On the day of her beloved grandmother’s funeral, Marta discovers that she is to become governess to the young daughter of Sir William Pritchard. Separated from her lover and discarded by her family, Marta has no choice but to journey to Pritchard’s ancient and crumbling house, Fyneshade, in the wilds of Derbyshire. All is not […]
The Stolen Crown by Carol McGrath
When Princess Matilda is 18 years old, tragedy strikes the royal family, and she becomes the only child of the king of England — the de facto heir to the throne. As her dying father persuades the barons to pledge allegiance to her, Matilda returns to England — but the lords and clergy do not […]
Too Good to Hang by Sarah Hawkswood
It’s April, 1145, and Thorgar the ploughman is found by the bloodied body of Father Edmund, a village priest in Ripple, and is summarily hanged for being caught in the act, despite his pleas of innocence. When his sister goes to Worcester to seek justice for Thorgar, the lord Sheriff sends Hugh Bradecote, with Serjeant […]
A Thief’s Justice by Douglas Skelton
London, 1716. The city is caught in the vice-like grip of a savage winter. Even the Thames has frozen over. But for Jonas Flynt – thief, gambler, killer – the chilling elements are the least of his worries… Justice Geoffrey Dumont has been found dead at the base of St Paul’s cathedral, and a young […]
The Silk Code by Deborah Swift
England in 1943: deciding to throw herself into war work, Nancy Callaghan joins the Special Operations Executive in Baker Street. There, she begins solving ‘indecipherables’ – scrambled messages from agents in the field. Then Nancy meets Tom Lockwood, a quiet genius when it comes to coding. Together they come up with the idea of printing […]
The Empress Matilda and the stolen crown
Carol McGrath’s novel The Stolen Crown retells the extraordinary story of the Empress Matilda and her fight to gain the throne of England during the 12th-century civil war known as the Anarchy. It’s a period, as she says, of “thrills, jeopardy and unforgettable characters”. When I began to write Empress Matilda’s story I wondered if […]
Historia Live – our new author events!
Do you love books and history? Would you like to hear your favourite HWA authors talking about all things historical fiction at our brand new series of in-person events? Join us at the launch of Historia Live on Thursday, 15 June, for readings and discussion in a historic pub! The launch will be held in […]
The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk
Leadenhall Street, London, 1754. Raised amongst the cogs and springs of his father’s workshop, Zachary Cloudesley has grown up surrounded by strange and enchanting clockwork automata. He is a happy child, beloved by his father Abel and the workmen who help bring his father’s creations to life. He is also the bearer of an extraordinary […]