Douglas Jackson

Britain’s wartime alliances hinge on the outcome of Kalisz’s next case…Christmas Day 1943, Arisaig, Scotland. The body of beautiful, well-connected Polish SOE agent Krystina Kowolska is found in the gardens of the country house where she’s been preparing for a vital mission to France. The question is, was she already dead when she was hanged?Two days later, resistance double agent, Investigator Jan Kalisz of the Warsaw Kripo is flown to Britain where Winston Churchill himself tasks him with finding Krystina’s killer, before the cracks in Britain’s alliance with Poland become fractures.Yet Arisaig is a place of secrets where everyone is a trained killer, and Kalisz discovers that Krystina had her demons – and her enemies. Was she the hero her record suggests or the traitor the whispers hint at?The gripping third instalment in the Warsaw Quartet by Douglas Jackson, perfect for readers of Chris Lloyd and Simon Scarrow.Praise for Blood Roses, book one of the Warsaw Quartet‘A compelling, evocative story of evil stalking amidst the chaos of war’ Giles Kristian''A dark, twisting thriller ... Jan Kalisz, Douglas Jackson''s police officer hero, is the natural heir to the late Philip Kerr''s Bernie Gunther'' Andrew Taylor‘A remarkable crime debut … What raises the novel to another level is in the atmospheric evocation of a city in the process of being systematically obliterated by the Germans and brought to life again by Jackson’s pen … Gripping stuff, a series that could develop into something impressive and a goldmine for Philip Kerr Bernie Gunther fans’ Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time‘Immensely powerful and vivid .... This is historical crime fiction at its best’ Chris Lloyd‘The writing is scalpel-sharp, the unrelenting savagery of the Nazi occupation vividly painted… With this book, Jackson will rightfully be regarded as one of the UK’s finest crime writers’ Ben Kane‘A taut, tense thriller… Gutsy and gripping, this is perfect for fans of Chris Lloyd and Robert Harris’ D. V. Bishop‘Jackson has created a brilliant mash-up of WW2 thriller and a serial killer chiller, and in so doing brings a fresh perspective to both. Sharp, intelligent writing that makes for a compelling read’ Alison Belsham''Jan Kalisz is a dazzling addition to the canon of compromised heroes... A thrilling wartime adventure story'' Russ Thomas‘Jackson brings the tension, brutality and paranoia of Warsaw of the period into murderous life. A knife-edge thriller’ Douglas Skelton''A dark story set against dark times, you practically need a torch to read it'' Alec Marsh, author of Rule Britannia''Jackson has written an utterly compelling novel ... A remarkable piece of work, a fine piece of craftsmanship'' Scotsman

A major new historical epic in the tradition of Conn Iggulden combines impeccable research and historical detailing with the power and pace of a great thriller As a young slave, Rufus grows up far from the corruption of Caligula's imperial court where excess, huge building projects, the largest gladiatorial battles Rome was ever to see—men and animals killed in the hundreds—conspiracies, assassination attempts, and sexual scandal were the norm. But when Rufus' growing reputation as an animal trainer and his friendship with Cupido, one of Rome's greatest gladiators, attract the cruel gaze of the Emperor, Rufus is bought from his master and taken to the imperial palace as the keeper of the imperial elephant. Rufus soon sees that life here is dictated by Caligula’s ever shifting moods—he is as generous as he is cruel and he is a megalomaniac who declares himself a living god who simultaneously lives in constant fear of the plots against his life. But Caligula's paranoia is not misplaced, and Rufus and Cupido find themselves unwittingly placed at the center of a conspiracy to assassinate the Emperor.