Showing results by publisher "Next Chapter Audio Ltd" in Historical Fiction

Strange Tales of Scotland all deal with a particular aspect of Scottish mysteries. You'll learn of the ghost that appeared at the wedding of King Alexander II, and of monsters such as the Shellycoat and Water-horse that were thought to inhabit Scotland’s lochs...Finally, we have a look at the legend of the phantom armies of Scotland; soldiers who refuse to fade away even centuries after their wars have been fought, and their causes faded in history. Welcome to the Strange Tales of Scotland.

After the Second World War, young Ben uncovers a bizarre tale: In the 1941 Blitz, soldiers died right where his playground is now. As events of the past slowly unfold, Ben is entangled in a series of strange, inexplicable incidents, as old secrets and long-hidden truths surface. He is about to discover his family's dark secrets, and will have to help put to rest the horror of what happened in Darley Dene.

In the early 9th century, Asculf leads a quiet life among his apple orchards on the Isle of Sceapig. When called upon for military service, he covers himself in glory. His prowess leads to a friendship with King Aethelwulf of Kent, who offers him one of the most prestigious positions in the kingdom. Meeting King Egbert of Wessex through his son, Aethelwulf, his courage and successful grasp of strategy promise them great success.

Against the turbulent backdrop of the 1930s, Douglas Tulloch navigates the treacherous terrains of India's Northwest Frontier and the early tremors of World War II in France. Thrust in the middle of tribal rebellions, covert missions and old-school rivalries, Tulloch grapples with the true essence of leadership. The repercussions of his decisions will follow him from the alleys of Brussels to the shores of Dunkirk.

Come into the East End of London, England, 1888. Walk the streets of Whitechapel and slums of Spitalfields, side by side with history's most notorious serial killer. Overhear his plans, and listen - or try not to - to his secret thoughts as he waits in the shadows. Keep pace, if you have the nerve, as he stalks his victims. Watch, if you have the stomach, as he commits his outrages. And run with him, if you're still upright, as he escapes the swarming forces of police desperate for his hide and head.

Burmese War, 1852. Unable to join the famous Royal Malverns, Jack Windrush is commissioned into the despised 113th foot. Determined to rise in the ranks and make a name for himself, he is sent with the 113th to join the British expedition. But when they get involved in the attack of Rangoon, Jack realizes that war on the fringes of the empire is not as honorable and glorious as he expected. After a chance meeting with a renegade British soldier, Jack witnesses the true terrors of war, and begins to question the whole framework in which he has grown up.

After surviving the Battle of Culloden in 1746, young Hughie MacKim swears a blood oath to avenge the murder of his brother. Trained as an infantryman in Fraser's Highlanders, Hugh joins the Army himself and follows the trail across the horror of war in North America, through to the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in September 1759. But how can he trace the men in the anonymous ranks of the British Army?

Reece is a drifter. A man with a past, seeking peace and quiet after the horrors of the war. He finds none of these in the town of Whitewater, and is soon embroiled in the mystery of a nearby mine, one wrapped up in a legend of gold and death. The mystery of what happened at the mine has remained unsolved until Reece, recruited by the local sheriff, unearths a labyrinth of lies, envy, greed, and murder. Growing closer to the owner of the local hotel, Miss Bessy, can Reece discover what happened in the mine so long ago, or is he digging too deep?

In seventh century England, tribes and so-called kings vie for power and blood flows throughout the land. Aethelred - ruler of Mercia - is being pressed from all sides, and his wife Osthryth dies under unknown circumstances. Osthryth’s ring falls into the hands of warrior noble Aethelbald, who is accused of her murder and forced to leave Mercia by his conniving cousin Coeolred, who has eyes on the throne. When Aethelred abdicates and the weakling Cenred assumes power, Coelred sees a path to become the king.

It is the year 1915, and the British and Ottoman Empires clash in a deadly struggle in the Middle East. Tasked with keeping the Ottomans out of Suez Canal, Major Andrew Selkirk discovers that his real assignment is to retrieve a Bengali spy working for those who vow to see British rule out of India. After landing on the west coast of Palestine, Selkirk discovers the Ottomans have taken the spy captive. Even more troubling are the plans by Ottomans and Germans to draw Afghanistan and Persia into the war against Great Britain.

Every world has its heroes, and every hero has tales to tell. Britannia, Queen Victoria's realm, is not the least of these, for its many heroes are varied and inextricably linked. If but one falters, then others might follow .In a Victorian world off-kilter with our reality, a malevolent entity and an incarnation of past evil seek to overpower Britannia and its weakened queen. The disenchanted Sir Belvedere Magnanimous Wainthrop, the Lion of Britannia, will brave time and space to battle this unholy alliance and return glory to the empire. Destiny will test their courage and resolve.

Autumn, 1888. While the city is horrified by Jack the Ripper's murder spree another, less publicized killer is at large. Each murder takes place right after the Ripper killings, as the murderer appears to be taking advantage of the lack of police resources to tackle two major investigations at the same time. Inspector Albert Norris is charged with bringing the railway killer to justice, but clues are few and the killer's motive unclear.

Dundee, 1860s. Sergeant George Watters and his team investigate the murder of a local banker, found dead on the 13th tee of a local golf course. Illicit prizefighters, merchants, and prostitutes all seem to be somehow connected to the murder, and even the toughest of Dundee are refusing to talk.

In the seventh book in the Windrush series, Jack is sent to infiltrate the Fenian Brotherhood, who are threatening to cause mutiny in the British Army. The journey will take him from deepest England to Ireland and across the Atlantic to the United States and Canada. Jack discovers that another nation is using the Fenian cause for its own ends, and gets involved in battles and intrigue. But what's most worrying of all is the involvement of Helen, Jack's old flame. What is she doing with the Fenians?

Very few knew Antonia, despite her fame as La Stella di Venezia. In decadent 18th century Venice, she develops from Vivaldi’s star pupil into his musical colleague and the pride of Venetian music. After falling in love with Orlando Sagredo - master planner of the Palio - Antonia recognizes the emotional bondage she has never questioned. Antonia of Venice is inhabited by brilliant musicians, avaricious politicians, and ineffectual rulers of the Republic.

On her 20th birthday, Mary Hepburn - daughter of the local magistrate - learns that she is to marry John Aitken, a much older man. Unhappy with this, Mary walks to the local moor to clear her mind. Instead, she meets and falls in love with the handsome Captain Ferintosh, when he saves her from whiskey smugglers. The situation gets even more complicated when Mary's father arrests Ferintosh.

Caribbean, 1762. With the French in Canada defeated, the focus of Sergeant Hugh MacKim’s war shifts to the West Indies. Still with Kennedy’s Rangers, a French privateer captures his ship off the Bahamas, and the French captain murders the crew. From that point on, MacKim and the Rangers fight their way through the campaign, with battles on Martinico and Cuba only the backdrop to their personal war with Captain Rene Roberval of Douce Vengeance.

Come on a whirlwind ride across time and place with one of the most recognizable figures of Western history - Joan of Arc. We all know of her, but few know the details of her life. Travel back in time, through the words of the maid, in a series of imaginary interviews conducted by the author. Join her on her journey from shepherdess to warrior woman, to her rise to sainthood. Enjoy Joan’s own words, recorded through two arduous trials. Listen to her own descriptions of the many battles and political maneuvers she lived through and starred in.

In early 20th-century Belfast, working class Meg Preston struggles to accept her own sexuality and yearns for forbidden love. Battling the customs and hardships of their time, Meg pursues a relationship with her childhood friend Lillian Watson. But soon, tribulations of war, violence, and emigration threaten to tear everything apart.

Viking Age Norway’s greatest king Harald Fairhair has unified the northern districts into a kingdom, but as he ages and his body weakens, so does his realm. To keep the kingdom from fracturing, Harald abdicates his high seat to the one son he believes capable enough - and vicious enough - to rule: Erik Bloodaxe. There is one problem. The other sons hate their brother and will not accept his kingship.