SPCK Publishing

Everyone agrees that Bob Dexter, the prominent Evangelical clergyman, has a great deal of personal charisma. Those who know him realise that he also has an unshakable faith in his own righteousness, and a real talent for rubbing people up the wrong way.
It is no surprise, therefore, that someone should want to kill him. In fact, when the Reverend Dexter moves to a small Norfolk parish, traditionally Anglo-Catholic, and begins remoulding it in his own image, his distraught parishioners are not the only ones with good reason to want to remove him. And there are secrets in his seemingly tranquil family life that Dexter does not even begin to suspect – until the fateful and eventful day of his death.
Solicitor David Middleton-Brown and his artist-friend Lucy Kingsley step in to investigate. Their search for the truth culminates at the annual National Pilgrimage to Walsingham, where Anglo-Catholic pomp clashes with heated Evangelical protest, and feelings run perilously high. Too late, perhaps, David realises the danger: will he be in time to prevent a second murder?

A woman priest at St Margaret's? Over my dead body!

Dolly Topping, head of the national organisation 'Ladies Opposed to Women Priests' and wife of one of the churchwardens, feels that strongly about it. It is unfortunate, therefore, that Father Julian, the well-loved curate of the Pimlico church, should have been killed in a burglary gone wrong. And doubly unfortunate that the Vicar, upwardly-aspiring William Keble Smythe, should choose to appoint a woman to replace him.

From the moment that Rachel Nightingale enters the serene Anglo-Catholic world of St Margaret's, tempers and emotions run high; Christian charity is not much in evidence, even among those who espouse it loudly.

Then another 'accidental' death unites the parishioners in new heights of hypocrisy, and leaves some crying 'murder'. But David Middleton-Brown is sceptical - until he learns about Father Julian's death. With the encouragement of the Archdeacon, David and Lucy Kingsley embark on a search for the truth about the 'dead man out of mind', and discover more than they ever wanted to know about greed, hypocrisy, ambition - and the cost of love.

Cousins by blood - enemies by choice!

Living above her parent's theatre has always given Antigone Kingsley (Tig) plenty of practice at being centre stage. But when the theatre faces financial crisis and the stage doors close, it is her alluring cousin Amelie, flown in from Paris, who grabs her family's attention. As Tig grapples with her identity away from the limelight, she watches her cousin steal the affection of her family, friends, school - even her loyal social media following! When tension between the two teenagers grow, Tig finds herself at a crossroad. Will her need to be liked outweigh her raging jealousy towards her cousin? Or will spiralling emotions and burning desires lead to murderous consequences?

Antigone Kingsley by author Marina Magdalena, is the first book in this coming-of-age series that makes the perfect companion for tweens and teenage girls going through the highs and lows of growing up. Filled with positive role models, healthy self-exploration, fruitful relationships, vulnerability and good humour, you'll love journeying with Tig as she faces the social pressures, spiralling emotions, burning desires and grand disappointments of teenage life! Tig is your relatable, imperfect, clumsy, hot headed girl next door who learns to embrace who she is, solve problems and bring sparkle to the world. She's your new BFF - meet Antigone 'Tig' Kingsley.

What's behind the mask?

Antigone Kingsley (Tig) takes the helm to organize a school fundraiser – a summer masquerade ball.

In the third book of this captivating coming-of-age series, Tig continues to grapple with her own challenges. Embarrassed by recent blunders in her online videos and stung by the breakdown of her friendship with Fidge, she's driven by an overwhelming desire to do something so remarkably good that it redefines her identity: organizing a summer masquerade ball to spark a wave of excitement and unite the school.

However, just as the masquerade's plans start falling into place, a startling revelation threatens to ruin everything. Antigone stands at a crossroads: will she reveal her vulnerabilities and seek the help she so desperately requires, or will she continue to conceal her true feelings behind the guise of her perpetually cheerful and carefree mask?

Antigone Kingsley: Masquerade by author Marina Magdalena is the perfect companion for middle grade girls going through the highs and lows of growing up. Filled with positive role models, healthy self-exploration, fruitful relationships, vulnerability, and good humour, preteens will love journeying with Tig as she faces the social pressures, spiralling emotions, and the grand disappointments of teenage life! Tig is your relatable, imperfect, clumsy, hot-headed girl next door who learns to embrace who she is, solve problems, and bring sparkle to the world.

Father Gabriel Neville has everything going for him as vicar of St Anne's, Kensington Gardens: intellectual prowess, physical beauty, a happy family life and the prospect of promotion to Archdeacon. But his perfect world is shattered when he receives an anonymous letter that has the power to destroy his career and marriage, by threatening to expose something that no one could possibly know.

The only person Gabriel can turn to is David Middleton-Brown, an old friend and a man with a few secrets of his own. Against his better judgement, David comes to London, where his discreet enquiries bring to light a whole host of suspects.

There's the eccentric church organist, Miles Taylor; the gossip Mavis Conwell; the disapproving Dawson family; the Churchwarden, Cyril Fitzjames, who's in love with Gabriel's wife Emily; and the charming and talented artist Lucy Kingsley.

In his efforts to help Gabriel uncover the blackmailer, David hauls numerous skeletons out of cupboards, and enters into a web of relationships that threaten to shatter his own peace of mind.

"She has again succeeded in creating a cast of compelling characters (some of whom made their first appearance in Angels and Men), whose fate one becomes anxious to discover." Kate Chisholm, Sunday Telegraph

Annie Brown, wrestling with doubts about her faith and a biological clock the size of Big Ben, escapes the stifling kindness of her fellow ordinands and the stifled yelps of her sexuality by writing a raunchy novel.

Yet Annie can no more control her characters than she could a congregation. Outrageous Isabella and butter-wouldn't-melt Barney hurtle unbidden into difficult situations that lead Annie inexorably back to her own repressed upbringing and present predicament. Some of their liberation rubs off on her too, and when she meets brusque outsider Will, Annie plunges into passion as uninhibitedly as Isabella.

But Annie's vocation, like her libido, won't lie down, and she despairs of finding a happy ending to either of her stories . . .

When musician Anna Greene dies at the untimely age of 42, her family and friends are stunned by their sudden loss. Theo, Anna’s husband, fluctuates between numb grief and fury at the world. Fifteen-year-old Beth is fighting her own demons, while little brother Sam just misses his mum.

But Anna has left one last request: that those who love her should walk the Pilgrims’ Way to Canterbury in her memory.

Four months later, they set out on a hundred-mile journey that will change their lives for ever. Walking with the family are Father Stephen – a priest wrestling with a deeply personal crisis of conscience – and Anna’s sparky best friend, single mother Tamsin. Then a stranger joins the group. Who is he? And what was the catastrophe that drove Anna from home a decade earlier?

Over the course of nine days, the pilgrims share their memories of Anna, and gradually the layers of her life are peeled back to uncover secrets no one ever suspected.

Can those who love her live with all that is past?

‘Beautifully written, emotionally resonant and truthful, this is an inspiring novel about the many faces of love and the struggle to come to terms with grief.’
Elizabeth Buchan, author of Consider the Lily

‘Sarah Meyrick’s latter-day pilgrims are as congenial companions for the reader as for one another. A highly accomplished debut filled with wisdom and grace.’
Michael Arditti, author of The Enemy of the Good

The year is 1935. Clive Staples Lewis (known to his friends as ‘Jack’) and his brother Warren (‘Warnie’) are visiting their young friend Tom Morris at Nesfield Cathedral School. Jack is to be the guest speaker at the school’s speech night.

They become eyewitnesses to a murder, an impossible murder.

A man is stabbed to death by an unseen assailant, and Tom and Jack see his body fall from the rooftop . . . but the body doesn’t hit the ground until the following day!

An entertaining homage to the beloved creator of Narnia – and a celebration of the hugely popular school stories of the early twentieth century – The Floating Body reveals how Jack’s nimble brain again proves invaluable to the police in their attempts to explain the seemingly impossible.

Praise for The Corpse in the Cellar:

‘A satisfying, many-faceted piece of holiday reading.’ Methodist Recorder

‘Charming.’ The Tablet

Who will be the next bishop of Lindchester? That's what everyone's been asking since bishop Paul Henderson resigned in haste and a whiff of scandal.

Unseen Things Above rejoins our friends in the diocese as they address themselves to the labyrinthine process of appointing his replacement.

When they aren't arguing about love and marriage, that is. Should Jane renounce her feminist orthodoxy and wed the manly archdeacon? Could Father Ed defy the House of Bishops and marry Neil? And how many hearts will start atrembling when the gorgeous but volatile Freddie May returns to the Cathedral Close?

Come, dear reader, and clamber once again onto the liturgical rollercoaster. Travel from Easter to Advent with bishops, archbishops, and all the company of Lindchester. Hang on to your hat as you're whirled through ups and downs and twists of plot. There are unseen things above, all right. But if you manage to open your eyes, the view from the top is glorious.

Elemental, timeless stories, set in Italy, Finland, Ireland, Russia, Germany, Scotland and America, reveal the impact the seasons can have on our inner being

Although each is complete in itself, these beautifully crafted tales contain recurring motifs so our understanding of one is enriched by the reading of others. The perspectives shift mesmerizingly as layer upon layer of human experience is uncovered. Ambiguity, mystery and spiritual searching abound, as the author meditates on many of the themes found in his highly acclaimed poetry: betrayal, lostness, bullying, the miraculous, faith and the power of love.

It’s 1923, and a resilient Paris is beginning to recover from the ravages of war and the Spanish Flu Epidemic. Enter Muriel Ross, a young American photographer tasked with documenting the antiques that Senator Tom Bryan has travelled to France to acquire. Exhilarated to escape the confines of her stifling Virginia home, Muriel revels in Parisian culture. But as she captures its sights on her Leica camera, lingering questions remain . . . Why has she been hired for this grand adventure?

Events soon take a dangerous turn. The senator appears to be on a mission far more momentous—and potentially deadly—than a mere shopping trip. At the Cathedral of Notre Dame, he asks his young employee to photograph an astonishing artefact: a piece of the True Cross, discovered by Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. When rumours surface that another fragment has been unearthed, Muriel becomes enmeshed in a covert international alliance dedicated to authenticating the fragment . . . And protecting it from those who will stop at nothing to steal and discredit it.

“Bunn’s attention to historical accuracy is spot-on. But, where others might have fun taking a more mystical approach, Bunn travels the higher road and focuses on characters being changed from the inside . . . [It’s] clear he has mastered the art of weaving history and story together in a seamless fashion. 5 Stars.”
—Dave Milbrandt, author of Chasing Deception

Popularity has a price!

Meet Antigone 'Tig' Kingsley - your new BFF.

Antigone Kingsley (Tig) and her sister Ismene are invited to join their French cousin Amelie at a holiday camp in Switzerland.

Upon arriving at the camp, Tig is upset to find that she has been enrolled in a pottery course while her sister and cousin enjoy the exciting drama camp. Clearly, the events of last summer have not been forgotten or forgiven. To keep the peace, disappointed Tig reluctantly agrees. Over the course, Tig captures some hilarious moments on video of her classmates and uploads them to her social media channel. Elated that the views hit record likes, Tig swiftly discovers that the videos have been tampered with and the fallout has catastrophic consequences.

Will Tig's need for popularity jeopardise new friendships leading to a lonely path ahead? Or can Tig make amends with her classmates when facing a hiking challenge together? Does it really matter what others think if true friendship delights and accepts just being yourself?

Antigone Kingsley: Don't Judge Me by author Marina Magdalena, is the second book in this coming-of-age series that makes the perfect companion for middle grade girls going through the highs and lows of growing up. Filled with positive role models, healthy self-exploration, fruitful relationships, vulnerability and good humour, teens will love journeying with Tig as she faces the social pressures, spiralling emotions, burning desires and grand disappointments of teenage life! Tig is your relatable, imperfect, clumsy, hot-headed girl next door who learns to embrace who she is, solve problems and bring sparkle to the world.

The story of the discovery of the True Cross, featuring one of the most important women in Christian history

Abandoned by her husband, in danger because of her faith, but determined to do what God calls her to, Empress Helena sets out on pilgrimage through the ancient landscapes of Caesarea and Judea. Here she is stalked by the menacing Roman assassin Severus. Yet she also meets those who would help her: the wise and wizened bishop Macarius; the rough-edged but kind-hearted sergeant Cratus, and the young soldier Anthony, a man who has lost everything.

Miracles seem to follow this humble but determined woman as she wins many over to the faith, and changes lives forever – including her own.

‘Davis is a master storyteller and his ability to tell an ancient tale in a contemporary style regularly leaves readers wanting more.’
Dave Milbrandt, author of Chasing Deception

‘[Bunn] does something few Christian fiction writers do . . . his stories open readers to a bigger multicultural and multireligious world . . . he always seems to surprise and lead into places readers don’t expect.’
Publishers Weekly

A prequel to The Fragment, also published by Marylebone House

One handstand.

That's all it took.

And Lucy Pitcher spun William Shearwater's world upside down.

Fifty years on, 'Shears' is a squeaky-clean Anglican chaplain, nursing memories of a lost and secret love. He has never met English teacher Sophie Daggert, recently bereaved and on a quest to trace her natural parents. But through a mesmerizing series of twists and turns, Sophie and Shears are brought together in a shocking journey of self-discovery - with 1967's Summer of Love at the heart of it all.

'Witty, tragic and emotional. If there's a better-observed comic novel about the 1960s, I'll eat my kaftan.'
Cindy Kent MBE, (ex-The Settlers)

'Goddard's knowledge of popular culture is extraordinary, and the way he weaves it into a believable range of characters makes this book utterly compelling. A splendid read is guaranteed for all.'
Don Maclean, former presenter of BBC TV's Crackerjack!

'The Light Keeper' is the debut novel by award-winning writer Cole Moreton. It is a story of faith and hope that follows themes of depression, love and loss, and redemption. Rich in prose throughout and written with sensitivity, Cole writes about difficult issues and themes with human warmth.

Set in the South Coast of England, amongst the setting of Beachy Head and the South Downs National Park, 'The Light Keeper' contains compelling twists that keep the reader invested and guessing until the very end.

Moreton explores the intimacy of relationships through husband and wife, Jack and Sarah. Sarah has run away from home to this wild, beautiful place to make a decision that is, for her, truly a matter of life and death. Pursued by Jack, he is desperate to find her on these hills before it is too late as the number of men and women going over the cliff edge has ominously increased of late. But does the secret lie with the Keeper who live alone in the old lighthouse, a few steps from the four-hundred-foot drop in this gorgeous, terrifying place?

Cole Moreton's profound novel has endorsements from many respected authors from Matt Haig to Jane Fallon to Anthony Horrowitz.

The Stormhaven Etiquette Society, a secretive affair, unafraid to name and shame those who transgress

Model Services, the town’s only brothel, a discreet but busy presence in Church Street

Bybuckle Asylum, a desolate shell on the seafront that housed over seven hundred mental patients prior to ‘care in the community’

What brings these three together is a cold-blooded execution that both shocks and confounds. For lying dead in the empty asylum, tied to an old metal bed frame, is a pillar of the establishment. Or is she?

Sleuthing couple DI Tamsin Shah and her remarkable cleric uncle join forces once again to solve a murder mystery that reveals dark secrets from Abbot Peter’s tempestuous student years.

‘Do we ever leave anything behind?’ he wonders as the killer swings the gun barrel towards him . . .

‘To a long list of much-loved detective pairings, which includes Holmes and Watson, Poirot and Hastings, and Morse and Lewis, we must now add Abbot Peter and Tamsin Shah’. Church Times

Kendrick Wroe is found dead in the frozen Shill Brook.

Most suspect he has been poaching Lord Gilbert's fish, though Sir Hugh finds reason to believe this may not be so . . .Then one of Kendrick's friends is slain; another seems to be in mortal peril, and in an apparent attempt to throw Hugh off the scent, his comely daughter Bessie is abducted.

As the town drops all to find her, the tension steadily increases: a member of a plow team dies in mysterious circumstances, Kendrick's surviving friend is forced to flee for safety in Eynsham Abbey, and as events seemingly spiral out of control, it's all Hugh can do to master his anxiety and uncover the killer...

Mel Starr's latest novel is a thoroughly enjoyable medieval murder mystery. It may be appreciated on its own, or as part of the Hugh de Singleton series.

It’s the summer of 1933, and Oxford don Clive Staples Lewis, better known to his friends as Jack, is on a walking holiday with his brother Warnie and young friend Tom Morris. When Jack’s wallet is accidentally destroyed, they visit a bank to replenish their funds – and walk straight into the scene of an impossible murder.

The victim is in the vault of the bank alone, cut off by brick and steel from the rest of the world. Yet he has been stabbed from behind and the murder weapon has vanished.

A ‘locked room’ mystery – which would have baffled the cleverest sleuths of the Golden Age of detective stories – is tackled by the brilliant mind and larger-than-life personality of ‘Jack’ Lewis, beloved creator of Narnia and formidable defender of the Christian faith.

'Lyrical, compelling and full of insight. I found this very hard to put down.'
KATIE FFORDE, THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR

'Catherine Fox writes with immense compassion, unsentimental faith and an impressively undisciplined humour.'
ROWAN WILLIAMS, FORMER ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

January 2020. Freddie, Father Dominic, Jane and all the other residents of Lindfordshire are celebrating the New Year with parties and resolutions. None of them is aware of the trials and tribulations the coming months will bring - not least the horseman of the apocalypse who has set out quietly, with barely a jingle of harness, in a distance province of China...

Return to Lindchester once more with Tales from Lindford, the fourth in the beloved series of novels from Catherine Fox. Valiantly written in real time in the midst of the pandemic, this entertaining book captures the difficulties of 2020 with heart, humour and insight. Perfect for Lindchester fans, it's also the ideal novel for anyone seeking comfort and a way of understanding all that has been happening.

A twenty-first century Barchester that fans of Barbara Pym and the BBC's Rev will love, this new volume in the Lindchester Chronicles is contemporary Christian fiction at its finest.

Tales from Lindford will make you laugh, cry and leave you with hope that grace can be found even in the darkest times.

July 1540. The courts of Europe are stunned to hear that Henry VIII has executed his all-powerful minister, Thomas Cromwell.

Poet and classicist Nicholas Bourbon is sent from the cultured court of Queen Marguerite of Navarre to investigate. Thrust into a turbulent world of religious, political and personal rivalries, his travels take him far and wide. He endures perils at sea, incarceration in a monastic prison and poisonous intrigue in the Tudor court. Yet this retiring scholar cannot abandon a quest which steadily becomes an obsession, drawing him ever deeper into the beliefs and motivations of his mysterious quarry.

Only after facing many hazards does he discover the astonishing secret that unlocks the Cromwell enigma.

This thrilling historical novel blends fact and fiction together seamlessly to deliver a novel about Thomas Cromwell rich in description and history. A real page turner for those who are fans of Hilary Mantel and Alison Weir, The Cromwell Enigma will captivate anyone with an interest in the Tudor period. This is historical fiction at its finest as Derek Wilson delivers an engaging narrative on the life and mystery of Thomas Cromwell.

Callie Anson should have learned her lesson by now: revisiting the past is seldom a good idea. But she succumbs to peer pressure and attends a reunion at her theological college in Cambridge, where she is forced to confront painful memories – and the presence of her clueless ex, Adam.
Margaret Phillips, the Principal of the college, has a chance for happiness but before she can grasp it she has to deal with her own ghosts – as well as corrosive, intrusive gossip. Both women learn something about themselves, and about forgiveness, from the wise John Kingsley.
Meanwhile, in London, police officers Neville Stewart and Mark Lombardi are involved with the latest fatal stabbing of a teenager. Was gifted, popular Sebastian Frost all he seemed to be, or was there something in his life that led inevitably to his death? They’re plunged into the queasy world of cyber-bullying, where nothing may be as it seems.
While they’re apart, Callie and Mark’s relationship is on hold, and his Italian family continues to be an issue. Will Marco realise, before it’s too late, that while his family will always be important to him, he is entitled to something for himself?

January 30th 1649. England is not a country that wishes to execute its divinely-appointed king. Yet Charles 1 finds himself shivering on a scaffold in Whitehall, with the axe man by his side . . .

In this brilliantly atmospheric novel, Simon Parke explores one of the most gripping tales in English history. He weaves together the four coinciding stories of Charles, including his extraordinary year-long imprisonment on the Isle of Wight . . . Robert Hammond, the poor man who found himself the king’s gaoler . . . Charles’ remarkable mistress (written out of the records), the super-spy Jane Whorwood . . . and of course, the brilliant and depressed Oliver Cromwell, who is working through his own demons of religion, politics, love and death.

When Jon Mote is hired to investigate the murder of his erstwhile mentor, literary star Richard Pratt, the grad school dropout feels woefully unequal to the task. Skittering on the edge of madness, his only source of hope is the dogged love of his developmentally disabled sister, Judy, who serves as cheerleader, critic and moral compass.

Soon the siblings find themselves haunting the neighbourhoods of Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota – from crime scenes to the halls of academe – exposing a series of suspects along the way. When he stumbles upon Pratt’s terrible secret, Mote is prompted to discover an equally dreadful mystery in his own past – a revelation that accelerates his descent into darkness and puts both himself and Judy at grave risk.

‘Daniel Taylor’s oddly reluctant Sherlock Holmes is accompanied by the most unusual and heartwarming Watson in my reading experience.’
Paul J. Willis, author of The Alpine Tales

How will it all end? Come, dear reader, and join with the good and the bad of the Diocese of Lindchester as they navigate their way through the storms of 2016. What does the year hold in this best of times, this worst of times; this season of bake-offs and food banks, of muscular theological hope and hand-wringing theological despair? We will peep through many a stained-glass window in pursuit of answers.

Will the new bishop - dubbed Steve-angelical by his detractors - impose the evils of management on the timeless beauty of Anglicanism? Will kind Dean Marion collude with him? Will Archdeacon Matt be the next bishop of Barcup - and what will Jane think of that? And will Freddie - more lovely than a summer's day, though far less temperate - finally find love and happiness?

Times are dark in this, the final volume of the Lindchester Chronicles, but we may yet glimpse a touch of radiance around the grubby edges of our characters. So let us soar as best we can on Anglican wings, towards those unseen Realms of Glory.

'Catherine Fox's glorious Lindchester series is the twenty-first-century answer to Trollope's Barchester - but Trollope was never so funny, so fundamentally kind, or so mischievously attentive to grace.'
Francis Spufford, author of Golden Hill

"... yet another superb and gripping novel about faith and forgiveness, love and loss, by the wife of the Dean of Liverpool." Paul Beasley-Murray; Ministry Today

Isobel Knox is happy and confident in her new job and likes her single life, free as it is from confusing and complicating entanglements. Supressing her emotions and burying painful memories has become second nature to her, but it seems to work; after all, why should letting it all out necessarily be good for you?

But there are two men who could shatter her calm, brittle world: Davy, a young policeman, who, despite Isobel's distance, falls in love with her, and Johnny Whitaker, a charismatic priest with a troubled marriage. As Isobel's feelings for Johnny become stronger and deeper, her facade begins to crack, and the memories and emotions of years before come back, overpowering her with feelings she had thought long past and dealt with.

'Peaceful' is the most common entry in the visitors' book of fifteenth-century St Michael’s Church, with its glorious angel roof and its medieval Doom painting. But away from the church, and beneath the idyllic veneer, the tiny Norfolk village of Walston is anything but harmonious.

The Rector's new bride, Becca Thorncroft, is receiving phone calls so unpleasant that her very sanity is at stake; and the newest residents of Walston, Gillian English and Lou Sutherland, are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Then sudden, gruesome death shatters any remaining semblance of serenity.

Fortunately for Father Stephen Thorncroft, he is able to enlist the help of his friends Lucy Kingsley and David Middleton-Brown to unravel the tangled relationships and uncover the dark motivations of the villagers.

As the investigation proceeds, they stumble on more than they'd bargained for. But it is not until a little girl goes missing that the final, deadly pieces fall into place in their search for the 'evil angels among them'.

It's a Thursday evening in 1936. Clive Staples Lewis (known to all his friends as "Jack") is hosting a gathering of that well-known literary group, The Inklings.

Among the regulars are his brother Warnie, J. R. R. Tolkien, Neville Coghill, Hugo Dyson and Adam Fox.

Two visitors are also attending - Jack's old pupil Tom Morris and an undergraduate named Auberon Willesden. The following morning Willesden is found murdered in his room in Magdalen, though both the door and the windows were locked from the inside. And not only has he been murdered: he has been beheaded - and the head is missing!

Who killed the student?

And why?

And, more baffling still - how was it done?

It's a puzzle that will tax the brilliant ingenuity of Jack and his fellow Inklings to the limit.

Death at the Deanery - sudden and unnatural death. Someone should have seen it coming.

For even before Stuart Latimer arrives as the new Dean of Malbury, shock waves are reverberating through the tightly-knit and insular Cathedral Close, with sweeping changes afoot. And the reality is even worse than the expectation. The Dean’s naked ambition and ruthless behaviour alienate everyone in the Chapter: the gentle John Kingsley, vague Rupert Greenwood, pompous Philip Thetford and, especially, the strongly traditionalist Arthur Brydges-ffrench.

Financial jiggery-pokery, clandestine meetings, malicious gossip, and several people who witness more than they ought to, make for a potent mix. But who could foresee that the mistrust within the Cathedral Close would spill over into violence and death? Canon Kingsley’s daughter Lucy draws in her lover David Middleton-Brown, against his better judgement, and together they probe the surprising secrets of a self-contained world where nothing is as it seems.

The Bishop of Lindchester is happily married with four daughters. But does he have a secret? Archdeacon Matt is inclined to think not. That said, it's obvious to him that Bishop Paul's got a pretty big bee in his mitre about the brilliant but troubled Freddie May . . .

Welcome to the fictional Diocese of Lindchester, where you will be taken (dear reader) on a yearlong romp in the company of bishops, priests and lay people. Prepare yourself for a bumpy and hilarious ride from the rarefied heights of the Cathedral Close down to the coalface of ordinary urban and rural parishes.

Acts and Omissions reveals the Church of England in all its mess and glory. It is a world shot through with grace, but one where even the best intentioned err and stray. And occasionally do those things which they ought not to have done . . .

'Peaceful' is the most common entry in the visitors' book of fifteenth-century St Michael’s Church, with its glorious angel roof and its medieval Doom painting. But away from the church, and beneath the idyllic veneer, the tiny Norfolk village of Walston is anything but harmonious.

The Rector's new bride, Becca Thorncroft, is receiving phone calls so unpleasant that her very sanity is at stake; and the newest residents of Walston, Gillian English and Lou Sutherland, are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Then sudden, gruesome death shatters any remaining semblance of serenity.

Fortunately for Father Stephen Thorncroft, he is able to enlist the help of his friends Lucy Kingsley and David Middleton-Brown to unravel the tangled relationships and uncover the dark motivations of the villagers.

As the investigation proceeds, they stumble on more than they'd bargained for. But it is not until a little girl goes missing that the final, deadly pieces fall into place in their search for the 'evil angels among them'.

"She has again succeeded in creating a cast of compelling characters (some of whom made their first appearance in Angels and Men), whose fate one becomes anxious to discover."

Kate Chisholm, Sunday TelegraphAnnie Brown, wrestling with doubts about her faith and a biological clock the size of Big Ben, escapes the stifling kindness of her fellow ordinands and the stifled yelps of her sexuality by writing a raunchy novel.

Yet Annie can no more control her characters than she could a congregation. Outrageous Isabella and butter-wouldn't-melt Barney hurtle unbidden into difficult situations that lead Annie inexorably back to her own repressed upbringing and present predicament. Some of their liberation rubs off on her too, and when she meets brusque outsider Will, Annie plunges into passion as uninhibitedly as Isabella.

But Annie's vocation, like her libido, won't lie down, and she despairs of finding a happy ending to either of her stories...

Sixth-century Ireland...

Five-year-old Fian finds solace from a difficult home life by drawing shapes and patterns in the sand. The artistry he reveals in interpreting the beauties of nature takes him to Iona, where he will be the 'fourth hand' on the Book of Kells, that great treasure of the Celts.

Greeted on arrival by the imposing Colum (Columba), Fian is gradually drawn into a community of laughter and stories, prayer and scholarship. But his formative experiences have left him vulnerable. In encountering blue-eyed Mara, a girl who bears a terrible secret, he recognizes another soul who lives with both desolation and joy. And as their friendship begins to deepen, Colum's rough-and-ready kindness leads the master to make an error of judgement that will have devastating consequences...

This lyrical, timeless story, which unfolds amidst the elemental beauty of one of the holiest places on earth, is an exploration of doubt, faith - and the brokenness of spirit that finally releases us into love.

Kendrick Wroe is found dead in the frozen Shill Brook.

Most suspect he has been poaching Lord Gilbert's fish, though Sir Hugh finds reason to believe this may not be so... Then one of Kendrick's friends is slain; another seems to be in mortal peril, and in an apparent attempt to throw Hugh off the scent, his comely daughter Bessie is abducted.

As the town drops all to find her, the tension steadily increases: a member of a plow team dies in mysterious circumstances, Kendrick's surviving friend is forced to flee for safety in Eynsham Abbey, and as events seemingly spiral out of control, it’s all Hugh can do to master his anxiety and uncover the killer...

Mel Starr's latest novel is a thoroughly enjoyable medieval murder mystery. It may be enjoyed as complete in itself, or as part of the Hugh de Singleton series.

2020 and sadly the Tales from Lindford came to an end, but the pandemic did not, and neither did the lives of our valiant Lindchester community. Return to Lindchester once more with The Company of Heaven, the fifth in the beloved series of novels from Catherine Fox.

Valiantly written in real time in the midst of the pandemic, this entertaining book captures the difficulties of 2021 with heart, humour and insight. Perfect for Lindchester fans, it's also the ideal novel for anyone seeking comfort and a way of understanding all that has happened.

In The Company of Heaven, we re-join our Lindchester friends on Easter Monday 2021, just as the third lockdown in our Covid winter of discontent draws to a close. The new paschal candles have been lit. The endless snowy ghastliness of January, February, and March are behind us now.

Shake out your wings and fly once more across the Diocese of Lindfordshire, as we launch out on Pandemic, Part II. We will catch up with old friends and make new ones. Skeletons will tumble from cupboards, and not everyone will behave themselves as well as they ought (this is Lindchester after all).

A twenty-first century Barchester that fans of Barbara Pym and the BBC's Rev will love, this new volume in the Lindchester Chronicles is contemporary Christian fiction at its finest. Sharp-eyed, witty and compassionate, Catherine Fox once again helps us make sense of real-life events and challenges, while weaving through a series of heart-stopping storylines. The Company of Heaven will make you laugh, cry and leave you with hope that grace can be found even in the darkest times.

'The Light Keeper' is the debut novel by award-winning writer Cole Moreton. It is a story of faith and hope that follows themes of depression, love and loss, and redemption. Rich in prose throughout and written with sensitivity, Cole writes about difficult issues and themes with human warmth.

Set in the South Coast of England, amongst the setting of Beachy Head and the South Downs National Park, 'The Light Keeper' contains compelling twists that keep the reader invested and guessing until the very end.

Moreton explores the intimacy of relationships through husband and wife, Jack and Sarah. Sarah has run away from home to this wild, beautiful place to make a decision that is, for her, truly a matter of life and death. Pursued by Jack, he is desperate to find her on these hills before it is too late as the number of men and women going over the cliff edge has ominously increased of late. But does the secret lie with the Keeper who live alone in the old lighthouse, a few steps from the four-hundred-foot drop in this gorgeous, terrifying place?

Cole Moreton's profound novel has endorsements from many respected authors from Matt Haig to Jane Fallon to Anthony Horrowitz.

'The Light Keeper' is the debut novel by award-winning writer Cole Moreton. It is a story of faith and hope that follows themes of depression, love and loss, and redemption. Rich in prose throughout and written with sensitivity, Cole writes about difficult issues and themes with human warmth.

Set in the South Coast of England, amongst the setting of Beachy Head and the South Downs National Park, 'The Light Keeper' contains compelling twists that keep the reader invested and guessing until the very end.

Moreton explores the intimacy of relationships through husband and wife, Jack and Sarah. Sarah has run away from home to this wild, beautiful place to make a decision that is, for her, truly a matter of life and death. Pursued by Jack, he is desperate to find her on these hills before it is too late as the number of men and women going over the cliff edge has ominously increased of late. But does the secret lie with the Keeper who live alone in the old lighthouse, a few steps from the four-hundred-foot drop in this gorgeous, terrifying place?

Cole Moreton's profound novel has endorsements from many respected authors from Matt Haig to Jane Fallon to Anthony Horrowitz.

Father Gabriel Neville has everything going for him as vicar of St Anne's, Kensington Gardens: intellectual prowess, physical beauty, a happy family life and the prospect of promotion to Archdeacon. But his perfect world is shattered when he receives an anonymous letter that has the power to destroy his career and marriage, by threatening to expose something that no one could possibly know.

The only person Gabriel can turn to is David Middleton-Brown, an old friend and a man with a few secrets of his own. Against his better judgement, David comes to London, where his discreet enquiries bring to light a whole host of suspects.

There's the eccentric church organist, Miles Taylor; the gossip Mavis Conwell; the disapproving Dawson family; the Churchwarden, Cyril Fitzjames, who's in love with Gabriel's wife Emily; and the charming and talented artist Lucy Kingsley.

In his efforts to help Gabriel uncover the blackmailer, David hauls numerous skeletons out of cupboards, and enters into a web of relationships that threaten to shatter his own peace of mind.

The Bishop of Lindchester is happily married with four daughters. But does he have a secret? Archdeacon Matt is inclined to think not. That said, it's obvious to him that Bishop Paul's got a pretty big bee in his mitre about the brilliant but troubled Freddie May . . .

Welcome to the fictional Diocese of Lindchester, where you will be taken (dear reader) on a yearlong romp in the company of bishops, priests and lay people. Prepare yourself for a bumpy and hilarious ride from the rarefied heights of the Cathedral Close down to the coalface of ordinary urban and rural parishes.

Acts and Omissions reveals the Church of England in all its mess and glory. It is a world shot through with grace, but one where even the best intentioned err and stray. And occasionally do those things which they ought not to have done . . .

It's a Thursday evening in 1936. Clive Staples Lewis (known to all his friends as "Jack") is hosting a gathering of that well-known literary group, The Inklings.

Among the regulars are his brother Warnie, J. R. R. Tolkien, Neville Coghill, Hugo Dyson and Adam Fox.

Two visitors are also attending - Jack's old pupil Tom Morris and an undergraduate named Auberon Willesden. The following morning Willesden is found murdered in his room in Magdalen, though both the door and the windows were locked from the inside. And not only has he been murdered: he has been beheaded - and the head is missing!

Who killed the student?

And why?

And, more baffling still - how was it done?

It's a puzzle that will tax the brilliant ingenuity of Jack and his fellow Inklings to the limit.

How will it all end? Come, dear reader, and join with the good and the bad of the Diocese of Lindchester as they navigate their way through the storms of 2016. What does the year hold in this best of times, this worst of times; this season of bake-offs and food banks, of muscular theological hope and hand-wringing theological despair? We will peep through many a stained-glass window in pursuit of answers.

Will the new bishop - dubbed Steve-angelical by his detractors - impose the evils of management on the timeless beauty of Anglicanism? Will kind Dean Marion collude with him? Will Archdeacon Matt be the next bishop of Barcup - and what will Jane think of that? And will Freddie - more lovely than a summer's day, though far less temperate - finally find love and happiness?

Times are dark in this, the final volume of the Lindchester Chronicles, but we may yet glimpse a touch of radiance around the grubby edges of our characters. So let us soar as best we can on Anglican wings, towards those unseen Realms of Glory.

'Catherine Fox's glorious Lindchester series is the twenty-first-century answer to Trollope's Barchester - but Trollope was never so funny, so fundamentally kind, or so mischievously attentive to grace.'
Francis Spufford, author of Golden Hill

A woman priest at St Margaret's? Over my dead body!

Dolly Topping, head of the national organisation 'Ladies Opposed to Women Priests' and wife of one of the churchwardens, feels that strongly about it. It is unfortunate, therefore, that Father Julian, the well-loved curate of the Pimlico church, should have been killed in a burglary gone wrong. And doubly unfortunate that the Vicar, upwardly-aspiring William Keble Smythe, should choose to appoint a woman to replace him.

From the moment that Rachel Nightingale enters the serene Anglo-Catholic world of St Margaret's, tempers and emotions run high; Christian charity is not much in evidence, even among those who espouse it loudly.

Then another 'accidental' death unites the parishioners in new heights of hypocrisy, and leaves some crying 'murder'. But David Middleton-Brown is sceptical - until he learns about Father Julian's death. With the encouragement of the Archdeacon, David and Lucy Kingsley embark on a search for the truth about the 'dead man out of mind', and discover more than they ever wanted to know about greed, hypocrisy, ambition - and the cost of love.

Sixth-century Ireland...

Five-year-old Fian finds solace from a difficult home life by drawing shapes and patterns in the sand. The artistry he reveals in interpreting the beauties of nature takes him to Iona, where he will be the 'fourth hand' on the Book of Kells, that great treasure of the Celts.

Greeted on arrival by the imposing Colum (Columba), Fian is gradually drawn into a community of laughter and stories, prayer and scholarship. But his formative experiences have left him vulnerable. In encountering blue-eyed Mara, a girl who bears a terrible secret, he recognizes another soul who lives with both desolation and joy. And as their friendship begins to deepen, Colum's rough-and-ready kindness leads the master to make an error of judgement that will have devastating consequences...

This lyrical, timeless story, which unfolds amidst the elemental beauty of one of the holiest places on earth, is an exploration of doubt, faith - and the brokenness of spirit that finally releases us into love.

'Lyrical, compelling and full of insight. I found this very hard to put down.'
KATIE FFORDE, THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR

'Catherine Fox writes with immense compassion, unsentimental faith and an impressively undisciplined humour.'
ROWAN WILLIAMS, FORMER ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

January 2020. Freddie, Father Dominic, Jane and all the other residents of Lindfordshire are celebrating the New Year with parties and resolutions. None of them is aware of the trials and tribulations the coming months will bring - not least the horseman of the apocalypse who has set out quietly, with barely a jingle of harness, in a distance province of China...

Return to Lindchester once more with Tales from Lindford, the fourth in the beloved series of novels from Catherine Fox. Valiantly written in real time in the midst of the pandemic, this entertaining book captures the difficulties of 2020 with heart, humour and insight. Perfect for Lindchester fans, it's also the ideal novel for anyone seeking comfort and a way of understanding all that has been happening.

A twenty-first century Barchester that fans of Barbara Pym and the BBC's Rev will love, this new volume in the Lindchester Chronicles is contemporary Christian fiction at its finest.

Tales from Lindford will make you laugh, cry and leave you with hope that grace can be found even in the darkest times.

Cousins by blood - enemies by choice!

Living above her parent's theatre has always given Antigone Kingsley (Tig) plenty of practice at being centre stage. But when the theatre faces financial crisis and the stage doors close, it is her alluring cousin Amelie, flown in from Paris, who grabs her family's attention. As Tig grapples with her identity away from the limelight, she watches her cousin steal the affection of her family, friends, school - even her loyal social media following! When tension between the two teenagers grow, Tig finds herself at a crossroad. Will her need to be liked outweigh her raging jealousy towards her cousin? Or will spiralling emotions and burning desires lead to murderous consequences?

Antigone Kingsley by author Marina Magdalena, is the first book in this coming-of-age series that makes the perfect companion for tweens and teenage girls going through the highs and lows of growing up. Filled with positive role models, healthy self-exploration, fruitful relationships, vulnerability and good humour, you'll love journeying with Tig as she faces the social pressures, spiralling emotions, burning desires and grand disappointments of teenage life! Tig is your relatable, imperfect, clumsy, hot headed girl next door who learns to embrace who she is, solve problems and bring sparkle to the world. She's your new BFF - meet Antigone 'Tig' Kingsley.

One handstand.

That's all it took.

And Lucy Pitcher spun William Shearwater's world upside down.

Fifty years on, 'Shears' is a squeaky-clean Anglican chaplain, nursing memories of a lost and secret love. He has never met English teacher Sophie Daggert, recently bereaved and on a quest to trace her natural parents. But through a mesmerizing series of twists and turns, Sophie and Shears are brought together in a shocking journey of self-discovery - with 1967's Summer of Love at the heart of it all.

'Witty, tragic and emotional. If there's a better-observed comic novel about the 1960s, I'll eat my kaftan.'
Cindy Kent MBE, (ex-The Settlers)

'Goddard's knowledge of popular culture is extraordinary, and the way he weaves it into a believable range of characters makes this book utterly compelling. A splendid read is guaranteed for all.'
Don Maclean, former presenter of BBC TV's Crackerjack!

Death at the Deanery - sudden and unnatural death. Someone should have seen it coming.

For even before Stuart Latimer arrives as the new Dean of Malbury, shock waves are reverberating through the tightly-knit and insular Cathedral Close, with sweeping changes afoot. And the reality is even worse than the expectation. The Dean’s naked ambition and ruthless behaviour alienate everyone in the Chapter: the gentle John Kingsley, vague Rupert Greenwood, pompous Philip Thetford and, especially, the strongly traditionalist Arthur Brydges-ffrench.

Financial jiggery-pokery, clandestine meetings, malicious gossip, and several people who witness more than they ought to, make for a potent mix. But who could foresee that the mistrust within the Cathedral Close would spill over into violence and death? Canon Kingsley’s daughter Lucy draws in her lover David Middleton-Brown, against his better judgement, and together they probe the surprising secrets of a self-contained world where nothing is as it seems.

Who will be the next bishop of Lindchester? That's what everyone's been asking since bishop Paul Henderson resigned in haste and a whiff of scandal.

Unseen Things Above rejoins our friends in the diocese as they address themselves to the labyrinthine process of appointing his replacement.

When they aren't arguing about love and marriage, that is. Should Jane renounce her feminist orthodoxy and wed the manly archdeacon? Could Father Ed defy the House of Bishops and marry Neil? And how many hearts will start atrembling when the gorgeous but volatile Freddie May returns to the Cathedral Close?

Come, dear reader, and clamber once again onto the liturgical rollercoaster. Travel from Easter to Advent with bishops, archbishops, and all the company of Lindchester. Hang on to your hat as you're whirled through ups and downs and twists of plot. There are unseen things above, all right. But if you manage to open your eyes, the view from the top is glorious.

What's behind the mask?

Antigone Kingsley (Tig) takes the helm to organize a school fundraiser – a summer masquerade ball.

In the third book of this captivating coming-of-age series, Tig continues to grapple with her own challenges. Embarrassed by recent blunders in her online videos and stung by the breakdown of her friendship with Fidge, she's driven by an overwhelming desire to do something so remarkably good that it redefines her identity: organizing a summer masquerade ball to spark a wave of excitement and unite the school.

However, just as the masquerade's plans start falling into place, a startling revelation threatens to ruin everything. Antigone stands at a crossroads: will she reveal her vulnerabilities and seek the help she so desperately requires, or will she continue to conceal her true feelings behind the guise of her perpetually cheerful and carefree mask?

Antigone Kingsley: Masquerade by author Marina Magdalena is the perfect companion for middle grade girls going through the highs and lows of growing up. Filled with positive role models, healthy self-exploration, fruitful relationships, vulnerability, and good humour, preteens will love journeying with Tig as she faces the social pressures, spiralling emotions, and the grand disappointments of teenage life! Tig is your relatable, imperfect, clumsy, hot-headed girl next door who learns to embrace who she is, solve problems, and bring sparkle to the world.

Popularity has a price!

Meet Antigone 'Tig' Kingsley - your new BFF.

Antigone Kingsley (Tig) and her sister Ismene are invited to join their French cousin Amelie at a holiday camp in Switzerland.

Upon arriving at the camp, Tig is upset to find that she has been enrolled in a pottery course while her sister and cousin enjoy the exciting drama camp. Clearly, the events of last summer have not been forgotten or forgiven. To keep the peace, disappointed Tig reluctantly agrees. Over the course, Tig captures some hilarious moments on video of her classmates and uploads them to her social media channel. Elated that the views hit record likes, Tig swiftly discovers that the videos have been tampered with and the fallout has catastrophic consequences.

Will Tig's need for popularity jeopardise new friendships leading to a lonely path ahead? Or can Tig make amends with her classmates when facing a hiking challenge together? Does it really matter what others think if true friendship delights and accepts just being yourself?

Antigone Kingsley: Don't Judge Me by author Marina Magdalena, is the second book in this coming-of-age series that makes the perfect companion for middle grade girls going through the highs and lows of growing up. Filled with positive role models, healthy self-exploration, fruitful relationships, vulnerability and good humour, teens will love journeying with Tig as she faces the social pressures, spiralling emotions, burning desires and grand disappointments of teenage life! Tig is your relatable, imperfect, clumsy, hot-headed girl next door who learns to embrace who she is, solve problems and bring sparkle to the world.

July 1540. The courts of Europe are stunned to hear that Henry VIII has executed his all-powerful minister, Thomas Cromwell.

Poet and classicist Nicholas Bourbon is sent from the cultured court of Queen Marguerite of Navarre to investigate. Thrust into a turbulent world of religious, political and personal rivalries, his travels take him far and wide. He endures perils at sea, incarceration in a monastic prison and poisonous intrigue in the Tudor court. Yet this retiring scholar cannot abandon a quest which steadily becomes an obsession, drawing him ever deeper into the beliefs and motivations of his mysterious quarry.

Only after facing many hazards does he discover the astonishing secret that unlocks the Cromwell enigma.

This thrilling historical novel blends fact and fiction together seamlessly to deliver a novel about Thomas Cromwell rich in description and history. A real page turner for those who are fans of Hilary Mantel and Alison Weir, The Cromwell Enigma will captivate anyone with an interest in the Tudor period. This is historical fiction at its finest as Derek Wilson delivers an engaging narrative on the life and mystery of Thomas Cromwell.