A Desperate Fortune

From the bestselling author of The Firebird, comes a new, exquisitely crafted novel of modern-day and historical intrigue. For nearly 300 years, the mysterious journal of Jacobite exile Mary Dundas has lain unread-its secrets safe from prying eyes. Now, amateur codebreaker Sara Thomas has been hired by a once-famous historian to crack the journal’s cipher. But when she arrives in Paris, Sara finds herself besieged by complications from all sides: the journal’s reclusive owner, her charming Parisian neighbor, and Mary, whose journal doesn't hold the secrets Sara expects. It turns out that Mary Dundas wasn’t keeping a record of everyday life, but a first-hand account of her part in a dangerous intrigue. In the first wintry months of 1732, with a scandal gaining steam in London, driving many into bankruptcy and ruin, the man accused of being at its center is concealed among the Jacobites in Paris, with Mary posing as his sister to aid his disguise. When their location is betrayed, they’re forced to put a desperate plan in action, heading south along the road to Rome, protected by the enigmatic Highlander Hugh MacPherson. As Mary’s tale grows more and more dire, Sara, too, must carefully choose which turning to take…to find the road that will lead her safely home.

PRE-ORDER THE KING'S MESSENGER, A STORY OF TREACHERY, BETRAYAL AND LOVE, COMING AUGUST 2024. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Winter Sea and The Vanished Days When a woman brings a small wooden carving into the art dealership, claiming it once belonged to a Russian Empress, Nicola Marter’s boss believes it is worthless. But Nicola has an unwanted, if rare, psychic gift. Holding 'The Firebird' in her hands, she knows this woman is telling the truth. Compelled to uncover its true history, Nicola must put her own past behind her. She contacts an old flame who can access the past in a way no one else can. Together they can find the real story of 'The Firebird'… Following history from Scotland, to Belgium and to St Petersburg, The Firebird is a sweeping story of love, sacrifice, courage and redemption. A journey that spans centuries and lifetimes to connect the past with the future. Praise for Susanna Kearsley ‘Sometimes an author catches lightning in a bottle, and Susanna Kearsley has done just that’ New York Journal of Books ‘A deeply engaging romance and a compelling historical novel’ Bernard Cornwell, author of The Last Kingdom ‘Kearsley is nothing less than a magician weaving together the past and the present in yet another marvellous, genre-bending, romantic, mysterious and utterly unputdownable novel’ M J Rose, author of Seduction ‘Will stay with you long after you put it down. Her deft touch with historical intrigue is matched only by her delivery of a contemporary heroine who is as unique as she is memorable’ Deanna Raybourn, author of The Dark Enquiry ‘Fascinating, immersive and twisty – twists not only of plot, but of character and time’ Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series

First published in 1970 to great acclaim, this novel stands as one of the most dazzling and rigorous examples of the storyteller's craft in postwar American literature--a novel that, according to Irving Howe, ranks with "Billy Budd" and "The Great Gatsby".

New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Archer-returns with a powerful tale of twins separated by fate and reunited by destiny in Sons of Fortune. In Hartford, Connecticut, in the late 1940s, a set of twins is parted at birth-not by accident. Nat Cartwright goes home with his parents, a schoolteacher and an insurance salesman, while his twin brother begins his days as Fletcher Davenport, son of a millionaire and his society wife. During the 1950s and 1960s, the two brothers grow up apart, following similar paths that take them in different directions. Nat leaves college at the University of Connecticut to serve in Vietnam, then finishes school, earns his MBA, and becomes a successful currency dealer. Fletcher, meanwhile, graduates from Yale University with a bachelor's and a law degree, going on to distinguish himself as a criminal defense lawyer. At various times in their lives, both men are confronted with challenges and obstacles, tragedy and betrayal, loss and hardship, before they both decide to run for governor, unaware they are brothers.... In the tradition of Jeffrey Archer's most popular books, Sons of Fortune is as much a chronicle of a nation in transition as it is the story of the making of these two men -and how they eventually discover the truth-and its tragic consequences.

"Charming... Four interconnected visits to a world of danger, wit, beauty and genuine romance. Treat yourself!"—ANNE PERRY, internationally bestselling author A stellar line-up of historical mystery novelists weaves the tale of a priceless and cursed gold watch as it passes through time wreaking havoc from one owner to another. As the hours and years pass, the characters are irrevocably linked by fate, each playing a key role in breaking the curse and destroying the watch once and for all. From 1733 Italy to Edinburgh in 1831 to a series of chilling murders in 1870 London, and a lethal game of revenge decades later, the watch touches lives with misfortune, until it comes into the reach of one young woman who might be able to stop it for good. As much a book of curses as a book of destinies, The Deadly Hours is a breathtaking anthology rich with atmosphere and intrigue that encapsulates the exquisite destruction, heartbreak, and redemption wrought by fate. This outstanding collaboration of authors includes: Susanna Kearsley - New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of compelling time slip fiction. C.S. Harris - USA Today bestselling author of the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series. Anna Lee Huber - award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries. Christine Trent - author of the Lady of Ashes Victorian mystery series. More praise for The Deadly Hours: "A fantastic read."—Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author "What a treat!"—Victoria Thompson, USA Today bestselling author

Includes an excerpt from the next novel featuring Gabriela Rose.

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER A suspenseful new novel of love, lies, and loyalty, set against the sweeping backdrop of the early Jacobite rebellions, from New York Times bestselling author Susanna Kearsley. There are many who believe they know what happened, but they do not know the whole of it. The rumours spread, and grow, and take their hold, and so to end them I have been persuaded now to take my pen in hand and tell the story as it should be told... Autumn, 1707. Old enemies from the Highlands to the Borders are finding common ground as they join to protest the new Union with England, the French are preparing to launch an invasion to carry the young exiled Jacobite king back to Scotland to reclaim his throne, and, in Edinburgh, the streets are filled with discontent and danger. When a young widow, Lily Aitcheson, comes forward to collect her lost husband’s wages, former soldier Adam Williamson is assigned to investigate her petition and the veracity of her claim. As Lily tells her story, Adam has only days to discover if she’s being honest, or if his own feelings are making him blind to the truth. But sinister figures lurk in the background—is Adam being used as a pawn in an increasingly treacherous game? Told in dual timelines, The Vanished Days is a captivating story of intrigue, adventure, romance—and the bold courage to hope when it seems all hope is lost.

From the bestselling author of The Firebird, comes an exquisitely crafted novel of modern-day and historical intrigue. For nearly 300 years, the mysterious journal of Jacobite exile Mary Dundas has lain unread—its secrets safe from prying eyes. Now, amateur codebreaker Sara Thomas has been hired by a once-famous historian to crack the journal's cipher. But when she arrives in Paris, Sara finds herself besieged by complications from all sides: the journal's reclusive owner, her charming Parisian neighbor, and Mary, whose journal doesn't hold the secrets Sara expects. It turns out that Mary Dundas wasn’t keeping a record of everyday life, but a first-hand account of her part in a dangerous intrigue. In the first wintry months of 1732, with a scandal gaining steam in London, driving many into bankruptcy and ruin, the man accused of being at its center is concealed among the Jacobites in Paris, with Mary posing as his sister to aid his disguise. When their location is betrayed, they’re forced to put a desperate plan in action, heading south along the road to Rome, protected by the enigmatic Highlander Hugh MacPherson. As Mary's tale grows more and more dire, Sara, too, must carefully choose which turning to take…to find the road that will lead her safely home.