A.E. Marston - Page 1
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First British Edition Headline (2001) |
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The Repentant Rake
A Restoration Mystery
For Sir Julius Cheever, Restoration London is a veritable Babylon, heaving with whores, rogues and degenerates. An unashamed Roundhead, Sir Julius is about to vent his spleen on Parliament in a single-handed effort to cleanse the sinful city. Christopher Redmayne, talented young architect, may not share Sir Julius’s views but he is keen to secure a lucrative commission to design his new London home. While listening to his client’s tirades, Christopher can take the opportunity to admire Sir Julius’s exquisite daughter, Susan Cheever.
But, even as the architect is securing the commission, his old sleuthing partner, Constable Jonathan Bale, is making a fearsome discovery that will devastate the Cheever family. Sir Julius ‘s son, a notorious rakehell, has suddenly disappeared. Friends, including Christopher’s own brother, Henry Redmayne, presume that he is a victim of his insatiable appetite for pleasure. There are contradictory reports about the missing man’s supposed repentance. Other shocks begin to surface. So where is the repentant rake? And can his disappearance be linked to a blackmailer terrorising London’s most dissolute fops with uncannily accurate accounts of their debauchery?
Redmayne and Bale struggle to find those who exploit the scandal. But, in a case where the victims fear exposure and will stop at nothing to preserve their anonymity, how can they possibly hope to succeed?
Praise for Edward Marston
'A gripping yarn cleverly unfolded amid period colour brilliantly portrayed' Coventry Evening Telegraph
‘Marston is probably the best of our British writers of historical crime stories’ Birmingham Post
‘Sparkling with humour, dramatic twists and deft turns of phrase’ Publishers Weekly
‘All the swashbuckling thrills and romantic swagger of blood-and-thunder tragedies’ New York Times Book Review
‘Charming… Marston knows his period and his turf’ Los Angeles Times
'Colourful, beguiling, with the threads of violence and mystery constantly crossing… magnificent' Northern Echo
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First British Edition Headline (2000) |
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The Elephants of Norwich
Volume XI of the Domesday Books
It is the juiciest piece of gossip the citizens of Norwich have heard for a long time. The ruthless robber baron Richard de Fontenel is himself the victim of robbery. What makes it so delicious is that also missing, in addition to two priceless golden elephants de Fontenel was using to lure the beautiful Adelaide into marriage, is de Fontenel's steward Hermer.
Trying to create order among this chaos are Domesday Commissioners Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret. They are keen to progress with the adjudication on a land dispute involving de Fontenel and Mauger - a man also trying to woo Adelaide - without becoming involved in the hunt for the thief. Their hopes are soon dashed as de Fontenel refuses to co-operate until the elephants are found.
But is Hermer the steward really missing or has something altogether more sinister happened? And, how did de Fontenel come to be in possession of the rare and exquisite elephants? In Ralph and Gervase's most baffling and terrifying case yet, nothing is what it seems and no one is free from suspicion, not even the fair Adelaide...
This is the eleventh mystery in Edward Marston's spellbinding and richly drawn eleventh-century crime series.
Praise for the Domesday series
'The period atmosphere is nicely done without slowing down the story, and Delchard and Bret make an enterprising pair of sleuths' Susanna Yager, Sunday Telegraph
'Colourful and beguiling, with the threads of violence and mystery constantly crossing… magnificent' Darlington Northern Echo
'A finely crafted mystery… this mesmerising novel will appeal to both sleuths and lovers of history' Wales on Sunday
'Once again Marston has created a credible eleventh-century atmosphere within an intriguing story… the commissioners and their entourage have developed into familiar and believable characters' Susanna Yager, Sunday Telegraph
'These are excellently written and entertaining books, unreservedly recommended' Mystery News
'Another outstanding medieval mystery brimming with intrigue, suspense, and authentic historical detail' Booklist
'Abrim with energy, heroism, tenderness, chicanery, and suspence while crisply evoking a vivid picture of the era' Kirkus Reviews
'All the swashbuckling thrills and romantic swagger of blood-and-thunder tragedies' New York Times Book Review
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First British Edition Headline (2000) |
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Amorous Nightingale
A Restoration Mystery
Acclaimed beauty and singer Harriet Gow is the King’s favourite mistress. After seeing her perform at the theatre, Christopher Redmayne, rising young architect, is also captivated. The impression Harriet made on him is still lingering in his mind when he is summoned urgently by Charles II and told that she has been kidnapped. Redmayne is engaged, with his friend Jonathan Bale, to resolve this delicate affair with speed and discretion.
Bale – a puritan constable – disapproves of Harriet’s illicit royal liaison and, as the façade of elegance and gentility slowly crumbles in the face of their investigation, he feels a sense of righteous indignation. Harriet is revealed as an amorous nightingale, the fabric of her life is entangled in jealousy, avarice and lust. Redmayne begins to wonder whether she is really the victim or the guilty party. A brutal murder provides the answer.
Once again, Redmayne and Bale strip the veneer from polite society to solve a mystery that threatens the fragile stability of the Restoration Court.
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The Owls of Gloucester
The ordered calm of Gloucester Abbey is shattered by the disappearance of one of the monks. But the two novices, Elaf and Kenelm, show little concern for the missing Brother Nicholas. Rebelling against monastic discipline, they indulge in secret midnight adventures. Fearing discovery during their latest exploit, they hide in the Bell Tower, certain that they won’t be found. Elaf, stumbling in the dark, trips over something and he realises, to his horror, that it is a dead body. Brother Nicholas has been found, his throat slit from ear to ear.
The Abbey becomes paralysed with fear. The Abbot is ill-equipped to deal with such a heinous crime and is still reeling from his conversation with the Sheriff, who is convinced that one of the monks must be guilty - after all, who else would have access to the Abbey Church? This is the confusion that greets Domesday Commissioners Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret when they enter Gloucester, having been sent there to resolve a land dispute, Ralph and Gervase, doubting the Sheriff's ability, start their own investigations. They begin to realise that the killing is just a symptom of a sinister presence that threatens the whole community and must be stopped at any cost.
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First British Edition Headline (1999) |
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The King's Evil
A new mystery series set in Restoration England
Christopher Redmayne is a true Restoration man: a well-connected scholar, soldier, philosopher, scientist, artist - and eligible bachelor. Horrified at the scenes of destruction and tragedy wrought by the Great Fire, he is also one of the architects working to restore London to its vibrant and bustling state.
Jonathan Bale is a Puritan constable who firmly believes that the fire would never have happened under Oliver Cromwell. Married with two children, Bale has an unshakable sense of right and wrong which has made him an excellent upholder of the law, a brave volunteer fireman and a fierce critic of the newly restored Court's loucher indulgences.
At first sight, meeting by chance in the ashes of the ruined city, Redmayne and Bale would seem to the other to embody all that irritates them most in their fellow man. Those opinions are mutually revised when the town house Redmayne has been commissioned to build by wealthy landowner Sir Ambrose Northcott is beset by thieving and, between them, they bring about an arrest.
However, when Sir Ambrose is stabbed to death leaving a distraught wife and daughter in Kent apparently ignorant of his new London base - it requires all Redmayne's flair and all Bale's tenacity to unravel the complex, and dangerous, traces he has left behind. Traces which lead to the brothels and gaming dens, across the Channel and to the doors of the hedonistic Royal court…
Praise for Edward Marston
'Abrim with energy, heroism, tenderness, chicanery, and suspense while crisply evoking a vivid picture of the era' Kirkus Reviews
'These are excellently written and entertaining books, unreservedly recommended' Mystery News
'Their macabre mystery, skilfully unravelled, moves to a sharp and surprising denouement' Coventry Evening Telegraph
'If you enjoy the Cadfael stories then you should enjoy this one. Watch out for more from Marston' South Wales Evening Post
About The Author
A former history lecturer, A. E. Marston was born and brought up in South Wales and educated at Oxford University. Since 1966 he has worked as a full-time writer. He has written over forty original plays for radio, television and the theatre, as well as children's books, literary criticism and novels. He was recently shortlisted for the prestigious Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel. He is also the author of eleven hugely popular Domesday mysteries, and is a former Chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association.
Bibliography
N.B. dates and publishers in dark red indicate British First Editions. Dates and publishers in black indicate recent reprints.
The Repentant Rake
(Headline,
2001)
( Redmayne & Bale)
The Elephants of Norwich
(Headline,
2000)
Headline Pbk Nov 01
( Delchard & Bret)
Amorous Nightingale
(Headline,
2000)
( Redmayne & Bale)
The Owls of Gloucester
(Headline,
2000)
Headline Pbk Nov 00
( Delchard & Bret)
The King's Evil
(Headline,
1999)
Headline Pbk Jul 00
The Wildcats of Exeter
(Headline,
1999)
Headline Pbk May 99
( Delchard & Bret)
The Foxes of Warwick
(Headline,
1999)
Headline Pbk Nov 99
( Delchard & Bret)
The Hawks of Delamere
(Headline,
1998)
Headline Pbk 1998
( Delchard & Bret)
The Stallions of Woodstock
(Headline,
1997)
Headline Pbk 1998
( Delchard & Bret)
The Serpents of Harbledown
(Headline,
1996)
Pbk 1997
( Delchard & Bret)
The Lions of the North
(Headline,
1996)
( Delchard & Bret)
The Dragons of Archenfield
(Headline,
1995)
( Delchard & Bret)
The Ravens of Blackwater
(Headline,
1995)
( Delchard & Bret)
The Wolves of Savernake
(Headline,
1994)
( Delchard & Bret)
The Repentant Rake
by A.E. Marston
