Antonia Hodgson


Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best.

Then one of them is murdered.

It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.

If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.

We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.

The Raven Scholar

WINNER OF THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD 2014. Longlisted for the John Creasey Dagger Award for best debut crime novel of 2014. London, 1727 - and Tom Hawkins is about to fall from his heaven of card games, brothels and coffee-houses into the hell of a debtors' prison. The Marshalsea is a savage world of its own, with simple rules: those with family or friends who can lend them a little money may survive in relative comfort. Those with none will starve in squalor and disease. And those who try to escape will suffer a gruesome fate at the hands of the gaol's rutheless governor and his cronies. The trouble is, Tom Hawkins has never been good at following rules - even simple ones. And the recent grisly murder of a debtor, Captain Roberts, has brought further terror to the gaol. While the Captain's beautiful widow cries for justice, the finger of suspicion points only one way: to the sly, enigmatic figure of Samuel Fleet. Some call Fleet a devil, a man to avoid at all costs. But Tom Hawkins is sharing his cell. Soon, Tom's choice is clear: get to the truth of the murder - or be the next to die. A twisting mystery, a dazzling evocation of early 18th Century London, THE DEVIL IN THE MARSHALSEA is a thrilling debut novel full of intrigue and suspense.

The Devil in the Marshalsea

Angela Marsons

Clare Mackintosh

Mark Billingham

Harry Bingham

James Oswald

Jane Casey

C L Taylor

A woman reports a crime to the police, with unexpected results The grieving widow who finds that she's about to lose more than just her husband When a man attempts the perfect murder, it's not quite as easy as he thinks Two men in prison play a deadly game of Scrabble A young woman tries to trick an old man and gets more than she bargained for Sometimes crimes are solved in ways you can't explain A murderer about to be hanged finds that's not the worst thing that can happen You never know who's going to turn up at your door Original stories from Mark Billingham, Clare Mackintosh, James Oswald, Jane Casey, Angela Marsons, Harry Bingham, Antonia Hodgson and CL Taylor - specially written for Quick Reads.

Dead Simple

The next rip-roaring thriller from Antonia Hodgson, featuring Thomas Hawkins - more information coming soon! Praise for Antonia Hodgson 'In a tale that more than matches its predecessors for pace and atmosphere, Hawkins is forced into confrontation with a psychopathic killer . . . hugely enjoyable' - The Sunday Times 'One of the most impressive practitioners of the historical crime genre' - Independent

The Silver Collar

In a new Georgian-era mystery by Antonia Hodgson, a "truly spellbinding" (Guardian) author, Tom Hawkins prays for a royal pardon as he relives the espionage, underground dealings, and murder accusations that sent him to the gallows. London, 1728. Tom Hawkins is headed to the gallows, accused of murder. Gentlemen don't hang and Tom's damned if he'll be the first. He may not be much of a gentleman, but he is innocent. He just always finds his way into a spot of bad luck. It's hard to say when Tom's troubles began. He was happily living in sin with his beloved, Kitty Sparks -- though their neighbors were certainly less pleased about that. He probably shouldn't have told London's most cunning criminal mastermind that he was "bored and looking for adventure." Nor should he have offered to help the king's mistress in her desperate struggles with a brutal and vindictive husband. And he definitely shouldn't have trusted the calculating Queen Caroline. She's promised him a royal pardon if he holds his tongue, but then again, there is nothing more silent than a hanged man. Now Tom must scramble to save his life and protect those he loves. But as the noose tightens, his time is running out.

The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins

C. L. Taylor

Claire Mackintosh

Thomas Hawkins Book 1

'In a tale that more than matches its predecessors for pace and atmosphere, Hawkins is forced into confrontation with a psychopathic killer...hugely enjoyable' The Sunday Times 'You will burn.' Late spring, 1728. Fresh from his escape from the gallows, Thomas Hawkins has arrived in Yorkshire with his ward, Sam Fleet. But death still has a hand upon his shoulder, even in such idyllic surroundings. John Aislabie, Tom's reluctant host, is being tormented by anonymous letters threatening murder. A disgraced politician, Aislabie certainly has plenty of enemies. But, trapped in a house haunted by old tragedies, Tom begins to suspect that the danger lies much closer to home. Someone is playing a subtle and deadly game of revenge, years in the planning. And now Tom is standing in their way...

Antonia Hodgson

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