“Ancient history and alchemy combine to terrorize us in this stunning historical thriller. A terrific read.” —Louise Penny, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award John Madison was raised by his older brother Samuel, a famed Mesopotamian scholar. John’s world changes forever when Samuel’s relentless obsession with the recovery of a priceless relic looted from Iraq’s National Museum collides with a deadly game of revenge staged by a childhood friend. Aided by Tomas, an archaeologist, and Ari, an Iraqi photojournalist—men who have secrets of their own—his quest brings him to Iraq in search of a treasure trove of unparalleled value. To find it, John must discover the link between an ancient witch and a modern-day one, and tread a path fraught with life-threatening danger. First in the thrilling Mesopotamian trilogy, The Witch of Babylon is perfect for fans of Dan Brown, Raymond Khoury, and Scott Mariani. “Rich in characters, puzzles, and historical significance, this shivery thriller is so good I wish I had written it.” —Eric Van Lustbader, New York Times–bestselling author “More erudite than Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, McIntosh’s complex thriller incorporates notes about Babylonian and Mesopotamian cultures plus a bibliography.” —Kirkus Reviews “Should keep readers glued to their seats . . . Highly recommendable to fans of James Rollins, Steve Berry, Clive Cussler’s Fargo Adventures, and Raymond Khoury.” —Booklist

Out of the searing heat and sand storms of Baghdad's infamous summer of 2003 comes a gripping tale rooted in ancient Mesopotamian lore and its little-known but profound significance for the world. John Madison is a Turkish-American art dealer raised by his much older brother Samuel, a respected Mesopotamian scholar. Caught between Samuel's obsession with saving a priceless relic looted from Iraq's National Museum and a deadly game of revenge staged by his childhood friend, John must solve a puzzle to find the link between a modern-day witch and an ancient one. Aided by Tomas, an archaeologist, and Ari, an Iraqi photojournalist - two men with their own secrets to hide - John races against time to decipher a Biblical prophecy that leads to the dark history behind the science of alchemy: Is the notion of turning lead into gold possible after all? Against his will, John returns to Iraq where a fabulous treasure trove awaits discovery and where the truth behind a famous story the world believes to be a myth is finally revealed.

This volume is about the history, literature, ritual, and thought associated with ancient Mesopotamian witchcraft. With chapters on the changing forms and roles of witchcraft beliefs, the ritual function, form, and development of the Maqlû text (the most important ancient work on the subject), and the meaning of the Maqlû ceremony, as well as the ideology of the final version of the text. The volume significantly contributes to our understanding of the Maqlû text, and the reconstruction of the development of thought about witchcraft and magic in Mesopotamia.

“McIntosh gives readers the spellbinding conclusion to her Mesopotamian trilogy . . . Images of ancient deities and angels enrich this thrill ride.” —Publishers Weekly A mysterious tome holds the key to a millennia-old religious conspiracy, which could reveal a lost world and the secret origins of the human race . . . John Madison is hired by a magician to find a rare sixteenth-century book of sorcery, stolen by the magician’s assistant, and lost to him for thirty-five years. In his widest reaching journey yet, Madison travels from the great mosques of Istanbul to the ruins of Pergamon and the temples of the Near East. His search will lead him to a revelation of biblical proportions and the secrets behind his own mysterious birth. The devastating conclusion to the Mesopotamian trilogy, The Angel of Eden is perfect for fans of James Rollins, Scott Mariani, and Steve Berry. “I don’t know if any of this is based on reality, but as fiction, it works so well that an otherwise unbelievable tale becomes completely absorbing. And the resolution, when it comes, also reveals a bigger secret for John Madison about his own heritage. This is a great escape novel for the cottage.” —The Globe and Mail

615 AD. A vengeful Persian tyrant prepares the final blow that will annihilate the Byzantine Empire. Back in Constantinople, though, Aelric of England - now the Lord Senator Alaric - has it made. He is almost as powerful as the Emperor. Seemingly without opposition, he dominates the vast and morally bankrupt capital. If, within his fortified palace, he revels in his books, his mood-altering substances, and the various delights of his serving girls and dancing boys, he alone is able to conceive and to push forward reforms that are the Empire's only hope of survival, and perhaps of restoration to wealth and greatness. But his domestic enemies are waiting for their moment to strike back. And the world's most terrifying military machine is assembling in secret beyond the mountains of the eastern frontier. What is the Horn of Babylon? Is it really accursed? Who is Antonia? What is Shahin, the bestial Persian admiral, doing on a ship within sight of the Imperial City? What exactly does Chosroes, the still more bestial Great King of Persia, want from Aelric? Is Rado a barbarian thug or a military genius? Will Priscus, the vile and disgraced former Commander of the East, get his place in the history books? Must it be written in Aelric's blood? In this sixth novel in the series, can Aelric rise to his greatest challenge yet? Intrigue, sex, black comedy, spectacular crowd scenes and extreme violence - you will find it all here in luxuriant abundance. Praise for the Novels of Richard Blake 'Fascinating to read, very well written, an intriguing plot and I enjoyed it very much.' - Derek Jacobi, star of I Claudius and Gladiator 'Vivid characters, devious plotting and buckets of gore are enhanced by his unfamiliar choice of period.... Nasty, fun and educational.' - The Daily Telegraph 'He knows how to deliver a fast-paced story and his grasp of the period is impressively detailed.' - The Mail on Sunday 'A rollicking and raunchy read . . . Anyone who enjoys their history with large dollops of action, sex, intrigue and, above all, fun will absolutely love this novel.' - Historical Novels 'It would be hard to over-praise this extraordinary series, a near-perfect blend of historical detail and atmosphere with the plot of a conspiracy thriller, vivid characters, high philosophy and vulgar comedy.' - The Morning Star Richard Blake is a pseudonym for Sean Gabb, who is an historian, writer and university lecturer. He lives in Kent with his wife and daughter.

A FINALIST FOR THE 2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022 – Boston Globe, BuzzFeed, LitHub, Electric Literature, LGBTQ Reads, Latinx in Publishing *Recommended by The New York Times* In this contemporary debut novel—an intimate portrait of queer, racial, and class identity —Andrés, a gay Latinx professor, returns to his suburban hometown in the wake of his husband’s infidelity. There he finds himself with no excuse not to attend his twenty-year high school reunion, and hesitantly begins to reconnect with people he used to call friends. Over the next few weeks, while caring for his aging parents and navigating the neighborhood where he grew up, Andrés falls into old habits with friends he thought he’d left behind. Before long, he unexpectedly becomes entangled with his first love and is forced to tend to past wounds. Captivating and poignant; a modern coming-of-age story about the essential nature of community, The Town of Babylon is a page-turning novel about young love and a close examination of our social systems and the toll they take when they fail us.

A collection of Babylonian and Assyrian myths and legends, including various analogues of the biblical flood story and discussions of the history of Babylon and Assyria, and descriptions of various forms of Babylonian worship, Assyrian cults, and archaeological excavation of Babylonian and Assyrian sites.