Best Selling Books by Jim Eldridge

Paris, 1899. Abigail Wilson has received an invitation from Professor Alphonse Flamand, a prominent French Professor of Archaeology, to join him on a dig in Egypt. Overjoyed to be presented with such an opportunity, Abigail and her husband, Daniel, travel to Paris to meet the Professor to discuss plans. However, when Abigail goes to the appointment at his office in the Louvre, she finds Flamand dead with a knife in his chest. In a whirl of confusion and despite her pleas of innocence, Abigail is arrested. Determined to prove that she has been framed for Flamand''s brutal murder, the Museum Detectives will delve far into the shadowy corners of the City of Light for the truth.

Meet Dave. He''s disgusting - everyone says so. Even his mum is fed up with him examining his nose pickings. So now Dave''s got a challenge: if he can avoid doing anything disgusting for a week, he gets a £20 reward. He thinks he can do it. At least, until his arch-enemy, Banger Bates, lands him with Fred, the farting dog.

August 1940. On the streets of London, locals watch with growing concern as German fighter planes plague the city''s skyline. But inside the famous Ritz Hotel, the cream of society continues to enjoy all the glamour and comfort that money can buy during wartime - until an anonymous man is discovered with his throat slashed open. Detective Chief Inspector Coburg is called in to investigate, no stranger himself to the haunts of the upper echelons of society, ably assisted by his trusty colleague, Sergeant Lampson. Yet they soon face a number of obstacles. With the crime committed in rooms in use by an exiled king and his retinue, there are those who fear diplomatic repercussions and would rather the case be forgotten. With mounting pressure from various Intelligence agencies, rival political factions and gang warfare brewing either side of the Thames, Coburg and Lampson must untangle a web of deception if they are to solve the case - and survive.

Part of the million-selling MY STORY series that brings the past into the real world, giving it a truly human touch. It''s AD 84 when Bran, a prince of the Carvetii tribe, is captured by the Romans. A legion of soldiers is marching east, to build a military road. It''s hostile country, and Bran is to go with them as a hostage to ensure the legion''s safety ... but no one is safe in newly conquered Britain.

A grim portrait of murder in Victorian London. 1897, London. The capital is shocked to learn that the body of a woman has been found at the National Gallery, eviscerated in a manner that recalls all too strongly the exploits of the infamous Jack the Ripper. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are contacted by a curator of the National Gallery for their assistance. The dead woman, an artist''s model and lady of the night, had links to artist Walter Sickert who was a suspect during the Ripper''s spree of killings. Scotland Yard have arrested Sickert on suspicion of this fresh murder but it is not the last. Copycat murders of the Ripper''s crimes implicate the artist who loves to shock but Sickert insists that he is innocent. Who would want to frame him? Wilson and Fenton have their work cut out catching an elusive and determined killer.

Jim Eldridge, author of the Museum Mysteries, turns his pen to Wartime London''s grandest hotels. October 1940. The Blitz bombing raids continue mercilessly, but when the body of a kitchen porter from Claridge''s hotel is found, it is clear that he has not been the victim of a blast: he was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Coburg has to find out exactly who he was, and what he was doing at Claridge''s under a false identity. Armed with those facts, he might get an insight into why he was killed, and by whom. But the investigation is complicated by the fact that so many of the hotel''s residents are exiled European royalty. Clandestine affairs, furtive goings-on and conspiracies against the government: Coburg must tread very lightly indeed .

The third slam-down book in the hilarious WRESTLING TROLLS series Waldo''s Wrestling Trolls are back, and they''re ready to rumble! But the villainous Lord Veto has other plans. Challenged to a Giant Rumble but suffering from a shortfall of wrestlers, Jack and his friends set out to find more participants for their great battle. But what starts as a fun-filled road trip in their trusty caravan soon becomes an action-packed adventure filled with dangers such as farting Billy Goats, poisonous spiders and evil servants of the wicked King Nugget. With their new taco-eating, super-bendy and even transfigurative friends at hand, will the Wrestling Trolls make it back alive - or better yet, to the match? This WRESTLING TROLLS story was created on The Story Adventure, where week by week Jim wrote a new chapter using ideas from school children - characters, locations and plot twists. See if you can spot them!

The second slam-down book in the hilarious WRESTLING TROLLS series Jack is doing fantastically well as the Wrestling Trolls training coach, Big Rock is winning matches, and the group are on their way to more gold and tasty rocks than they can count. All Jack has to do is keep his alter-ego THUD! under control... Nothing ever goes smoothly for Jack and his friends though, especially after Milo is kidnapped by evil goblins determined to get their greedy hands on Big Rock''s winnings! The wrestling crew know that they will have to be very quick and very clever if they want to rescue Milo, but the goblins have some horrible plans up their sleeves, including putting Robin on the menu for lunch! With even more smack-downs, tie-clinches and backwards pinfalls, the second instalment of the WRESTLING TROLLS series has hunky wrestlers with hairy feet, a horde of vile villains and a little boy with a BIG personality.

A professional assassin stalks London’s streets in the first historical mystery featuring Scotland Yard’s Detective Chief Inspector Stark. London, 1921. The Great War has recently ended and tensions in England are high. Now, prominent Cabinet minister Lord Amersham has been shot dead outside his Regent’s Park home. With two bullets to the chest and one to the forehead, all signs point to a professional hit. Charged with solving one of the most sensitive and high-profile cases Scotland Yard has ever faced, DCI Paul Stark is under pressure to get the job done quickly. Amersham’s colleague Winston Churchill, Secretary of State for the Colonies, is convinced the Bolsheviks are responsible. Stark’s contemporaries at Special Branch believe there’s a connection to Government talks about Irish Home Rule. And others believe the motive could be connected to Lord Amersham’s rather scandalous private life . . . When a second crime takes place—another murder committed by an expert marksman at close range—the case takes a terrifying turn and puts Stark right in the middle of an international crisis. “Besides providing interesting nuggets of history, Eldridge depicts his lead characters with complexity and compassion, auguring well for this series kickoff.” —Kirkus Reviews

Rustlers, revenge and revelations - the Wrestling Trolls family are under attack! Disaster has struck the Wrestling Trolls family. Their grumpy but much-loved friend Robin has been stolen by a nasty band of horse rustlers, and it''s up to the gang to get him back. In the second story, Jack is desperate to get back inside Lord Veto''s castle to rescue a treasured family heirloom left to him by his parents before they died - but he finds a lot more than he bargained for ... In this penultimate adventure in the WRESTLING TROLLS series, the little band of friends must pull together and face their toughest challenges yet.

The Wrestling Trolls are BACK, facing nasty bullies and vengeful villains. Here come the Wrestling Trolls with two great new adventures! Jack, Milo, Robin and Big Rock are back, and they have a new friend with them too - Blaze, the magical phoenix. As usual, the gang are low on money, so they plan to come together as a family and make some dosh by taking on notorious bully Buster Gutt. Unfortunately, Buster is even meaner than they thought, and soon poor Jack finds himself and his alter-ego THUD in some seriously hot water... In the second story, villainous Lord Veto tries to break up the Waldo''s Wrestling Trolls family. He plants seeds of doubt in Jack, which sets Milo off, and soon Princess Ava is caught in the middle of two very grumpy boys - when they have a wrestling tournament to fight! The brave Wrestling Trolls troupe must come together for glory once more in this hilarious and heartfelt series.

DCI Paul Stark discovers that the bitter legacy of WWI casts a long shadow in the second of this intriguing historical mystery series. London, 1921. Lord Johnny Fairfax has been found dead in his study, along with a second victim, a mysterious American who arrived unannounced the previous evening. For DCI Paul Stark, the case is personal: he’s in a relationship with Lord Fairfax’s former wife, Lady Amelia. The dead man had no shortage of enemies. Winston Churchill, his former colleague at the War Office, is convinced the murder is revenge for the disaster at Gallipoli. Lady Amelia herself is accused of the crime. And who was the American visitor? What was his connection with Lord Fairfax – and could he have been the real target? As Stark digs deeper, he uncovers evidence of a shocking conspiracy that strikes at the heart of the British Establishment.

Jim Eldridge, author of the Museum Mysteries, turns his pen to Wartime London''s grandest hotels. September 1940: the height of the Blitz. The Savoy Hotel boasts London''s strongest air raid shelter with all the luxury expected from one of the capital''s most prestigious hotels. It prompts the arrival of a disgruntled crowd from the East End, demanding they be allowed entry and respite from the endless bombing raids. They are given permission to enter and are stunned by the opulence that greets them. The all-clear sounds the next morning and London comes slowly back to life, but not everyone can dust themselves down and carry on. One of the hotel''s guests has been discovered dead, stabbed in the back. Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson are called in and the finger of suspicion falls firmly upon the East Londoners, but not everything is as it seems in these sumptuous surroundings.

A total troll smack-down wrestle-fest. Just don''t get in the way... Jack knows every wrestling move there is to know, and his dreams come true when he''s recruited as a training assistant to Waldo''s Wrestling Trolls. Little does Jack know that he''s actually part troll, and that when his new family is in trouble he morphs into the terrifying Thud! He''ll have to rescue princesses that don''t need rescuing, avoid ambushes by goblins and build a team of Wrestling Trolls to take on Lord Veto''s evil orcs in a battle for the tournament money. With eight full-colour pages of extra activities included.

The Wrestling Trolls face their ultimate challenge - a fight for the troll kingdom! Lord Veto has been kidnapped and is being held at the dreaded Mount Doom. But now Jack knows the shocking truth - that his arch enemy is in fact his grandfather - he can''t just abandon him. So the gang find themselves on the most unexpected mission of all: to save Lord Veto. But are they walking straight into a trap? In the second and final story the Wrestling Trolls face their most terrifying opponent yet. As the rightful heir to the troll throne, Jack must defeat Massive, the tyrannical troll who claims that he is the High King. In a wrestling match to end all wrestling matches, Jack must save not only himself, but his friends and his kingdom too. In this thrilling final adventure in the Wrestling Trolls series, the gang must pull together - even with their enemies - to fight for the very future of trollkind.

A gripping first-hand account of life at home after World War One. When underage soldier, Joe Henry, returns from the war in 1918, the England that he comes home to is very different from the one he left behind. His father is injured and the Spanish flu is raging... Joe may have survived World War One, but the danger isn''t over yet.

After rising to prominence for his role investigating the case of Jack the Ripper, former Detective Inspector Daniel Wilson is now retired. Known for his intelligence, investigative skills, and most of all his discretion, he''s often consulted when a case must be solved quickly and quietly. So when a body is found in the Egyptian Collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, Wilson is called in. As he tries to uncover the identity of the dead man and the circumstances surrounding his demise, Wilson must contend with an unhelpful police Inspector, and more alarmingly, Abigail McKenzie, the archaeologist who discovered the body and is determined to protect the Egyptian collection. Can they find a way to work together to solve the mystery?

London, 1899. A shocking murder is discovered at the heart of the Tower of London. The dead body of a Yeoman Warder is found inside a suit of armour belonging to Henry VIII, having been run through with a sword, and when details of this outrage are reported to the Prince of Wales, he fears this may be an expression of Republican unrest striking at the very home of the Crown Jewels. In the hopes of hampering the spread of news about the crime, the Prince reluctantly calls upon the services of Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, the museum detectives, to investigate further. As their inquiries proceed, Wilson and Fenton learn about the long and bloody history of the Tower of London, but dark deeds are not confined to the Tower''s shadowy past. More bones will see the light of day and the twists and turns of a dastardly plot will unravel before the museum detectives'' case is closed.

Meet Dave. He''s disgusting. At least, that''s what his older sister thinks. But Dave knows better: he just wants to know how things work. Even things like burping and farting. And now Dave needs to turn detective and clear his best friend''s mother from food poisoning charges. But he''s going to have to get up close and personal with some vomit under a microscope ...

December, 1940. With the Luftwaffe pounding the city nightly, Londoners seek refuge in underground stations. Aldwych has been taken out of service to provide shelter for the British Museum''s priceless Elgin Marbles, as well as civilians escaping the bombing. When the body of a young man is discovered on the tracks, wearing evening dress but barefoot, Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson are on the case. Before long, more bodies are discovered, and Coburg''s wife Rosa becomes a target for the brutal killer. Caught up in a world of underground jazz clubs, abandoned tube stations and looters, Coburg and Lampson must track down the ruthless murderer before it''s too late.

Part of the million-selling MY STORY series that brings the past into the real world, giving it a truly human touch. TRENCHES is set in 1917 and is the story of Billy Stevens, a telegraph operator, stationed near Ypres. The Great War has been raging for three years when Billy finds himself taking part in the deadly Big Push. But he is shocked to discover that the bullets of his fellow soldiers aren''t just aimed at the enemy. Vividly imagined and historically accurate, readers are taken on a first-hand journey of danger and peril.

''This is just the novel for whiling away a few pleasant evenings with a nice cup of tea'' Publishers Weekly

1894. A well-respected academic is found dead in a gentlemen''s convenience cubicle at the British Museum, the stall locked from the inside. Professor Lance Pickering had been due to give a talk promoting the museum''s new ''Age of King Arthur'' exhibition when he was stabbed repeatedly in the chest. Having forged a strong reputation working alongside the inimitable Inspector Abberline on the Jack the Ripper case, Daniel Wilson is called in to solve the mystery of the locked cubicle murder, and he brings his expertise and archaeologist Abigail Fenton with him. But it isn''t long before the museum becomes the site of another fatality and the pair face mounting pressure to deliver results. With enquiries compounded by persistent journalists, local vandals and a fanatical society, Wilson and Fenton face a race against time to salvage the reputation of the museum and catch a murderer desperate for revenge.

Alan Turing was one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. He created one of the first designs for a stored-program computer and is widely considered to be the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. During World War II, Turing worked for the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, Britain''s codebreaking centre, where he was responsible for breaking German naval codes, including the supposedly unbreakable Enigma code, and helping the Atlantic convoys avoid German U-boat attacks. This work probably shortened World War II by up to four years, saving millions of lives. This is the story of the amazing life and work of a British hero and one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century.

These world-renowned museums hold some deadly secrets ... Murder at the Fitzwilliam 1894. Daniel Wilson, who made his name investigating the case of Jack the Ripper alongside the formidable Inspector Abberline, is now working as a private enquiry agent. When the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge finds itself in need of urgent - and discreet - assistance, he is the natural first choice. The museum will soon unveil its new Egyptian collection, but strange occurrences have followed the exhibits to Britain including the discovery of a dead body in a previously empty sarcophagus. Aided by the talented resident archaeologist, Abigail Fenton, can Wilson unravel the mystery before the museum''s public launch? Murder at the British Museum 1894, London. Professor Lance Pickering had been due to give a talk at the British Museum, when his brutally stabbed body is discovered. Daniel Wilson is called in to solve the mystery with the help and expertise of archaeologist Abigail Fenton. With their investigation hampered by persistent journalists, vandals and a fanatical society, and the pressure building with another fatality, Wilson and Fenton must race against time to salvage the reputation of the museum and catch a murderer desperate for revenge. Murder at the Ashmolean Museum 1895, Oxford. The Ashmolean Museum is a site of tragedy when a manager is found with a bullet hole between his eyes, a pistol discarded close by. Police have ruled the death as suicide but staff at the museum remain unconvinced. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton''s inquiries are hindered by an interfering lone agent from Special Branch, mislaid artefacts and a web of bureaucracy as the hunt for a dangerous killer intensifies. Murder at the Manchester Museum 1895. Former Jack the Ripper detective Daniel Wilson and his archaeologist assistant Abigail Fenton are summoned to investigate the murder of a young woman at the Manchester Museum. The case turns more sinister when the body of a second woman is discovered. With the help of a local journalist, Wilson and Fenton hope to unravel the mystery, but the journey to the truth is fraught with obstacles, and the mistakes of the past will not be forgotten ... Murder at the Natural History Museum 1895, London. When the Museum Detectives are asked to investigate a vandalised dinosaur skeleton at the Natural History Museum, there is evidence that the fossil-hunting mania of the notorious Bone Wars in America may have reached British shores. Events take a sinister turn though when a museum attendant is found dead by the famous theatre manager Bram Stoker, who may be more involved than he is willing to admit. Facing mounting pressure Wilson and Fenton must rely on their talents and instincts to solve their most intriguing case yet. ''A captivating new series'' Marni Graff

Dave''s disgusting. He has a dog that farts, and he''s way too interested in snot and sick for his Aunt Dora''s liking. But really, he only wants to find out about fascinating things like the human body, and creepy crawlies, and ... flesh-eating maggots. When some real-live maggots arrive for Dave in the post, he discovers that science can turn dangerous! Can he keep the squirmy wormlets under control before they chomp their way through the whole neighbourhood?

Christmas, 1940. A temporary truce between the German and Allied forces is a welcome respite from the relentless air raids over London. Down Street underground station, in the heart of Mayfair, is now a secret retreat for Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his cabinet. In this supposedly secure location, the body of a woman is found, stabbed in the heart. Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson are called to investigate. However, whispers of treason as well as the suspicion of insidious Russian plots muddy the waters of the case, and personal resentments strike far too close to home. Everything is on the line for Coburg and Lampson as the body count steadily rises.

London, 1896. Madame Tussauds opens to find one of its nightwatchmen decapitated and his colleague nowhere to be found. To the police, the case seems simple: one killed the other and fled, but workers at the museum aren''t convinced. Although forbidden contact by his superior officer, Scotland Yard detective John Feather secretly enlists ''The Museum Detectives'' Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton to aid the police investigation. When the body of the missing nightwatchman is discovered encased within a wax figure, the case suddenly becomes more complex. With questions over rival museums, the dead men''s pasts and a series of bank raids plaguing the city, Wilson and Fenton face their most intriguing and dangerous case yet.

London, March 1941. The Blitz continues to cast a shadow over the city''s brightest spots such as the Café de Paris. Having narrowly escaped a devastating bomb attack on the nightclub, Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson are called to the disused Lord''s Underground station where the body of a man has been discovered. The dead man was beaten to death by what may have been a cricket bat. Is he linked to the British Empire XI, made up of players from Great Britain and far-flung corners of the globe, who are playing at the world-famous Lord''s Cricket Ground? Coburg and Lampson are certainly put in a spin by this complex case.

1895. When the newly dubbed ''Museum Detectives'' are asked to investigate deliberate damage to a dinosaur skeleton at the Natural History Museum, there is evidence that the fossil-hunting mania of the notorious Bone Wars in America may have reached their shores. But for Daniel Wilson, famed for his involvement in the Jack the Ripper case, and renowned archaeologist Abigail Fenton, events soon take a sinister turn. A museum attendant is found dead in an anteroom by none other than the infamous theatre manager Bram Stoker, who it seems may have had a personal connection with the deceased. Facing pressure both from an overseas business and local celebrity, Wilson and Fenton must rely on their talents and instincts to solve their most puzzling case yet.

November 1920. Ireland is in the middle of a bloody war for independence. One Sunday, events come to a head and an exciting football match turns into a survival battle for eleven-year-old Liam Donnelly. Soldiers shooting, machine guns firing, bodies falling on the pitch... How will Liam make it out of the stadium alive? And even if he does, is there anywhere safe left to go?

Exciting historical fiction set in Ancient Egypt! It''s 2517 BC and Pharaoh Khafre is building a great pyramid at Giza to rival those built by his predecessors. He is also making plans for what will become one of the most famous and iconic monuments in history - the Sphinx. But Khafre has enemies and division in his workforce. Among the labourers in his employ is one 12-year-old boy - Nebka. Nebka has his own reasons for hating the pyramids and wanting to rebel. But his rebellion could have drastic consequences for those closest to him.

Jake''s girlfriend, Lauren, has been exiled to New Zealand by MI5, who ensure that the two of them never speak about the missing books of the Order of Malichea. The information in these books could destroy mankind if they fall into the wrong hands, but Jake and Lauren want to get to them first and use the wisdom for good. Then Lauren goes missing . . . When Jake follows the instructions of a mystery caller to go to a Scottish Island, he knows he could be in danger; the Russian government will do anything to get hold of one book in particular - a book that holds the secret to spontaneous human combustion. Jake has to race against time to intercept the book and prevent global warfare. Can he do it, and, at last, give Lauren her freedom?

April, 1941. At the former Whitechapel Road Underground station, repurposed as an air raid shelter since the onset of the Blitz, the body of a woman has been discovered, stabbed and eviscerated. With the ghoulish history of Jack the Ripper and his victims not far from their thoughts, Detective Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson are called from Scotland Yard to examine the scene. In the station''s dark and dingy tunnels they stumble across a battered Victorian doctor''s case containing surgical tools. Has it been deliberately left to be discovered? With the spectre of London''s most famous killer looming large over their investigation, Coburg and Lampson are under pressure to swiftly conclude this very difficult case as more victims come to light. But that proves to be a challenge when King George and the Prime Minister Winston Churchill seek their help with a puzzling inquiry that also has links to Whitechapel.

Jake Wells has uncovered the shadowy and mysterious Order of Malichea. He has - briefly - had in his possession an ancient book belonging to the Order. However, other agencies are also desperate to get hold of the book and the knowledge it contains. Jake finds himself forced to give up the book, and then his girlfriend, Lauren, is blackmailed and has to leave the country for her own safety. But Jake is determined not to be beaten. To ensure Lauren can return to the UK, he knows he must locate another book from the Order, and this means he must contact those he most fears in a high-risk and life-threatening strategy . . .

I Was There... 1066 tells the thrilling story of a young page boy at the heart of the Battle of Hastings. Edwin risks everything to infiltrate the Norman army and find out William of Normany''s plans for King Harold. Brilliantly reimagined, readers will love this vivid first-hand account of the last successful military invasion of England.