Edward Marston: 58 books

He was egotistical, verbose and hot-headed to a fault. But he did not deserve to die… His name was Will Fowler, an actor in the esteemed theatrical company called Lord Westfield’s Men, a vibrant young man flushed from the success of a recent performance at The Queen’s Head theatre. So...

An exquisitely designed silver coffee-pot in the shape of a locomotive is on its way to Cardiff in the care of the young, talented silversmith, Hugh Kellow. It has been commissioned by wealthy ironmaster Clifford Tomkins for his acquisitive wife, who wants it to be the envy of all her friends –...

A perplexing new case for the Railway Detective On the shocking discovery of a passenger’s body on the Great Western Railway excursion train, Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck and his assistant, Sergeant Victor Leeming, are dispatched to the scene. Faced with what initially appears to be...

When the engines finally met, there was a deafening clash and the Brighton Express twisted and buckled, tipping its carriages onto the other line. It was a scene of utter devastation. October, 1854. As crowds of passengers rush to make the departure of the London to Brighton Express, a man...

The Frozen River Thames gives up its secrets Christmas, 1669. In the grip of the coldest winter for years, the Thames is frozen from bank to bank and London celebrates with the traditional Frost Fair held on its broad back. Among the throng are Christopher Redmayne, an ambitious young architect,...

Who in their midst has blood on their hands? London, 1670. Commissioned to design and build a new house for Francis Polegate, a merchant, Christopher Redmayne is pleased when the project is completed without a hitch. To celebrate the success of the venture, Polegate throws a party and invites...

One play, two murders and a grievous miscarriage of justice After a calamitous performance and the death of one of their own, Lord Westfield’s Men are more than despondent. So when the mysterious Simon Chaloner follows Nicholas Bracewell home with an offer of a new play, anonymously penned,...

AN INTRIGUING MYSTERY SURROUNDS THE KING’S MISTRESS London 1667. Acclaimed beauty and singer Harriet Gow is the star performer at the famous Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, as well as the favourite mistress of King Charles II. After seeing her perform, Christopher Redmayne is likewise captivated...

He had the power to assume a pleasing shape, but would he take to the stage? The audience was merry indeed when a third devilish imp bounded onstage to join the two that had been written into the script. But backstage all was uproar. The third demon seemed too much like the real thing. Even...

A PERILOUS INVESTIGATION IN THE HEART OF LONDON RAVAGED BY THE GREAT FIRE September 1666. Meeting in the ashes of a devastated London, Christopher Redmayne, an architect with Cavalier instincts, and Jonathan Bale, a Puritan constable, are hardly kindred spirits. Redmayne dedicates himself to...

Who could enact such a deadly design, lurking behind the scenes? As book holder and stage manager of theatrical company Lord Westfield's Men, Nicholas Bracewell is accustomed to solving problems. So when he discovers the naked corpse of a man while crossing the Thames by boat one night, he...

1861, East Anglia. Alone in a first-class carriage, the Swarbricks are robbed at gunpoint, but when the universally-admired Swarbrick fights back, the train robber takes more than money and jewellery, killing the man working to unify East Anglia’s tangle of railway networks. Inspector Colbeck...

For Lord Westfield’s Men, Every high road leads to death When the deathly horrors of the Black Plague decimate the audiences in London’s theatres, the acclaimed troupe of players called Lord Westfield’s Men take to the high road to seek out fresh audiences. But wherever they go, they...

For Lord Westfield’s men, sometimes murder takes centre stage… The reign of Elizabeth I has seen a flowering of English theatre. The esteemed theatrical company called Lord Westfield’s Men have enjoyed many a success but it falls to Nicholas Bracewell, the company’s bookholder and mainstay,...