The Sign of the Weeping Virgin


Alana White - 2012
    And then a holy painting begins weeping in Guid’Antonio’s church. Are the tears manmade or a sign of God’s displeasure with Guid’Antonio himself?In a finely wrought story for lovers of medieval and renaissance mysteries everywhere‚ Guid’Antonio follows a spellbinding trail of clues to uncover the thought-provoking truth about the missing girl and the weeping painting’s mystifying—and miraculous?—tears‚ all pursued as he comes face to face with his own personal demons.

The Phoenix of Florence


Philip Kazan - 2019
    A family is bloodily ripped apart, a girl wanders the forest alone, and everything is lost.But things which are lost are not always gone, instead they are sometimes simply hidden from view.In the middle of Florence, two brutal murders are not all they seem. As Celavini, a soldier turned government law enforcer, begins to investigate, a family heirloom turns up where it shouldn't, leading him on a journey back to his beginnings.With an all-but-forgotten saint to guide them, a frightened little girl and a troubled soldier hide in plain sight, praying to find that which they have lost: themselves.

Temple of the Grail


Adriana Koulias - 2001
    France, 1254 High on a mountain in the Pyrenees, the monastery of St Lazarus is a forbidding place. Behind its ramparts and battlements heretical acts are said to take place and there is the rumour of a secret - a secret so dangerous that its keepers will kill to keep it hidden. At the end of a bitter winter, a delegation headed by the ambitious Inquisitor Rainiero Sacconi arrives to investigate the monks of St Lazarus. Andre, a Knight of the Templar Order, and his young scribe, Christian de St Armand, have been sent by the King of France to oversee the investigation. When monks begin to die, one by one, under strange circumstances, Andre and Christian try to unravel the mystery while being hampered at every turn by the inquisitor. By the time they stumble upon the secret of St Lazarus hypocrisy and violence will be exposed. And for Andre and Christian it will turn into a fight, not only for their lives, but also for their souls.

The Secret Chapel


John Lyman - 2009
    When a rogue force of Vatican security officials are alerted to his discovery, the priest flees to the Holy Land with a clue . . . a clue that will lead him and a team of Israeli Christians to a much larger secret in the middle of the barren Negev Desert. Meticulously researched and drawing on scientific fact, John Lyman's intriguing story takes us into the world of scholars, archaeologists, code-breakers, and intelligence specialists who have discovered a prophetic code hidden within the Old Testament that authenticates the Bible as a book of supernatural origin and points to a divine plan. This gripping novel is truly a thought-provoking and action-packed thriller with implications for our future.

Innocent Strangers


Millys Altman - 2012
    Just as they prepare to journey on, they are arrested for the murder of a beautiful heiress to a coal mining fortune. Suddenly, they must escape the noose that is waiting to hang them. How they do this in a parochial town that brands them as criminals and refuses to give up its dark secrets is a tale of dogged sleuthing. Probing uncovers shocking details of intrigue, double-dealing, blackmail, and adultery in the past life and loves of this charming passionate woman. The trail finally leads them close to exposing the identity of the real murderer, but time is running out.

Chronicle of the Mound Builders: An Angela Hunter Mystery


Elle Marie - 2012
     Archaeologist Angela Hunter unearths an ancient codex from a Native American burial mound. But how could an illiterate society have produced such complex writing? Seven hundred years ago, a thriving civilization suddenly vanished. As Angela deciphers the mysterious codex symbols, she unravels one of archaeology's greatest mysteries. Despite forces trying to stop her from learning the chronicle's secrets, Angela discovers the horrifying truth. Can she prevent the tragedies of the past from happening again today? If you enjoy action packed archaeology mysteries and thrillers about ancient civilizations, you'll like this archaeology adventure that takes you on a journey in two timelines: the era of the Aztecs & Cahokia Mound Builders and the present with archaeologist Angela Hunter. Fans of Kathy Reichs and Elizabeth Peters will enjoy the strong female characters in Chronicle of the Mound Builders. Interview with the Author Q: Where did you come up with the idea for your novel? A: Living near the mysterious Cahokia Mounds, I always wondered what happened to the Mound Builders who lived there long ago. When I read an article about a newly discovered Mound Builders village right in my hometown, I couldn't wait to explore it. That sparked my idea to write a novel about how the civilization vanished, and center the story around the Aztex codex, a fictitious relic. Q: Have you always been a fan of archaeology? What intrigues you most? A: I love both fiction and nonfiction books about archaeology. It's fascinating how archaeologists solve mysteries through the clues they find and interpret from digs. The Native American cultures in particular interest me. I love learning what their lives were really like. Q: Without giving too much away, can you describe the book's element of mystery? A: The basic mystery is what happened to the Cahokia Mound Builders. Their civilization vanished overnight and no one knows why or how. Chronicle follows the people living in that time period as they move toward their destiny, while archaeologist Angela Hunter tries to solve the mystery in modern times by uncovering clues from a relic: the codex. Q: What do you hope readers take away from your novel? A: I hope readers enjoy the action and adventure while learning about the ancient Aztecs and their culture, such as Aztec sacrifice and the Mexican pyramids, as well as the culture of Cahokia City of the Sun. I hope I've kindled an interest in archaeology, ancient artifacts, and ancient civilizations. Q: How did you learn about archaeology? A: Dr. Meredith Hawkins of Archaeological Research Center of St. Louis graciously showed me around the Dampier Dig site and provided basic instruction on archaeology. Q: If you could be one of your characters, who would you choose? A: Definitely Angela Hunter. She's a strong female protagonist: smart, funny, and courageous, but not perfect. I'd love to be more like her. Q: What are your favorite genres to read? A: I enjoy archaeology mysteries and thrillers, of course. I also read historical fiction, chick lit, and science fiction. Very eclectic! Q: What genre is Chronicle? A: It's mostly archaeology fiction adventure, with elements of mystery and historical fiction.

The Templar Detective


J. Robert Kennedy - 2017
    Sir Marcus decides to take on the greatest challenge of his life and remain behind to raise the children, his loyal sergeant and squires insisting on joining him to work the land at his side. But before they can settle into their new lives as farmers rather than soldiers, they are thrust into the middle of a conspiracy that could rock the very foundations of the Templars and the Roman Catholic Church. And it all starts with a simple murder, witnessed by a little boy, who swears Templars killed his parents. Now it is up to Sir Marcus and his men to determine who committed the gruesome murders, and clear the good name of the Templars, before the very balance of power in the region shifts in favor of someone who should never possess it. From USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy, comes the first in a new series, The Templar Detective, packed with pulse-pounding action, intrigue, and humor, guaranteed to keep thriller fans awake into the late hours. Reserve your copy today, and be among the first to meet a new band of war-weary heroes, struggling to reintegrate into society, who are called upon once again to serve their Order, their Church, and their God.

Divide & Conquer


Murray McDonald - 2012
    As far as everyone who knew him is concerned, he's already dead.And as far as the Mexican drug cartel and the Russians are concerned, dead is what he should be.Within hours of what should have been a relaxing homecoming, Sean is fighting the greatest battle of his life and trying desperately to save the wife and child of a man he never knew.Divide & Conquer is the action packed opener to a scintillating new series...

The French Orphan


Michael Stolle - 2012
    However, as far as you’re concerned, this is all pretty meaningless. After all, as a teenage orphan living in a monastery school in Reims, all you have to worry about is dodging the unpleasant advances of a few unsavoury monks and looking forward to a life of penniless and celibate servitude in a religious order.After a childhood and adolescence plagued by a constant longing to know who he really is, orphan Pierre has not the slightest idea that his questions are about to be answered. But you know what they say – be careful what you wish for… Suddenly finding out who you are can bring with it not only happiness and fortune, but danger, friendship and the sort of swift education that the monastery could never have provided! The discovery of who Pierre really is affects not only Pierre and his friends, but has ramifications for the French nobility, the English crown, and most dangerous of all, the machinations of Cardinal Richelieu and his fierce ambition for the Church and for himself.

Tomb for an Eagle


Lexie Conyngham - 2018
    Thorfinn Sigurdarson, Earl of all Orkney and Caithness, has made a mistake, and he won’t let himself forget it. Now rumours have started in the Norse lands that he might be getting a second chance – but should he take it, when it means that dead men are walking?

A Mass for the Dead


Susan McDuffie - 2006
    The Lord of the Isles, overlord of the islands, assigns the task of finding the killer to Muirteach, the Prior’s bastard son.Since breaking with his father and leaving the monastery, Muirteach has spent his time acting as scribe for his uncle, an island chieftain. Muirteach’s father, a powerful churchman, leaves behind a mistress and several other bastards as well as his embittered eldest son, who is thankful he will never hear the words, “My bastard son, the cripple” again.As Muirteach seeks to find his father’s murderer he is helped by the physician Fearchar Beaton, and his daughter Mariota. Muirteach himself is suspected of the murder, as are the Prior’s mistress, her family, and the sub-prior. The killer strikes again, His Lordship wants the mystery solved before the Pope and the King in Edinburgh learn of it, and Muirteach himself must come to terms with his own troubled relationship with his father. Muirteach’s investigation submerges him deep into a whirlpool of deceit, long buried sins, and treachery, from which no one emerges unscathed.

The Point of Death


Peter Tonkin - 2001
    The opening night of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. But it is not just the young lovers in the play who are star-crossed. Mercutio is found murdered in the middle of the play - but it is real, not stage, blood that flows from his body. Tom Musgrove, is hired by the theatre owners to solve the murder case as quickly and quietly as possible. The theatre has only just reopened after two years of plagues, and they can’t afford a scandal on their doorstep. As Tom plunges into the mean streets of Elizabethan London he soon realises he has jumped blindly into a web of murderous intrigue, which has already claimed the lives of Kit Marlowe and Francis Walsingham. As the shattered remnants of England’s first Secret Service split into two lethally opposed camps, the blood begins to flow from the stinking sewers of Southwark to the gilded halls of Westminster. Can Musgrove track down the murderer and solve the mystery? Or will he end up being the one hunted to The Point of Death? ‘The Point of Death’ is a thrilling Elizabethan murder mystery, full of intrigue and suspense.

The Medici Curse


Matt Chamings - 2007
    In Renaissance Florence, a young painter visits Lorenzo de Medici's palace to paint his beautiful daughter, Alessandra. In present-day Italy, Maria, a young English girl, is drawn to an unremarkable painting but begins to discover an extraordinary picture underneath. Why is the painter secretly armed with a dagger? What dark event ties him to the Medici's bloody past? Centuries later, Maria is determined to uncover an ancient mystery of love, power and bitter feuds that still burns in the present...

The Shut Mouth Society


James D. Best - 2008
    Their research launches them into a dangerous struggle with a secret society formed during Reconstruction. Before they can solve the mystery surrounding the Lincoln manuscript, a shocking murder forces them to run for their lives. As they race across the country, they discover a Civil War secret that could upset the balance of power in North America. Now Evarts and Baldwin must unravel the 150-year-old conspiracy before it’s too late … and before they are silenced for good.

The Girl With The Painted Face


Gabrielle Kimm - 2013
    Penniless and desperate to avoid the perils of whoredom, she is introduced to a troupe of travelling actors, who ask her to join them as costume mistress. Within weeks she begins to learn how to act.Acting will bring her closer to Beppe Bianchi, the young man with whom she is developing a passionate relationship. But after a f?ted performance at an aristocrat's castle, Sofia is accosted by the owner and the following morning he is found dead.Who was the dead nobleman, and how did his secret past lead to his murder? Uncovering blackmail, violence and sexual jealousies, the true killer will be revealed and the power of theatre will conquer all