Best Selling Books by Peter James

Meet Detective Superintendent Roy Grace on his unforgettable first major case, in this TV tie-in edition of Dead Simple, by award winning crime author Peter James. Now a major ITV series, Grace, adapted for television by screenwriter Russell Lewis and starring John Simm. It was meant to be a harmless stag-night prank. But a few hours later, the groom has disappeared and his friends are dead. With only three days to the wedding, Roy Grace is contacted by the man’s distraught fiancée to unearth what happened on that fateful night. The one man who ought to know of the groom’s whereabouts is saying nothing. But then he has a lot more to gain than anyone realizes, for one man’s disaster is another man’s fortune . . . Although the Roy Grace novels can be read in any order, Dead Simple is the first thrilling title in the bestselling series. Enjoy more of the Brighton detective’s investigations with Looking Good Dead and Not Dead Enough.

A couple desperate to have a child consider one unsettling option in this thriller by the #1 international bestselling author of the Roy Grace series. After the tragic loss of their young son to a rare genetic disorder, John and Naomi discover they both carry a rogue gene. Having another child by conventional means is too much risk to bear. When they find geneticist Dr Leo Dettore it seems like the answer to their prayers. Every aspect of the child can be chosen and manufactured, from height and eye color to intelligence and sporting prowess. But realizing the danger too late, Naomi is already pregnant when they understand the nightmare world they are entering . . . Praise for Perfect People: “Peter James’s clever page-turner Perfect People focuses not on the past but risks for the future.” —The Times “As ever, James writes beautifully, maintaining the pace with short, punchy chapters. But it’s his firm grasp of the moral issues surrounding designer babies that makes Perfect People so satisfying—and so unsettling.” —The Guardian “James has produced a suitably breathless fan-pleaser about accelerating evolution.” —The Daily Telegraph “The ending is so horrifyingly scary that I was unable to sleep properly for several nights.” —The Mail on Sunday

Like Dr Frankenstein, brilliant scientist Joe Messenger will stop at nothing in his quest for immortality . . .

Dead Man's Footsteps, the fourth novel in Peter James' award-winning Detective Superintendent Roy Grace crime series, now available in eBook. "Abby stepped in the lift and the doors closed with a sound like a shovel smoothing gravel. She breathed in the smell of someone else's perfume, and lemon-scented cleaning fluid. The lift jerked upwards a few inches. And now, too late to change her mind and get out, with the metal walls pressing in around her, they lunged sharply downwards. Abby was about to realize she had just made the worst mistake of her life ..." Amid the tragic unfolding mayhem of the morning of 9/11, failed Brighton never-do-well Ronnie Wilson sees the chance of a lifetime, to disappear and reinvent himself in another country. Five years later the discovery of the skeletal remains of a woman's body in a storm drain in Brighton, leads Detective Superintendent Roy Grace on an enquiry spanning the globe, and into a desperate race against time to save the life of a woman being hunted down like an animal in the streets and alleys of Brighton.

When unsolved crimes resurface, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace faces a possible copycat killing in Dead Like You, by award winning crime author Peter James. The Metropole Hotel, Brighton. After a heady New Year's Eve ball, a woman is attacked as she returns to her room. A week later, another woman is assaulted. Both victims' shoes are taken by the offender . . . Roy Grace soon realizes that these new cases bear remarkable similarities to an unsolved series of crimes in the city back in 1997. Dubbed 'Shoe Man', the perpetrator was believed to have attacked five women before murdering his sixth victim and vanishing. Could this be a copycat, or has Shoe Man resurfaced? When more women are assaulted, Grace and his team find themselves in a desperate race against the clock to identify and save the life of the new sixth victim . . . Although the Roy Grace novels can be read in any order, Dead Like You is the sixth gripping title in the bestselling series. Enjoy more of the Brighton detective’s investigations with Dead Man's Grip and Not Dead Yet. Now a major ITV series, Grace, starring John Simm.

Three muffled thuds ring from the partially filled grave of the newly wed girl. Only the verger hears them and he dismisses the noise as his imagination. But over the next few days others also hear faint sounds. An exhumation order is granted. Reporter Kate Hemingway sneaks into the small suburban churchyard when the coffin is opened, and the scene she witnesses is so horrific she can never forget it. As she starts work on the story, Kate finds herself caught up in a sinister and macabre cover-up. At the centre is a respected anaesthetist who has a secret obsession. He believes people can exist outside their bodies and that if he can prove it he will provide the answer to the question that has haunted mankind through the ages: is there life after death? Nothing - and no one - is going to stand in the way of his driving ambition . . . 'Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business.' Karin Slaughter 'Well-researched, chillingly executed and eminently readable.' Sunday Times Read more from the multi-million copy bestselling author of the Roy Grace novels: Possession Dreamer Sweet Heart Twilight Prophecy Host Alchemist Denial The Truth Faith * Each Peter James novel can be read as a standalone*

The next thrilling installment in the international bestselling Roy Grace series

The Perfect Murder is a suspenseful and gripping novella from Peter James, the bestselling author of the phenomenally successful Roy Grace series. Victor Smiley and his wife Joan have been married for nearly twenty years. Victor secretly loathes Joan more and more each day. Joan is bored by Victor, and his snoring drives her mad. Their marriage has reached a crisis point . . . Victor decides there is only one way to get Joan out of his life for ever, but he's about to get a nasty surprise. As it turns out, Victor's not the only one with murder in mind . . .

The third novel in the award-winning Detective Superintendent Roy Grace crime series. On the night Brian Bishop murdered his wife, he was sixty miles away, asleep in bed at the time. At least, that's the way it looks to Detective Superintendent Roy Grace who is called in to investigate the kinky slaying of beautiful young Brighton socialite, Katie Bishop. Soon, Grace starts coming to the conclusion that Bishop has performed the apparently impossible feat of being in two places at once. Has someone stolen his identity, or is he simply a very clever liar? As Grace digs deeper behind the facade of the Bishops' outwardly respectable lives, it starts to become clear that all is not at all as it first seemed. And then he digs just a little too far, and suddenly the fragile stability of his own troubled, private world is facing destruction...

Dead Tomorrow, the fifth novel in Peter James' award-winning Detective Superintendent Roy Grace crime series, now available in eBook. The body of a teenager, dredged from the seabed off the coast of Sussex, is found to be missing its vital organs. Soon two more young bodies are found... Caitlin Beckett, a fifteen-year-old in Brighton, will die if she does not receive a liver transplant, urgently. When the health system threatens to let her down, Lynn, her mother turns in panic to the internet and discovers a broker who can provide her with a black-market organ - but at a price. Prepared to do whatever it takes, Lynn scrambles to raise the money. A few days later, with Caitlin deteriorating by the hour, the organ broker tells Lynn she has found a perfect match. With his beautiful girlfriend, Cleo, and his recent promotion, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace knows he should finally be feeling positive for the first time since his wife Sandy disappeared, nine years ago. But this new case haunts him, even more than all the others. Following the clues from the bodies, he finds himself on the trail of a gang of child traffickers operating from Eastern Europe. Soon Grace and his team will find themselves in a race against time to save the life of a young street kid, while a desperate mother will stop at nothing to save her daughter's life.

Obsession takes over the mind of a physician in this thriller by the #1 international bestselling author of the Roy Grace series. Marcus Valentine seemingly has it all: He’s a smart, charming, and successful doctor with a wife, three kids, and a job he loves. But something, or rather someone, is missing . . . One morning, driving to work, he almost runs down a female jogger crossing the road. Marcus cannot take his eyes off her. She is identical to a girl he was infatuated with in his teens. A girl he has never forgotten. Lynette had dumped him harshly. For years he has fantasized about seeing her again. Might that jogger be her, all these years later? Or is it just an incredible coincidence? Soon Marcus is consumed with thoughts of this woman. And when events take an unexpected turn, his obsession threatens to destroy them both. But even then, he won’t stop. He can’t stop. Praise for I Follow You: “Peter James is on form again with I Follow You, which explores the mind of a stalker.” —The Independent “Another stonking story from the master of the craft.” —Daily Express

Tom Bryce does what any decent person would do. He picks up a CD left behind on the train seat next to him, and attempts to return it to its owner. But he soon becomes the sole witness to a vicious murder. His young family is threatened with their lives if he goes to the police. Supported by his wife, Kellie, he bravely makes a statement to the murder enquiry team headed by Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a man with demons of his own—including his missing wife—to contend with. And from that moment, the killing of the Bryce family becomes a mere formality—and a grisly attraction. Kellie and Tom's deaths have already been posted on the internet. You can log on and see them on a website. They are looking good dead. Looking Good Dead is another chilling page-turner in Peter James' bestselling mystery series.

When waking from your dream means living your nightmare... The last time the dream came, Sam was seven years old; and that was the night her parents were to die. Twenty-five years later, Sam's nightmares are starting to come true once more. Now a successful TV commercials producer, juggling her roles of career woman, wife and mother, she attempts to shut them out. But soon Sam is faced with the reality of dreams in which her life and that of her family are threatened. In desperation, she consults the experts: a psychiatrist; a clairvoyant ... but to no avail. Sam is being inexorably drawn into a vortex of terror from which there is no escape... 'Britain's closest equivalent to Stephen King.' Sunday Times 'Peter James is getting better with every book.' Times Read more from the multi-million copy bestselling author of the Roy Grace novels: Possession Dreamer Sweet Heart Twilight Prophecy Host Alchemist Denial The Truth Faith * Each Peter James novel can be read as a standalone*

A shocking reveal threatens to unravel Detective Superintendent Roy Grace’s happy new life in Love You Dead, by award winning crime author Peter James. Grace is newly married, having moved to a country cottage with Chloe and their baby son. But his first, long-missing wife, now found, has left Grace a surprise greater than he could have imagined. Yet the police need Grace at work: an escaped murderer who left a bullet in him is back and a Black Widow is leaving an international trail of corpses after – in every sense – bleeding them dry. Now, she’s come to Brighton for her next rich target . . . Although the Roy Grace novels can be read in any order, Love You Dead is the twelve title in the bestselling series. Enjoy more of the Brighton detective’s investigations with Need You Dead and Dead If You Don’t. Now a major ITV series, Grace, starring John Simm.

A game that turns to a nightmare ... Non Omnis Moriar I shall not altogether die A young boy watches his mother die. A sadistic man dies in agony. Drunk students play with a Ouija board in a damp cellar. Can bricks and mortar retain imprints of the emotions experienced within them? Frannie is delighted when a chance meeting with a handsome man and his son leads to a romance. The fact that the relationship is marred by gruesome tragedies, she dismisses as an unsettling coincidence. But eventually she can no longer ignore the fact that she is the only thing linking these horrible events. Is it a murderous practical joke? Or worse...? 'James just gets better and better' Independent on Sunday 'Britain's answer to Stephen King and Michael Crichton.' Sunday Telegraph Read more from the multi-million copy bestselling author of the Roy Grace novels: Possession Dreamer Sweet Heart Twilight Prophecy Host Alchemist Denial The Truth Faith * Each Peter James novel can be read as a standalone*

'This book inflicts more shocks than an electric fence.' Daily Mail Charley has a strange feeling when she sees the idyllic mill house with its cluster of outbuildings, the lake and the swirling mill stream; a powerful sense of recognition, as if she has been there before. Except she knows she hasn't. After Charley and her husband Tom move into Elmwood Mill, sinister memories of a previous existence start to haunt her. Despite both their attempts to dismiss everything with rational explanations, the feeling turns to certainty as the memories become increasingly vivid and terrifying. Charley is persuaded to undergo hypnosis - but in searching deep into her past, she will soon fear her future. 'James has been compared with Stephen King, but in many ways he's better.' Daily Express 'Peter James is getting better with every book.' Times

Roy Grace tracks a stalker obsessed with a Hollywood starlet in Not Dead Yet, the latest from #1 international bestselling author Peter James Days before one of Hollywood's hottest stars, Gaia Lafayette, leaves her Bel Air home for a movie role on location in Brighton, England, there is a bungled attempt on her life. The whole city of Brighton awaits Gaia's arrival, including her dangerously obsessive Number One fan looking for revenge and an anxious Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, charged with protecting Gaia. When a mutilated torso is found on a chicken farm miles away in the countryside, the police have no reason at all to connect this to the star's visit to the county. But as events rapidly begin to unfold, Roy Grace and his team of cops find themselves in a desperate race against time to save Gaia's life from a clever maniac who will stop at nothing to kill her.

He was a clinical psychologist who specialized in unraveling the motivations of the twisted killers who wanted to express themselves again and again. She was the kind of detective for whom justice matters more than any other consideration… In this short story from the thrilling anthology MatchUp, bestselling authors Val McDermid and Peter James—along with their popular series characters Tony Hill and Roy Grace—team up for the first time ever.

An obsessive psychopath must be stopped whilst Detective Superintendent Roy Grace also deals with a very personal mystery in Want You Dead, by award winning crime writer Peter James. Grace’s wife Sandy is officially declared dead after being missing for a decade, allowing him to marry the mother of his baby son. But Sandy’s disappearance is unexplained for a reason. Bryce Laurent doesn’t want his ex-girlfriend to move on. Terrified by Bryce’s dark side, she seeks police protection. But Bryce will not be stopped, determined to destroy everything and everyone she has ever known and loved – and then her too . . . Although the Roy Grace novels can be read in any order, Want You Dead is the tenth thrilling title in the bestselling series. Enjoy more of the Brighton detective’s investigations with You Are Dead and Love You Dead. Now a major ITV series, Grace, starring John Simm.

A thrilling tale of suspense from the CWA Diamond winner and bestselling author of the Roy Grace series. Susan and John Carter are crazy about each other and life is perfect but for one thing - they are on the brink of financial disaster. Surely being a surrogate mother to another man's child won't harm such a strong relationship? Especially when the mysterious Mr Sarotzini is offering to save their home and business - everything they've worked for. What seems to be a perfect solution begins to feel like an impossible situation. Susan's pregnancy is disturbingly painful but no-one will tell her why. It becomes apparent that Sarotzini wields immense power and Susan begins to doubt everything she knows. As she realises the terrifying origin of the dark forces Saratzini controls she is in fear for herself and John but most of all for her unborn baby ... 'Peter James is getting better with every book.' Times 'Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business.' Karin Slaughter Read more from the multi-million copy bestselling author of the Roy Grace novels: Possession Dreamer Sweet Heart Twilight Prophecy Host Alchemist Denial The Truth Faith * Each Peter James novel can be read as a standalone*

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger... Monty Bannerman's father is a leading genetic scientist, and Nobel Prize winner, whose company has just been taken over by what will soon be the world's biggest pharmaceutical giant. He had some misgivings about their company ethics - but ultimately, he needs their money, and they need his mind. Then a journalist comes to Monty's door, with a far-fetched story about the pharmaceutical company. She doesn't believe what she's being told for a moment - but within a few short weeks, events are making the apparently fantastic claims look horrifyingly like the truth. Behind the respectable facade of the multi-national company which calls itself the 'World's Most Caring Company' lies an outrage against the whole human race... 'Peter James is getting better with every book.' Times 'Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business.' Karin Slaughter Read more from the multi-million copy bestselling author of the Roy Grace novels: Possession Dreamer Sweet Heart Twilight Prophecy Host Alchemist Denial The Truth Faith * Each Peter James novel can be read as a standalone*

A suspense novel about a journalist’s quest to find evidence God exists is “sensational—the best what-if thriller since The Da Vinci Code” (Lee Child, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series). “I know this is going to sound strange, but I’ve recently been given absolute proof of God’s existence. . . .” When investigative reporter Ross Hunter receives a sudden phone call from Dr. Harry Cook, little does he suspect how it will change the world forever. Cook is making an extraordinary claim. But as the details surface and the true ramifications become clear, the foundation of the world’s major religions threatens to collapse. With half the world decrying the claim, Hunter must get to the bottom of it. If, that is, he can survive that long . . . What would it take to prove the existence of God, and what would it mean? An explosive thriller with an incredible premise from international bestseller Peter James. “We are in Dan Brown blockbuster territory, but both atheists and believers will find food for thought in this globe-trotting epic.” —The Guardian “The king of crime is now a miracle worker.” —Daily Express

Collects stories written by best-selling thriller authors,11 women and 11 men partnered in male-female literary pairings, in anthology that includes contributions by such favorites as Sandra Brown, John Sandford and Eric Van Lustbader.

Introducing policeman Glenn Branson... When actress Gloria Lamark takes her own life, her devoted son, Thomas, is heart-broken. Something must be wrong with a world in which such a tragedy is allowed to happen. How could her high-profile, media-star psychiatrist have failed to save such a special person, whom Thomas loved in such a very special way? Dr Tennent has a lesson to learn - a very painful one. Michael Tennent is caught up in the first flush of love - but has no idea how dangerous romance can be. For both Michael and Thomas will do anything for the women they love . . . 'James has been compared with Stephen King, but in many ways he's better.' Daily Express 'Peter James is getting better with every book.' Times Read more from the multi-million copy bestselling author of the Roy Grace novels: Possession Dreamer Sweet Heart Twilight Prophecy Host Alchemist Denial The Truth Faith * Each Peter James novel can be read as a standalone*

It's a race against time as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace tries to stop a grieving mother from taking the law into her own hands in Dead Man's Grip, by award winning crime writer Peter James. A university student is killed in a tragic traffic accident while riding their bicycle. When two of the drivers involved are hunted down by a sadistic killer, Grace knows that the third driver, Carly Chase, may be next. Carly, a solicitor, believes hiding is not an option and heads to New York to speak with the cyclist’s mother. But Grace knows about the mother’s underworld connections and that the family will stop at nothing to take an eye for an eye . . . Although the Roy Grace novels can be read in any order, Dead Man's Grip is the seventh thrilling title in the bestselling series. Enjoy more of the Brighton detective’s investigations with Not Dead Yet and Dead Man's Time. Now a major ITV series, Grace, starring John Simm.

An unprecedented collective features pairings by 23 best-selling and critically acclaimed suspense writers, who in short high-action stories pit their most popular characters against one another.

A chilling, suspense-filled ghost story from multimillion-copy bestselling author Peter James, now also a hit stage show. Ollie and Caro Harcourt are moving house with their twelve-year-old daughter Jade. Ollie is desperate to leave the city. Caro is less sure. Then they view Cold Hill House, a dilapidated rural mansion, and fall instantly in love. It’s expensive, but with its space, seclusion and huge grounds it seems like a brilliant idea. That is, until they arrive. It soon becomes apparent that they are not alone. A spectral woman appears on screens and walks the corridors, vanishing before she can be challenged. Strange occurrences become ever more common. Then Caro starts seeing faces, always looking out of the same upstairs window. The room behind it could hold the key to the disturbing secret behind the house’s mysterious past. Except for the fact that the room doesn’t seem to exist... A blood-chilling horror novel from one of the true masters of thrills, perfect for fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Praise for The House on Cold Hill ‘Impeccable’ The Sunday Times ‘Superbly creepy modern horror story’ Book of the Week, Sunday Mirror ‘James is a compelling storyteller and he ratchets up the tension in increments, so that his readers will be suitably terrified. By the time you want to scream 'Look behind you!', it's already too late.’ Daily Mail

Atom Bomb Angel is a reissued early thriller from multi-million-copy bestselling author, Peter James. Terrorists are threatening to sabotage Britain's nuclear power plants. One nuclear explosive smuggled inside a reactor would turn the entire core into a massive atom bomb . . . and bring death and disease to millions of people for centuries to come. When Sir Isaac Quoit, chairman of the Atomic Energy Authority, disappears without trace, MI5 are alerted to the mysterious Operation Angel. Slick superspy Max Flynn is briefed to crack the code - but can he beat the deadline before Angel strikes? Who are the terrorists? Why are the KGB involved? What are their aims and which power stations will they sabotage? If he does not act fast, Britain will be engulfed in a nuclear nightmare.

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace unearths a powerful criminal network in the sinister crime novel Find Them Dead, by award winning author Peter James. Ending his secondment to London’s Met Police, Roy Grace gets a tip-off about a drugs mastermind operating out of Brighton. On his first day back in his old job, he is called to a seemingly senseless murder. Gradually, Grace’s investigation draws him into the evil sphere of an utterly ruthless drug dealer on trial. A man prepared to order the death of anyone it takes to enable him to walk free from court. Sitting in the jury is Meg Magellan, whose daughter's life is being threatened by a stranger who tells her that if she ever wants to see her alive again, it is very simple. At the end of the trial, all she has to do is make sure the jury says just two words . . . Not guilty. Although the Roy Grace novels can be read in any order, Find Them Dead is the sixteenth title in the bestselling series. Discover more of the Brighton detective’s investigations with Left You Dead. Now a major ITV series, Grace, starring John Simm.

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace faces his most mysterious case yet in the gripping crime novel Need You Dead, by award winning author Peter James. Lorna Belling, desperate to escape the marriage from hell, falls for the charms of a man who promises her the earth. But, as Lorna soon finds, life seldom follows the plans you’ve made. When the body of a woman is found, Grace is called to the scene. At first it looks an open-and-shut case with a clear prime suspect. That is, until Grace realizes there is a darker, far more terrifying alternative . . Although the Roy Grace novels can be read in any order, Need You Dead is the thirteenth title in the bestselling series. Enjoy more of the Brighton detective’s investigations with Dead If You Don’t and Dead at First Sight. Now a major ITV series, Grace, starring John Simm.

From the number one bestselling author, Peter James, comes The Secret of Cold Hill. The spine-chilling follow-up to The House on Cold Hill. Now a smash-hit stage play. Cold Hill House has been razed to the ground by fire, replaced with a development of ultra-modern homes. Gone with the flames are the violent memories of the house’s history, and a new era has begun. Although much of Cold Hill Park is still a construction site, the first two families move into their new houses. For Jason and Emily Danes, this is their forever home, and for Maurice and Claudette Penze-Weedell, it’s the perfect place to live out retirement. Despite the ever present rumble of cement mixers and diggers, Cold Hill Park appears to be the ideal place to live. But looks are deceptive and it’s only a matter of days before both couples start to feel they are not alone in their new homes. There is one thing that never appears in the estate agent brochures: nobody has ever survived beyond forty in Cold Hill House and no one has ever truly left . . .

In Dead Man's Time, the latest from international bestselling author Peter James, Roy Grace finds himself up against that most dangerous of all adversaries—a man with fury in his heart who has nothing to lose. New York, 1922. Five-year-old Gavin Daly and his seven-year-old sister, Aileen, are boarding the SS Mauretania to Dublin—and safety. Their mother has been shot and their Irish mobster father abducted. Suddenly, a messenger hands Gavin a piece of paper on which are written four names and eleven numbers, a cryptic message that will haunt him all his life, and his father's pocket watch. As the ship sails, Gavin watches Manhattan fade into the dusk and makes a promise, that one day he will return and find his father. Brighton, 2012. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace investigates a savage burglary in Brighton, in which an old lady is murdered and £10m of antiques have been taken, including a rare vintage watch. To Grace's surprise, the antiques are unimportant to her family—it is the watch they want back. As his investigation probes deeper, he realizes he has kicked over a hornets nest of new and ancient hatreds. At its heart is one man, Gavin Daly, the dead woman's ninety-five-year-old brother. He has a score to settle and a promise to keep—both of which lead to a murderous trail linking the antiques world of Brighton, the crime fraternity of Spain's Marbella, and New York. Roy Grace, in a race against the clock to stop another killing, has met his most dangerous adversary yet.

A Twist of the Knife is Peter James' gripping first full-length collection of thirty short stories, including all the stories featured in Short Shockers One & Two plus many more. With each twist of the knife, a chilling new journey begins . . . From a woman intent on bizarre revenge, to a restaurant critic with a morbid fear of the number thirteen; and from a man arranging a life-changing assignation, to a couple heading for a disaster-filled vacation . . . In multi-million-copy bestselling author Peter James' collection of short stories we first come to meet Brighton's finest detective, Roy Grace, and read the tale that went on to inspire James' hugely successful novel, Dead Simple. James exposes the Achilles heel of each of his characters, and makes us question how well we can trust ourselves, and one another. Each tale carries a twist that will haunt readers for days after they turn the final page . . . Combining every twisted tale from the ebook bestsellers Short Shockers One and Short Shockers Two, with a never-seen-before collection of new material, A Twist of the Knife shows Peter James as the undisputed grand master of storytellers with this sometimes funny, often haunting, but always shocking collection.

What was the Minotaur? Did a Welsh prince discover America? Did Robin Hood really exist? How does the Star of Bethlehem fit into the science of astronomy? Is the Vinland Map a fake? Can archaeologists use spirit messages to guide their work? For centuries, philosophers, scientists, and charlatans have attempted to decipher the baffling mysteries of our past, from the Stonehenge to the lost continent of Atlantis. Today, however, DNA testing, radiocarbon dating, and other cutting-edge investigative tools, together with a healthy dose of common sense, are guiding us closer to the truth. Peter James and Nick Thorpe, the professional historian and archaeologist team who created the acclaimed Ancient Inventions, now tackle these age-old conundrums, presenting the latest information from the scientific community--and the most startling challenges to traditional explanations of mysteries such as: - The rise and fall of the Maya - A lost cache of Dead Sea Scrolls - The curse of Tutankhamun - The devastation of Sodom and Gomorrah - The Nazca Lines These true mystery stories twist and turn like a good whodunit, as James and Thorpe present the evidence for and against the expert theories, shedding new light on humankind's age-old struggle to make sense of the past. The authors also make dramatic contributions of their own to the fray, demonstrating persuasively that cataustrophic events--including the collisions of comets with the Earth long ago--could explain puzzles that have baffled experts for centuries. Ancient Mysteries will entertain and enlighten, delight the curious and inform the serious.

Roy Grace and his family have left Sussex behind for a week's holiday in France. The website promised a grand house, but when they arrive the place is very different from the pictures. And it soon becomes clear that their holiday nightmare is only just beginning