Details the unsolved murder of successful attorney Charles Bravo, a cruel man who tormented his wife Florence, in a mystery that paints a portrait of Victorian culture and one woman's fight to exist in this repressive society.

The New York Times bestselling "epic feminist fantasy perfect for fans of Game of Thrones" (Bustle). NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY: AMAZON (Top 100 Editors Picks and Science Fiction and Fantasy) * CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY * BOOKPAGE * AUTOSTRADDLE A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens. The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction--but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

"The notorious death of Charles Bravo"--Cover.

"Superb... Flanders's convincing and smart synthesis of the evolution of an official police force, fictional detectives, and real-life cause célèbres will appeal to devotees of true crime and detective fiction alike." -Publishers Weekly, starred review In this fascinating exploration of murder in nineteenth century England, Judith Flanders examines some of the most gripping cases that captivated the Victorians and gave rise to the first detective fiction Murder in the nineteenth century was rare. But murder as sensation and entertainment became ubiquitous, with cold-blooded killings transformed into novels, broadsides, ballads, opera, and melodrama-even into puppet shows and performing dog-acts. Detective fiction and the new police force developed in parallel, each imitating the other-the founders of Scotland Yard gave rise to Dickens's Inspector Bucket, the first fictional police detective, who in turn influenced Sherlock Holmes and, ultimately, even P.D. James and Patricia Cornwell. In this meticulously researched and engrossing book, Judith Flanders retells the gruesome stories of many different types of murder in Great Britain, both famous and obscure: from Greenacre, who transported his dismembered fiancée around town by omnibus, to Burke and Hare's bodysnatching business in Edinburgh; from the crimes (and myths) of Sweeney Todd and Jack the Ripper, to the tragedy of the murdered Marr family in London's East End. Through these stories of murder-from the brutal to the pathetic-Flanders builds a rich and multi-faceted portrait of Victorian society in Great Britain. With an irresistible cast of swindlers, forgers, and poisoners, the mad, the bad and the utterly dangerous, The Invention of Murder is both a mesmerizing tale of crime and punishment, and history at its most readable.

In this thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon, Eve Dallas tracks down those who break the law—including the ones sworn to uphold it. Detective Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a senseless crime—an elderly grocery owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. This is Peabody’s first case as primary detective—good thing she learned from the master. But soon Peabody stumbles upon a trickier situation. After a hard workout, she’s all alone in the locker room when the gym door clatters open, and—while hiding inside a shower stall trying not to make a sound—she overhears two fellow officers arguing. It doesn’t take long to realize they’re both crooked—guilty not just of corruption but of murder. Now Peabody, Eve, and Eve’s husband, Roarke, are trying to get the hard evidence they need to bring down the dirty cops—knowing all the while that the two are willing to kill to keep their secret.

Book 3 in the Acclaimed Red Graves Mystery Series Scottish barrister Rex Graves will never understand why the devil his son Campbell chose to go to college in Florida rather than attending university in bonny Scotland. During Rex's visit across the pond, tragedy strikes when a student is found hanging from a rope in his locked dorm room. Did the poor lad commit suicide, or was it murder? With one student dead and his own son in danger, Rex Graves vows to learn the truth. In between trying not to worry about Campbell and trying to please his new love, Helen d'Arcy (while keeping ex-girlfriend Moira at bay), Rex conducts his own investigation. What he finds is a maze of sordid secrets in the university's not-so-hallowed halls. Praise for the Rex Graves mystery series by C. S. Challinor: "A winner...a must for cozy fans."—Booklist (starred review) "A clever variant on the locked room mystery. With a host of colorful characters, a dose of humor and a balmy locale, you will want to devour this well-plotted mystery."—Mystery Scene Phi Beta Murder is not affiliated or associated with the Phi Beta Kappa Society or any of its members or affiliated organizations.