Books by Tessa Harris

England: 1944

The 18th-century meets the sharp blade of forensic science...Newly released from the notorious asylum known as Bedlam, Lady Lydia Farrell finds herself in an equally terrifying position - as a murder suspect - when she stumbles upon the mutilated body of Sir Montagu Malthus in his study at Boughton Hall. Meanwhile, Dr Thomas Silkstone has been injured in a duel with a man who may or may not have committed the grisly deed of which Lydia is accused. Despite his injury, Thomas hopes to clear his beloved's good name by conducting a postmortem on the victim. With a bit of detective work, he learns that Montagu's throat was slit by no ordinary blade, but a ceremonial Sikh dagger from India - a clue that may be connected to the fabled lost mines of Golconda. From the mysterious disappearance of a cursed diamond buried with Lydia's dead husband, to the undying legend of a hidden treasure map, Thomas must follow a trail of foreign dignitaries, royal agents - and even more victims - to unveil the sinister and shocking secrets in the stones...The Dr Thomas Silkstone Mysteries are perfect for fans of Antonia Hodgson's The Devil in the Marshalsea, E. S. Thomson's Jem Flockhart series and Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent.Praise for Tessa Harris:'A densely plotted yarn about a crafty 18th-century poisoner wreaking havoc on the Oxfordshire estate of a noble family . . . we await - indeed, demand - the sequel' New York Times Book Review'Harris' research is meticulous. The results are a historical CSI with a romance and excellent mystery' Romantic Times'Populated with real historical characters and admirably researched, Harris's novel features a complex and engrossing plot' Library Journal'The author will have you flipping the pages at each unexpected turn in the plot. The novel is an absorbing read with a shocking twist at the end' Historical Novel Society'Well-rounded characters, cleverly concealed evidence, and an assured prose style point to a long run for this historical series' Publishers Weekly Starred Review'The exceptionally strong historical background in this 1780s London-set novel makes it impossible to put down. With each book, the mysteries have become stronger . . . Silkstone is an admirable character and he captures readers' emotional interest' RT Book ReviewsThe Dr Thomas Silkstone Mysteries:The Anatomist's ApprenticeThe Dead Shall Not RestThe Devil's BreathThe Lazarus CurseShadow of the RavenSecrets in the Stones

The 18th-century meets the sharp blade of forensic science...In the notorious mental hospital known as Bedlam, Dr. Thomas Silkstone seeks out a patient with whom he is on intimate terms. But he is unprepared for the state in which he finds Lady Lydia Farrell. Shocked into action, Thomas vows to help free Lydia by appealing to the custodian of her affairs, Mr. Nicholas Lupton. But when Silkstone arrives at the Boughton Estate to speak to Lupton, he finds that another form of madness has taken over the village...Sweeping changes to the Boughton Estate threaten to leave many villagers destitute. After a single shot rings out and a man dies in the woods, it appears that the desperate villagers have turned to murder to avenge their cause. But for Thomas, a post-mortem on the victim raises more questions than answers. Although he manages to save an innocent man from the gallows, a second murder warns him of his potentially fatal situation. Soon he discovers a conspiracy far more sinister than anything he has ever faced. But who it leads to is the last person he suspects...Praise for Tessa Harris:'A densely plotted yarn about a crafty 18th-century poisoner wreaking havoc on the Oxfordshire estate of a noble family . . . we await - indeed, demand - the sequel' New York Times Book Review'Harris' research is meticulous. The results are a historical CSI with a romance and excellent mystery' Romantic Times'Populated with real historical characters and admirably researched, Harris's novel features a complex and engrossing plot' Library Journal'The author will have you flipping the pages at each unexpected turn in the plot. The novel is an absorbing read with a shocking twist at the end' Historical Novel Society'Well-rounded characters, cleverly concealed evidence, and an assured prose style point to a long run for this historical series' Publishers Weekly Starred Review'The exceptionally strong historical background in this 1780s London-set novel makes it impossible to put down. With each book, the mysteries have become stronger . . . Silkstone is an admirable character and he captures readers' emotional interest' RT Book ReviewsThe Dr Thomas Silkstone Mysteries:The Anatomist's ApprenticeThe Dead Shall Not RestThe Devil's BreathThe Lazarus CurseShadow of the RavenSecrets in the Stones

The 18th-century meets the sharp blade of forensic science...In 1780s London, American anatomist Dr. Thomas Silkstone is plunged into a swirling cauldron of sorcery, slavery, and cold-blooded murder...When the sole survivor of an ill-fated scientific expedition to Jamaica goes missing upon his return to London, Dr Thomas Silkstone - entrusted with cataloging the expedition's New World specimens - feels compelled to investigate. There are rumours of a potion that has the power to raise the dead - and the formula is suspected to be in the private journal that has disappeared along with the young botanist. As Dr Silkstone searches for clues to the man's whereabouts, he is drawn deeper into a dark and dangerous world of vengeance, infidelity, murder and the trafficking of corpses for profit. Without the support of his beloved Lady Lydia Farrell - from whom he has been forcibly separated by law - he must confront the horrors of slavery, as well the very depths of human wickedness. And after a headless corpse is discovered, Dr. Silkstone begins to uncover the sinister motives of those in power who would stop at nothing to possess the Lazarus potion...Praise for Tessa Harris:'A densely plotted yarn about a crafty 18th-century poisoner wreaking havoc on the Oxfordshire estate of a noble family . . . we await - indeed, demand - the sequel' New York Times Book Review'Harris' research is meticulous. The results are a historical CSI with a romance and excellent mystery' Romantic Times'Populated with real historical characters and admirably researched, Harris's novel features a complex and engrossing plot' Library Journal'The author will have you flipping the pages at each unexpected turn in the plot. The novel is an absorbing read with a shocking twist at the end' Historical Novel Society'Well-rounded characters, cleverly concealed evidence, and an assured prose style point to a long run for this historical series' Publishers Weekly Starred Review'The exceptionally strong historical background in this 1780s London-set novel makes it impossible to put down. With each book, the mysteries have become stronger . . . Silkstone is an admirable character and he captures readers' emotional interest' RT Book ReviewsThe Dr Thomas Silkstone Mysteries:The Anatomist's ApprenticeThe Dead Shall Not RestThe Devil's BreathThe Lazarus CurseShadow of the RavenSecrets in the Stones

The 18th-century meets the sharp blade of forensic science...Eighteenth-century anatomist Dr Thomas Silkstone travels to the English countryside to unravel a tangled web of mystery, medicine, and murder...A man staggers out of his cottage into the streets of Oxfordshire, shattering an otherwise peaceful evening with the terrible sight of his body shaking and his eyes wild with horror. Many of the villagers believe the Devil himself has entered Joseph Makepeace, the latest victim of a 'great fog' that darkens the skies over England. When Joseph's son and daughter are found murdered - heads bashed in by a shovel - the town's worst suspicions are confirmed: Evil is abroad and needs to be banished.A brilliant man of science, Dr. Thomas Silkstone is not one to heed superstition. But as a natural disaster fills the skies with smoke and ash, clogging the lungs of all who breathe it in, the grisly details of a father's crime compels Dr. Silkstone to look for answers beyond his medical books. It seems that no one, not even Lady Lydia Farrell, is safe from the impending doom.Praise for Tessa Harris:'A densely plotted yarn about a crafty 18th-century poisoner wreaking havoc on the Oxfordshire estate of a noble family . . . we await - indeed, demand - the sequel' New York Times Book Review'Harris' research is meticulous. The results are a historical CSI with a romance and excellent mystery' Romantic Times'Populated with real historical characters and admirably researched, Harris's novel features a complex and engrossing plot' Library Journal'The author will have you flipping the pages at each unexpected turn in the plot. The novel is an absorbing read with a shocking twist at the end' Historical Novel Society'Well-rounded characters, cleverly concealed evidence, and an assured prose style point to a long run for this historical series' Publishers Weekly Starred Review'The exceptionally strong historical background in this 1780s London-set novel makes it impossible to put down. With each book, the mysteries have become stronger . . . Silkstone is an admirable character and he captures readers' emotional interest' RT Book ReviewsThe Dr Thomas Silkstone Mysteries:The Anatomist's ApprenticeThe Dead Shall Not RestThe Devil's BreathThe Lazarus CurseShadow of the RavenSecrets in the Stones