Day of the False King - A Novel of Murder in Ancient Babylon

From the oldest known court transcripts in history, Egyptologists have long known about the mysterious death of Ramses III, involving intrigue, ambition, greed, and crimes of passion on a huge, though hidden, scale. In Year of the Hyenas, Brad Geagley takes this event -- a struggle that nearly brought ancient Egypt to its knees -- as the backdrop for a story that is every bit as captivating as the distant civilization it resurrects.

At the heart of the novel is Semerket, the so-called Clerk of Investigations and Secrets, a detective half-paralyzed by problems of his own, with a reputation for heavy drinking and tactless behavior toward the great, the powerful, and the holy, a kind of Sam Spade of the ancient world, deeply (and dangerously) addicted to the truth. Hard-bitten, deeply flawed, he is retained by the authorities to investigate what is considered an insignificant murder of an elderly, insignificant Theban priestess. They fail to inform him, however, that they don't expect him to solve the case. In fact, they don't want him to.

But Semerket is not so easily fooled, and this is hardly an "insignificant" murder. As he delves deeper for the elusive truth, he uncovers a web of corruption so vast that it threatens the life of the last great Pharaoh, Ramses III, and the stability of the kingdom. Even worse, uncovering the conspiracy means more than just putting his own life on the line -- for, unbeknownst to Semerket, his adored ex-wife Naia has fallen afoul of those who would bring down the reign of Ramses, and he soon finds himself having to choose between saving her and saving Egypt....

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Rory Clements's Revenger.

A young woman is found murdered, her body marked with profane symbols. Even more shocking, she’s one of Queen Elizabeth’s aristocratic cousins. Is there a connection between this tragedy and a plot to assassinate Sir Francis Drake—a plot that, if successful, could leave England defenseless in the face of a Spanish invasion?

Enter John Shakespeare, Tudor England’s most remarkable investigator. With the Queen’s brilliant reign in jeopardy, Shakespeare travels through London’s seedy underworld of spies, sorcerers, prostitutes, and theater people, among whom is his own younger brother, the struggling playwright Will.

Shadowed by his relentless rival, the Queen’s chief torturer, John Shakespeare must unmask the shocking identity of a killer before the woman he desires becomes the next martyr in a conspiracy almost too horrific to contemplate—a conspiracy whose consequences might still be felt today.

Deep in the heart of London, the Monsalvat Bank is small, secretive and fabulously wealthy. When Ellie Stanton, an impoverished graduate student, is unexpectedly invited to join the firm, the privileged world they offer looks too good to turn down.

But the bank is more than it seems. Soon Ellie realises that her life belongs to her employers - and they're watching her every move. For buried in their medieval vaults lies a closely-guarded treasure of immeasurable power - one inextricably bound up with Ellie's own history.

Now Ellie is in a race against time, hunted by the bank and pursued by her past. Her only hope of escape is to unearth the secret hidden in the vault. But getting in is only the beginning...

Anne grows up and proves the promise of her youth by being a lovable, sunny young woman with an infinite capacity for enjoying "Patty's Place" at college and life in general, especially when it brings her own love story.