An indispensable guide for those who thought they knew Prague well, or who would like to discover the hidden face of the city

Asserts that Prague could well be seen as the capital of the twentieth century, describing how the city has experienced and suffered more ways of being modern than perhaps any other metropolis.

A delightful destination for lovers of cobbled lanes and old-fashioned bars, tiny cafés and gorgeous, ancient architecture, Prague boasts a cultural heritage in music and art that surrounds the visitor with wonder and calm. The city of Alphonse Mucha houses vaulting gothic buildings, collections of modern art and, of course, the music of Dvořák in a breathtaking setting that leaps from every page of this new book.

A look of pure hatred cuts across a packed theatre foyer, where one of the revellers has only hours to live. The morning after a convivial evening, retired teachers Etta and Dora, on a homeswap from the South of Italy, are rudely awakened by Leon, the adorably mischievous Basset Hound who's ready for his walk - at quarter to six! Taking advantage of the empty streets and pausing to admire the views over Kampa island from Charles Bridge, the trio find themselves instead looking down upon a murder scene. Recognising the striking red dress she had seen a glamorous businesswoman wearing the previous evening, Etta identifies the victim's body for Czech policeman, Jan Baloun. But despite notable successes when sleuthing on previous trips around Europe, this time, the friends simply want to enjoy their holiday. And Leon? This lovelorn hound only has eyes for the pretty she-Basset in the flat opposite. When their new friend disappears hours after telling them about the dark days of Communism, and Etta and Dora themselves narrowly escape being attacked on their way home, the case becomes personal. What is the humorous Lieutenant Baloun hiding? Who was the traitor in the US Embassy, leaking vital information to the secret police during the tense days in 1980s Prague? And what bearing could that have on a crime committed nearly three decades later? ◆◆◆ Cosy fans, join Etta, Dora and Leon on an evocative delve into Prague's hidden secrets. Can you piece together the puzzle before the killer strikes again? ◆◆◆ *** Prague a Secret from the Past is the fourth book in the The Homeswappers Mysteries, a humorous cosy series following the adventures of two retired teachers and their Basset Hound as they explore the most delightfully murderous European travel destinations and put their skills as sleuths to the test. Written in British English, each light-hearted mystery is clean - no violence, sex or strong language - and can be read as a standalone or enjoyed in sequence: 0. Castelmezzano, The Witch is Dead - An Italian Cosy Mystery (A Prequel Novella) 1. The Watchman of Rothenburg Dies - A German Cosy Mystery 2. A Wedding and a Funeral in Mecklenburg - A German Travel Mystery 3. An Aero Island Christmas Mystery - A Danish Cosy Mystery 4. Prague, A Secret from the Past - A Czech Travel Mystery 5. Murder on the West Highland Way - A Scottish Cosy Mystery is the next book to come... More adventures to follow!

The Prague Cemetery is the #1 international bestselling historical novel from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco. Nineteenth-century Europe—from Turin to Prague to Paris—abounds with the ghastly and the mysterious. Jesuits plot against Freemasons. Italian republicans strangle priests with their own intestines. French criminals plan bombings by day and celebrate Black Masses at night. Every nation has its own secret service, perpetrating forgeries, plots, and massacres. Conspiracies rule history. From the unification of Italy to the Paris Commune to the Dreyfus Affair to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Europe is in tumult and everyone needs a scapegoat. But what if behind all of these conspiracies, both real and imagined, lay one lone man? “Choreographed by a truth that is itself so strange a novelist need hardly expand on it to produce a wondrous tale... Eco is to be applauded for bringing this stranger-than-fiction truth vividly to life.” —The New York Times

For readers of VE Schwab and The Witcher, science and magic clash in atmospheric gaslight-era Prague. In the quiet streets of Prague all manner of otherworldly creatures lurk in the shadows. Unbeknownst to its citizens, their only hope against the tide of predators are the dauntless lamplighters - a secret elite of monster hunters whose light staves off the darkness each night. Domek Myska leads a life teeming with fraught encounters with the worst kind of evil: pijavica, bloodthirsty and soulless vampiric creatures. Despite this, Domek find solace in his moments spent in the company of his friend, the clever and beautiful Lady Ora Fischer - a widow with secrets of her own. When Domek finds himself stalked by the spirit of the White Lady - a ghost who haunts the baroque halls of Prague castle – he stumbles across the sentient essence of a will-o'-the-wisp captured in a mysterious container. Now, as it's bearer, Domek wields its power, but the wisp, known for leading travellers to their deaths, will not be so easily controlled. After discovering a conspiracy amongst the pijavice that could see them unleash terror on the daylight world, Domek finds himself in a race against those who aim to twist alchemical science for their own dangerous gain.

A look of pure hatred cuts across a packed theatre foyer, where one of the revellers has only hours to live. The morning after a convivial evening, retired teachers Etta and Dora, on a homeswap from the South of Italy, are rudely awakened by Leon, the adorably mischievous Basset Hound who's ready for his walk - at quarter to six! Taking advantage of the empty streets and pausing to admire the views over Kampa island from Charles Bridge, the trio find themselves instead looking down upon a murder scene. Recognising the striking red dress she had seen a glamorous businesswoman wearing the previous evening, Etta identifies the victim's body for Czech policeman, Jan Baloun. But despite notable successes when sleuthing on previous trips around Europe, this time, the friends simply want to enjoy their holiday. And Leon? This lovelorn hound only has eyes for the pretty she-Basset in the flat opposite. When their new friend disappears hours after telling them about the dark days of Communism, and Etta and Dora themselves narrowly escape being attacked on their way home, the case becomes personal. What is the humorous Lieutenant Baloun hiding? Who was the traitor in the US Embassy, leaking vital information to the secret police during the tense days in 1980s Prague? And what bearing could that have on a crime committed nearly three decades later? ◆◆◆ Cosy fans, join Etta, Dora and Leon on an evocative delve into Prague's hidden secrets. Can you piece together the puzzle before the killer strikes again? ◆◆◆ *** Prague a Secret from the Past is the fourth book in the The Homeswappers Mysteries, a humorous cosy series following the adventures of two retired teachers and their Basset Hound as they explore the most delightfully murderous European travel destinations and put their skills as sleuths to the test. Written in British English, each light-hearted mystery is clean - no violence, sex or strong language - and can be read as a standalone or enjoyed in sequence: 0. Castelmezzano, The Witch is Dead - An Italian Cosy Mystery (A Prequel Novella) 1. The Watchman of Rothenburg Dies - A German Cosy Mystery 2. A Wedding and a Funeral in Mecklenburg - A German Travel Mystery 3. An Aero Island Christmas Mystery - A Danish Cosy Mystery 4. Prague, A Secret from the Past - A Czech Travel Mystery 5. Murder on the West Highland Way - A Scottish Cosy Mystery is the next book to come... More adventures to follow!