When Irish beauty, SIBELLA COTTLE sets her sights on the rakish HARRY LYNCH-BLOSSE, she is determined to steal his heart and make him hers; but Harry is not free to love her. He is still married to Emily Mahon, a staunch Catholic who refuses to have their marriage annulled. Even if she were to release him, his ambitions would be better served by marrying Lady HARRIETT BROWNE, a cousin of Lord Altamont. Despite himself, Harry falls for Sibella and following a night of passion she becomes pregnant. Her plight is desperate. They elope to his mother's home in Suffolk in 1774 where Harry persuades a solicitor to confirm his freedom to marry. Sibella's hopes are dashed at the altar when a letter from Ireland denies Harry's right to marry. Harry promises to marry her once his annulment comes through. Although distraught, Sibella recovers to focus on her pregnancy. Her mood lifts when she gives birth to a healthy boy, MICHAEL. Having returned to Balla, County Mayo, Harry becomes the 7th Baronet after his father dies. Good fortune follows when Sir Harry is elected to the Irish Parliament and Sibella delivers twin girls, CECILIA and Mary Anne. In the following years, Sibella gives birth to her second son, John, and after a further pregnancy, to her third daughter, Bridget. During this time, Harry establishes the Balla Volunteers to protect Ireland from invasion. Lady Harriett assists him in this task much to the chagrin of Sibella. Worse is to follow when Sibella intercepts a letter from JAMES CUFFE MP, a trustee to Harry's estate. In the letter, Cuffe urges Harry to abandon "that woman" and marry Lady Harriett now that he is free to do so. Sibella is terrified and seeks the advice of the witch, JUDY HOLIAN, who recommends the spancel, a love charm guaranteed to spellbind Harry for life. Aided by Judy, Sibella makes a spancel from a strip of skin cut from a corpse initially unaware that the body is that of Harry's illegitimate daughter, Ellen Colgan. Sibella must ensure that Harry never finds out the source of the spancel or he would surely abandon her. Haunted by the spectre of witchcraft, Sibella's position is precarious. Her epic struggle for survival is interwoven against a background of intrigue, rebellion and romance. This extraordinary story is based on real events in 18th century Ireland.

SIBELLA Cottle is distraught when James CUFFE MP urges her lover, Sir HARRY Lynch-Blosse of Balla, Co Mayo to send her away, and instead marry LADY HARRIETT, a rich aristocrat. Otherwise, his offer of a safe seat in the 1776 election to the Irish Parliament will lapse. When Harry wavers, Sibella, now pregnant, resorts to witchcraft with the help of her midwife, JUDY Holian. She seeks to spellbind Harry with a powerful love charm made from the skin of an exhumed corpse. Will Harry surrender to the power of the love charm, and marry Sibella, or will Lady Harriett capture his heart? This conflict is the theme of an absorbing full-length stage play that is based on real people and real events.

Ten people are murdered in an inheritance-motivated feud at the Bodkin residence in 1741. Following the killings, John Bodkin becomes heir to that estate in Galway. He is now free to marry Catherine Bermingham, the gorgeous daughter of Lord Athenry. But their plans are clouded by the ensuing trial in which John’s cousin, Shawn Bodkin, is one of those convicted. In a statement from the gallows, Shawn accuses John of fratricide in an earlier conflict. Instead of protesting his innocence, John goes on the run only to be apprehended by the army. At his trial, John refuses to plead either guilty or not guilty to the murder of his brother Patrick. Only Catherine knows why. She is the keeper of a dark secret, which John insists must remain hidden, even if it costs him his freedom or his life. Based on real events, A Story of the Bodkin Murders explores a fascinating tale of treachery, greed and romance in 18th century Ireland.

Eighteenth century Irish heiress, ANNE O'DONEL has attracted two suitors, the elderly lawyer, TIMOTHY BRECKNOCK and the dashing JASPER MARTIN. Although she is in love with Jasper, her father JUDGE O'DONEL will not agree to the match. When he decides that Anne must marry Brecknock, she rebels and becomes secretly engaged to Jasper. In an attempt to discredit him in Anne's eyes, Brecknock accuses Jasper of philandering, and when this does not succeed, he orchestrates an attempt on Jasper's life. Frustrated by his failure to woo Anne, Brecknock lures her out of her house late at night using a letter forged with Jasper's signature. Expecting to meet her lover, Anne is abducted by four masked horsemen and taken to a remote island on Lough Conn. She is held prisoner by the Mitchell family who are under threat of eviction should she escape. Brecknock visits Anne on the island, still believing he can persuade her to marry him. He appeals to her intellect, introducing her to the world of letters through stories of romance, politics, Evangelicalism and alchemy. Believing that Jasper will find her, Anne plays a dangerous game: trying to convince Brecknock that his suit may have some hope, while delaying her agreement to marry him. Despite Jasper's ceaseless searching, time is running out for her. Brecknock's increasingly irrational behaviour drives her to plan an escape from the island. When this fails, she persuades Mitchell's daughter, SALLY, to take a message to Jasper. Incensed by her attempts to frustrate him, Brecknock is determined to have Anne, willingly or not. Having finally rejected his proposal of marriage, she prepares to fight for her virtue, and perhaps her life

Providing an overview of the entire thriller genre, this book examines over 160 movies from classic Hollywood and British studios, including such essential film noir entries as "Murder, My Sweet," "The Dark Corner," "The Maltese Falcon" and "Afraid To Talk." Great cinema detectives are represented by William Powell (all six of his Thin Man pictures are detailed and discussed), Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes), Warner Oland (Charlie Chan), Sidney Toler (Charlie Chan), Peter Ustinov (Hercule Poirot), Margaret Rutherford (all four of her Miss Marple films are covered), and others including the Saint, the Falcon, Bulldog Drummond and Philo Vance. From director Alfred Hitchock comes "Notorious," "Saboteur," "Number 17" and "Rich and Strange." A few comedies and spoofs, such as "Satan Met a Lady" (an amazing re-make of the original "Maltese Falcon" with Bette Davis and Warren William) and "Who Done It?" (with Abbott and Costello) round out the survey.