Sara Sheridan

WINNER OF THE CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER In Bloody Scotland a selection of Scotland's best crime writers use the sinister side of the country's built heritage in stories that are by turns gripping, chilling and redemptive. Stellar contributors Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre, Denise Mina, Ann Cleeves, Louise Welsh, Lin Anderson, Doug Johnstone, Gordon Brown, Craig Robertson, E S Thomson, Sara Sheridan and Stuart MacBride explore the thrilling potential of Scotland's iconic sites and structures. From murder in an ancient broch and a macabre tale of revenge among the furious clamour of an eighteenth century mill, to a dark psychological thriller set within the tourist throng of Edinburgh Castle and a rivalry turning fatal in the concrete galleries of an abandoned modernist ruin, this collection uncovers the intimate - and deadly - connections between people and places. Prepare for a dangerous journey into the dark shadows of our nation's buildings - where passion, fury, desire and death collide.

One manuscript. One courtesan. Millions of lives, hanging in the balance. The year is 1824 and the streets of London are awash with scandal, for rumour has it that the late, great Lord Byron has written a memoir. Byron is well-known to have rampaged across Britain and the continent, leaving a coterie of lovelorn women - and for that matter, men - in his wake. Publication of his memoirs stands to at the very least violate every known social norm. At worst it could rock the most foundational of all social structures - the monarchy itself. Under enormous pressure, publisher John Murray decides to toss the only copy of the manuscript into the fire of his London home, believing that to be an end to the matter. It isn't. Enter libertine, sometimes-courtesan and fearless defender of women's rights, Belle Brodie. The very Belle Brodie who had it on good authority that John Murray's son had made a copy of the manuscript, and promptly taken it upon herself to steal it. As Belle flees to Paris in possession of the one document that has the ability to blow up the lives of entire aristocratic dynasties, she finds herself pursued by publishers, scorned ex's of Byron and agents of the English crown alike. Thankfully life in post-revolutionary Paris is a hotbed of sexual intrigue, gossip, and people on the make, with plenty of nooks and crannies for Belle to escape into. But the truth can't hide forever. Or can it? So much history is lost. But what if it was only spirited away?

London, 1837. Orphaned as an infant, when 27-year-old married ingenue Araminta McKenzie Moore is summoned to her great aunt's deathbed, it's the first time she's known a single living family member. The McKenzie women, however, have a long and secret history as Jewel Keepers to the Scottish Crown and Araminta is plunged into a dangerous intrigue which stretches back generations. Will this proper young lady break the bounds of her upbringing to unravel a legacy of baffling clues and right a wrong turn taken generations before by her? If she succeeds, she will uncover something more valuable than mere treasure - a secret that will change not only Araminta's life but the lives of all women living on this, the cusp of the Queen Victoria's rule.

Richmond, London, 1837. When young and newly married Araminta McKenzie Moore is summoned to the deathbed of her Great Aunt Helen, it's her first meeting with any member of her family. The McKenzie women, however, have a secret history as Jewel Keepers to the Scottish Crown. And when Helen dies, Araminta is plunged into a dangerous intrigue which stretches back generations. Relying on her own initiative and resources, can she unravel a legacy of clues to reclaim her family's honour and her own birthright? Praise for The Fair Botanists:'Compelling, fascinating . . . A cracking good read' Val McDermid'An evocative, enjoyable portrait of 1820s Edinburgh' Sunday Times'Lush, seductive' Daily Mail'Completely enchanting' Scotsman'A beautiful tale of scandal and intrigue' Susan Stokes-Chapman

What does it mean to be a woman who dares to challenge the status quo? Whether by wielding power in patriarchal societies or rallying for peace, fighting for change has always put women in danger, but also led to remarkable stories of resistance. Gathering 46 essays from writers around the globe, this collection explores the twin themes of women and daring through the lives of monarchs, prophets, suffragists, soldiers, scientists, activists and artists. From the infamous to the forgotten, these trailblazers have much to tell us about the dynamics, conflicts, identities and power relations with which women live today.

What does it mean to be a woman who dares to challenge the status quo? Whether by wielding power in patriarchal societies or rallying for peace, fighting for change has always put women in danger, but also led to remarkable stories of resistance. Gathering 46 essays from writers around the globe, this collection explores the twin themes of women and daring through the lives of monarchs, prophets, suffragists, soldiers, scientists, activists and artists. From the infamous to the forgotten, these trailblazers have much to tell us about the dynamics, conflicts, identities and power relations with which women live today.

Readers love Sara Sheridan's evocative historical novels . . .'I loved this book from start to finish. So interesting to read about women back in the 1800s being independent and finding their own way in what was mostly a man's domain!' ?????'Did not want to put this down but did not want it to end. Another fabulous read transporting you back in time, bring on the next one quickly please!' ?????'I was totally floored by this! SO interesting at every point!' ????? Celebrated writer and historian Maria Graham must make the treacherous voyage from Brazil to London to deliver her latest book to her publisher. Having come to terms with the loss of her beloved husband, Maria is now determined to live her life as she pleases, free from the smothering constraints of Georgian society. For a woman travelling alone it's a journey fraught with danger, and as civil war rages around her, the only ship prepared to take Maria belongs to roguish smuggler Captain James Henderson. Onboard, all is well until Maria makes two shocking discoveries - the first a deadly secret, the second an irresistible attraction to the enigmatic captain. With Henderson on a journey of his own and determined to finally put his life of crime behind him, he and Maria grow ever closer. But can Henderson escape his illicit past or will the scandalous secret he's hiding ruin them both?

LONGLISTED FOR SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS 2024. THE ENCHANTING NEW NOVEL BY THE AUTHOR OF THE 2022 WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE YEAR, THE FAIR BOTANISTS.'Gripping' Good Housekeeping'Secrets discovered, ruinous rumours scotched, happiness regained and friendships founded' Daily Mail'A novel of feeling and intellect which will surely and deservedly be a great success' Allan Massie, The ScotsmanYou wouldn't suspect it, but scandalous secrets are being kept on Blythswood Square...1846. Glasgow is a city on the cusp of great social change, but behind the curtains, neighbours are watching, and rumours of improper behaviour spread like wildfire on the respectable Blythswood Square. When Charlotte Nicholl discovers that the fortune she has been bequeathed by her father is tied up in a secret collection of erotic art, she is faced with a terrible dilemma: sell it and risk shaming her family's good name or lose her home. An encounter with Ellory Mann, a talented working-class photographer newly arrived in Glasgow, leads Charlotte to hope she has found not only someone who might help her, but also a friend. Yet Ellory is hiding secrets of her own - secrets that become harder to conceal as she finds herself drawn into Charlotte's world. As the truth begins to catch up with both women, will it destroy everything they've fought to build - or set them both free? Readers love Sara Sheridan's storytelling!'I absolutely love Sara Sheridan's books. They're so easy to get into and so hard to put down. The Secrets of Bythwood Square is no exception. It's a great story populated with excellent, believable characters and woven with rich historical detail' 5* reader review, NetGalley'A fascinating, atmospheric story which I greatly enjoyed' 5* reader review, NetGalley'I absolutely loved it, finished it within 2 days' 5* reader review, NetGalley'Wonderful characters and a beautifully interwoven story.' 4* reader review, NetGalley PRAISE FOR THE FAIR BOTANISTS:'Sheridan creates an evocative, enjoyable portrait of two women determined to lead independent lives' SUNDAY TIMES'Completely enchanting and fascinating . . . a rollicking and immensely readable tale' SCOTSMAN'Lush, seductive and scandalous, this is a gorgeous read' DAILY MAIL'A cracking good read' VAL MCDERMID'Dazzling, original, full of wonderful characters' KATIE FFORDE'What a beautiful, immersive gem of historical fiction' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'An absolute treat for fans of historical fiction and rich storytelling' RED

LONGLISTED FOR SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS 2024. THE ENCHANTING NEW NOVEL BY THE AUTHOR OF THE 2022 WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE YEAR, THE FAIR BOTANISTS.'Gripping' Good Housekeeping'Secrets discovered, ruinous rumours scotched, happiness regained and friendships founded' Daily Mail'A novel of feeling and intellect which will surely and deservedly be a great success' Allan Massie, The ScotsmanYou wouldn't suspect it, but scandalous secrets are being kept on Blythswood Square...1846. Glasgow is a city on the cusp of great social change, but behind the curtains, neighbours are watching, and rumours of improper behaviour spread like wildfire on the respectable Blythswood Square. When Charlotte Nicholl discovers that the fortune she has been bequeathed by her father is tied up in a secret collection of erotic art, she is faced with a terrible dilemma: sell it and risk shaming her family's good name or lose her home. An encounter with Ellory Mann, a talented working-class photographer newly arrived in Glasgow, leads Charlotte to hope she has found not only someone who might help her, but also a friend. Yet Ellory is hiding secrets of her own - secrets that become harder to conceal as she finds herself drawn into Charlotte's world. As the truth begins to catch up with both women, will it destroy everything they've fought to build - or set them both free? Readers love Sara Sheridan's storytelling!'I absolutely love Sara Sheridan's books. They're so easy to get into and so hard to put down. The Secrets of Bythwood Square is no exception. It's a great story populated with excellent, believable characters and woven with rich historical detail' 5* reader review, NetGalley'A fascinating, atmospheric story which I greatly enjoyed' 5* reader review, NetGalley'I absolutely loved it, finished it within 2 days' 5* reader review, NetGalley'Wonderful characters and a beautifully interwoven story.' 4* reader review, NetGalley PRAISE FOR THE FAIR BOTANISTS:'Sheridan creates an evocative, enjoyable portrait of two women determined to lead independent lives' SUNDAY TIMES'Completely enchanting and fascinating . . . a rollicking and immensely readable tale' SCOTSMAN'Lush, seductive and scandalous, this is a gorgeous read' DAILY MAIL'A cracking good read' VAL MCDERMID'Dazzling, original, full of wonderful characters' KATIE FFORDE'What a beautiful, immersive gem of historical fiction' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'An absolute treat for fans of historical fiction and rich storytelling' RED

*SELECTED AS THE WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022*'Compelling, fascinating . . . A cracking good read' Val McDermid'An evocative, enjoyable portrait of 1820s Edinburgh' Sunday Times'Lush, seductive' Daily Mail'Completely enchanting' Scotsman'A beautiful tale of scandal and intrigue' Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora***Could one rare plant hold the key to a thousand riches? It's the summer of 1822 and Edinburgh is abuzz with rumours of King George IV's impending visit. In botanical circles, however, a different kind of excitement has gripped the city. In the newly-installed Botanic Garden, the Agave Americana plant looks set to flower - an event that only occurs once every few decades. When newly widowed Elizabeth arrives in Edinburgh to live with her late husband's aunt Clementina, she's determined to put her unhappy past in London behind her. As she settles into her new home, she becomes fascinated by the beautiful Botanic Garden which borders the grand house and offers her services as an artist to record the rare plant's impending bloom. In this pursuit, she meets Belle Brodie, a vivacious young woman with a passion for botany and the lucrative, dark art of perfume creation. Belle is determined to keep both her real identity and the reason for her interest the Garden secret from her new friend. But as Elizabeth and Belle are about to discover, secrets don't last long in this Enlightenment city . . . And when they are revealed, they can carry the greatest of consequences . . .***'Dazzling, original, full of wonderful characters' Katie Fforde'An absolute treat for fans of historical fiction and rich storytelling' Red Magzine'Lively and generous-hearted, with an array of utterly engaging characters, this enchanting novel reads like a warm tonic for the soul' Mary Paulson-Ellis'As rare and lush as the Agave flower itself, The Fair Botanists is a richly realised, transportive delight' Rachel Rhys'Beautiful . . . Every sentence is a gift. If you love The Doll Factory or The Binding, you'll love this' Miranda Dickinson'Delightfully original, sensuous historical fiction, led by a charge of female characters as captivating and complex as the brightest of botanical flowers' Cari Thomas

'Building tension is Sara Sheridan's speciality. . . the story heads towards an edge-of-the-seat climax' Daily MailAbout to get married, Mirabelle and her fiancé retired Superintendent Alan McGregor are torn about where they will settle but when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes up to buy a secluded house on the banks of the Firth of Forth, they submit to getting permission from the local landlord. But that permission comes at a price and when a nun dies in mysterious circumstances at the Little Sisters of Gethsemane Convent nearby they are drafted to uncover what happened.

Can you imagine a different Scotland, one where women are commemorated in statues and streets, hills and valleys? This is a guidebook to that alternative nation, where streets, buildings and monuments are dedicated to real women, telling their often untold or unknown stories.

The official illustrated companion to ITV's Sanditon, Jane Austen's final incomplete novel

Brighton,1957Mirabelle Bevan can't resist a cry for help, be it the little girl at a seaside sanatorium who is getting bullied or the strange behaviour of Uma, the Indian nurse who is looking after her. Intrigued she soon finds herself drawn into a spider's web of connections between an upmarket brothel, local priest Father Grogan, a man's body washed up on Brighton beach and a missing nursing sister. Attracted to handsome police doctor, Chris Williams, Mirabelle is determined to finally put her love affair with Jack Duggan behind her and recover from the betrayal of Superintendent Alan McGregor, but the police force in Brighton is undergoing a sea change that keeps leading her back to the sanatorium at the epicentre of a spate of brutal killings. And very soon it becomes apparent Mirabelle is in much more danger than she realises...'With sharp blows delivered for gender and racial equality, Sheridan's story builds to a chilling climax' Daily Mail

This is not just another Nessie tale, it’s a MONSTER story… Best-selling author Sara Sheridan teams up with her daughter Molly to produce this fantastic and topical adventure about friendship and teamwork, and why discarding plastics and our waste in lochs, lakes and waterways is not good for us, the planet AND for all the monsters trying to visit their friends. The darkly quirky and fun illustrations are by first-time picture book illustrator Iain Carroll.

WWII is over but Mirabelle's time in the backrooms of Whitehall has made her the most stylish sleuth in Brighton. Perfect for fans of ITV's The Bletchley Circle.

In the years following World War II, former Secret Service employee Mirabelle Bevan can't seem to resist an attraction to danger and a thirst for justice . . . The mysterious disappearance of eighteen-year-old debutante Rose Bellamy Gore, last seen outside a Soho jazz club in the company of a saxophone player named Lindon Claremont, has the London tabloids in a frenzy. When Lindon turns up in Brighton desperately seeking help, Mirabelle counsels him to cooperate with the authorities. But after the local police take the musician into custody and ship him off to Scotland Yard, Mirabelle and her best friend, Vesta Churchill, decide to take matters into their own hands. After hopping a train to London, Mirabelle and Vesta scour smoky jazz clubs searching for clues to the deb's disappearance. What they find is a sinister underworld where the price of admission can be one's life. Mirabelle will need to draw on her espionage skills to improvise her way out of a disappearing act of her own . . . Praise for Sara Sheridan and London Calling "Mirabelle Bevan's second case takes her into the divided worlds of underground jazz clubs and missing debutantes. As a British historical mystery, this fits the bill." --RT Book Reviews "An extraordinarily rich historical." --Publishers Weekly "A series that deserves a long run." --Booklist

The second tie-in to ITV drama Victoria unveils the complex, passionate relationship of Victoria and Albert.

In post-World War II England, former Secret Service operative Mirabelle Bevan becomes embroiled in a new kind of intrigue . . . In the popular seaside town of Brighton, it's time for Mirabelle Bevan to move beyond her tumultuous wartime years and start anew. A job at a debt collection agency seems the right step toward a more tranquil life. But as she follows up on a routine loan to a pregnant Hungarian refugee, Mirabelle's instincts for spotting deception are stirred when the woman is reported dead, along with her unborn child. As Mirabelle investigates the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, aided by her feisty sidekick--Vesta Churchill ("no relation to Winston," as she explains)--she unravels a web of evil that stretches from the Brighton beachfront to the darkest corners of Europe. With more than a little British resourcefulness at hand, she must risk her life to navigate a lethal labyrinth of lies and danger in order to expose the truth. Praise for Sara Sheridan and the Mirabelle Bevan Mysteries "Mirabelle has a dogged tenacity to rival Poirot." --Sunday Herald "I was gripped from start to finish." --Newbooks magazine "Unfailingly stylish, undeniably smart." --Daily Record "Plenty of colour and action, will engage the reader from the first page to the last. Highly recommended." --Bookbag "Fresh, exciting and darkly plotted."--Good Book Guide