In the golden days of Ancient Greece and Rome, amidst the splendid art and architecture, the philosophy and politics - there was always a full measure of intrigue, mystery and murder. In this new collection twenty-two writers take up their pens to give an enthralling picture of classical crime. Favourite historical detectives such as Gordianus the Finder, Decius Metellus, and Sister Fidelma rub shoulders with eminent temporary sleuths such as Socrates and that honourable man Brutus, whilst other great names - Augustus, Archimedes, and even the spoilt and beautiful goddess of love, Aphrodite herself - also become enmeshed in terrible and ingenious crimes. Contributors include: Keith Heller Edward D. Hoch Phyllis Ann Karr Theodore Mathieson Amy Myers Wallace Nichols Anthony Price Steven Saylor Darrell Schweitzer Brian Stableford Keith Taylor and many more

An all-new collection of exciting murder-mysteries with historical settings This new volume of historical murder and mystery contains over 20 specially commissioned stories ranging in period from Ancient Rome to the reign of Good Queen Bess. It features original stories from such masters as Steven Saylor, Peter Tremayne, Philip Gooden, Susanna Gregory, Kate Ellis, Michael Jecks, Edward D. Hoch and Marilyn Todd. · In Steven Saylor’s Roman tale, Poppy and the Poisoned Cake, Gordianus the Finder feels his latest assignment is suspiciously easy to solve. · Edward D. Hoch puts a novel twist on the locked-room mystery by setting it on a “locked ship” — Christopher Columbus’s, in fact! · In Flibbertigibbet Paul Finch unleashes a deranged serial killer on Elizabethan London. · Falstaff ’s successor Sir Johan de Mandeville turns sleuth in Keith Taylor’s Bene?t of Clergy. · Sister Fidelma must solve the mystery of a murdered Celtic monk in Death of an Icon by Peter Tremayne. · A pig provides the key to Michael Jecks’s latest Sir Baldwin mystery.- · Cherith Baldry turns Geoffrey Chaucer into a secret agent in her version of The Pilgrim’s Tale. · Anarchy and murderous intent rule when the Romans leave the British Isles in Richard Butler’s The Last Legion. . . . plus many more tales of dark age murder and mayhem!

Twenty tales of intrigue, murder and mayhem from this most bloodthirsty and exciting of times. With dramatic settings ranging form the Eternal City of Rome to the most remote outposts of her Empire, here are new tales form the masters of the historical detective story, with classic gems and rare reprints - plus a special introduction, and a new Gordianus the Finder novella from Steven Saylor. A Gladiator Dies Only Once, Steven Saylor: set just before the rebellion of Spartacus, Gordianus is sent to investigate, not a murder but a resurrection. Heads You Lose, Simon Scarrow: someone is beheading soldiers during the siege of Jerusalem, but could the assassin be within the Roman camp? Never Forget, Tom HOlt: having defeated Hannibal, Scipio Africanus has a murder to solve and consults a wily Greek philosopher to help him. The Hostage to Fortune, Michael Jecks: during Caesar's invasion of Britain, the murder of one of the hostages causes a real problem for the guards. The Finger of Aphrodite, Mary Reed and Eric Mayer: with Rome under siege by the Ostrogoths, John the Eunuch is faced with a locked room murder. Edited by Edgar Award winner Mike Ashley

Divided into three main sections, "The Ancient World", "The Middle Ages" and "Regency and Gaslight", The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits includes: · The Thief versus Rhampsinitus by Herodotus - probably the earliest detective story ever written. · The Locked Tomb Mystery, set in ancient Egypt, by Elizabeth Peters. · A new story by John Maddox Roberts featuring the young Roman detective Decius Metellus. · Robert van Gulik's ingenious He Came With the Rain featuring Judge Dee, a real-life character who lived inseventh-century China. · A new story by Peter Tremayne, set in seventh-century Ireland and featuring Sister Fidelma. · Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael story The Price of Light. · Paul Harding's The Confession of Brother Athelstan. · A classic locked-room mystery featuring Lillian de la Torre's popular detective Sam Johnson. · A story by Michael Harrison featuring August Dupin, the detective created by Edgar Allan Poe and the inspiration behind Sherlock Holmes. · John Dickson Carr's acclaimed The Gentleman from Paris. ...and many more!

Mystery and murder from the Sands of Time; This anthology covers two periods in history - the time of 'Ancient Egypt' which stretches from the First Dynasty in 4000 BC to the time of the Roman Empire, and the time of the Discoveries, which covers the Napoleonic and Victorian periods of excavation. The anthology will be a collection of new stories and rare reprints, including contributions from Lynda Robinson, featuring Lord Meren, Lauren Haney and a Lieutenant Bak mystery, plus stories from Gillian Linscott, Kate Ellis, Marilyn Todd, Paul Doherty, Suzanne Franke, Amy Myers, Michael Pearce, Elizabeth Peters and many more. So from the famed Cleopatra to Howard Carter and the Curse of the Pharaohs, here are 25 stories to enthral and enchant devotees of the genre.

The third new collection of historical murder and mystery stories A brilliant new collection of thirty stories of mystery and intrigue spread over three thousand years, from Ancient Egypt to spies on the Titanic. Selected by bestselling editor Mike Ashley, the stories include brand new contributions as well as rare reprints, from writers such as Ian Rankin, Lynda Robinson, Sharan Newman, Gail Frazer, Gillian Linscott and Peter Tremayne. Among the characters featured are the Queen of Sheba, Attila the Hun, Hildegarde of Bingen, Geoffrey Chaucer, Henry the Navigator and Benjamin Franklin. And with settings as far-ranging as Botany Bay and ancient Pisa, New Amsterdam and old Edinburgh, ancient Greece and the court of Kublai Khan.

This dazzling new collection of off-the-wall fantasies features stories from the minds of the funniest writers in the field, including Esther Friesner, Neil Gaiman, Tom Holt, Paul di Filippo, Adam Roberts and Molly Brown. Here are 35 stories guaranteed to reassure us that the next-door world will be just as mad as this one. It includes a mix of brand-new stories and rare finds or forgotten gems, with a wide range of tales to suit every taste in humour. From the missionary plunged into the bizarre initiation rituals of a lost tribe to the bloke who thought magic would help his love life, from a wizard allergic to magic who sneezes his way into chaos to a man who finds his shoes have taken over control of his life, The Mammoth Book of Comic Fantasy unfalteringly turns fantasy and horror fiction on its head and makes magic into mayhem. A welcome new shot of comic genius in the sphere of fantasy fiction.