Berlin, 1938.When Hanni’s beloved sister suddenly vanishes in the middle of the night, Hanni knows her high-ranking Nazi father, Reiner, is not telling her the whole truth and may hold the key to her disappearance. Years later, after finally learning how to live with her troubled past, Hanni dedicates herself to raising her teenage son, […]
What We Leave Behind by Siôn Scott-Wilson
In this sequel to Some Rise By Sin, Sammy and Facey are pulled back into the gritty world of London’s criminal underworld. This time, the stakes are higher than ever as the fate of Sammy’s young adopted son hangs in the balance. Coerced into the hunt for a notorious gemstone, Sammy and Facey are torn […]
Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby
In 1938, Lady Vita Goldsborough lives in the menacing shadow of her controlling older brother, Aubrey. But when she meets local artist Dodie Blakeney, the two women form a close bond, and Vita finally glimpses a chance to be free. In 1997, following the death of her mother, Eve Blakeney returns to the coast where […]
Napoleon’s Spy by Ben Kane
In Russia, in 1812, has France finally met its match? On the eve of the invasion of Russia, half-French, half-English Matthieu Carrey finds himself in the ranks of Napoleon’s 500,000-strong army. With Tsar Alexander seemingly ill-prepared, a French victory seems certain. The Grande Armée will obliterate everything in its path. Carrey’s purpose is less clear. […]
Savage Beasts by Rani Selvarajah
Calcutta in 1757. Bengal is on the brink of war. The East India Company, led by the fearsome Sir Peter Chilcott, is advancing and nobody is safe. Meena, the Nawab’s neglected and abused daughter, finds herself falling under the spell of James Chilcott, nephew of Sir Peter, who claims he wants to betray the company […]
Dark Waters Rising by Cassandra Clark
Autumn, 1394, and all is not well at Swyne Priory. Dissension has arisen amongst the nuns. The new novices whisper in corners, spreading malicious rumours and sharing dark secrets. The Prioress gives Hildegard an order: search out the cause of this unrest, and put a stop to it. But before Hildegard can investigate, she’s forced […]
Historia interview: Ben Kane
As his new book, Napoleon’s Spy, takes Ben Kane into a new era, we talk to him about his latest novel, researching historical fiction, and his next project. Ben also offers some tips for new writers. King, your last book, saw the end of your Richard I Lionheart trilogy. Is it a wrench to leave […]
Medea in India: savage colonialism
Rani Selvarajah’s novel Savage Beasts takes the story of Medea and reimagines it set in 18th-century India. She tells Historia how she wanted to explore the treatment of women and of foreigners under colonialism; universal themes, both in myth and in history. I first studied the play Medea at school and was instantly mesmerised by […]