The second in the series set in London 1655 when Cromwell's regime is under threat from all sides. Damian Seeker, Captain of Cromwell's Guard, is all too aware of the danger facing Cromwell. Parliament resents his control of the Army, while the Army resents his absolute power. In the East End of London a group of religious fanatics plots rebellion and in the midst of all this, a stonemason uncovers a perfectly preserved body dressed in the robes of a Dominican friar, bricked up in the wall of the crumbling Black Friars monastery. Ill-informed rumours and speculation abound, but Seeker instantly recognises the dead man. What he must discover is why he met such a hideous end, and what his connection was to the children who have started to disappear from around the city. Unravelling these mysteries is challenging enough, and made still harder by the activities of dissenters at home, Royalist plotters abroad, and individuals who are not what they seem. Seeker navigates the shifting factions while quelling religious fanatics and plotters in the seething city beyond Whitehall. A gripping tale of crime and sedition, mystery and intrigue. 456pp, paperback.

Butchery outside a London brothel leaves Westfield's Men in disarray. While England is brought low by rumours of Queen Elizabeth's declining health, celebrated theatre company Lord Westfield's Men suffer their own bitter blows. A vicious feud between players causes chaos; a rival company launches a new production and a mysterious beauty reduces their leading actor to a lovelorn wreck. And a brutal murder leaves the group of actors reeling. With matters so fraught, even a performing horse becomes a threat. Stage manager Nicholas Bracewell, accustomed to damage control, is the only man with the wit to keep the company afloat. He begins to discern the connections between the company's misfortunes and the larger shadow falling over England. Steeped in authentic detail and language. 318pp in paperback.

Daily Telegraph Book of the Year, this atmospheric thriller introduces a Scandi-noir Tuva Moodyson Mystery. Eyes missing, two bodies lie deep in the forest near a remote Swedish town. Tuva Moodyson, a deaf reporter on a small-time local paper, is looking for the story that could make her career. Can she outwit the killer before she becomes the final victim? She would like to think so, but first she must face her demons and venture far into the deep dark woods if she wants to stand any chance of getting the hell out of small-time Gavrik. Five villagers, 600 square kilometres of Swedish forest. One reporter. Two bodies... A novel loaded with atmosphere, the tension is unrelenting right from the highly tense opening when Tuva comes face to face (or truck to face) with a charging stag; there is an ominous feeling of dread seeping from every page. Written by a British graduate who lives in Sweden who must have seen the troll sculptures he includes in his book. Stickered, 339pp, paperback.

A gripping mystery of codebreaking by the author of The Da Vinci Code. National Security Agency Fort Meade, Maryland. When the most powerful intelligence organisation on earth's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, it calls for its head cryptographer Susan Fletcher, a brilliant and beautiful mathematician. What Susan uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage, not by guns or bombs, but by a code so ingeniously complex that if released it would cripple US intelligence. In Seville, Spain, the creator of that code Ensei Tankado is found dead, and with him has died the secret to his impregnable code-writing formula that threatens to obliterate the post-Cold War balance of power forever. From the underground hallways of power to the skyscrapers of Tokyo and the towering cathedrals of Spain, a desperate race unfolds. Caught in an accelerating tempest of secrecy and lies, and betrayal on all sides, Susan Fletcher finds herself fighting not only for her country but for her life, and in the end, for the life of the man she loves. Told at a cracking pace, 510pp, paperback.

A double suicide, or murder? 15 years ago in small-town New Jersey, a teenage boy and girl were found dead. Most concluded it was a tragic suicide pact, but the dead boy's brother, Nap Dumas, did not. Now Nap is a cop, but he's a cop who plays by his own rules and who has never made peace with his past. When the past comes back to haunt him, he discovers that secrets can kill. By the king of twisty thrillers and how one tragic night can lead to a lifetime of deadly secrets. 371pp, paperback.

A babbling brook runs alongside a wooded glade, surrounded by autumn light and birdsong, but next to the stream a young woman lies dead, her once bright blonde hair now limp and lifeless. Melissa Craig has settled into a new job in the charming Cotswolds village of Upper Benbury, but her quiet life is interrupted when she sees her new neighbour running out of the woods in a blind panic. Melissa rushes to help him, but what she finds leaves her breathless - the young woman's body. When suspicion falls on Melissa's neighbour, a man with a difficult past trying to make a new start, she feels determined to prove his innocence. As she interviews the local residents, she realises there are several sinister characters lurking inside those charming Cotswold cottages. She decides to get her teeth into the case and doesn't let go. Will she unearth the culprit before another young life is taken? For fans of Faith Martin, Joy Ellis and P. D. James, you'll be hooked from the start. 232pp, paperback.

Spring has arrived in the Cotswolds but the atmosphere is positively wintery in Upper Benbury after a series of murders shake the close-knit community. Melissa Craig since her move to the countryside has become firmly established in village life. So when one of the older residents fails to show up at a drinks party, she goes to check on her. But what she finds chills her to the bone. Her dear neighbour has been murdered, and the killer has painted a hideous smile onto her face. Melissa soon realises that the death in her village bears the same trademark as a series of recent murders in the Cotswolds. When will The Smiler strike again? Melissa realises she needs to solve this case quickly, but as she starts to look closely at the people around her, she realises the killer may be closer to home than she could ever have imagined. What dark secrets are the villagers hiding? Can Melissa crack this deadly case before another life is taken? 200 page paperback.

As the stage is set for a local village play in a beautiful countryside manor, Melissa Craig plays the role of detective once again when one of the cast is mysteriously murdered. She has been delighted to be asked to help put on a play at her favourite local Cotswolds hotel and there's nothing she loves better than getting to know the cast who are just as colourful behind the scenes as they are on stage. Rehearsals are going smoothly until the perpetually grumpy supporting actor is found spread-eagled at the bottom of a steep flight of stairs leading to a cellar. Why on earth was he trying to get down to the hotel's private cellar, and why does the hotel manager seem so angry about it? When the hotel floor plans deliver some unexpected revelations, Melissa is convinced that she's dealing with a murder. But when all of your suspects are actors, how can you tell the good liars from the bad and can Melissa find the killer before the final curtain falls? 250pp, paperback.

Melissa has just finished writing her latest mystery novel and is enjoying the arrival of spring when she receives shocking news. Her estranged father has been found dead in the family home, and her mother Sylvia is under suspicion of murder. Melissa hasn't seen her parents for nearly 30 years, but on hearing the dreadful news she rushes to her mother's side. With no-one else to turn to, Sylvia begs Melissa to investigate the case. Was it a disgruntled employee, the controlling family lawyer, or perhaps the woman with whom her father was having an affair? When another body is found, Melissa realises she's dealing with a ruthless killer. As the police close in, trying to pin both deaths on her mother, Melissa must act fast. Can she find a way to unmask the true killer before she loses her mother for a second time, and possibly forever? 234pp, paperback.

Melissa Craig is thrilled that summer has arrived and she has decided to give up her career as an amateur sleuth and enjoy a quiet life in her beautiful country cottage in the Cotswolds. The only digging in her life now happens in her garden, but when a keen beekeeper is found dead, covered in multiple stings, Melissa's new resolve is tested. As she gets to know the family of the dead man, she realises he was no saint. Could someone have possibly wanted him dead? Could this be a very clever murder? With the residents of Upper Benbury now fearful to open their windows to the summer air, and the police treating the deaths as accidental, Melissa must solve this case herself. To find the killer with the sharpest sting, she may have to delve deep into the hive. 264pp, paperback.