Historical Detective

When a mysterious Death Mask is found hidden in an abandoned Pennsylvania farmhouse and put up for auction to the highest bidder, rumors about its haunted past spark interest from the media and turn the mask into a highly anticipated sensation. But perhaps some things should remain hidden. On the eve of the mask’s inaugural display, dedicated curator for the Atlanta Museum of Curiosities, Andria Walker, is alone in the museum and attending to last minute details when she discovers the mask to be alive and uttering strange riddles. After fleeing the building amid her screams of terror, ...

New York, 1908: The days are getting longer—and warmer—in Manhattan. Molly Murphy Sullivan doesn’t want to leave her home in the city, but typhoid is back, and she’s expecting. So she heads north with the children to summer with her mother-in-law in Westchester County. Molly tells herself it won’t be so bad, after all the countryside is pretty, and she’s determined to make the best of it. Even if she’s leaving her husband, Daniel, behind. And at least she’s not the only one heading north. Her great friends, Sid and Gus, are headed to the Catskills to visit Sid’s family.

Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury’s secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has gotten her into hot water before. After all, Amelia will do whatever it takes to help a reader in need. But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has written Amelia's Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of. Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from the ill-advised gambit.

A mystery thriller book set in New York City during the late 1920s. Step into the gritty landscape of 1920s New York City, where the echoes of jazz and the whispers of deceit intertwine. "New York Darkness" invites you to follow Timothy McCarty, a former police officer, thrust back into the world of investigation after a chance encounter with a dead body in a shadowy neighborhood. As he delves deeper into the mystery surrounding the victim, a valet named Griffith, he uncovers a treacherous narrative that exposes the darker side of the city—a realm where wealth and power mask deadly ...

In 1890, the first Japanese diplomatic delegation arrives in London to open an embassy. Cyrus Barker, private enquiry agent and occasional agent for the Foreign Service Office, is enlisted to display his personal Japanese garden to the visiting dignitaries. Later that night, Ambassador Toda is shot and killed in his office and Cyrus Barker is discovered across the street, watching the very same office, in possession of a revolver with one spent cartridge.

Framed in the doorway of Hercule Poirot's bedroom stands an uninvited guest, coated from head to foot in dust. The man stares for a moment, then he sways and falls. Who is he? Is he suffering from shock or just exhaustion? Above all, what is the significance of the figure 4, scribbled over and over again on a sheet of paper? Poirot finds himself plunged into a worldof international intrigue, risking his life - and that of his twin brother - to uncover the truth.

Charlotte’s success on the RMS Provence has afforded her a certain measure of time and assurance. Taking advantage of that, she has been busy, plotting to prise the man her sister loves from Moriarty’s iron grip. Disruption, however, comes from an unexpected quarter. Lord Bancroft Ashburton, disgraced and imprisoned as a result of Charlotte’s prior investigations, nevertheless manages to press Charlotte into service: Underwood, his most loyal henchman, is missing and Lord Bancroft wants Charlotte to find Underwood, dead or alive.

Selchester Castle in 1953 sits quiet and near-empty, its corridors echoing with glories of the past. Or so it seems to intelligence officer Hugo Hawksworth, wounded on a secret mission and now reluctantly assuming an altogether less perilous role at Selchester.

After serving as a nurse in the Crimea, British-born Celia Davies left her privileged family for an impulsive marriage to a handsome Irishman. Patrick brought her to San Francisco's bustling shores but then disappeared and is now presumed dead. Determined to carry on, Celia partners with her half-Chinese cousin, Barbara, and her opinionated housekeeper, Addie, to open a free medical clinic for women who have nowhere else to turn.

It's Christmas Eve 1931. On the way to see a client, Maisie Dobbs witnesses a man commit suicide on a busy London street. The following day, the prime minister's office receives a letter threatening a massive loss of life if certain demands are not met—and the writer mentions Maisie by name. After being questioned and cleared by Detective Chief Superintendent Robert MacFarlane of Scotland Yard's elite Special Branch, she is drawn into MacFarlane's personal fiefdom as a special adviser on the case.

Private enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn receive in the mail an unexplained key stamped with the letter Q. Barker, recognizing it for what it is, uses the key to unlock an anonymous door in the alleyway, which opens to an underground tunnel leading to Downing Street. The Prime Minister has a small task for Cyrus Barker. A Foreign Office agent stole a satchel in Eastern Europe, but was then himself murdered at Charing Cross. The satchel contains a document desperately wanted by the German government, but while the agent was killed, the satchel remains in English hands.

Bernie Gunther had his first brush with evil as a policeman in 1930s Berlin and came to know it intimately as a private eye under the Nazis, when each case drew him deeper into the enormities of the regime. Now the war is over and Gunther's in Vienna, trying to clear an old friend of the murder of an American officer.

Maze Investigations has been operating for six months and has been an exciting international success. Maggie is still doing her weekly radio slot. Zelah has discovered a new talent and Nick is still slogging away at what he does best: finding the truth in hidden places. Maggie announces some unexpected news but it isn't well received, particularly by Zelah. There is an argument and a standoff. Nick has been planning news of his own and asks Maggie for help. He has decided to open up about his past and resolve his own family mystery.

A mystery novel set in Paris and London during the early 20th century. Step into a world of intrigue and danger as Inspector Michael Grant is called back to London from his much-anticipated getaway in Paris. When a wealthy Canadian, Steven Erik, is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Grant is thrust into a chilling investigation that uncovers a tangled web of deceit, betrayal, and hidden identities. Tasked with unraveling the truth behind Erik's enigmatic life and tragic death, Michael and his resourceful partner Clara Eric must race against time to expose a conspiracy that threatens...

In this dual collection of short stories, Alexander McCall Smith brings his trademark humor and warmth to inventive tales of spying and vengeance. In one story, a spy dropped deep into enemy territory manages to disguise himself—quite convincingly—as a nun. In another, an invitation to join the Vatican Secret Service sends a prospective operative down a rabbit hole of controversy and confusion. A third story finds an author, on the brink of public ruin, seeing the error of his ways after an act of kindness saves the day.

Aristocratic sleuth Charles Lenox makes a triumphant return to London from his travels to America to investigate a mystery hidden in the architecture of the city itself, in The Hidden City by critically acclaimed author Charles Finch...

The first book in a brand new historical mystery series. "Melanie Jackson is a talent to watch." --WritersWrite.com Armistice Day 1918: Christmas is a peaceful time in Quiet Corner -- except at Mayhem Mansion. There is no peace in Kenneth Mayhew's ancestral manse with a restless ghost playing tricks on the family. Christmas guests will be arriving soon and Kenneth's Aunt Agartha has assigned him the task of laying their ghost to rest before the Yuletide revels. If you are a fan of P. G. Wodehouse or Dorothy Sayers you are going to love this holiday comedy romp. About the Author Melanie has ...

When four modern-day teenagers, Lincoln, Willow, Jaxon, and Ezra, are mysteriously transported to the year 1866, they find themselves standing on the shores of the Arrow River, where history is not just something you read about, it is something you survive. Guided by Shihou, an ancient time dragon, these reluctant time travelers become the founding members of the Time Detectives Club. During a roaring gold rush, they must crack age-old mysteries, hunt for hidden treasures, and navigate the dangers of a world where every decision could alter the course of history, or prevent them from ever ...

A reluctant ex-spy with demons of her own, Elinor finds herself facing down one of the most dangerous organized crime gangs in London, ultimately exposing corruption from Scotland Yard to the highest levels of government. The private, quiet “Miss White" as Elinor is known, lives in a village in rural Kent, England, and to her fellow villagers seems something of an enigma. Well she might, as Elinor occupies a "grace and favor" property, a rare privilege offered to faithful servants of the Crown for services to the nation.

A classic from the queen of mystery: Agatha Christie.