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'Hardy opens a revealing window into the ills of Empire and the savagery that mankind can so easily revert to and delivers a true punch to the gut, with fascinating echoes of his Writers Guild screenplay for TABOO, the sequel of which many of us are still eager to see, and the murky jungle epics of Joseph Conrad.'

Maxim Jakubowski, Crimetime 

"A finely-paced and haunting story of a man - himself haunted and unsettled by the events of his past - coming to terms with the growing disorder of a world between the wars starting to fracture around him and already drawing towards its own unhappy conclusion. Part Joseph Conrad, part L.P.Hartley, Seaton's Orchid will appeal to fans of both."

Robert Edric, prizewinning author

SEATON'S ORCHID from Chips Hardy, co-creator with his son Tom Hardy of the acclaimed TV series "Taboo," is a powerful, provocative and emotionally raw character portrait of a man haunted by a crime against nature, denied redemption, confronted by polite society, and forced to reconcile memories of a self he can no longer recognise.

Set between WW1 and WW2, SEATON'S ORCHID tells the story of the enigmatic Captain Ainsley Seaton - a retired, much decorated professional solider, amateur explorer and artist living a reclusive life in Highleigh, a charming English village in West Sussex.

Seaton's quiet existence is shattered when his well-buried past is unexpectedly resurrected over dinner by a shadowy Church diplomat, who seems to know more about Seaton's history than he does. Forced to re-open chapters of his life that he has been at such pains to forget - from the phantasmal, savage events that unfolded in the deep jungle of the North-West Amazon to the horrors of the Western Front - Seaton withdraws into characteristic seclusion. But the diplomat refuses to let matters lie, and for his own secret purpose will stop at nothing to get to the truth; a truth which reverberates through the village itself, and beyond, with devastating results.

What the critics said about Hardy's 'Taboo':

Dark, brooding and consistently brilliant.

The Observer

Taboo is a work of Wicker Man genius. Taboo might be full of grime and torment but it's also dry-witted, shot through with sharp and knowing one-liners.

The Guardian

The best thing on television...Taboo has a strong plot at its dark heart. You want to know what will happen next, which is refreshing.

The Sunday Times

One of the more unique and thoughtful offerings of the new year.

Los Angeles Times

One of the most extraordinary, subversive, dramas British television has ever produced.

Daily Mail

It is filled with darkness, danger and mystery, and has a level of quality and import not often seen in television miniseries.

San Francisco Chronicle

Intrigue, Conspiracy and Murder...

A General Election is looming and former soldier Tom Scobie is first on the scene of a fatal road accident. It is the local MP's car. What caused it to leave the road for no obvious reason?

The vacant seat will be a shoo-in for the chosen candidate, and is therefore much sought after. But who will that be - a local insider, an A-lister from party HQ or a complete outsider?

There are dark forces at play and it rapidly becomes clear that there is much more at stake for than just normal local political shenanigans.

Tom has to discover the truth, but who he can trust? How far will others go?

Tom needs to use all his skills and guile to uncover what really is going on, and perhaps even to survive...

Intrigue, Conspiracy and Murder...

A General Election is looming and former soldier Tom Scobie is first on the scene of a fatal road accident. It is the local MP's car. What caused it to leave the road for no obvious reason?

The vacant seat will be a shoo-in for the chosen candidate, and is therefore much sought after. But who will that be - a local insider, an A-lister from party HQ or a complete outsider?

There are dark forces at play and it rapidly becomes clear that there is much more at stake for than just normal local political shenanigans.

Tom has to discover the truth, but who he can trust? How far will others go?

Tom needs to use all his skills and guile to uncover what really is going on, and perhaps even to survive...

Millions of people love Yellowstone, loved Lonesome Dove, and will love The Vindicated Man, by G.K. Beatty. The spirit of the American West is still alive and still captures the imaginations, and hearts, of those who travel there. Thru the theatre of the mind and dreams of a life lived long ago, The Vindicated Man will prove that it continues to be lived today.

Barton Anderson was sitting on top of the world, he had a life most men could only dream of. Then, in just a matter of hours, it was all taken from him. Life will never be the same. Barton Anderson will never be the same. Those who come in contact with him will never be the same. When you have nothing to lose, and vengeance is all you want, the journey is very simple, but vindication may be impossible to find.

Readers comments:

'I read the book in two days. I couldn't put it down.'

'I was captivated from page one!'

'I have read a lot of westerns, this one ranks as one of the top 10.'

'I liked the entire book from start to finish, once started couldn't put it down.'

First published in 2014 this is a new and expanded edition.

On 20th July 1995, Robin Bowes, one the last great twentieth century barnstormers, died at the controls of his replica 'Red Baron' Fokker DR1 triplane just as he was about to commence an aerial dogfight display at Stourhead Gardens, Wiltshire. Well known and respected in aviation circles, his fatal accident made headline news across the UK and was witnessed by thousands of spectators attending the event, including the author.

A working-class boy, Robin grew up in post-war London and Malta. When he moved with his family to Plymouth in the early 60s he worked as a car salesman but was soon making a name for himself racing stock cars and drumming in a local band. Self-financed he learned to fly at Roborough Airport and after gaining his licence bought his first plane. With sponsorship from TSW he became a display pilot and was soon earning his entire living from display flying. Although he specialised in flying biplanes, it was his discovery and rebuild of a replica scarlet Fokker triplane that made his name as the man who flew as the Red Baron.

This biography also reveals some remarkable connections and coincidences that linked Bowes life with those of historic figures including: Jo Kennedy (JFK's elder brother), D. H. Lawrence, and Manfred von Richthofen among others.

The story of the Robin Bowes is a story of love, friendship, dedication and personal courage, plus the unique histories of the aeroplanes he flew.

Not the Red Baron will appeal to those who look skywards at the sound of an aeroplane's engine; those who are fascinated by history; and those who like a good love story. Not the Red Baron is not simply about aeroplanes; it's about the human condition - hope, aspiration, love and loss.

Early in its history, the Roman Catholic Church established a secret sect of elite spies and killers, tasked with protecting the Church's treasures and secrets. This sect is called the Mystiko Kataskopos.

Members of the MK are highly trained in mystical practices, spying and assassination. They do whatever the Church demands.

One such operative, Raphael Ward, is charged with finding the 'real' version of the legendary Shroud of Turin, secretly stolen by the Nazis during World War 2. His search leads him into conflict with some of the world's most powerful leaders; men willing to do anything to protect a secret that would change the world forever.

As Raphael faces threats to his life - and threatens the lives of others - he begins to question the very faith that has sustained and driven him for so long. When he finally uncovers the shocking truth, he realises that nothing can ever be the same again.

China, 1833. The Qing Empire still stands proud, but Western traders have discovered the key to its riches: opium.

Robert Gunn, a young Scotsman determined to make his fortune, arrives on the China coast with ambition, courage and few scruples. Drawn into a ruthless world of merchants, smugglers and mandarins, he soon learns that wealth comes at a terrible price. Every step towards power demands compromise, and every success carries him further from the man he once was.

As the illegal opium trade grows and the collision between East and West becomes inevitable, Gunn finds himself caught in a dangerous struggle where fortunes are won through violence, deception and betrayal.

Rich in historical detail and sweeping adventure, Mandarin-Gold is the gripping first novel in James Leasor's acclaimed Robert Gunn Trilogy. Together, they chart the rise of Western commercial power in nineteenth-century Asia through the remarkable life of one unforgettable adventurer.

Harley Street, London, 1856. Told that he has only a year to live, Robert Gunn, founder of one of the Far East's greatest trading empires, resolves to return to Asia for one final undertaking.

His ambition is no longer to build another fortune, but to leave behind a lasting legacy. To succeed, he must confront rival traders, Dutch mercenaries and a fiercely independent people determined to defend their homeland.

Most formidable of all is the enigmatic Chinese Widow, a young ruler whose intelligence and resolve prove equal to Gunn's own. As violence, intrigue and betrayal close in, Gunn finds himself fighting not for wealth, but for redemption.

Rich in historical detail and sweeping adventure, The Chinese Widow is the compelling second novel in James Leasor's acclaimed Robert Gunn Trilogy.

Robert Gunn has built one of the Far East's greatest trading empires by seeing opportunities where others saw only risk. Now, as steam replaces sail and coal becomes as valuable as gold, he is convinced that one last discovery will secure both his legacy and Britain's future in Asia.

His search leads to the remote island of Jade Gate, off the coast of Borneo, where rumours of vast coal deposits have drawn powerful rivals with ambitions of their own. In a land where fortunes are won by violence and life is cheap, the race to control this priceless resource can have only one winner.

As old enemies close in and the stakes become greater than ever before, Robert Gunn must gamble everything he has built in the most dangerous venture of his life.

The thrilling conclusion to James Leasor's acclaimed Robert Gunn Trilogy, combining historical authenticity, unforgettable characters and high adventure.