324 stories
The German Ward
France, 1915. An English nurse and German doctor fall in love. He is a prisoner of war; she has never cared for rules. Their love is visceral and urgent, forbidden and doomed, and it would have gone unrecorded if not for a series of drawings found more than a century later. At first, the drawings seem insignificant, but the woman who finds them glimpses moments of intimacy and can’t look away. The images become part of a puzzle she wants to solve: who were the lovers, what became of them, and what story of war was the artist trying to tell?
The Bookbinder of Jericho
It is 1914, and as the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, women must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who live on a narrow boat in Oxford and work in the bindery at the university press. Ambitious, intelligent Peggy has been told for most of her life that her job is to bind the books, not read them—but as she folds and gathers pages, her mind wanders to the opposite side of Walton Street, where the female students of Oxford’s Somerville College have a whole library at their fingertips. Maude, meanwhile, wants nothing more than what she has: to spend her days folding the pages of books in the company of the other bindery girls. She is extraordinary but vulnerable, and Peggy feels compelled to watch over her. Then refugees arrive from the war-torn cities of Belgium, sending ripples through the Oxford community and the sisters’ lives. Peggy begins to see the possibility of another future where she can educate herself and use her intellect, not just her hands. But as war and illness reshape her world, her love for a Belgian soldier—and the responsibility that comes with it—threaten to hold her back.
Ursula Blanchard Mysteries
Ursula Blanchard is a young, well-born widow who becomes a lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I. She gradually becomes involved in secret investigations and espionage, working at various points with Elizabeth's powerful secretary and spymaster William Cecil and, later, Sir Francis Walsingham. The mysteries combine murder and detection, court intrigue, Catholic–Protestant tensions, plots against Elizabeth, international espionage, marriage and sexual politics, aristocratic family secrets, and domestic life alongside the great political events of the period. There are 23 novels, published between 1997 and 2024.
Death Comes to Pemberley
Death Comes to Pemberley is a 2011 historical mystery novel by British writer P.D. James that continues the story of Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice and adds a murder mystery. In the book, Captain Denny, a minor character from Pride and Prejudice, is murdered at Fitzwilliam Darcy's Pemberley estate, and George Wickham stands trial for murder.
'Charlotte and Thomas Pitt' Mysteries
A long-running Victorian-setting book series featuring Inspector Thomas Pitt and his upper-class wife, Charlotte Ellison, who solve crimes in London. The series blends suspense with social commentary, highlighting their partnership, social differences, and domestic life across over 30 novels.
Goddess of Fire
Rampore, India, 1684. About to be burned alive on her late husband’s funeral pyre, 17-year-old widow Moorti is rescued from a gruesome fate by a passing British merchant. Thus begins an extraordinary love story and incredible journey as the humble village girl Moorti transforms herself into Maria, becoming one of the most powerful women in India. Starting a new life as a lowly kitchen maid, she relies on her wits and resourcefulness to rise through the ranks of the British East India Company to eventually become founder of the great city then known as Calcutta, the first city of the British Empire.
Psykhe
It is not wise to anger the gods ... or to fall in love with one. Psykhe has always been different. Fair as Venus, the goddess of love, and with the hard-won ability to save the lives of those of mortal blood, she is both shunned and revered. When she unwittingly provokes Venus, she and her sisters lose everything. Psykhe must find a way to make amends and support her family. Befriended by an old woman, Nokturna, Psykhe finds herself irresistibly drawn to her young friend, Ambrose. But neither is what they seem. For Psykhe has fallen in love with a man whose face she is forbidden to see. After disobeying this injunction, she must risk everything to try to save him, even if it means travelling down to the shadowy Underworld to face Proserpina, queen of the dead. The way to the realm of the dead is easy. A thrust of a sword, a sudden fall, a careless bite of toadstool, and the soul is sucked away. It is the return journey that is difficult ....
The Museum Mysteries
Jim Eldridge’s Museum (Murder) Mysteries is an historical crime-fiction series set in late-Victorian London, featuring Daniel Wilson, a former detective from the Metropolitan Police, and his partner, archaeologist Abigail Fenton. Each novel centres on a murder tied to a famous British museum or institution—such as the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, or the National Gallery—where the pair are called in as private inquiry agents to solve crimes that baffle the authorities. The series blends classic whodunnit structure with richly researched historical settings, highlighting scientific rivalries, class tensions, and the early professionalisation of museum culture. Across the series, the cases often expose the hidden politics of Victorian scholarship, including disputes over archaeological finds, forgeries, colonial acquisitions, and the ambitions of curators eager to protect their reputations. Wilson brings methodical investigative skills and quiet moral conviction, while Fenton offers academic expertise, courage, and a knack for noticing overlooked details—making them equal partners in unpicking the murders. Their developing relationship threads through the books, adding warmth and emotional continuity amid the atmosphere of intrigue.
The Winter Sea
In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown. Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write. But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...
The Rose Garden
When Eva's film star sister Katrina dies, she leaves California and returns to Cornwall, where they spent their childhood summers, to scatter Katrina's ashes and in doing so return her to the place where she belongs. But Eva must also confront the ghosts from her own past, as well as those from a time long before her own. For the house where she so often stayed as a child is home not only to her old friends the Halletts, but also to the people who had lived there in the eighteenth century. When Eva finally accepts that she is able to slip between centuries and see and talk to the inhabitants from hundreds of years ago, she soon finds herself falling for Daniel Butler, a man who lived - and died - long before she herself was born. Eva begins to question her place in the present, and in laying her sister to rest, comes to realise that she too must decide where she really belongs, choosing between the life she knows and the past she feels so drawn towards.
Jane
Jane Goodall was an English zoologist, primatologist and anthropologist. She was considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, having studied the social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees for over 60 years. She was the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots & Shoots programme and had worked extensively on conservation and animal welfare issues. She was on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project from 2022 until her death in 2025.
The Adham Family
The Adham Family follows an eccentric, aristocratic household living in a sprawling, decaying haveli on the outskirts of Lucknow. The family—headed by the mysterious patriarch Raja Adham Singh and his elegant yet unnervingly serene wife Rani Mohini—are infamous in the village for their strange habits, midnight gatherings, and the odd whispers that echo from their candlelit halls. Their children, Veer and Anaya, are as peculiar as their parents, delighting in activities that range from breeding venomous pets to hosting séances with long-dead relatives. When a modern-day property developer threatens to demolish the haveli to build luxury apartments, the Adham Family must band together to protect their ancestral home. But they won’t use lawyers or petitions—they’ll employ curses, supernatural allies, and a few well-timed hauntings. In the process, they show that family unity can be terrifyingly effective… and hilariously unconventional.
The Professor
It chronicles the journey of William Crimsworth, a young Englishman who, after the death of his parents and the snubbing of society, seeks his fortune abroad. Rejecting a comfortable but unsuitable position under his vain elder brother, William secures work as a tutor at a boys’ school in Brussels. There, he navigates the rigid social hierarchies of the expatriate community and the pretensions of his employers. In Brussels, William falls in love with his fellow teacher, Frances “Graphie” Héger, whose intelligence and integrity both challenge and inspire him. As he builds his own school and reputation, he confronts class snobbery, romantic misunderstandings, and the struggle for personal autonomy. Ultimately, through perseverance and the forging of genuine mutual respect, William and Graphie find happiness together.
Agnes Grey
The novel follows Agnes Grey, the sheltered daughter of a poor clergyman, who takes up work as a governess to help support her family. Through her positions with two wealthy households—the spoiled Bloomfields and the arrogant Murrays—Agnes endures mistreatment, isolation, and moral challenges. Despite the hardships, she remains principled and resilient, finding solace in her faith and compassion. Eventually, she meets Mr. Weston, a kind and humble curate, and their mutual respect blossoms into love. Agnes Grey offers a quietly powerful critique of class prejudice, gender inequality, and the limited options available to women of modest means.
Sleeping Beauty (TV Series)
Sleeping Beauty is a classic fairy tale about a beautiful princess who is cursed at birth by a spiteful fairy. The curse dooms her to prick her finger on a spindle and fall into a deep sleep on her sixteenth birthday. Despite efforts to prevent the curse, the prophecy comes true, and the princess falls into an enchanted slumber. The entire kingdom falls asleep with her, preserved in time for a hundred years. Eventually, a brave prince hears of the sleeping kingdom and makes his way to the castle. He finds the princess and awakens her with a kiss of true love, breaking the spell. The kingdom awakens with her, and the story ends with the princess and prince marrying and living happily ever after. The tale explores themes of fate, love, and the triumph of good over evil.
Hercules
The film follows Hercules, the son of Zeus and Hera, who is stolen from Mount Olympus by the villainous Hades and turned mortal. Raised on Earth, Hercules possesses incredible strength and sets out to become a true hero so he can reclaim his place among the gods. Along the way, he trains with the satyr Philoctetes ("Phil"), battles monstrous creatures, and falls in love with the clever and guarded Megara, who secretly works for Hades. As Hercules proves himself through acts of courage, he discovers that true heroism is measured not by strength but by selflessness. In the climax, he sacrifices his life to save Meg, an act that restores his godhood. However, Hercules chooses to remain mortal on Earth to be with her, finding his true place not on Olympus but with the people he loves.
Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries
The Sunday Philosophy Club is a series of novels and novellas by Alexander McCall Smith. It is also the name of the first novel in the series, and an informal talking group founded by the main character Isabel Dalhousie. The series is set in Edinburgh.
Psyche and Eros
A prophecy claims that Psyche, princess of Mycenae, will defeat a monster feared even by the gods. Rebelling against her society’s expectations for women, Psyche spends her youth mastering blade and bow, preparing to meet her destiny. But when Psyche angers the love goddess Aphrodite, she sends Eros, god of desire, to deliver a cruel curse. After eons watching humanity twist his gifts, the last thing Eros wants is to become involved in the chaos of the mortal world. But when he pricks himself with the arrow intended for Psyche, Eros finds himself doomed to yearn for a woman who will be torn from him the moment their eyes meet. Thrown together by fate, headstrong Psyche and world-weary Eros will face challenges greater than they could have ever imagined. And as the Trojan War begins and divine powers try to keep them apart, the pair must determine if the curse could become something more . . . before it’s too late.
Den of Wolves
Despite her personal struggles, Blackthorn agrees to help the princess of Dalriada in taking care of a troubled young girl who has recently been brought to court, while Grim is sent to the girl’s home at Wolf Glen to aid her wealthy father with a strange task—repairing a broken-down house deep in the woods. It doesn’t take Grim long to realize that everything in Wolf Glen is not as it seems—the place is full of perilous secrets and deadly lies... Back at Winterfalls, the evil touch of Blackthorn’s sworn enemy reopens old wounds and fuels her long-simmering passion for justice. With danger on two fronts, Blackthorn and Grim are faced with a heartbreaking choice—to stand once again by each other’s side or to fight their battles alone...
Tower of Thorns
Lady Geiléis, a noblewoman from the northern border, has asked for the prince of Dalriada’s help in expelling a howling creature from an old tower on her land—one surrounded by an impenetrable hedge of thorns. Casting a blight over the entire district, and impossible to drive out by ordinary means, it threatens both the safety and the sanity of all who live nearby. With no ready solutions to offer, the prince consults Blackthorn and Grim. As Blackthorn and Grim begin to put the pieces of this puzzle together, it’s apparent that a powerful adversary is working behind the scenes. Their quest is about to become a life and death struggle—a conflict in which even the closest of friends can find themselves on opposite sides.
