Nattrass, Leonora – The Bell Bookshop

The Bells of Westminster

Emma — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

* A TIMES HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR ** A SUNDAY TIMES HISTORICAL FICTION PICK OF THE MONTH *’A splendid romp from a wonderfully clever historical novelist’ – TELEGRAPH’An exhilarating voyage into another era’ – FINANCIAL TIMESHe looked as if he had just received some very bad news. In that he was certainly right, for he was perfectly and incontrovertibly dead…London, 1774. Susan Bell – daughter of the kindly Dean of Westminster – enjoys a pleasantly uneventful life within the confines of the abbey. That is until a group of scholars from the Society of Antiquaries comes armed with a letter from King George III, giving them permission to exhume Edward I and examine his body.As they prepare to open the tomb, a ghostly figure is seen wandering the cloisters, wearing the crown of the dead king. Then one of the Antiquaries is found viciously murdered, and the corpse of Edward I is stolen. With the abbey in uproar and her father’s position under threat from the scandal, Susan feels bound to investigate. Could one of the Society’s members be harbouring a deadly secret, or is one of the abbey’s own a killer? The new historical mystery from the bestselling author of Black Drop, Blue Water and Scarlet Town. Perfect for readers of Andrew Taylor, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and S.J. Parris.

The Bells of Westminster

Emma — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

‘Memorable and utterly engaging’ – S.G. MACLEAN’Nattrass is a master storyteller’ – JANICE HALLETT’One of my favourite historical fiction authors’ – PHILIPPA EASTHe looked as if he had just received some very bad news. In that he was certainly right, for he was perfectly and incontrovertibly dead… London, 1774. Susan Bell spends her days within the confines of Westminster Abbey, one of many who live in the grounds of the ancient building. Her father, the kindly Dean of Westminster, is always busy keeping the many canons and vergers in check, when not being romantically pursued by forceful widows. Life at the abbey is uneventful, even after the unwelcome arrival of Susan’s cousin Lindley and his unusual scientific demonstrations. That is until the Society of Antiquaries come armed with a letter from King George III, demanding to open the tomb of Edward I.As the Society prepares to open the tomb, a ghostly figure is seen walking the abbey cloisters, wearing the crown and shroud of the dead king. Then there is further uproar when one of the Antiquaries is found viciously murdered, and the corpse of Edward I is stolen. With her father’s position under threat from the scandal, Susan feels duty-bound to investigate these strange occurrences. Could one of the Society members be harbouring a murderous secret? Or is one of the abbey’s own a killer? The new historical mystery from the bestselling author of Black Drop, Blue Water and Scarlet Town. Perfect for readers of Andrew Taylor, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and S.J. Parris.

Scarlet town

Emma — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

** A TELEGRAPH BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR **** SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD **’Nattrass’s best yet’ – S.G. MACLEAN’Wonderfully evocative’ – DAILY TELEGRAPH’Authentic and relentlessly pageturning’ – SUNDAY EXPRESSA rigged election. A feuding Cornish town. A suspicious death. And a perspicacious pig.May 1796, and former Foreign Office clerk Laurence Jago and his larger-than-life employer, the journalist William Philpott, have escaped America – and Philpott’s near imprisonment for libel – by the skin of their teeth. They return to Laurence’s hometown of Helston, Cornwall, in the hope of rest and recuperation, but instead find themselves in the middle of a tumultuous election that has the inhabitants of the town at one another’s throats.Only two men may vote in this rotten borough, and when one of them dies in suspicious circumstances, Laurence is ordered to investigate on behalf of the town’s political patron, his old master the Duke of Leeds. Then the second elector is poisoned and suspicion turns on the town doctor, the gentle Pythagoras Jago, Laurence’s own cousin. Suddenly Laurence finds himself ensnared in generations of bad blood and petty rivalries, with his cousin’s fate in his hands…The new page-turning historical mystery from the author of Black Drop, a 2021 Times Book of the Year. Perfect for readers of Andrew Taylor and Laura Shepherd-Robinson.

Scarlet town

Emma — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

** A TELEGRAPH BEST BOOK OF 2023 **’Nattrass’s best yet’ – S.G. MACLEAN’Wonderfully evocative’ – TELEGRAPH’Authentic and relentlessly pageturning’ – SUNDAY EXPRESS1796. A rigged election. A town at war. A murderer at large…Disgraced former Foreign Office clerk Laurence Jago and his larger-than-life employer the journalist William Philpott have escaped America – and Philpott’s near imprisonment for libel – by the skin of their teeth. They return to Laurence’s home town of Helston, Cornwall, in the hope of rest and recuperation, but instead find themselves in the middle of a tumultuous election that has the inhabitants of the town at one another’s throats. Only two men may vote in this rotten borough, and when one of them dies in suspicious circumstances, Laurence is ordered to investigate on behalf of the town’s patron, his old master the Duke of Leeds. But it is no easy matter, thanks to the machinations of the rival political factions, not to mention the riotous performances of Toby the Sapient Hog. Then the second elector is poisoned and suspicion turns on the town doctor, the gentle Pythagoras Jago, Laurence’s own cousin. Suddenly Laurence finds himself ensnared in generations of bad blood and petty rivalries, with his cousin’s fate in his hands…The new page-turning historical mystery from the author of Black Drop, a 2021 Times Book of the Year, and Blue Water, a Waterstones Thriller of the Month. Perfect for readers of Andrew Taylor, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and S.J. Parris.’An enjoyable read’ – THE TIMES’Wonderfully witty’ – ROBERT J. LLOYD

Blue Water

Emma — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

A TRULY GRIPPING READ’ – GUARDIAN’FABULOUS, A DELIGHT’ – S.G. MACLEAN’A FINE ADVENTURE REMINISCENT OF PATRICK O’BRIAN’ – SUNDAY TIMESThis is the secret report of Laurence Jago. Ex-clerk. Unwilling spy. Reluctant sailor. Accidental detective.New Year 1795, and Laurence Jago is aboard the Tankerville mail ship, en route to Philadelphia. Ostensibly travelling as assistant to the irrepressible journalist William Philpott, Laurence’s real mission is to aid the civil servant carrying a vital treaty to Congress. A treaty that will prevent the Americans from joining with the French in the war against Britain.However, when the civil servant meets an unfortunate – and supposedly accidental – end and the treaty disappears, Laurence realises only he can now prevent war with the US. Trapped on the ship with travellers including two penniless French aristocrats, an Irish actress and a dancing bear, Laurence must hunt down both the lost treaty and the murderer, before he has a tragic ‘accident’ himself…The new page-turning historical mystery from the author of BLACK DROP, a 2021 TIMES Book of the Year. Perfect for readers of Andrew Taylor, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and S.J. Parris.

Black Drop

Emma — Thu, 12 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

* A TIMES HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR ** SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE MONTH ** LONGLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN *’One of the best debuts of the year’ – THE TIMES’As nimbly realised as by the genre’s master, Andrew Taylor’ – FINANCIAL TIMES’Black Drop is a joy from start to finish’ – ANDREW TAYLORThis is the confession of Laurence Jago. Clerk. Gentleman. Spy. July 1794, and London is filled with rumours of revolution. The war against the French is not going in Britain’s favour, and negotiations with America are on a knife edge. Laurence Jago, Foreign Office clerk, is ever more reliant on opium – the Black Drop – to ease his nightmares. A highly sensitive letter, whose contents could lead to the destruction of the British Army, has been leaked to the press and Laurence is a suspect. Then he discovers the body of a fellow clerk – a supposed suicide – and it seems clear where the blame truly lies. But Laurence is certain both of his friend’s innocence, and that he was murdered. But after years of hiding his own secrets from his powerful employers, can Laurence find the true culprit without ending up on the gallows himself?A thrilling historical mystery, perfect for readers of C.J. Sansom, Andrew Taylor, Antonia Hodgson and Laura Shepherd-Robinson.’This opium-fuelled gem is a murderous romp’ – JANICE HALLETT’A thrilling slice of pitch-dark historical fiction’ – EMMA STONEX’A gripping, intricate story of Georgian high politics’ – W.C. RYAN

Black Drop

Emma — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

***ONE OF THE TIMES BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS OF 2021***’One of the best debuts of the year’ – THE TIMES’As nimbly realised as by the genre’s master, Andrew Taylor’ – FINANCIAL TIMES’Black Drop is a joy from start to finish’ – ANDREW TAYLOR***SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE MONTH***________________________________________This is the confession of Laurence Jago. Clerk. Gentleman. Reluctant spy.July 1794, and the streets of London are filled with rumours of revolution. Political radical Thomas Hardy is to go on trial for treason, the war against the French is not going in Britain’s favour, and negotiations with the independent American colonies are on a knife edge.Laurence Jago – clerk to the Foreign Office – is ever more reliant on the Black Drop to ease his nightmares. A highly sensitive letter has been leaked to the press, which may lead to the destruction of the British Army, and Laurence is a suspect. Then he discovers the body of a fellow clerk, supposedly a suicide.Blame for the leak is shifted to the dead man, but even as the body is taken to the anatomists, Laurence is certain both of his friend’s innocence, and that he was murdered. But after years of hiding his own secrets from his powerful employers, and at a time when even the slightest hint of treason can lead to the gallows, how can Laurence find the true culprit without incriminating himself?A thrilling historical mystery, perfect for readers of C.J. Sansom, Andrew Taylor, Antonia Hodgson and Laura Shepherd-Robinson.________________________________________’A thrilling slice of pitch-dark historical fiction’ – EMMA STONEX’A gripping, intricate story of Georgian high politics’ – W.C. RYAN’This opium-fuelled gem is a murderous romp through the tangled roots of British democracy’ – JANICE HALLETT’A riveting political thriller. Gripping, moving, and utterly engaging’ – PHILIPPA EAST’Absolutely compelling, and so atmospheric I felt I was there’ – FRANCES QUINN’A sparkling evocation of a distant time. I loved it’ – TREVOR WOOD’An astounding debut novel, written with style and confidence’ – A.J. WEST