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The Great Crown Jewels Robbery of 1303: A gripping insight into an infamous robbery
by Paul DohertyAn insight into one of history's most cunning, yet overlooked, events...Medieval London comes to life in Paul Doherty's gripping retelling of this early attempt to steal the Crown Jewels, the first great bank raid in history.'Doherty tells the tale with verve incorporating much fascinating historical detail' - Historical Novels ReviewIn the reign of King Charles II (1660 - 1685), there was a famous attempt to steal the crown jewels by the memorably named Colonel Blood. However, Blood's conspiracy was not the first such plot, and it was certainly not the most successful...Three centuries earlier, in 1303, Edward I of England (of Braveheart fame) was north of the Scottish border attempting to crush William Wallace, secure in the knowledge that he had stashed his royal treasures safely behind iron-bound doors in Westminster Abbey - a place of sanctity reputed to house Christ's body, and inhabited by pious Benedictine monks.Enter Richard Puddlicott: a former merchant and a charming, dissolute, rogue with a grudge against the king. He infiltrated the Abbey's inner circle (entertaining them on the proceeds of their own silver) and, before long, had managed to help himself to a good part of the treasure. The King's fury knew no bounds, but Puddlicott ran the King's men a merry dance before eventually being captured and sent - along with forty monks - to his death in Westminster.This exhilarating tale of cunning, deceit, lechery, monks, pimps and prostitutes is also the story of the first great bank raid in history. Until now - with most of the evidence still in manuscripts, in Latin or Norman French - very little has been written about it. With his usual verve, blending vivid narrative and historical analysis, Paul Doherty takes the lid off both the medieval underworld and the 'holy' monastic community. The result is historically enlightening and a gripping read.What readers are saying about Paul Doherty:'I was totally gripped. I have read a lot of history books and this is amongst the best I have read''An interesting book, historically accurate and very well researched''Doherty proves that he is a scholar as well as a writer of novels'
Great Day for Dying (A Danny O'Flaherty Mystery)
by Jonathan HarringtonAn assassin wearing a leprechaun mask guns down the grand marshal of New York's St. Patrick's Day parade, and it's Danny O'Flaherty's Irish luck to be the only witness. The victim - brash, inflammatory journalist Fintan Conway - had many enemies, but when police accuse Danny's friend and IRA activist Brendan Grady, Danny is determined, despite Grady's refusal of help, to prove his innocence. While juggling teaching at an inner city high school, romance with feisty Irish beauty Fidelma Muldoon and threats that go beyond politics into the world of hard drugs and danger, Danny uncovers some shocking truths about Conway, Grady and the thin line between ethnic loyalties and greed. It is a line that reaches back to his own past, to a woman he once loved and the caprices of fate that can both bless and shatter our lives. From The Critics Romantic Times. . . a highly enjoyable read. Charlotte Austin Review. . . thrilling . . . compelling and enjoyable.
A Great Day for the Deadly (The Gregor Demarkian Holiday Mysteries #5)
by Jane HaddamWinter is thawing, but in a small-town convent there lurks an ice-cold killerHer childhood friends wanted careers, but Brigit Ann Reilly spent her youth looking forward to her wedding—her wedding to God. When she finally gets to don the habit, her new order sends her to Maryville, where a former sister is poised to become Rome’s first Irish-American saint. Brigit has no time to worry about Vatican politics. She’s about to become a martyr herself. Brigit is found dead in the basement of her local library, her corpse swarming with ten poisonous water moccasins. When ex-FBI investigator Gregor Demarkian hears of her death, he is puzzled by two things: Water moccasins are not native to upstate New York, and Brigit died of hemlock poisoning, not the snakes’ venom. As Maryville whips itself into a pious frenzy in search of evidence for its hometown hero’s sainthood, Demarkian will attempt his own miracle by finding justice for the murdered young nun.
The Great Deceiver
by Elly GriffithsThe next gripping volume in The Brighton Mysteries series by bestselling author Elly Griffiths.'Recalls the best of Agatha Christie' Sunday ExpressBrighton, 1966.Max, now divorced and living in London, is on the way to visit Ruby and her new-born daughter when he is hailed by an old magician friend Ted English, aka The Great Deceiver. Ted is terrified because his assistant, Cherry, has been found dead in her Brighton boarding house and he's convinced that he'll be accused of her murder. Max agrees to talk to Edgar, who is investigating the case. But what Max doesn't know is that the girl's family have hired private detective duo Emma Holmes and Sam Collins to do some digging of their own.The inhabitants of the boarding house, most of whom are performing in an Old Time Music Hall show on Brighton pier, are a motley crew. The house is also connected to a sinister radio personality called Pal. Ruby, along with every woman in showbusiness, has heard some disturbing rumours about him.When a second magician's assistant is killed, Edgar suspects a serial killer. He has the wild idea of persuading Max to come out of semi-retirement and take part in a summer show. But who can pose as his assistant? Step forward WDC Meg Connelly . . .***********************Praise for The Brighton Mysteries'Recalls the best of Agatha Christie' Sunday Express'Subtle, charming and very good' Daily Mail'Original, lively and gripping' Independent'Wry, emotionally intelligent...satisfying' Sunday Times'Full of period detail, smart plotting and likeable characters' Mail on Sunday'Full of fun and expertly plotted' Sunday Express'Beguiling characterisation' Financial Times
The Great Deceiver: The gripping new novel from the bestselling author of The Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries
by Elly GriffithsThe next gripping volume in The Brighton Mysteries series by bestselling author Elly Griffiths.It starts with a magician and a murder in a Brighton boarding house; throw in a show on Brighton pier, a sinister radio personality and a potential serial killer, and you've got the next gripping book in the Brighton Mysteries series. Magician Max Mephisto, now divorced and living in London, is on his way to visit daughter Ruby and her new-born baby when he is hailed by a voice from the past, fellow performer Ted English, aka the Great Deceiver. Ted's assistant, Cherry, has been found dead in her Brighton boarding house and he's convinced that he'll be accused of her murder.Max agrees to talk to his friend, Superintendent Edgar Stephens, who is investigating the case. What Max doesn't know is that the girl's family have hired private detective duo Emma Holmes (aka Mrs Stephens) and Sam Collins to do some digging of their own. The inhabitants of the boarding house, most of whom are performing in an Old Time Music Hall show on Brighton pier, are a motley crew. The house is also connected to a sinister radio personality called Pal. When a second magician's assistant is killed, Edgar suspects a serial killer. He persuades Max to come out of semi-retirement and take part in a summer show. But who can pose as his assistant? Edgar shocks the team by recommending someone close. . .***************************Praise for The Brighton Mysteries'Original, lively and gripping' Independent'Full of period detail, smart plotting and likeable characters' Mail on Sunday'Full of fun and expertly plotted' Sunday ExpressThe Last Remains, the final instalment of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries, was a Sunday Times bestseller in August 2023.
A Great Deliverance: An Inspector Lynley Novel: 1 (Inspector Lynley #1)
by Elizabeth GeorgeFat, unlovely Roberta Teys is found beside her father's headless corpse, wearing her best dress and with an axe in her lap. Her first words are: 'I did it. And I am not sorry' and she refuses to say more. Inspector Thomas Lynley and DS Barbara Havers are sent by Scotland Yard to solve this particularly gruesome murder. And as they navigate their way around a dark labyrinth of secret scandals and appalling crimes, they uncover a series of shocking revelations that shatter the façade of the peaceful Yorkshire village.
A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley #1)
by Elizabeth GeorgeTo this day, the low, thin wail of an infant can be heard in Keldale's lush green valleys. Three hundred years ago, as legend goes, the frightened Yorkshire villagers smothered a crying babe in Keldale Abbey, where they'd hidden to escape the ravages of Cromwell's raiders. Now into Keldale's pastoral web of old houses and older secrets comes Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton. Along with the redoubtable Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, Lynley has been sent to solve a savage murder that has stunned the peaceful countryside. For fat, unlovely Roberta Teys has been found in her best dress, an axe in her lap, seated in the old stone barn beside her father's headless corpse. Her first and last words were "I did it. And I'm not sorry. " Yet as Lynley and Havers wind their way through Keldale's dark labyrinth of secret scandals and appalling crimes, they uncover a shattering series of revelations that will reverberate through this tranquil English valley--and in their own lives as well. From the Paperback edition.
The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes
by Zach DundasA rollicking look at popular culture&’s most beloved sleuth: &“For even the casual fan, the history of this deathless character is fascinating&” (The Boston Globe). Today he is the inspiration for fiction adaptations, blockbuster movies, hit television shows, raucous Twitter banter, and thriving subcultures. More than a century after Sherlock Holmes first capered into our world, what is it about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle&’s peculiar creation that continues to fascinate us? Journalist and lifelong Sherlock fan Zach Dundas set out to find the answer. The result is The Great Detective: a history of an idea, a biography of someone who never lived, a tour of the borderland between reality and fiction, and a joyful romp through the world Conan Doyle bequeathed us. In this &“wonderful book&” (Booklist, starred review), Dundas unearths the inspirations behind Holmes and his indispensable companion, Dr. John Watson; explores how they have been kept alive over the decades by writers, actors, and readers; and visits locales—from the boozy annual New York City gathering of one of the world&’s oldest and most exclusive Sherlock Holmes fan societies; to a freezing Devon heath out of The Hound of the Baskervilles; to sunny Pasadena, where Dundas chats with the creators of the smash BBC series Sherlock. Along the way, he discovers the ingredients that have made Holmes go viral—then, now, and as long as the game&’s afoot.
The Great Detective Race (Boxcar Children #115)
by Gertrude Chandler Warner Robert PappThe local radio station is putting on the Great Detective Race, where contestants must solve riddles and search all over Greenfield for clues leading to the grand prize! One of the prizes would make a perfect gift for Mrs. MacGregor, so the Aldens sign up for the contest. Soon they're following the riddles' clues all over town. But when some of the clues turn out to be fake, it's clear that someone is playing unfairly. Could another contestant in the Great Detective Race be trying to stop the Boxcar Children from winning?
The Great Detectives (Momentum Literacy Program, Step 6 Level D)
by Anne-Marie Barrett-Brown Virginia KingThis is a reference book for younger readers about some famous mystery writers. Includes glossary. This is a very short book.
The Great Divide
by T. Davis BunnWhen attorney Marcus Glenwood resigns from a prestigious corporate law firm to retreat to a small town in North Carolina and rebuild his life after a devastating personal tragedy, he suddenly finds himself in the biggest and most emotionally difficult case of his career.Fragile and spiritually wounded, Glenwood is introduced to Alma and Austin Hall, whose daughter Gloria has disappeared in China while investigating the slave-like practices of New Horizons, the world's largest manufacturer of sports shoes and athletic gear. Persuaded by Alma's pleading, and their obvious distress, Marcus accepts the case.No one, including Marcus himself, can believe how quickly his investigation untangles a web of deceit that stretches from Washington , D.C., to Europe and Asia and back to his own North Carolina backyard. With the power to obstruct, manipulate, intimidate, injure, and eliminate, the giant multinational sports company New Horizons has never lost a case. But they underestimate Marcus Glenwood.Step by cautious step Glenwood moves forward to uncover the horrifying truth about New Horizons, Gloria Hall, and ultimately himself.From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Great Escape (Kate the Chemist)
by Kate BiberdorfThe second installment of the Kate the Chemist series that shows kids that everyone can be a scientist!What do magnetic slime, a secret code, and the periodic table have in common? They're all part of the science-themed escape room that Kate's science teacher puts on for their class. Will Kate and her friends be able to use their science know-how to crack the code before time runs out?Praise for Kate the Chemist: Dragons vs. Unicorns:"Proves that science and fun go together like molecules in a polymer."--School Library Journal"It's a great introduction to the basics of Chemistry that is readily accessible to a variety of ages . . . . The way the everyday chemistry is blended in is done seamlessly, and has [me and my ten-year-old son] noticing how we are all doing a little bit of science everyday." --GeekMom.com
The Great Escape
by Franklin W. Dixon Scott BurroughsWhen wildlife celebrities come to Bayport Elementary, Frank and Joe are soon on the case of a missing snake in this Hardy Brothers Secret Files adventure.Jumpin' Jack and his son, Little Jim, have been on television for years, taming tigers and wrestling alligators, but now they're bringing their traveling menagerie to schools--and Bayport Elementary is next! During the event, they show students a baby kangaroo, a boa constrictor, a flying squirrel and other exotic animals. Frank, Joe, and their friends are all having a great time, until they realize Bubba the Boa is missing! He's not in his cage or in Jack's giant van. Can they figure out what happened to this slippery snake before it's too late?
The Great Escape (Magic Shop Series #3)
by Kate Egan Mike LaneMike is doing better in school these days. Learning magic helps him to learn other things as well. Sure, he's gotten in trouble in the past, but things are different now. So why does everyone still think he's the same old Mike? If only there was a magic trick to change his reputation… Then, during one of his visits to The White Rabbit Magic Shop, Mike finds something that could be even better than a magic trick—it's possible that Mike could be related to Harry Houdini—the greatest magician ever! But when Mike lets the news slip, and Jackson Jacobs dares him to prove it, he knows that he's in the type of bind that only magic can help him escape!
The Great Forgetting: A Novel
by James RennerThe Great Forgetting is another genre-bending novel from James Renner, author of The Man from Primrose Lane.When history teacher Jack Felter gets a call that his father, a retired pilot suffering from dementia, is quickly losing his last, precious memories, he reluctantly returns to bucolic Franklin Mills, Ohio. It’s been years since he’s been home. Jack has been trying to forget about Franklin Mills ever since Sam, the girl he fell in love with, ran off with his best friend, Tony. But Tony is gone, now. Vanished. Everyone assumes the worst.Soon Jack is pulled into the search for Tony, but the only one who seems to know anything is Tony’s last patient, a paranoid boy named Cole. As Cole pulls Jack into his web of conspiracy theories, the two of them team up to follow Tony’s trail—and maybe even save the world.
The Great Ghost Hoax (The Great Pet Heist)
by Emily EctonThe Secret Life of Pets meets Scooby Doo in this hilarious sequel to The Great Pet Heist that follows the furry friends as they hunt down a ghost!Butterbean is bored. She and the other pets pulled off a heist once, but that was like a million years ago. Nothing exciting has happened since then. That is, until Mrs. Third Floor shows up at their apartment, convinced there&’s a ghost in the building. Mrs. Third Floor&’s rental unit is showing signs of paranormal activity—eerie noises, objects moving when no one is there, fish disappearing from the tank overnight. The pets decide to investigate. Soon they&’re confronted with a bigger problem than just ghosts: professional ghost hunters who are offering to drive out the spirits for a hefty fee. It&’s up to Butterbean and the rest of the gang to save Mrs. Third Floor from losing her life savings to scammers, all while dealing with some really annoying new animals. Can the furry friends uncover the truth in time?
Great Ghost Stories
by John GraftonAficionados of supernatural fiction will take perverse pleasure in the hair-raising horrors recounted in these outstanding examples of the genre. Featuring a gallery of ghostly characters, forbidding landscapes, gloomy country manors, and occult occurrences, this spine-tingling collection features works by such masters of the macabre as Bram Stoker (the creator of Dracula), J. S. LeFanu, Ambrose Bierce, and M. R. James. The ten classics included in this volume are: "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs, E. G. Swain's "Bone to His Bone," "The Rose Garden" by M. R. James, Dickens's "To Be Taken with a Grain of Salt," LeFanu's "Dickon the Devil," Stoker's "The Judge's Salt," "The Moonlit Road" by Ambrose Bierce, Amelia B. Edwards's "The Phantom Coach," "A Ghost Story" by Jerome K. Jerome, and E. F. Benson's "The Confession of Charles Linkworth. "
The Great Goat Gaffe (Nancy Drew Clue Book #15)
by Carolyn KeeneNancy and her friends are on the case when a goat yoga class goes baaaad in the fifteenth book in the interactive Nancy Drew Clue Book mystery series.Nancy is excited for Kids with Kids at Sweet Creams Farm. She and her friends are going to learn yoga surrounded by adorable baby goats. They might even be on TV, since Good Morning River Heights is coming to do a story on the new class. Peaceful meditation turns into mayhem when one of the goats goes wild, bouncing around and chewing on everything. Nancy recognizes the crazy kid—YouView star Pogo the Trampoline Goat. But why is he there? Did someone slip him into the pen to sabotage the class? Can the Clue Crew find out the truth and restore Sweet Creams Farm&’s reputation?
The Great Hippopotamus Hotel: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (25) (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series #25)
by Alexander McCall SmithIn this latest installment of Alexander McCall Smith&’s beloved No. 1 Ladies&’ Detective Agency, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi take on an intriguing new case and uncover surprising truthsIn the rolling hills just outside Gaborone, surrounded by a grove of acacia trees, lies The Great Hippopotamus Hotel. With spacious rooms overlooking the Botswanan countryside and a fine and loyal staff, the hotel has served as a refuge to weary travelers for many years. But a sudden string of misfortunes threatens to ruin the hotel&’s reputation. Food poisoning befalls an unlucky diner, laundry mysteriously disappears from the drying line, and a scorpion stings one of the guests. Mishap after mishap, until it seems these incidents are more than simple coincidences—something foul is afoot.Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are on the case to find out who could be responsible for these unfortunate events. The answer at first seems clear, especially when they find out Violet Sephotho is involved. But as they dig deeper, they realize that the solution is not as simple as it initially seems. Meanwhile, one of Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni&’s most important clients has asked him to source a sports car, putting him in a ticklish position as the man&’s wife seems to be unaware of the purchase and the client is taking great pains to keep it that way. Nevertheless, with a healthy dose of good humor and kindness, Mma Ramotswe and her associates must help restore the reputation of the hotel and prove that even the most difficult situations can be remedied with honesty and compassion.
The Great Hotel Murder
by Vincent StarrettIn a grand Chicago hotel, a mysterious death sets a puzzling whodunnit in motion When a New York banker is discovered dead from an apparent morphine overdose in a Chicago hotel, the circumstances surrounding his untimely end are suspicious to say the least. The dead man had switched rooms the night before with a stranger he met and drank with in the hotel bar. And before that, he’d registered under a fake name at the hotel, told his drinking companion a fake story about his visit to the Windy City, and seemingly made no effort to contact the actress, performing in a local show, to whom he was married. All of which is more than enough to raise eyebrows among those who discovered the body. Enter theatre critic and amateur sleuth Riley Blackwood, a friend of the hotel’s owner, who endeavors to untangle this puzzling tale as discreetly as possible. But when another detective working the case, whose patron is unknown, is thrown from a yacht deck during a party by an equally unknown assailant, the investigation makes a splash among Chicago society. And then several of the possible suspects skip town, leaving Blackwood struggling to determine their guilt or innocence—and their whereabouts. Reissued for the first time in over eighty years, The Great Hotel Murder is a devilishly complex whodunnit with a classical aristocratic setting, sure to please Golden Age mystery fans of all stripes. In 1935, the story was adapted for a film of the same name.
The Great House
by Cynthia HarnettIn late seventeenth-century England, Barbara and Geoffrey have little idea how their lives will change when they accompany their architect father from London to a country estate where he is to build a large modern house.
The Great Impersonation
by E. Phillips OppenheimIn this classic espionage thriller, a chance meeting of doppelgängers threatens to plunge Europe into war Crazed with thirst and fever, Everard Dominey staggers out of the jungle and awakens to find himself in German East Africa. His rescuer is Leopold von Ragastein, a colonial governor whose impeccable manners belie nefarious intentions. A loyal servant of the Kaiser, von Ragastein has been looking for a way to sneak into England. Discovering that his face is an exact match for the ailing Englishman&’s, von Ragastein believes that he has finally found his chance. When the man calling himself Everard Dominey returns home, his loved ones recognize that something about him is different. But with Europe racing toward war and England infiltrated by saboteurs of all stripes, will the truth emerge before it is too late? Full of shocking twists, sinister intrigue, and irresistible romance, The Great Impersonation was a huge bestseller when it was first published in 1920 and is one the most entertaining spy novels of all time. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Great Impersonation (British Library Spy Classics #0)
by Edward Phillips OppenheimEast Africa, 1913. The disgraced English aristocrat Everard Dominey stumbles out of the bush, and comes face to face with his lookalike – the German Baron von Ragastein. Months later, Dominey returns to London and resumes his glittering social life. But is it really Dominey who has come back– or a German secret agent seeking to infiltrate English high society? As international tension mounts and the great powers of Europe move closer to war, Dominey finds himself entangled in a story of suspicion and intrigue. He must try to evade his insane and murderous wife as well as escape the attentions of the passionate Princess Eiderstrom – and will eventually uncover the secret of the ghost that haunts his ancestral home. This classic thriller was hugely popular when it was first published in 1920, selling over one million copies in that year alone, and was filmed three times. It was selected by the Guardian as one of 1000 novels everyone must read.
Great Irish Stories of Murder and Mystery
by Peter HainingThe Irish are renowned for their storytelling, and have a particular skill for weaving tales of murder and mystery. This chilling collection features twenty short stories by modern Irish writers who've plumbed the sinister side of human nature. Whether slogging through a desolate bog with a hated friend, escorting IRA gunmen through Belfast, or witnessing a deadly encounter between brothers on the banks of the Liffey, the selections in Great Irish Stories of Murder and Mystery depict a world where violence is as ruthless as it is random. The collection is divided into tales of killers, cases of mystery, and stories of vengeance. Recurring themes include ties of friendship and family gone horribly wrong and the frailty of the human psyche--not to mention assassination, fratricide, and patricide. With selections by Liam O'Flaherty, Sean O'Faolain, Neil Jordan, Brendan Behan, Mary Lavin, William Trevor, and fourteen other acclaimed Irish writers, Great Irish Stories of Murder and Mystery serves up a toxic blend of paranoia, heroism, and insanity, with some deadly twists added for good measure.
The Great Leader
by Jim HarrisonLiterary legend Jim Harrison gives us a brilliant new work that finds him writing at the height of his powers, and in fresh and audacious new directions. The Great Leader is the story of Detective Sunderson, a northern Michigan police detective who has recently retired and has one case he can’t quite shake -- the investigation of a cult leader whom he eventually pursues to Arizona and further afield. Harrison gives readers a unique take on the culture of “Yoopers” (what folks from the rest of Michigan and the Midwest call people from the Upper Peninsula) and cops, in a novel that is wonderfully clever, powerful, and slyly redemptive.