1579, St Andrews. When Hew Cullan, a young lawyer, returns home after studying in Paris, he arrives to find a close friend accused of murdering a thirteen-year-old boy. For the first time, Hew finds himself plunged headlong into a Pandora's box of lies and deception, starting his journey as a reluctant mystery solver. From the chilling austerity of university life to the shores of Flanders and the court of King James, Hew must unravel the subterfuge and murder that pervades sixteenth-century Scotland. This bestselling series is a must-read for fans of thrilling historical fiction, expertly researched and utterly enthralling. Titles included in this bundle are: Hue & Cry Fate & Fortune Time & Tide Friend & Foe

Yule is the fifth instalment of 1588: A Calendar of Crime, a collection of short stories published in step with the sixteenth century calendar. Despite prohibitions on celebrating Yule, the old traditions still persist among the tenant farmers on Hew's estate at Kenly Green. Hew defends a tenant against both Kirk and Crown when a violent accident befalls an unwelcome guest who has turned up uninvited to the feast.

1581, Edinburgh. Running from his new responsibilities as head of the family in St Andrews, young lawyer Hew Cullan arrives in the vibrant capital of medieval Scotland. There he plans to publish his late father's book and quietly endure the completion of his legal training under an old family friend. Life in the whirl of Edinburgh is full of dangers and distractions for Hew. Beautiful women, fashionable living and the treacherous world of the law threaten to turn his head. But a brutal murder and hints of a long-hidden mystery draw him into a deadly game against an unrepentant foe. When the game is murder, can Hew Cullan play to win? Fate & Fortune is the second Hew Cullan mystery by Shirley McKay.

1579, St. Andrews. A thirteen-year old boy meets his death on the streets of the university city of St. Andrews and suspicion falls upon one of the regents at the university, Nicholas Colp. Hew Cullan, a young lawyer recently returned home from Paris, uncovers a complex tale of passion and duplicity, of sexual desire and tension within the repressive atmosphere of the Protestant Kirk and the austerity of the academic cloister.

1579, St Andrews. Hew Cullan, a young lawyer, returns home from studying in Paris. But it proves to be a cold homecoming as Hew's friend, university regent Nicholas Colp, is accused of murdering a thirteen-year-old boy. The boy was a private pupil of Nicholas, and salacious gossip backed up by incriminating letters have him judged, convicted, and heading for the hangman's noose. Investigating the crime, Hew uncovers a dark tale of duplicity and passion amidst a world of religious piety and the chilling austerity of university life. From a case that seems to be open and shut, a Pandora's Box of lies and corruption emerges. Hue & Cry is the first in the must-read series of Hew Cullan Mysteries, for fans of thrilling historical fiction.

1587. After three long years, exiled from home and family, and drawn into the depths of the London underworld under the tutelage of Elizabeth I's spymaster Francis Walsingham, Hew returns to Scotland with his new English wife, Frances. The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots has unleashed a torrent of anti-English sentiment in the Scottish people and fear in King James VI, jeopardising Hew's now unlawful marriage. However, the king invites Hew to investigate the perplexing meaning of a death's head painting that has come into his possession. What does it symbolise, and is it a message from his dead mother? Are the local painters all that they appear? If Hew solves the mystery, his marriage to Frances will be blessed. The stakes have never been higher as he embarks on a quest for love and life. Queen & Country is the fifth Hew Cullan Mystery by Shirley McKay.

St Andrews, 1583, and tensions are running high. Dissension rages between King and councillors, and between separate factions of the Kirk. Hew Cullan is called to investigate a mysterious incident, and finds suspicion falling upon him as he is ensnared in a world of superstition, subterfuge and death. Hew Cullan finds himself once again in the company of his sister Meg and her husband, Giles Locke, in their most challenging case yet. Alliances are formed; there are old scores to be settled; old ghosts reappear and spies are abroad. The king's escape from captivity throws all into confusion, and as Hew's loves and loyalties are put to the test, his own life and future are no longer secure. Friend & Foe is the fourth Hew Cullan mystery by Shirley McKay.

Survivors of the Black Death face new dangers as they seek safety and freedom in the New York Times–bestselling author’s sequel to The Last Hours. England, Winter, 1348. As the Black Death continues its devastating course across England, the quarantined people of Develish question whether they are the only survivors. Guided by their beloved young mistress, Lady Anne, they wait, knowing that when their dwindling stores are finally gone, they will have to leave the safety of their moated walls. But first, to prepare for the wasteland outside, one courageous man must venture out alone. Thaddeus Thurkell, a free-thinking, educated serf, goes in search of supplies and news. A compelling leader, he and his companions quickly throw off the shackles of serfdom and set their minds to ensuring Develish’s future—and freedom for its people. But what use is freedom that cannot be gained lawfully? When Lady Anne and Thaddeus conceive an audacious plan to secure her people’s independence, neither foresees the life-threatening struggle over power, money and religion that follows . . .

The Whitstable Pearl series is now coming to TV on 24th May! 'What Colin Dexter did for Oxford, Julie Wassmer is intent on doing for Whitstable' Daily Mail Pearl Nolan always wanted to be a detective but life, and a teenage pregnancy, got in the way of a police career and instead she built up a successful seafood restaurant in her coastal home town of Whitstable - famous for its native oysters. Now, at 39, and with son Charlie away at university, Pearl finds herself suffering from empty nest syndrome . . . until she discovers the drowned body of local oyster fisherman Vinnie Rowe, weighted down with an anchor chain, on the eve of Whitstable's annual oyster festival. Is it a tragic accident, suicide - or murder? Pearl seizes the opportunity to prove her detection skills and discover the truth but she soon finds herself in conflict with Canterbury city police detective, Chief Inspector Mike McGuire. Then another body is discovered - and Pearl finds herself trawling the past for clues, triggering memories of another emotional summer more than twenty years ago . . .