Bombay, 1951, and a political rally ends in tragedy when India’s first female police detective, Persis Wadia, kills a lone gunman as he attempts to assassinate the divisive new defence minister, a man calling for war with India’s new post-Independence neighbours. With the Malabar House team tasked to hunt down the assassin’s co-conspirators — aided […]
Beattie Cavendish and the White Pearl Club by Mary-Jane Riley
1948. The shadow of war still lingers over Britain and Beattie Cavendish, former Secret Operations Executive agent, refuses to settle into civilian life. When offered an undercover role at the newly-formed GCHQ, the nerve centre of Britain’s intelligence network, she doesn’t hesitate. Her first mission is to infiltrate the powerful Bowen family and find out […]
The Endeavour of Elsie Mackay by Flora Johnston
The Honourable Miss Elsie Mackay, glamorous ex-film star turned bold aviator, sets her sights on becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. Her friend Stella Campbell once felt at the heart of world events, but post-war hopes are frayed and marriage and motherhood have worn away her sense of self. Meanwhile, Stella’s sister […]
Isolation Ward by Martine Bailey
Yorkshire, 1983. Thatcher is at Number 10, Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ is on the radio and Lorraine Quick is having to put plans to tour with her band on hold due to work. With her expertise in psychometric testing, she is being sent to the Yorkshire moors to build a PR-friendly team out of the ragtag […]
Daughter of the Tarot by Clare Marchant
1644: Portia is living in London, having escaped an abusive man in Italy, with just baby Vittoria and the clothes on their backs. Making her living reading tarot cards, she starts to realise there are other women like her – who need help. As she delivers the Devil card to their door, each has the […]
The Second Traitor by Alex Gerlis
It’s September, 1940, and British intelligence is desperately worried: the Nazi invasion of Britain is imminent. A sinister organisation called The Group, a collection of British and Irish Nazi collaborators, is at work trying to support Hitler’s plans… But that is not the only concern for the spy chiefs: the search for double agent ‘Archie’ […]
Blood Vengeance by Douglas Jackson
Christmas Day 1943, Arisaig, Scotland. The body of beautiful, well-connected Polish SOE agent Krystina Kowolska is found in the gardens of the country house where she’s been preparing for a vital mission to France. The question is, was she already dead when she was hanged? Two days later, resistance double agent, Investigator Jan Kalisz of […]
The Mischief Makers by Elisabeth Gifford
In a beautiful house in the wilds of Cornwall, Daphne du Maurier is on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Tangled in a self-destructive love affair that threatens to unravel her marriage, she is also distracted by worry for the family friend whose shadow looms over her childhood: JM Barrie, author of Peter Pan. Daphne […]