Hampton Court Palace in the 1530s: Anne Brandon has always understood the power of a king’s patronage and, though the court of Henry VIII is a dangerous place for women, as the daughter of the king’s best friend, Anne feels safer than most. But Anne’s husband, Lord Powis, is tiring of her childlessness and when […]
The Red Hollow by Natalie Marlow
Warwickshire, 1934, and deep in a hamlet in the Warwickshire countryside, Red Hollow Hall is a male-only sanatorium run by the charismatic psychiatrist Dr Moon. However, all is not well, and Dr Moon’s patients are leaving Red Hollow in droves. Recent disturbances, which originally appeared to be pranks, have descended into something more sinister, and […]
The Endeavour of Elsie Mackay by Flora Johnston
It’s 1927 and flight fever is running high. Daring flyers are all anyone can talk about. And now the Honourable Miss Elsie Mackay, glamorous former film star and regular name in gossip columns, has a new ambition – to be the first woman to fly the Atlantic. Elsie’s friend Stella Campbell once felt at the […]
The Train That Took You Away by Catherine Hokin
Ever since the Nazis came to power, violence has spread through the city Esther Spielmann once called home. Each night she prays her family will be spared. But when her husband and father are murdered alongside fellow Jews during Kristallnacht, she has no choice but to send her beloved son, Sascha, to safety. Esther’s heart […]
Kindertransport and other responses to the WWII refugee crisis
The Kindertransport rescue programme was a huge achievement — yet it wasn’t a complete success. Catherine Hokin writes about this and other responses to the refugee crisis before and during the Second World War. “When a country crosses all the lines, the person should be able to cross just one border.” Lyeb Kvitko. One of […]
The Sultan’s Emu by RJ Wilton
A world of veils and delusions. A city in ferment. A battle of empires played out in diplomatic details and back-street brutality. Marrakesh, 1906, and the unexpected arrival of a circus to perform for the Sultan seems like an opportunity for European envoy and Moroccan warlord alike, as they manoeuvre for advantage and pursue their […]
The challenges of writing a novel set in Morocco
When the perfect idea for a novel presents itself, but then you find that your source is (factually and morally) questionable, how do you approach it? By telling the story behind the stories, RJ Wilton suggests in his account of the challenges he faced in writing a novel set in early 20th-century Morocco. Sultan Abd-al-Aziz […]
Murder at the Art Gallery by Fiona Veitch Smith
Newcastle, 1924, and reporter Poppy Denby is making her way up to Northumberland to celebrate her father’s 60h birthday, but first, she can’t resist stopping for a few days in Newcastle, for a quick hello to her favourite Aunt Dot. The infamous suffragette has temporarily moved up and is hosting world-renowned artist and long-time friend, […]