A. J. West – författare

‘A fiendishly clever tale of ambition, deception, and power’ DERREN BROWNBelfast, 1914. Two years after the sinking of the Titanic, high society has become obsessed with spiritualism, attending séances in the hope they might reach their departed loved ones.William Jackson Crawford is a man of science and a sceptic, but one night with everyone sitting around the circle, voices come to him – seemingly from beyond the veil – placing doubt in his heart and a seed of obsession in his mind. Could the spirits truly be communicating with him or is this one of Kathleen’s parlour tricks gone too far?Based on the true story of Professor William Jackson Crawford and famed medium Kathleen Goligher, and with a cast of characters including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini, The Spirit Engineer conjures a haunted, twisted tale of power, paranoia and one ultimate, inescapable truth...

Set in the buried streets of Georgian London and the outrageous underworld of the molly houses, a carpenter hiding a double life, searches for a traitor who is betraying the secrets of the mollies. The devastatingly beautiful, brutal, raucous and tender historical thriller – a Top Ten Sunday Times bestseller!**WINNER of the CWA Historical DAGGER 2025***‘Heartbreaking, beautiful, lyrical. I was captivated … you won't want to put it down’ Catriona Ward ‘Utterly thrilling’ Elizabeth MacNeal ‘An immersive, illuminating and exceptionally entertaining novel’ Matt Cain ‘Stunning and powerful … You’ll never forget Thomas True’ Janice Hallett ‘A clever mystery, a powerful love story … affected me more than anything I’ve read in a long time’ Gareth Brown**WINNER OF THE HWA DEBUT CROWN****THE TOP TEN Sunday Times BESTSELLER****SHORTLISTED for Booksellers Association Author of the Year**_________________ The only sin is betrayal… It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London's hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses. Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly's stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices. Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love? Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal…_______________________ ‘Quite simply divine … had me in all sorts of tears’ Jennie Godfrey‘A vivid exploration of a largely forgotten aspect of London’s past … as compelling as West’s debut’ The Times ‘A darkly thrilling romp that simmers with sinister menace and illicit temptation’ Susan Stokes-Chapman ‘An unforgettable combination of historical thriller, love story and heartbreaking tragedy’ Heat ‘Ingeniously plotted, vivid and memorable’ Historical Novel Society ‘Electric … an unputdownable read’ Attitude Magazine   ‘An epic adventure of love in a time of danger’ Hallie Rubenhold ‘An exuberant, moving story’ Rosie Andrews ‘Vivid, impressive and utterly immersive … I was weeping by the final pages. Masterful’ D.V. Bishop ‘A devastating story told with great power’ Christopher Stephens ‘You are instantly immersed in the perilous, hot, exciting, plot-swirling world of Mollies’ Felice Picano‘You’ll smile, you’ll gasp, you’ll cry’ Essie Fox ‘Hugely entertaining’ Anna Mazzola ‘Bursting with memorable characters and stunning imagery’ Sean Lusk‘Brilliantly researched and lavishly written’ Emma Stonex ‘Like a modern Fielding’ Kate Griffin‘Hypnotic. A hurtling tale of deception and self-discovery’ James Cahill‘Very, very good’ Stephen Fry‘There has never been a book that made me cry … until today’ Suzie Edge ‘Fierce, funny, and fabulous … an important and deeply moving story’ Jonathan Harvey ‘A beautiful, dark love story set in the fetid streets of Georgian London … unputdownable’ Gareth Russell ‘A beautifully told story that broke my heart and energised my soul’ Tracy King ‘The wit of Wilde still lives!’ Gyles Brandreth ‘A gripping epic tale … a powerful new voice in historical fiction’ Gill Paul ‘A picaresque gay romp through 18th-century London, with a dark and troubling heart’ Annie Garthwaite

Set in the buried streets of Georgian London and the outrageous underworld of the molly houses, a carpenter hiding a double life, searches for a traitor who is betraying the secrets of the mollies. The devastatingly beautiful, brutal, raucous and tender historical thriller – a Top Ten Sunday Times bestseller!**WINNER of the CWA Historical DAGGER 2025***‘Heartbreaking, beautiful, lyrical. I was captivated … you won't want to put it down’ Catriona Ward ‘Utterly thrilling’ Elizabeth MacNeal ‘An immersive, illuminating and exceptionally entertaining novel’ Matt Cain ‘Stunning and powerful … You’ll never forget Thomas True’ Janice Hallett ‘A clever mystery, a powerful love story … affected me more than anything I’ve read in a long time’ Gareth Brown**WINNER OF THE HWA DEBUT CROWN****THE TOP TEN Sunday Times BESTSELLER****SHORTLISTED for Booksellers Association Author of the Year**_________________ The only sin is betrayal… It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London's hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses. Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly's stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices. Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love? Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal…_______________________ ‘Quite simply divine … had me in all sorts of tears’ Jennie Godfrey‘A vivid exploration of a largely forgotten aspect of London’s past … as compelling as West’s debut’ The Times ‘A darkly thrilling romp that simmers with sinister menace and illicit temptation’ Susan Stokes-Chapman ‘An unforgettable combination of historical thriller, love story and heartbreaking tragedy’ Heat ‘Ingeniously plotted, vivid and memorable’ Historical Novel Society ‘Electric … an unputdownable read’ Attitude Magazine   ‘An epic adventure of love in a time of danger’ Hallie Rubenhold ‘An exuberant, moving story’ Rosie Andrews ‘Vivid, impressive and utterly immersive … I was weeping by the final pages. Masterful’ D.V. Bishop ‘A devastating story told with great power’ Christopher Stephens ‘You are instantly immersed in the perilous, hot, exciting, plot-swirling world of Mollies’ Felice Picano‘You’ll smile, you’ll gasp, you’ll cry’ Essie Fox ‘Hugely entertaining’ Anna Mazzola ‘Bursting with memorable characters and stunning imagery’ Sean Lusk‘Brilliantly researched and lavishly written’ Emma Stonex ‘Like a modern Fielding’ Kate Griffin‘Hypnotic. A hurtling tale of deception and self-discovery’ James Cahill‘Very, very good’ Stephen Fry‘There has never been a book that made me cry … until today’ Suzie Edge ‘Fierce, funny, and fabulous … an important and deeply moving story’ Jonathan Harvey ‘A beautiful, dark love story set in the fetid streets of Georgian London … unputdownable’ Gareth Russell ‘A beautifully told story that broke my heart and energised my soul’ Tracy King ‘The wit of Wilde still lives!’ Gyles Brandreth ‘A gripping epic tale … a powerful new voice in historical fiction’ Gill Paul ‘A picaresque gay romp through 18th-century London, with a dark and troubling heart’ Annie Garthwaite

Set in wartime London and based on a true story, Everest Macdonald investigates the murder of her uncle, the actor William Terriss. A riveting, dark historical mystery from Sunday Times bestselling author A.J. West.‘Meet Everest Macdonald, your new favourite historical sleuth … a work of Bayeux proportions, beautifully imagined with perfect pacing and twists galore!’ Janice Hallett‘A dark confection of phantoms, hidden motives, the angst of the Victorian theatre … and murder’ Vaseem Khan‘You are in for one hell of a ride when you meet Everest Macdonald! Essie Fox–––––Some inherit a fortune.She inherited murder…1917. As the Great War rages on the continent, Everest Macdonald is summoned to her father's deathbed and entrusted with a final urgent request: she must uncover the truth behind the murder of her uncle, the celebrated Victorian actor William Terriss, a crime that has haunted her family for twenty years.In 1897, Terriss was stabbed to death outside London’s Adelphi Theatre, a killing that shocked Victorian society. The murderer was swiftly arrested and confined to Broadmoor, the case declared closed. Yet, years later, a sealed package of evidence is passed to Everest by her dying father, which casts doubt on the official verdict and the haste with which it was reached.Drawn back to wartime London, with her husband and children left behind, Everest begins her investigation, following a trail that leads her into the world of late-Victorian theatre, where fame and fortune mask obsession, envy and cruelty. With time running out and her father’s strength failing, Everest must uncover what really happened on the night Terriss died, and shed light on the unsettling legacy he left behind.Based on an extraordinary true story, The Deadly Inheritance of Everest Macdonald is a dark, atmospheric historical mystery and a compelling adventure, as an unlikely investigator risks everything to pursue one of the most notorious killings of the Victorian stage.__________‘Everest Macdonald is a hero for the ages: fearless, formidable, and with a wit that could outfox any foe! A hugely evocative tale of madness, betrayal and revenge’ Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes‘A twisty, fiendishly clever mystery story … I love the vivid period detail, the one-of-a-kind characters, and the settings that feel so real. Totally unputdownable!’ Gill Paul‘A glorious cocktail of historical fact, Christie-esque sleuthing and Victorian melodrama. From Argyll to the far-flung islands of the British Empire, the indomitable Everest Macdonald blazes a unique trail through fact and fiction to a truly dramatic denouement' Alis Hawkins‘Gripping, tumbling, witty, audacious and beautifully written’ Kate Griffin‘A.J. West skilfully conjures the most atmospheric story to rival any theatre show: a grand production of illusions, of dark secrets, and betrayals’ Essie Fox‘A breathless, continent-spanning whodunnit set in London's theatrical underworld. Everest Macdonald is a menopausal mystery-solver to make Wilkie Collins proud. My jaw dropped when I realised how much of it was true!’ V.V. James‘A cracking mystery … Everest Macdonald is a funny and utterly charming woman detective dealing with mystery, murder and the trials of midlife’ Suzie Edge‘Introducing Everest Macdonald. Determined, indomitable, smart and ingenious. A.J. West has created a masterpiece of historical fiction’ David Harry, The London SpyPRAISE FOR A.J. WEST*WINNER of the CWA Historical Dagger**WINNER of the HWA Debut Dagger**Shortlisted for Booksellers Association Author of the Year*`Utterly thrilling´ Elizabeth MacNeal`Immersive, illuminating and exceptionally entertaining´ Matt Cain‘A rare gem of a novel’ Susan Stokes-Chapman‘Had me in all sorts of tears’ Jennie Godfrey‘Heartbreaking, beautiful, lyrical’ Catriona Ward‘Really very, very good’ Stephen Fry‘Hypnotic. A hurtling tale of deception and self-discovery’ James Cahill‘A devastating story told with great power’ Christopher Stephens‘A thriller and a vivid exploration of a largely forgotten aspect of London’s past’ The Times‘Affected me more than anything I’ve read in a long time. Essential reading’ Gareth Brown‘An absolute page-turner!’ Hallie Rubenhold‘An exuberant, moving story’ Rosie Andrews‘Vivid, impressive and utterly immersive’ D.V. Bishop‘Deeply affecting’ Heat‘Electric ... an unputdownable read’ Attitude‘Fierce, funny, and fabulous’ Jonathan Harvey‘An original and hugely entertaining read’ Anna Mazzola‘Bursting with memorable characters and stunning imagery’ Sean Lusk‘Ingeniously plotted, vivid and memorable’ Historical Novel Society‘A gripping historical tale’ Foreword Reviews‘Historical crime fiction perfection!’ CrimeReads‘A thrilling historical mystery, brilliantly researched and lavishly written’ Emma Stonex‘Unputdownable historical fiction’ Gareth Russell‘A beautifully told story that broke my heart and energised my soul’ Tracy King‘The wit of Wilde still lives!’ Gyles Brandreth