Antonia Hodgson – författare

**Buy The Raven Scholar now - a masterfully woven tale of imperial intrigue from Sunday Times bestselling Antonia Hodgson**

WINNER OF THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE JOHN CREASEY CWA DAGGER FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME NOVEL''A splendid debut. . .this is a truly spellbinding tale'' Guardian

''Hodgson''s utterly compelling debut is fiendishly plotted and dripping with atmosphere'' Mark Billingham

''A brilliant first novel. . .a blood-drenched investigation that twists and turns in the vortex of Georgian society'' The Times

''Historical fiction just doesn''t get any better than this. Magnificent!'' Jeffery Deaver

London, 1727.

Tom Hawkins is about to fall from his heaven of card games, brothels and coffee-houses into the hell of a debtors'' prison.

The Marshalsea is a savage world of its own, with simple rules:

Those with family or friends who can lend them a little money may survive in relative comfort.

Those with none will starve in squalor and disease.

And those who try to escape will suffer a gruesome fate at the hands of the gaol''s rutheless governor and his cronies.

The trouble is, Tom Hawkins has never been good at following rules - even simple ones. And the recent murder of a debtor, Captain Roberts, has brought further terror to the gaol.

While the Captain''s beautiful widow cries for justice, the finger of suspicion points only one way: to the sly, enigmatic figure of Samuel Fleet.

READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH THIS MAGNIFICENT HISTORICAL MYSTERY''I read a lot of detective fiction. Hodsgon''s debut is one of the best ever'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''A devil of a good story'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''A rollicking good read'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''I haven''t enjoyed a novel so much in a long, long time'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''Absolutely breathtaking'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''Superb from start to finish'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA GOLD CROWN''A triumph . . . leaves the reader hungry for more'' Andrew TaylorAutumn, 1728. Life is good for Thomas Hawkins and Kitty Sparks in their home above the Cocked Pistol, Kitty''s wickedly disreputable bookshop. But when Tom is attacked by a street gang, he discovers there''s a price on his head. Who wants him dead - and why? For Tom and Kitty, the answer is only the beginning of the nightmare. Powerful, deeply immersive, The Silver Collar is both a celebration of love and friendship, and a terrifying exploration of evil. ''One of the best crime series out there . . . a dark and addictive story of slavery and long-hidden secrets'' i-News ''The wonderful Thomas Hawkins crime novels . . . [Fans] are in for a treat - gripping'' The Times ''Beautifully written and packed with atmosphere, wit, and historical details. I didn''t want it to end'' Daily Mirror ''Antonia Hodgson is right up in the first division of historical crime'' Amanda Craig

The Sunday Times bestseller from an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy - a masterfully woven tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar''s quest to uncover the truth.

''IT''S THRILLING, ROMANTIC, OFTEN TRAGIC, AND ALWAYS FUNNY'' ALIX E. HARROW''SIMPLY GLORIOUS!'' GEORGIA SUMMERS''FIENDISHLY CHARMING AND CLEVER'' TASHA SURIShe might win the throne. She might destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with murder. After twenty-four years on the throne, it is time for Bersun the Brusque, emperor of Orrun, to bring his reign to an end. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders will compete to replace him. Trained at rival monasteries, each contender is inspired by a sacred animal - Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Hound. An eighth - the Dragon proxy - will be revealed only once the trials have begun. Eight exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists - the best of the best. Then one of them is murdered. It falls to the brilliant but idiosyncratic Neema Kraa to investigate. But as she hunts for a killer, darker forces are gathering. If Neema succeeds, she could win the throne - whether she wants it or not. But if she fails, she will sentence herself to death - and set in motion a sequence of events that could doom the empire . . .PRAISE FOR THE RAVEN SCHOLAR''The Raven Scholar is an intricately plotted historical mystery steeped in gothic charm and intellectual intrigue'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''It [The Raven Scholar] is truly one of the best epic fantasy books I''ve read in a long time'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''I have NEVER rooted a romance more'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''This book is simply "Magnificent"'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''Mature and sensible, but still idealistic, emotional, passion-driven [characters]'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐