This text captures the magnificence of a collection of symbolic objects steeped in English history like no other: the crown jewels.

Stolen sports cars, brilliant casino heists, and the brazen kidnapping of a prince: only shadowy spy for hire Simon Riske can stop the mastermind behind it all. Monte Carlo's lavish casinos have become the target of a sophisticated and brutal team of professional gamblers; a casino dealer has been beaten to death; a German heiress's son has been kidnapped. Who better to connect the crimes and foil a daringly brilliant plot than Simon Riske, freelance industrial spy? Riske -- part Bond, part Reacher -- knows Monte Carlo well: it's where he was once a thrill-seeking thief himself, robbing armored trucks and leading police on dangerous car chases across the Côte d'Azur, until he was double-crossed, served his time, and graduated as an investment genius from the Sorbonne. Now Riske is a man who solves problems, the bigger and "riskier" the better. From the baccarat tables of Europe's finest casinos to the superyachts moored in Monaco's Port Hercule to a secluded chalet deep in the Swiss Alps, Riske will do what he does best: get in over his head, throw himself into danger, and find a way to outthink and outmaneuver villains of every stripe. In one of the most clever, enjoyable, and entertaining series to come along in years, this sequel to The Take gives readers what they want most: a hero we can root for, locales we wish we were in, and a plot that never lets up.

Synopsis coming soon.......

Based on documents newly released from KGB archives, this lively account of Soviet foreign intelligence activity in Great Britain during the Cold War provides much new information on the activities of the well-known British pro-Soviet spies as well as many lesser-known spymasters and recruiters. Illustrations.

THIS BOOK IS A CELEBRATION OF SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST INTRIGUING AND PRECIOUS OBJECTS: THE CROWNS, SCEPTRES, ORBS, JEWELS AND EMBLEMS OF THE ROYAL FAMILIES OF EUROPE.

In the reign of King Charles II (1660-85), there was a famous attempt to steal the crown jewels by the memorably named Colonel Blood. However, Blood's conspiracy was not the first such plot, and it was certainly not the most successful. Three centuries earlier, in 1303, Edward I of England (of Braveheart fame) was north of the Scottish border attempting to crush William Wallace, secure in the knowledge that he had stashed his royal treasure safely behind ironbound doors in Westminster Abbey-- a place of sanctity reputed to house Christ's body, and inhabited by pious Benedictine monks. Enter Richard Puddlicott: a former merchant and a charming, dissolute rogue with a grudge against the King. He infiltrated the Abbey's inner circle (entertaining them on the proceeds of their own silver) and, before long, had managed to help himself to a good part of the treasure. The Kings fury knew no bounds, but Puddlicott ran the King's men a merry dance before eventually being captured and sent -- along with 40 monks -- to his death at Westminster. This exhilarating tale of cunning, deceit, lechery, monks, pimps and prostitutes tells the story of the first great bank raid in history. Until now -- with most of the evidence still in manuscripts, in Latin or Norman French -- very little has been written about it. With his usual verve, blending vivid narrative and historical analysis, Paul Doherty takes the lid off both the medieval underworld and the "holy" monastic community. The result is historically enlightening and a gripping read. - Jacket flap.