In 1604, as pirates seeking slaves to sell in the markets of North Africa terrorise the coasts of Europe, headstrong Richard Sheriff and his sister Elizabeth are torn from their Devonshire home and thrust into a waking nightmare. Richard’s skills as a blacksmith see him fetch a high price, but the pirate captain has other […]
They Can’t Burn Us All by Cathryn Kemp
Westfjords, Iceland. 1655, and Þuríður Jónsdóttir has grown up praying to the old gods and watching her father and brother practise rune magic. But now, a witch-hunting craze is sweeping across the land of ice and fire, fuelled by the Protestant Reformation. Unlike elsewhere in Europe, those condemned as witches here are not women, but […]
Bedlam and madness in the 17th century
Bedlam, or Bethlehem Hospital, was a place of horror both for the mentally ill people incarcerated there and in the minds of others, not just in London. By the 17th century, visitors were paying to view the ‘lunaticks’ in Bedlam, plays were being written about it, and fear of imprisonment there was commonplace, Jemahl Evans, […]
Sinners by Elizabeth Fremantle
Rome, 1599. Beatrice yearns to escape the clutches of her abusive father. Determined to find a way back to Rome, she enlists the help of Olimpio, the castle’s keeper. Soon the love that grows between them will transform Beatrice’s fortunes, for better and for worse. . . History has sold her short. She is no […]
How I wrote a historical heist
How do you write a historical heist? The ingredients, TL Mogford decided, were the same in all periods: target, tech and team. But it was while he was working in an Italian kitchen that he found the spark that led to his latest novel: the fact that saffron is worth its weight in gold. And […]
The Saffron Thief by TL Mogford
In 1666, England’s saffron industry is booming, with the spice fetching a staggering £4 per pound — rivalling gold. Fabian Smith, the sensible second son of a Holborn poulterer, has sacrificed his dreams of adventure for family duty. But when the Great Fire claims his father and his reckless brother plunges them into debt with […]
A Visit to Bedlam by Jemahl Evans
England in 1648, and as the English Civil Wars still simmer, Hezekiah Hillier visits London after the death of his wife and son, and goes to the Hospital of Bedlam to view the inmates. He is falsely imprisoned by his brother in the asylum, but vows to escape and one day have his revenge. Hez […]
Power Couples of the Renaissance by Jo Romero
The Renaissance was an age of rebirth, brilliance and danger. Across Europe and beyond, powerful partnerships shaped politics, culture, exploration and art. Behind the triumphs of rulers, patrons and pioneers were the relationships that strengthened them – alliances that multiplied their influence and ensured their legacy. This book brings to life ten remarkable duos whose […]