A recent murder in Wales leads Detective Inspector Felse to the mysterious disappearance of an architect and a case dating back to ancient Rome. When archaeologist Alan Morris disappears in Turkey, his great-niece, Charlotte, regrets never having gotten to know him better. In an attempt to better understand him, Charlotte begins reading the books he wrote. One of them leads her to visit the Roman site of Aurae Phiala on the Welsh border—the last place her great-uncle worked before leaving for Turkey. But when Charlotte arrives, she finds more than just a few old stones. . . . First there is a charming young man, coincidentally staying at the same hotel, who is very insistent on being her guide. Then a troublesome schoolboy disappears and a corpse is found. Detective Chief Inspector George Felse is called in to solve a case with origins in ancient Rome. City of Gold and Shadows is the 12th book in the Felse Investigations, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

The city states of the Lowlands have lived in peace for decades, bastions of civilization, prosperity and sophistication, protected by treaties, trade and a belief in the reasonable nature of their neighbors. But meanwhile, in far-off corners, the Wasp Empire has been devouring city after city with its highly trained armies, its machines, it killing Art . . . And now its hunger for conquest and war has become insatiable. Only the aging Stenwold Maker, spymaster, artificer and statesman, can see that the long days of peace are over. It falls upon his shoulders to open the eyes of his people, before a black-and-gold tide sweeps down over the Lowlands and burns away everything in its path. But first he must stop himself from becoming the Empire's latest victim.

Science fiction-roman.

Vivien has roamed the lands of men, elves and dragons alone for twenty lifetimes. Her dark twin is almost all powerful, but Vivien has two weapons in the form of the dashing elven princes at her side: her fated mate, and her sister’s. No one said it had to be a fair fight. Turin and Argon think they understand the agenda of the aether goddess tied to their dreams and nightmares. They have no idea what they're up against, or what their companion is capable of doing for the greater good. Gold and Shadow is a fantasy romance standalone.

Leoni is the Thief of Aurum. Her control of shadows is her strength, and she will stop at nothing to provide for her people. Living in the South District, the poorest region of the so-called 'Wealthy City', she's known hardship all her life. Leoni has dedicated her talents to serving her people, even if those means are illegal. When she gets the opportunity to steal a priceless artifact from the Lord of Aurum, Leoni can't resist. But the robbery doesn't go as planned, and she finds herself in a cell under the guard of Aurum's fiercest general: Riel. As fate would have it, Riel needs her expertise to find the culprit of a string of thefts affecting the city. Her reward? Freedom. But Leoni needs more than her freedom. She needs to ensure that her people will be taken care of. All that's left to discover is how far she is willing to go to get it.

Empire in Black and Gold is the first instalment in the critically-acclaimed epic fantasy series Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky. The days of peace are over . . . The Lowlands’ city states have lived in peace for decades, hailed as bastions of civilization. Yet that peace is about to end. A distant empire has been conquering neighbours with highly trained soldiers and sophisticated combat techniques. And the city states are its desirable new prize. Only the ageing Stenwold Maker – spymaster, artificer and statesman – foresees the threat, as the empires’ armies march ever closer. So it falls upon his shoulders to open the eyes of the cities’ leaders. He sees that war will sweep through their lands, destroying everything in its path. But to warn his people, he must stay alive. Empire in Black and Gold is followed by the second book in the Shadows of the Apt series, Dragonfly Falling.