By the summer of 1660 the last remnants of the Republic have been swept away and the Stuarts have been restored under their king, Charles II. A list of regicides believed to be involved in the death of Charles I is drawn up. Gruesome executions begin to take place and the hunt intensifies for those […]
Protector of Mercia by MJ Porter
We’re in Tamworth in the year 833. After successfully rescuing her husband, Lord Coenwulf, from the Isle of Sheppey, Icel hears the deathbed confession of Lady Cynehild — which leaves him questioning what he knows about his past, as well as his future. Icel is in the unenviable position of being oath-sworn to protect their […]
A Fire at the Exhibition by Tim Kinsey
It’s May in 1912, and after the previous year’s deadly heatwave, it’s been an uneventful spring in Littleton Cotterell. Though for Lady Hardcastle and her fiercely loyal lady’s maid Flo, at least there are the provincial delights of the village’s inaugural art exhibition — and bicycle race — to look forward to. But at the […]
Historia interview: Dan Jones
We’re delighted to welcome the historian Dan Jones to Historia to talk about his first novel, Essex Dogs, the Crécy campaign of 1346, and writing fiction. He also shares his top tip for new writers in this interview. You’re well known as the author of bestselling history books; why did you decide to start writing […]
Researching rural Devon in the 1920s and 1930s
You’d think setting your interwar years novel where you live, in rural Devon, would make research easier. Not necessarily so, as Vanessa de Haan found out; the lives of ordinary people in the 1920s and 1930s hadn’t seemed worth recording. Walking the country lanes and talking to people was an important part of her research, […]
A Beautiful Rival by Gill Paul
By 1915, Elizabeth Arden has been New York’s golden girl since her beauty salon opened its famous red door five years before. Against all odds, she’s built an empire. Enter Helena Rubinstein: ruthless, revolutionary – and the rival Elizabeth didn’t bargain for. With both women determined to succeed – no matter the personal cost – […]
A Time to Live by Vanessa de Haan
Freddie was destined for a different life, determined to make his fortune in the plantations of Ceylon. But in 1918, just as the Great War comes to an end, Edward, the eldest brother and heir to Coombe Hall, doesn’t return. Torn between duty and freedom, Freddie must now sacrifice his own dreams to keep the […]
Operation Fortitude by Hilary Green
France, 1944, and Agent Kim Maxwell has a new mission. She’s investigating the death of Bernard Leblanc, a local SOE leader. It looks like an accident, but Kim knows better. Her HQ is the Bistro Le Renard Rouge. The Red Fox. And the chef is none other than her lover and fellow agent Roland, AKA […]