy day. Struggling to get by since the war, Mrs Wilton has been convinced by an unscrupulous clairvoyant that her dead husband is trying to make contact via strange riddles that supposedly lead to hidden treasure. Clara is quickly on the case to prove the notorious clairvoyant, Mrs Greengage, is nothing more than a scam-artist, extorting money from Mrs Wilton.But after an unpleasant seance, Mrs Greengage is found with a bullet in her chest and Clara is rapidly a suspect as one of the last people to see her alive.There is no option but to unravel the mystery for herself, taking on the biggest case of her life, much to the consternation of the local police inspector.Soon Clara is discovering Mrs Greengage's dark past, her involvement in a previous murder case and her husband's strange talents. Why won't Mr Greengage leave his house? Why was Mrs Greengage's sherry laced with strychnine when she was shot to death? And just who is the man stalking Clara?Helped by her brother Tommy, a cripple since the Great War, and portrait photographer Oliver Bankes who takes crime scene pictures for the police in his spare time, Clara sets out to prove who the real killer is. But little does she realise how emotional challenging discovering the truth will be.About the AuthorEvelyn James has written numerous short stories for anthologies and is recognised for her historical fiction. She was runner-up in the Rider Haggard Literary Competition 2010 and has had stories published by English Heritage. Memories of the Dead is her first historical crime novel published by Red Raven PublicationsFollow Red Raven Publications at www.facebook.com/RedRavenPublications

The Misses Moffet Mend a Marriage


M. Louisa Locke - 2012
    They turn for advice to Annie Fuller, a widowed boardinghouse owner who supplements her income as a clairvoyant, Madam Sibyl. For those who have read Locke’s two full-length Victorian San Francisco mysteries, Maids of Misfortune and Uneasy Spirits, and her other short story, Dandy Detects, this is an amusing glimpse into the lives of Annie Fuller’s two most eccentric boarders. For those unfamiliar with Locke’s mysteries and the late nineteenth century world they portray, this is just a taste of things to come.

The Anatomist's Wife


Anna Lee Huber - 2012
    Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister's estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to hide from the ire of those who believe her to be as unnatural as her husband, an anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit his own macabre purposes. Kiera wants to put her past aside, but when one of the house guests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to utilize her knowledge of human anatomy to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage—a fellow guest with some experience as an inquiry agent. While Gage is clearly more competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn't about to let her guard down as accusations and rumors swirl. When Kiera and Gage's search leads them to even more gruesome discoveries, a series of disturbing notes urges Lady Darby to give up the inquiry. But Kiera is determined to both protect her family and prove her innocence, even as she risks becoming the next victim...

Scrooge, The Year After (The Scrooge Years #1)


Judy La Salle - 2012
    He can still be bull-headed and brash, but his new personality includes a lively sense of humor, generosity, insight, and the willingness to take risks. He is also a bit of a Romantic, which is fitting, since women now find him attractive – even though he is out of practice when it comes to courting. It is another new dimension for Scrooge – one that brings unique challenges and rewards. He faces other, darker challenges, as well. In November 1844, Scrooge embarks on a quest to discover the truth of his sister Fan’s death, which occurred in 1819. He needs only a few suggestions of foul play and he is driven to uncover the painful facts, particularly since he feels overwhelming guilt and regret where she is concerned. He also has one business enemy, in particular, who will do everything in his power to ruin Scrooge. Thankfully, the ghost of Jacob Marley continues to play a role in his old partner’s life, and Scrooge needs all the assistance he can get if he is not to revert to his former withdrawn and miserable self.

Act of Vengeance


Michael Jecks - 2012
     Cut adrift and superfluous in a changing world, he was discarded by British Intelligence. Then, after 9/11, rapid recruitment brought in a rash of new, talented young men and women. They were trained and put into the field swiftly - often too swiftly. And then the mistakes started to happen. Mistakes that should have been avoided. Mistakes that could be embarrassing to Her Majesty's Government. Thus, Jack was brought back into the intelligence fold, heading up a new team of "Scavengers" - experienced agents who could be sent to clear up the messes left behind by newer recruits before evidence incriminating MI5 and MI6 could be discovered. Jack is sent to tidy up one last case. In a quiet Alaskan backwater, a man named Danny Lewin has committed suicide with a handgun. But this was no ordinary suicide. This was an agent who held secrets. A man haunted by his past interrogating prisoners in Iraq. And British Intelligence fear that he put his secrets down on paper. For Jack, his mission is straightforward. He must travel to Alaska and retrieve Lewin’s journal before someone else can lay their hands on it. Before long, Jack realises that there are individuals just as skilled and determined as himself searching for the journal - individuals who are willing to kill in order to get what they want. Case is drawn into a manhunt that drags him into the murky underworld of contemporary espionage and leaves him questioning who his allies and who is enemies are. The rules of the game have changed since the days of the Cold War. Now Case must impose his own rules. Scavenger rules. Praise for Michael Jecks: 'An instant classic British spy novel - mature, thoughtful, and intelligent ... but also raw enough for our modern times. Highly recommended.' - Lee Child, author of the Reacher series 'More magic by the master of the medieval' - Quintin Jardine 'Michael Jecks is a national treasure' - Scotland on Sunday 'A textbook example of how to blend action and detection in a historical' - Publishers Weekly Michael Jecks is the author of the bestselling Knights Templar series, comprising thirty-two novels starring Baldwin de Furnshill. Fields of Glory is the first novel in a new trilogy, set around the Hundred Years' War. A regular speaker at library and literary events, he is a past Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association and a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund at Exeter University. He was shortlisted for the Harrogate/Theakston’s Old Peculier prize for the best crime novel of the year 2007, the year Allan Guthrie won. He lives with his wife, children and dogs in northern Dartmoor. To find out more visit his website http://www.michaeljecks.com, follow him on twitter @michaeljecks, or find him on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Michael.Jecks...

Dead Man's Land


Robert Ryan - 2012
    So one more death shouldn't be a surprise. But then a body turns up with bizarre injuries, and Sherlock Holmes' former sidekick Dr John Watson - unable to fight for his country due to injury but able to serve it through his medical expertise - finds his suspicions raised. The face has a blue-ish tinge, the jaw is clamped shut in a terrible rictus and the eyes are almost popping out of his head, as if the man had seen unimaginable horror. Something is terribly wrong.But this is just the beginning. Soon more bodies appear, and Watson must discover who is the killer in the trenches. Who can he trust? Who is the enemy? And can he find the perpetrator before he kills again?Surrounded by unimaginable carnage, amidst a conflict that's ripping the world apart, Watson must for once step out of the shadows and into the limelight if he's to solve the mystery behind the inexplicable deaths.

Topaz Eyes


Nancy Jardine - 2012
    And who harbours the ultimate mystery item that is even more precious than the Mughal jewels?Greed, suspicion and murder are balanced by growing family loyalty, trust, and love.

Indian Blanket


Brenda B. Dawson - 2012
    She has no illusions that Jed will forgive her, or ever love her again, but she needs his protection for her new baby. Still angry and confused because she left him when he needed her most, Jed McClure has no idea why his wife suddenly returns. How could he know that she has always loved him and longed to come home to him and the strange collection of people she calls her family. After her return to her family, she discovers that none of the residents of the broken-down ranch are who they appear to be, but the biggest mystery to her family is the parentage of the little boy Jessie claims as her own baby. A baby for Jessie would be impossible, so what could she be hiding and where did she really get the child?

A Swarming of Bees


Theresa Tomlinson - 2012
    But when she needs someone to confide in, she turns to the honest warmth of her friend Fridgyth, the half-pagan herb-wife. A divisive and life-altering decision taken at the Great Synod is swiftly overshadowed as the monastery is ravaged by a deadly plague. As she tends the sick, Fridgyth starts to suspect that not all the deaths are natural. Despite Hild’s stern warnings “not to meddle” she sets out to investigate. Can Fridgyth’s wisdom and intuition unmask the murderer and unravel the dark politics surrounding the deaths and clandestine arrival of two young scholars?A SWARMING OF BEES is an absorbing and richly atmospheric murder mystery.

Shadowlands


Erin Farwell - 2012
    Haunted by nightmares of the Great War both waking and sleeping, Cabel Evans lives in self-imposed isolation at his family's summer home in St. Joseph, Michigan, until a face from the past intrudes. A fellow soldier, one who served under Cable, needs help. His teenage daughter, Kitty, was found floating in the river. He wants Cable to find the murderer. Coerced by a debt that no amount of money can repay, Cable begins an investigation, ushering in his reluctant return to society. From the innocent distractions of the Silver Beach Amusement Park to the dark enticements of a Chicago speakeasy, Cabel must fight through the shadows of his past as he searches for the truth about Kittie's death. Answers lead to more questions, and as the body count rises, Cable must finally face his most dreaded memory in the town where it took place: Chicago, Capone's domain, where violence and corruption are currency and everyone is a pawn in someone else's game. What began as a chance to repay a debt has become an opportunity for redemption. Yet just as Cabel realizes that he wants to live, someone else wants him dead. Caught between the darkness within and the darkness without, he struggles for salvation. Will Cabel find his way back into the light, or will the Shadowlands claim him forever?

Three Keys to Murder


Gary Williams - 2012
    Her father’s tragic death earlier in the year still haunts her. For decades, Juan Velarde Cortez obsessively hunted a legendary treasure, and his passing has left unresolved feelings for Fawn. Now, when a series of grisly killings rock the small island community—each victim’s face has a distinct signature—Fawn suspects a bizarre connection between the murders, her father’s quest, and the death ritual of an infamous Seminole Indian from the 1800s. A cigar box that once belonged to her father appears to hold the key. As Fawn draws closer and closer to solving the 200-year-old puzzle and determining the killer’s identity, she will be forced to unravel historical clues that will lead her on a harrowing journey. Time is quickly running out as a serial killer is watching and waiting in the shadows. Will Fawn discover the truth before she becomes the next victim? With historical links and storyline twists, this follow-up to Gary Williams’ & Vicky Knerly’s debut novel, Death in the Beginning, engages all the necessary elements of and delivers a fast-paced, heart-pounding thriller. This is a new release of a previously published edition.

Madame Koska and the Imperial Brooch


Ilil Arbel - 2012
    Who is she? What is her first name? Who was M. Koska? Where did she learn her trade? It must be Paris but she has a Russian name… where does she get her lovely mannequins? Does she smoke a cigarette stuck in a long ebony cigarette holder?

Moonshine Murder (Moonshine Murder Mysteries Book 1)


E.S. Jameson - 2012
    Can a young woman find justice before she’s drowned in a barrel of rotgut and greed? Colorado, 1925. Seventeen-year-old Lenora Giovanni just wants to do right by her pa. So when he returns home strapped across his burro and dead from poisoned whiskey, she holds back her tears and heads to Durango intent on uncovering the facts. And with more resolve than money, the determined girl poses as a bootlegger and infiltrates the town’s biggest operation to hunt down her pa’s killers.Befriending a charming moonshiner who quickly captures her heart, he hints at secrets that make her question everything she thought to be real. But as she inches ever closer to tapping the truth, a shocking betrayal could bury her future and destroy any chance of everlasting love.Can Lenora discover who murdered her father, or will doubt and heartache bring her to ruin?Moonshine Murder is the first book in the engrossing Moonshine Murder Mysteries historical fiction series. If you like strong-willed heroines, true-to-life chronicles, and a satisfying shot of romance, then you’ll adore E.S. Jameson’s gritty tale. Buy Moonshine Murder to fight the lies today!

If You Were Mine


Rebecca King - 2012
    With nothing more than a few coins in her pouch and the clothes on her back, she disappears into the night wholly unprepared for the stark reality of life on the streets.He was too late to save her. Vowing vengeance upon the uncle responsible for her brutal murder, Dominic Cavendish, Lord Havistock returns home to grieve for the woman he thought he had lost. The hauntingly familiar figure he finds there changes his life forever. Suddenly Dominic is faced with an entirely new battle.Will he and Isobel discover the truth behind the complex web of lies and deceit that tore them apart? Can he persuade Isobel to place her trust in him once more and take a chance on their future happiness, despite the threat to their very lives?Book One of new the Cavendish Mysteries series begins the journey of four very special couples living in Regency England, whose courtship is anything but conventional!Cinders and Ashes, book two of this intriguing new series is available from 15th January 2013. s

Deadly Prospects


Clio Gray - 2012
    For years the people of this remote area of the Highlands have lived a hard life. Now a local Gold Rush has attracted the Pan-European Mining Company to the area, and Solveig McCleery is determined to re-open the Brora mines and give the population the riches they deserve. But when work starts on re-opening the mines, the body of a prospector is discovered, and odd inscriptions found on stones near the corpse. Before the meaning of these strange marks can be deciphered another body is discovered. Are these attacks connected to the re-opening of the mines? Will Solveig's plan succeed in bringing peace and prosperity back to the area? Or has she put in motion something far more sinister?

The Incident at Montebello


P.A. Moed - 2012
    when his car struck and killed a little girl, Sofia Buonomano. The Buonomano family is torn apart by Sofia’s death and is caught in a political firestorm that spreads from their village to Rome and across America and Europe. One family member, 16-year-old Isolina, witnesses the accident and recognizes Mussolini as the driver. She lies to the police to protect herself and her boyfriend, but she’s caught. Falling deeper into trouble, she confides in Sofia’s mother, Lucia, and sets off an unexpected chain of events. Lucia, who now knows the truth, voices her disapproval of Mussolini and comes in conflict with the police and her husband Donato, an ardent Fascist. As Lucia and Donato become increasingly estranged while struggling with Sofia’s death, Lucia is attracted to Elio Sardolini, a Jewish anti-Fascist living in town. The family’s love and loyalty is further tested when the incident becomes an international scandal and Mussolini orders the police to silence all opposition. One family member is killed and the rest must choose between their allegiance to Mussolini and their allegiance to each other.

The Price of Fame


Rowena Cory Daniells - 2012
    The band’s story is one of tragedy and betrayal and the circumstances surrounding the death of singer, song-writer, Genevieve James, are not as they had seemed. Had an innocent man been charged with her murder? Could his suicide have been avoided?Antonia’s growing psychic link with the dead girl and the conviction that justice must be done, leads to an obsession to find the truth, despite the desperation of the other band members, each with their own agendas, to keep Antonia from raking up the past.Antonia must face her own demons, and those of the band, to uncover the past and confront the present. Will it be enough to lay Genevieve’s ghost to rest at last?

Jane and the Bow Street Runner


Sarah J. Waldock - 2012
    1/ Jane and the Scandal at Bow Street - in which the head of Bow Street, Sir Nathanial Conant, asks Jane Churchill and Caleb Armitage to investigate a crooked magistrate, which leads Jane into some danger!2/ Jane and the Yorkshire Murder - asked to a house party when staying at Enscombe, Jane's host is murdered and she must find out who has done this to protect the innocent at no small risk to herself. 3/ Jane and the imperfect wedding - delivered of her posthumous child, Jane is able to marry Caleb Armitage, but their wedding day receives the interruption of a badly injured man whose lost memory may contain the key to a heinous crime in the planning.

Letter From A Dead Man


Dawn Harris - 2012
    All around the coast of Britain, inhabitants fear invasion by the savage new French revolutionary regime, and nowhere more so than on the Isle of Wight. The islanders live in constant fear of lawless smugglers with links to France. It is no wonder then that when a series of fatal “accidents” befall the men in Saxborough family, the spirited, wealthy and independent Drusilla begins to suspect foul play.She sets out to investigate and soon finds her own life is in danger. Has she stumbled on a murder plot, a ring of ruthless smugglers – or something even more sinister that involves the security of the country? Drusilla knows that someone very close to her is not to be trusted: it it may be her lifelong friend, Giles Saxborough, who unexpectedly inherits the estates he has always loved, it may be Giles’s uncle Vincent, mysteriously returned from the dead – or it may be the enigmatic Radleigh Reevers, whose intentions towards her

To the Fair Land


Lucienne Boyce - 2012
    The woman is ill and in her delirium cries out the name "Miranda”. Weeks later an anonymous novel about the voyage of the Miranda to the fabled Great Southern Continent causes a sensation. Ben decides to find the author everyone is talking about. He is sure the woman can help him – but she has disappeared.It is soon clear that Ben is involved in something more dangerous than the search for a reclusive writer. Who is the woman and what is she running from? Who is following Ben? And what is the Admiralty trying to hide? Before he can discover the shocking truth Ben has to get out of prison, catch a thief, and bring a murderer to justice.

The Second Vendetta


Carl R. Brush - 2012
    At last, Andy thinks, he can return to University of California and pursue his history doctorate in peace. Not so.First of all, it turns out they don’t want a miscegenated mongrel in the Ph.D. program. Just when he’s enlisted the eminent San Francisco journalist, Ambrose Bierce, to help him attack that problem, it turns out that marauder who started all the trouble in the first place didn’t stay Shanghaied. Michael Yellow Squirrel is back for another try at eliminating every last Maxwell on earth. So much for school. And then there’s the election.Reform gubernatorial candidate Hiram Johnson wants him to run for the California legislature and help foil the railroad barons. And then there are the women.The debutante beauty and the Arapaho princess. So, how is Andy Maxwell, going to deal with all these quandaries? The Second Vendetta answers that question and many more with a tale-telling style that pulls readers into the book and doesn’t let them go till they’ve turned the last page, wishing there were more yet to turn.

The Sentinel


Paul Bourdon - 2012
     An obscure murder in the last days of World War II, a demonic plot that remains shrouded in time... Either through fate, accidental circumstance, or even the hand of God, a horror begins to surface and unfold. But is it too late to change its catastrophic outcome?