M. J. Porter

The Tenth Century in Saxon England

Royal Women Who Made England

Lady Merryweather has had a shocking year. Apprehended for the murder of her husband the year before, and only recently released, she hopes a trip away from London will allow her to grieve. The isolated, but much loved, Cragside Estate in North Northumberland, home of her friends, Lord and Lady Bradbury, holds special memories for her.

But, no sooner has she arrived than the body of one of the guests is found on the estate, and suspicion immediately turns on her. Perhaps, there are no friendships to be found here, after all.

Released, due to a lack of evidence, Lady Ella returns to Cragside only to discover a second murder has taken place in her absence, and one she can’t possibly have committed.

Quickly realising that these new murders must be related to that of her beloved husband, Lady Merryweather sets out to solve the crime, once and for all. But there are many who don’t want her to succeed, and as the number of murder victims increases, the possibility that she might well be the next victim, can’t be ignored.

Journey to the 1930s Cragside Estate, to a period house-party where no one is truly safe, and the estate is just as deadly as the people.

Cragside 

The time is now. As the long overdue sun rise finally crests the horizon after half a rotation, Sereh, Erann and Greeneyes find themselves rediscovering the lost secrets of their cold and frozen land.

The Dragon of Unison

Purple

Betrayal is a family affair. 12th June 918. Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians and daughter of Alfred the Great, is dead. Aelfwynn, the niece of Edward, King of Wessex, has been bequeathed her mother's power and status by the men of the Mercian Witan but knows she is vulnerable to the North of her kingdom, exposed still to the retreating world of the Viking raiders from her mother's generation. With her Mercian allies: her cousin Athelstan, Ealdorman Aethelfrith and his sons, Archbishop Plegmund and her band of trusted female warriors, she must act decisively to subvert the threat from the Viking Rognavaldr, grandson of the infamous Viking, Ivarr of Dublin, as he turns his gaze toward the desolate lands of Northern England, with the jewel of York, seemingly his intended prize. Inexplicably she is also exposed to the South, where her Cousin and Uncle eyes her position covetously, their ambitions clear to see. This is the unknown story of Aelfwynn, the daughter of the Lady of the Mercians and the startling events of late 918 when family loyalty and betrayal marched hand in hand across lands only recently reclaimed by the Mercians. When kingdoms could be won or lost through treachery and fidelity and when there was little love, and even less honesty, and the words of a sword were wont to be heard far more loudly than those of a king or churchman, noble lady's daughter or Viking rogue.

The Lady of Mercia's Daughter

Before Anne Boleyn stole the heart of a King and demanded marriage, another woman strove to wed an already married King of England. This is the story of Elfrida, who would become the first crowned Queen of England. England is united under Edgar, but twenty years of uncertainty and a dwindling royal nursery, have left the royal family vulnerable to extinction. Edgar, a king at only 15 years old, has an acknowledged daughter and wife, but the dying Ealdorman, Aethelwald, has commanded his wife to seek out the King, now in his early twenties. True to her husband's wishes, Elfrida pursues the king, nervous of her husband's intentions, but trusting them all the same. When the king tries to make her his concubine, Elfrida refuses and withdraws from the court, only to find herself dreaming of the king, desiring his touch and his presence. When the king seeks her out once more, she willingly follows him back to his court and finds herself plunged into a world of politics and self-interest where her future happiness rests not only on the king loving her but also on the goodwill of others with much to play for at the king's court. Bringing alive the characters of tenth century England; its young king, Edgar; its ealdormen, Brythnoth, Aethelwine, and Aelfhere; the great reforming religious figures of Archbishop Dunstan, Bishop Aethelwold and Oswald and the great women of the period, Lady Elfrida, Lady Aethelflaed and Lady Wulfthryn, The First Queen of England evokes tenth century England at its most enigmatic, shining a welcome light on England's first crowned queen, a woman who would go on to accomplish much, but who must first steal the heart of an amorous king and earn her place at court, and overcome the obstacle of the outcome of not only the king's second marriage, but also his first. The Mercian Brexit can be read as an introduction to The First Queen of England.

The First Queen of England

A delicious 1940s mystery.Birmingham, England, 1943.While the whine of the air raid sirens might no longer be rousing him from bed every night, a two-decade-old unsolved murder case will ensure that Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington Police Station is about to suffer more sleepless nights.Young Robert McFarlane's body was found outside the local church hall on 30th September 1923. But, his cause of death was drowning, and he'd been missing for three days before his body was found. No one was ever arrested for the crime. No answers could ever be given to the grieving family. The unsolved case has haunted Mason ever since.But, the chance discovery of another victim, with worrying parallels, sets Mason, and his constable, O'Rourke, on a journey that will take them back over twenty-five years, the chance to finally solve the case, while all around them the uncertainty of war continues, impossible to ignore.Advance praise for The Custard Corpses"Excellent plot, great story, had me gripped loved the ending and was left wanting more. The book title made me smile and I did wonder why such a title read the book & you will see why.""Don't start this one before you go to bed, you'll be up all night wanting to read "just one more chapter." Great read not to be missed." Netgalley Reviewer"I loved this unmissable book! It was impossible to walk away from. I literally caught myself holding my breath a few times. There are so many interesting bits I'm dying to mention but won't! All mystery readers definitely need to read this. I cannot possibly recommend it enough and am salivating at the mention of the next." Netgalley Reviewer "This has a fabulous plot, is suspenseful, tense & totally unputdownable. Full of unexpected twists & turns, this was an absolute gem of a book & I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read it before publication. I'm on the understanding that this is the authors first foray into writing a mystery, let's hope this isn't the last." Netgalley Reviewer"MJ Porter created a masterful plot full of suspense and twists that kept me up reading late into the night." Netgalley Reviewer Meet the AuthorM J Porter writes historical fiction set before 1066. Usually. This is M J's first foray into the historical mystery genre and the twentieth century. M J writes A LOT, you've been warned.Find MJ @coloursofunison or at www.mjporterauthor.com or at www.mjporterauthor.blog where M J blog's about books and films and sometimes, writing!

The Custard Corpses: A Delicious 1940s Mystery

Lady Elfrida, the first crowned Queen of England, has cemented her position both as queen and wife to the king, Edgar. He is the 'peaceable' king, ruler over England, and ally of the land of the Scots and the Welsh kingdoms: an emperor in all but name.England is peaceful, and her young son growing day by day.Yet fate has not yet finished with the first crowned Queen of England.This is the third part in the First Queen of England trilogy, the story of Lady Elfrida, the first crowned Queen of England.

The year is 641 and the great Oswald of Northumbria, wide-ruler over England, must battle against an alliance of the old Britons and the Saxons led by Penda of the Hwicce, the victor of Hæ∂feld nine years before, the only Saxon leader seemingly immune to his beguiling talk of the new Christianity spreading through England from both the north and the south.Alliances will be made and broken, and the victory will go to the man most skilled in war craft and statecraft.The ebb and flow of battle will once more redraw the lines of the petty kingdoms stretching across the British Isles.There will be another victor and another bloody loser.(Previously published as Maserfeld)

Pagan King

Unison is a land of mystery and intrigue, inspired by Viking Age Iceland.Erann and Sereh are reunited on the windswept Vatna Jokull but there are more hardships awaiting the small group of friends and grudging acquaintances. Traps laid half a millennia ago are about to ensnare them in yet another mystery and this time, the Librarian is a victim too and they must seek answers without his aid. (Previously published as Green).

Dragon Alone

Edmund of the English, the aged Constantin of Scotland, Anlaf Sihtriccson of York, Idwal of Gwynedd, Hywel of the South Welsh. The year is 942 and the treaty of Eamont in 927 and the recent battle of Brunanburh in 937 have inflicted an uneasy calm on the lands of the British Isles. The fledgling England, Scotland, Strathclyde, the warring Welsh kingdoms and the Viking stronghold of Dublin are held firmly apart. Or are they? Hinged on the power and resourcefulness of one man, Athelstan, first King of the English, his untimely death in late 939 has thrust his young half-brother onto the throne and the acquisitive eyes of Olaf Gothfrithson of Dublin, his close ally Anlaf Sihtricsson, Constantin of Scotland and Idwal of Gwynedd have turned once more to England's land and her people. Can Edmund hold England firm against the over-mighty men? Or will the greatest English victory at Brunanburh amount to nothing and fade into obscurity, to be forgotten by all? Told from the view points of the main protagonists, and covering the period from 939-942, Of Kings and Half Kings is an epic tale of the British Isles in the middle of the tenth century told through the eyes of King Edmund, Olaf Gothfrithson, Anlaf Sihtricsson, Constantin of the Scots, Athelstan the Ealdorman and Hywel of the South Welsh and Edmund's bid to hold England whole against men who want to rip her apart.

A Novel of 942

Of Kings and Half Kings

Ealdorman Leofwine, bereaved and betrayed by the new Danish King of England, hides away from the politics of the Witan, desperate to forget his past links with Cnut and his father, Swein, only Cnut won't let his most trusted ealdorman go quite so easily. He knows that for his fledgling kingship to survive, he needs the old guard from the previous king's reign to add legitimacy to his own. His new men, the men who've followed him from Denmark, know how to conquer, but not how to rule the English. And Cnut has his eye on an even bigger prize.

The King's Earl

Before England, Scotland and Wales formed, a disparate set of kingdoms stretched their way across the British Isles, expanding and compressing with the personalities and successes of their warrior Kings, more war-leaders, and more often than not, owing allegiance to one overlord, one over mighty King exacting tribute from whomever he could, punishing those who failed to tithe with bloody means. The year is 632 and the great Edwin of Northumbria, bretwalda over England, must battle against an alliance of the old Britons under his foster-brother Cadwallon of Gwynedd, aided by Penda of Mercia, a brutal young war leader gaining in strength and reputation. Who will ally with whom? Who will play false to their Lord? Who will turn their back on their own family? The ebb and flow of battle will once more redraw the lines of the petty kingdoms stretching across the British Isles. There will be a victor and a bloody loser and kings will rise from the ashes of a great battle.

Haedfeld

The King's Mother is the story of a woman who has been censured by history as both a whore and a murderer but was neither. The widowed Lady Elfrida has achieved the impossible. She's ensured her twelve-year-old son has become king, despite the gruesome murder of his predecessor and half-brother. While many blame the king's mother, she looks to two rival noblemen as the real perpetrators. Even with the reappearance of an unwelcome enemy on England's shores, Viking warriors, who attack and threaten the safety and security of England, and specifically, the young king, the two noblemen are far from resigned to Lady Elfrida's power. As her son takes the final steps to become king in actions as well as name, she's increasingly isolated by the deaths of allies and the scheming ways of others, including the king. Resentful of her continuing influence, Lady Elfrida faces banishment from Court with both fierce determination and acquiescence. The King's Mother is the first part in a new trilogy. Suggested reading order: The Mercian Brexit (short story and prequel) The First Queen of England The First Queen of England Part 2 The First Queen of England Part 3 The King's Mother

Sequel to the First Queen of England Trilogy

The King's Mother

Part 5 in the epic Earls of Mercia series Ealdorman Leofwine, bereaved and betrayed by the new Danish king of England, hides away from the politics of the Witan, desperate to forget his past links with Cnut and his father, Swein, only Cnut won't let his most trusted ealdorman go quite so easily. He knows that for his fledgling kingship to survive, he needs the old guard from the previous king's reign to add legitimacy to his own. His new men, the men who've followed him from Denmark, know how to conquer, but not how to rule the English. And Cnut has his eye on an even bigger prize. Leofric, left reeling by the murder of his older brother and with an aging father, and dying mother, turns his own thoughts to how he can uphold his family's position against the sudden and magnificent rise of the family of Godwin, the newly promoted Earl of Wessex, one of the men involved in the death of his brother. As much as he feels ambivalent towards the new king, he knows his family's position needs to grow or risk losing even more. His father has sacrificed too much to allow a usurper to claim the position at the Witan that is rightfully his. With Cnut's view increasingly focused on conquering and ruling the Scandinavian lands, with dangerous arguments between the Scandinavian men threatening the stability of the Crown, can the House of Leofwine survive the kingship of the new Danish king and keep its place at the heart of early eleventh century politics, whether they want it or not?

The Earls of Mercia

Before his encounter with Ealdorman Leofwine on his fateful trip to Shetland, King Swein first had to wrestle Denmark from his father's kingship and make his own name as a warrior of great renown. This side story to the Earls of Mercia series tells of the early years of King Swein's reign, his first raid on England, his encounter with Ealdorman Leofwine and his quest to once and for all kill Olaf of Norway, culminating in the mighty sea battle of Svolder in 999. Swein, the Danish King is a companion novella to the epic Earls of Mercia series and should perhaps be read following Ealdormen, book 2 of the Earls of Mercia series.

The Danish King

Swein

Swein, King of Denmark, and briefly England, lies dead, his son ousted from England as King Aethelred returns from his exile in Normandy at the behest of his Witan and the Bishops. Aethelred might have relinquished his kingdom to Swein, the conqueror, but with Swein dead, the men have no interest in supporting an untried youth whose name resounds with the murder of one of England's greatest bishop's, a youth known only for his savagery and joy of battle, a true norse man who utilizes his weapons without thought. But Cnut wants a kingdom and he will do anything to gain one. Cnut: the Conqueror, is an Earls of Mercia side story to mark the millennial anniversary of Cnut's accession to the English kingdom in 1016, the Danish king of England.

The Conqueror

Cnut

Unison is a land of mystery and intrigue, inspired by Viking Age Iceland.Unison has not yet relinquished the answers to all its riddles. Erann, Sereh and Greeneyes, newly reunited, are still being swept along by events beyond their control.(Previously published as Blue)

Dragon Gone

From the author of The Chronicles of the English and the Earls of Mercia, a step back in time to the founding years of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.The dry words of the great Christian historian Bede tell of, "A great battle being fought in the plain that is called Heathfield," this is the story of that battle in all its bloody glory.Before England, Scotland and Wales formed, a disparate set of kingdoms stretched their way across the British Isles, expanding and compressing with the personalities and successes of their warrior kings, more war-leaders than kings, and more often than not, owing allegiance to one overlord, one 'bretwalda' exacting tribute from whomever he could and punishing those who failed to accept him with bloody means.The year is 632 and the great Edwin of Northumbria, bretwalda (wide-ruler) over England, must battle against an alliance of the old Christian Britons under his foster-brother Cadwallon of Gwynedd, aided by Penda of Mercia, a brutal young Saxon, a ruthless pagan war leader gaining in strength and reputation. The ebb and flow of battle will redraw the lines of the petty kingdoms stretching across the British Isles. There will be a victor and a bloody loser and kings will rise from the ashes of a great battle.Hæ∂feld, the great battle of 632, will set brother against brother, father against son, foster brother against foster brother, and until the last sword stroke on that dark, wintry day in October 632, none will know which side will truly be the victors and which, the bloody losers. Pagan Warrior (previously Haedfeld) is a first person, multi-viewpoint, narrative, focusing on the shifting alliances at play in the British Isles during 632."M. J. Porter has written a story of one battle - Haedfeld - which will change the face of England. And written it very well indeed, for the dialogue is sharp and whilst the day-to-day descriptions are fairly sparse, the telling of the battle is gripping." HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

Pagan Warrior

Athelstan, King of the English; Olaf Guthfrithsson, King of the Dublin Norse; Constantin, King of the Scots; Owain, King of Strathclyde, Hywel of the South Welsh; one 'great lamentable and horrible battle'. The year is 937 and Athelstan, King of the English and overlord of the British kingdoms, faces opposition to his rule that will culminate in the great battle of Brunanburh. Uniquely told from the viewpoints of the main combatants at the battle, Brunanburh tells of a time when the island of Britain was held under the sway of the great King Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great, a man with European wide connections, held in awe by many, and foster-father to future monarchs. Charting his reign from 925 to 937 Brunanburh is the story of the petty kingdoms of Britain - England, Scotland, Strathclyde and Wales and the uneasy alliances that could burst asunder at any moment. Switching between the view points of the main Kings, and the day of the battle, and events from the previous twelve years, Brunanburh ensures its focus is on the characters and their unique attitudes towards their kingships, the future, and of course, each other.

M. J. Porter

About

Books

Join the club