THE CHADLINGTON CHRONICLES Series

THE SPEARS OF THE NORTH The Spears of the North is the first book of the Chadlington Chronicles, spanning from 1630 to 1812 and from the First Duke to the Sixth. In 1630 Anthony succeeded his father as Baron Bartholemew. Eight years later, at the age of twenty, he married, he had met his bride, Marion, twice before the ceremony. In 1642 the King was at loggerheads with parliament and leaving his wife and son, Anthony rode to support the Crown. For the next eighteen years, he served the Crown, first in battle and then in the dangerous secret world of the intrigues that eventually resulted in the restoration. During the conflict, the manor house was besieged and Marion took her own life rather than surrender. When Anthony finally returned home, it was as the first Duke of Chadlington and he had a new wife on his arm, a young and rich one. Over the years, the duchy prospered and grew rich, thanks to the patronage of the King. In 1682, Anthony's younger son, Hugh, set out to make his fortune as a trader with the East India Company. He brought the family a rich opportunity, a joint venture with a Rajah who wished to trade in jewels in defiance of the East India Company's monopoly. The venture was a success, despite Hugh eloping with the Rajah's favourite daughter. After serving on the Board of the East India Company for some years, Hugh returns to India as the Governor of Bombay. There, he is unexpectedly joined by his nephew, James, fleeing England to avoid an unwanted marriage. He also has to deal with Stanly May, whose idea of courtship is to abduct any lady he desires. When James returned to England as the third Duke, he was faced with the problem of a cut-throat band who were preying on travellers in the duchy and the surrounding areas. He dealt with that problem only to have his wife kidnapped and threatened with a dreadful fate. The family was spared the wars of the eighteenth century; wars that increased the duchy's commercial interests. But the family did not escape internal problems. The presumed sixth Duke did not want to marry, preferring the company of his valet. When he eventually married, his bride shared his distaste for the intimacy of marriage, despite which they did manage to have three children. The nineteenth century brought the threat of Napoleon. Charles, the Sixth Duke's younger son, is in the Peninsula with Wellington and is alongside his brother-in-law when the latter is killed at the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo. His death brings heartbreak to Charles' sister, Marion, already mourning her father-in-law. Shortly afterwards, her elder brother, the presumed Seventh Duke, dies in a hunting accident and the future of the duchy is suddenly dependent on Charles. A few weeks later, before Charles was made aware that he was now the heir, the sixth Duke died. His brother moved in, intent on taking over. There was only the heartbroken Marion to stop him. She could only stall and wait for Charles to return, but Charles was committed to the storming of Badajoz.

DUCHESS AT HAZARD Duchess at Hazard is the second book of the Chadlington Chronicles, spanning from 1812 to 2007 and from the Seventh Duke to the Twelfth. In 1812 a young officer watched as his friend and brother-in-law lay dying in the breach at Ciudad Rodrigo, eventually, he ends his suffering. A few weeks later he finds that his father has died and that he has become the Duke. A bizarre set of circumstances results in him gambling for an unknown prize. The outcome forces him to return to the Continent, along with his sister and the lovely but seemingly naive, Lady Chelmsford. Their travels throughout Europe involve many adventures, including a dual, a naval engagement with Moorish slave traders and clashes with bandits. Unexpectedly the young Duke finds himself at Waterloo with his mentor and friend, the Duke of Wellington. At a crucial juncture, he takes command of a British 'square'. Returning to England, now with a Duchess, he settles down to what should be a long and happy life. Twin sons ensure that there will be an heir for the duchy but all is not well. George, the younger of the twins, is engaging and outgoing. His elder brother, Albert, is very different. He is sadistic, depraved and a sexual predator. George returns from a voyage to find that his beloved Natalie has been forced into an engagement with Albert. The only solution is an elopement. As scandal follows scandal, the Duke decides that Albert is unfit to succeed but before he can take action he and the Duchess are murdered. The new Duke institutes a reign of terror and forces a marriage with Natalie's sister. The young Duchess is demeaned, slighted and beaten. In particular, she is badly beaten for not having become pregnant. The few who care for her are convinced that Albert is infertile; extreme measures are necessary. By the end of the second month of their marriage, she can inform the Duke that she is pregnant. A son results, followed by a second son and a daughter. When the Duchess tries to prevent Albert from raping a young maid, she is beaten and told that she will be sent away and will not see her sons again. Once again, extreme measures are necessary and by noon the following day, the Duke is dead. His successor marries and in 1871 has a son, only then does he discover the secret of his birth but he can take no action without destroying his mother and his siblings. During the following years, the wealth of the duchy grows but the demands of Empire and two World Wars take their toll. In WWI two of the Tenth Duke's sons die on the Western Front but his eldest son survives being sunk at Jutland to inherit. The Eleventh Duke loses two sons in WWII. One died in the Battle of Britain; the second on D Day. The Duke is killed during a V2 attack on London and at the age of four, the Twelfth Duke inherits. George and Natalie found a home in New Zealand but, following George's death, all contact was lost with the family in England and along with it, any memory of the family being related to a noble house. The first World War also took its toll on the New Zealand branch, four of the family died at Gallipoli.  When young George Bartholemew graduated from university, in 1973, no one in either branch of the family, was aware that his father was the rightful duke. When the Twelfth Duke's son is killed in Iraq, a search is on for an heir. It takes four years to find one, the Duke is greatly relieved but is murdered before he can meet the presumed Thirteenth Duke.

THE HEIR The Heir is the third book of the Chadlington Chronicles, spanning from 1979 to 2010 during the time of the Thirteenth Duke. It was the first to be written and "stands alone" so it can be read without reference to books one and two. In August of 1979, in Hong Kong, a young Chief Inspector takes two bullets intended for one of his team. In June of 2003, the RAF loses a Tornado whilst carrying out a low-level attack on an Iraq airfield. In February of 2006, in New York, a young woman is threatened by her estranged husband and his current girlfriend. In the following years, the threads come together. In the absence of the proverbial spare, an international search is on for an heir to the Duke of Chadlington. Finally, he is found, living on a remote island. He accepts the challenge and moves to the United Kingdom where he finds the duchy in disarray. The Agent is a corrupt sexual predator who does not bulk at murder and few of the Duchy's assets are generating a return and the London house is operating as an illegal casino and a brothel. Additionally, there are three family mysteries to solve and the duchy's overseas holdings have mysteriously disappeared. With the help of his team, Stephanie a local girl whom he employs as his PA and who quickly becomes his right hand, Sandy who looks after the veteran cars and has a history of his own, Henry the young enthusiast who takes over from the Agent and several more, the new Duke sets out to solve the problems and the mysteries. On the family side, he has a son, Charles and a daughter Catherine. Charles is a merchant banker in London, whose new status as heir to a duke does his career no harm. The Duke joins the board of the bank and uncovers a scheme that could have brought the Bank down. Catherine finds herself promoted from stable hand to lady of the manor; with it comes a chance to compete on the European Show Jumping Circuit and the possibility of fulfilling her dream and riding at the Olympics. She also finds romance and her karate skills are not wasted. Then there is Lady Margaret, daughter of the late Duke. Friend or foe? Sex comes easily for a duke. Millie, Gina, Sophie (the naked bimbo), Venus, Annette, Beverly and Lillian. All are good for a romp, but none is suitable for a duchess. Love and a suitable duchess eventually arrive but she will have none of it! Three attempts to murder him force the duke back into his old role as a policeman. The mysteries finally give up their secrets but produce another. Was, as he hinted, the late Duke murdered? Things appear to be settling down when the newly married couple go on their honeymoon but the Duke finds himself embroiled in Fijian politics and carrying a proposal from Hong Kong to London that ends with him becoming deeply involved with the SIS. His involvement deepens when an agent is betrayed and must be extracted from Hong Kong before he disappears into a torture chamber over the border.

THE DYNASTY The Dynasty is the fourth book in the Chadlington Chronicles, spanning from 2010 to 2020 during the time of the Thirteenth Duke. The 13th Duke of Chadlington has now been in place for three years. With a Duchess whom he considers perfect and a new son, he is a contented man. Then Lady Paulay, no longer the typical bluestocking, arrives with the contents of the second scroll and the Hall becomes the scene of an archaeological dig. Good news for the duchy, as it will increase its tourism appeal. Catherine and Stephanie's weddings are joyful occasions, as is the launching of the two trawlers, although they are immediately declared 'black' by the unions. Catherine's participation in the London Olympics is jeopardized when her favourite horse, Petticoat, is stolen. Petticoat is recovered, after three murders and a judicial killing but is in no state to compete. A traitor within the SIS puts Isay at risk, one of the trawlers is seized and the island itself is invaded by Russian Special Forces. Co-opted to COBRA, George's knowledge of the new airstrip on the island is vital as the SAS and the SBS swing into action. As a result of this, George's involvement with the SIS deepens, firstly with identifying and dealing with the traitor and then with the recruitment and control of a high-level agent with access to the Kremlin's thinking and intentions. In September 2014, George receives a request from an old Hong Kong friend. Aiding his friend and his hapless daughter requires George to carry out a covert action in Pakistan. This brings him back into contact with Beverly, someone whose charms could threaten any marriage. Abbott, the disgraced Agent, is released from prison just as the police begin examining some cold cases, including several murders that have close connections with the duchy. Early in 2017, the need to extract an agent and his family requires George to make a hazardous intrusion into Russia. Extractions seem to be the fashion, the same year an agent has to be extracted from Hong Kong, no simple matter as he is under constant surveillance. The affairs of the duchy are not neglected, George decides on a conference to plan the road ahead and enlists the aid of the Saïd Business School in Oxford. The recruitment of two agents from within top-secret Russian laboratories requires planning for two more extractions. But first, espionage is a two-way street and there is a Russian agent in the Cabinet Office who must be exposed and turned. In the midst of this, two unwelcome guests arrive at the Hall, one of whom puts his life on the line to save George. Arpita Bhavalakar arrives, having just obtained her MBA and shortly afterwards her father visits. He is not as welcome; he dislikes her choice of boyfriend and puts two bullets into each of them. He also has contacts with al-Qaeda that make him very attractive to the SIS. There are further developments in India and elsewhere but in the UK the threat of Covid is emerging.

PESTILENCE AND THE GREAT GAME Pestilence and the Great Game is the fifth book in the Chadlington Chronicles, spanning from 2002 to 2022 during the time of the Thirteenth Duke. After many years in charge of a prison camp in Burma, Zeya Khaing is disillusioned with the Junta. Therefore, when offered the chance to work against it he is easily recruited by his old friend General U Htut. Initially, Zeya has access to valuable information of interest to the British SIS but when he is promoted and transferred to Mandalay, his access to sensitive information is limited but he does recruit his half-sister, Dr Eindra Khaing. He also conceals a Chinese defector who is carrying vital but time-sensitive material. There are emergency escape routes in place but they are not available because of Covid and communication is also difficult. Eindra is a computer expert with access to some sensitive information but a program error suddenly gives her access to all of the Government files. It is a one off opportunity, if she copies the information it will be known, she, therefore, must escape once she has done so, which means that Zeya and his wife must escape at the same time. In London, a plan is hatched to get them out. Forced to work remotely because of the pandemic, the planning team consists of Beverly, George (the thirteenth Duke of Chadlington) and Major Zin Htut in London and Jason and Pornthip Curtis in Thailand. The decision is made, they will travel separately, with two lots of vital information nobody wants all the eggs in one basket, but Eindra will require an escort and crucially, some high speed, solid state drives have to be carried in. Zin volunteers and is parachuted in, he visits Eindra and explains the escape plan to her and she has a near collapse. After some pressure, she explains that it is the thought of being close to a man that is worrying her. Further pressure reveals that she was repeatedly raped by a neighbour when she was twelve and has never recovered from the ordeal. Zin feels that there is little that he can do but faced with the situation, Eindra takes matters into her own hands and applies her formidable intellect to the task. She is successful, far more so than she expected and she finds that she can tolerate a man being close to her, even very close, provided that he is the right man. The escape is successful but creates a problem for General Thant Arkar, the head of security in Burma. Once the extent of the problem is known his head will be on the block. He contacts the SIS offering his services and escapes via India leaving a trail of bodies behind him. His aide is tasked with locating him, trailing him and killing him, the stage is set for a showdown in London. Eindra's wedding at Chadlington Hall brings visitors including Lieutenant Bob Wilson of the SBS and his fiancee, Rosie Page. A shop assistant, Rosie is normally uncomfortable at a Mess night, she is terrified at the thought of being at a ducal seat but the ordeal is not as bad as she expected and she leaves with a new career ahead of her. There are still loose ends to tie up in Burma and two unsolved murders in London but the likely Russian invasion of Ukraine is looming. The discovery of a Belarus spy in the SIS results in George once again becoming hands on as he flies into Belarus to effect an exchange of prisoners. It is a mission that is not without its dangers.