Kay Scarpetta abandona su consulta privada dedicada a la patología forense en Charleston y acepta una misión en Nueva York, donde la policía la ha requerido en el hospital penal psiquiátrico para que examine a un herido. El paciente, Oscar Bane, aquejado de enanismo, se niega a ser reconocido por ningún otro médico. Cuando Kay comienza a examinarlo, Bane le cuenta una historia absolutamente rocambolesca. ¿Acaso Bane es un acosador obsesionado con Scarpetta? ¿O quizá su relato paranóico es verdad, y es él quien es espiado, perseguido y acosado por el verdadero asesino? Lo único que Scarpetta sabe con certeza es que una mujer ha sido torturada y asesinada... y que a esta muerte violenta le seguirán otras. Poco a poco, emerge una inexplicable y horrible verdad: quienquiera que esté cometiendo los crímenes sabe en todo momento dónde está su presa. ¿Es una persona, un gobierno? ¿Y cuál es la conexión entre las víctimas?

En los días siguientes, Scarpetta, su marido el psicólogo forense Benton Wesley y su sobrina Lucy, que recientemente ha montado su propia empresa de investigación forense informatizada en Nueva York, emprenderán una angustiosa persecución a través del ciberespacio y las calles de la ciudad, una odisea que los conducirá a lugares desconocidos y a otros demasiado familiares.

Young Nicholas Hook is dogged by a cursed past—haunted by what he has failed to do and banished for what he has done. A wanted man in England, he is driven to fight as a mercenary archer in France, where he finds two things he can love: his instincts as a fighting man, and a girl in trouble. Together they survive the notorious massacre at Soissons, an event that shocks all Christendom. With no options left, Hook heads home to England, where his capture means certain death. Instead he is discovered by the young King of England—Henry V himself—and by royal command he takes up the longbow again and dons the cross of Saint George. Hook returns to France as part of the superb army Henry leads in his quest to claim the French crown. But after the English campaign suffers devastating early losses, it becomes clear that Hook and his fellow archers are their king’s last resort in a desperate fight against an enemy more daunting than they could ever have imagined.

One of the most dramatic victories in British history, the battle of Agincourt—immortalized by Shakespeare in —pitted undermanned and overwhelmed English forces against a French army determined to keep their crown out of Henry’s hands. Here Bernard Cornwell resurrects the legend of the battle and the “band of brothers” who fought it on October 25, 1415. An epic of redemption, follows a commoner, a king, and a nation’s entire army on an improbable mission to test the will of God and reclaim what is rightfully theirs. From the disasters at the siege of Harfleur to the horrors of the field of Agincourt, this exhilarating story of survival and slaughter is at once a brilliant work of history and a triumph of imagination—Bernard Cornwell at his best.

Distinguished at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, Confederate Captain Nate Starbuck's career is jeopardized once again by the suspicion and hostility of his brigade commander, General Washington Faulconer. The outcome of this vicious fight drastically changes both men's fortunes and propels AX into the ghastly bloodletting at the Second Battle of Manassas.

Evocative and historically accurate, Battle Flag continues Bernard Cornwell's powerful series of Nate's adventures on some of the most decisive battlefields of the American Civil War.

Enemy of God is the second novel of the Warlord series, and immediately follows the events described in The Winter King. In that book the King of Dumnonia and High King of Britain, Uther, dies and is succeeded by his lamed baby grandson, Mordred. Arthur, a bastard son of Uther's, is appointed one of Mordred's guardians and in time becomes the most important of those guardians. Arthur is determined to fulfil the oath he swore to Uther that Mordred, when he comes of age, will occupy Dumnonia's throne.

Arthur is also determined to bring peace to the warring British kingdoms. The major conflict is between Dumnonia and Powys, but when Arthur is invited to marry Ceinwyn, a Princess of Powys, it seems that war can be avoided. Instead Arthur elopes with the penniless Princess Guinevere and that insult to Ceinwyn brings on years of war that are ended only when Arthur defeats King Gorfyddyd of Powys at the Battle of Lugg Vale. Powys's throne then passes to Cuneglas, Ceinwyn's brother, who, like Arthur, wants peace between the Britons so that they can concentrate their spears against the common enemy, the Saxons (the Sais).

The Winter King, like the present book, was narrated by Derfel (pronounced Dervel), a Saxon slave boy who grew up in Merlin's household and became one of Arthur's warriors. Arthur sent Derfel to Armorica (today's Brittany) where he fought in the doomed campaign to preserve the British kingdom of Benoic against Frankish invaders. Among Benoic's refugees who return to Britain is Lancelot, King of Benoic, whom Arthur now wants to marry to Ceinwyn and place on the throne of Siluria. Derfel has fallen in love with Ceinwyn.

Derfel's other love is Nimue, his childhood friend who has become Merlin's helpmate and lover. Merlin is a Druid and the leader of the faction in Britain that wants to restore the island to its old Gods, to which end he is pursuing a Cauldron, one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain, a quest which for Merlin and Nimue far outranks any battle against other kingdoms or invaders. Opposing Merlin are the Christians of Britain, one of whose leaders is Bishop Sansum who lost much of his power when he defied Guinevere. Sansum is now in disgrace and serving as Abbot of the Monastery of the Holy Thorn at Ynys Wydryn (Glastonbury).

The Winter King ended with Arthur winning the great battle at Lugg Vale. Mordred's throne is safe, the southern British kingdoms are allied and Arthur, though not a king himself, is their undisputed leader.

These are the tales of the last days before the great darkness descended. These are the tales of the Lost Lands, the country that was once ours but which our enemies now call England. These are the tales of Arthur, the Warlord'; the King that Never Was, the Enemy of God and, may the living Christ forgive me, the best man I ever knew. How I have wept for Arthur…

Fifth century Britain lies on the edge of darkness. Memories of Roman civilization are fading; the pagan Gods are retreating before the spread of Christianity; the Saxons are snapping and snarling at the borders. Only fragile bonds unite the unruly kingdoms of Britain against the invaders, bonds cemented by the vigour of the High King, Uther Pendragon. But the Pendragon is failing, and his heir is no strong leader but a child, born on a bitter winter night.

Only one man could keep Uther's throne safe,only he could hold the warring kingdoms together to face their true enemy, the Saxons. That man is Arthur: soldier, statesman, Merlin's protege, Uther's illegitimate son. But he has been banished, exiled by his own father to Brittany. Derfel, one of his spearmen, narrates the story of Arthur's return and of his quest for peace: embattled, bloody and, finally, triumphant.

The Winter King is a magnificent tale of the Dark Ages and the reality of war and political strife in a land where religion vied with magic for the souls of the people. It portrays Arthur the man rather than the legend, a military genius who, with a small band of warriors bound to him by loyalty and love, struggled to keep alive a flicker of civilization.

Portugal, 1809. Frankreich ist auf dem Vormarsch, die portugiesische Armee gnadenlos unterlegen. Auch die britischen Einheiten scheinen nicht mehr viel tun zu können, um die französische Invasion zu stoppen. Abgeschnitten vom Hauptfeld, schlägt sich Richard Sharpe durch ein Land, das kurz vor dem Kollaps steht. Seine Mission: die schöne Britin Kate Savage zu beschützen. Dabei wird er gejagt, von einem Feind, der alles daran setzt, ihm den Garaus zu machen. Sharpe kennt nur eine Antwort darauf: Widerstand leisten. Mit allen Mitteln und bis zum Tod.

Titel der englischen Originalausgabe: »Sharpe's Havoc«

Aus dem Englischen von Joachim Honnef

1809. Bitterer Winter beherrscht den Norden Spaniens. Die britischen Truppen ziehen sich nach La Coruña zurück. Lieutenant Richard Sharpe und eine versprengte Abteilung Schützen sind auf sich allein gestellt, eingekreist von der siegreichen Armee Napoleons. Sie haben nur eine Chance: Wenn sie sich Major Blas Vivar und seinen spanischen Aufständischen anschließen. Doch das hat seinen Preis, denn Vivar will die heilige Stadt Santiago de Compostela befreien, die von französischen Truppen besetzt ist. Sharpe und seinen Männern bleibt nichts anderes übrig, als einmal mehr ihren unbeugsamen Willen zu beweisen, um sich gegen die feindliche Übermacht durchzusetzen.

Bernard Cornwell, 1944 in London geboren und in Wessex aufgewachsen, arbeitete lange Jahre erfolgreich als Reporter für das BBC-Fernsehen. 1980 folgte er seiner amerikanischen Frau nach Cape Cod, wo er bis heute lebt und schreibt. In den USA und England feierte Cornwell bereits Triumphe mit einer Romanserie über die napoleonischen Kriege. In Deutschland wurde er bekannt durch seine Artus-Trilogie.

Titel der englischen Originalausgabe:  

»Sharpe's Rifles«

Aus dem Englischen von Bernd Müller.

London im Jahre 1817: Mit harter Hand bemüht sich die Obrigkeit, Unruhen und Kriminalität einzudämmen. Hinrichtungen sind an der Tagesordnung, Tausende sterben am Galgen. Captain Rider Sandman, ein unverschuldet in finanzielle Not geratener Gentleman, erhält vom Innenministerium den Auftrag, das Gnadengesuch von Charles Corday zu prüfen, der wegen Mordes an einer Gräfin zum Tod durch den Strang verurteilt wurde. Niemand zweifelt an der Schuld des Malers, auch Sandman hält seinen Auftrag für eine reine Formsache – bis ihm erhebliche Zweifel kommen. Es beginnt ein Wettlauf mit der Zeit, denn die Hinrichtung soll schon in sieben Tagen erfolgen. Doch die neuerlichen Ermittlungen werden nicht von allen Befragten gerne gesehen, und als der mysteriöse Seraphim Club Sandman eine hohe Bestechungssumme anbietet, die all seine Probleme auf einen Schlag lösen könnte, ist er sich sicher, auf der richtigen Spur zu sein …

Der Autor

Bernard Cornwell wurde 1944 in London geboren. Nach seinem Geschichtsstudium arbeitete er als Reporter für die BBC. 1980 folgte er seiner Frau in die USA, und weil er keine Arbeitserlaubnis erhielt, begann er historische Romane zu schreiben. Bernard Cornwell lebt auf Cape Cod, USA.

© 2001 by Bernard Cornwell

Titel der englischen Originalausgabe:

This special edition Ebook features exclusive extra content by the author, with an extended Historical Note and two contemporary accounts of the Battle of Poitiers.

Go with God and Fight like the Devil.The Hundred Years War rages on and the bloodiest battles are yet to be fought. Across France, towns are closing their gates, the crops are burning and the country stands alert to danger. The English army, victorious at the Battle of Crécy and led by the Black Prince, is invading again and the French are hunting them down.Thomas of Hookton, an English archer known as Le Bâtard, is under orders to seek out the lost sword of St Peter, a weapon said to grant certain victory to whoever possesses her. As the outnumbered English army becomes trapped near the town of Poitiers, Thomas, his men and his sworn enemies meet in an extraordinary confrontation that ignites one of the greatest battles of all time.