Nick Zuliani hails from Venice, though his mother is English. Estranged from his father, he has become a bit of a wheeler-dealer and conman. An unfortunate incident (told in one of my short stories) results in him fleeing the Serene Republic. But, as bodyguard to Friar Alberoni, he ends up at the heart of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century where he has to solve some unusual murder cases. BOOK TWO: A DEADLY INJUSTICE A Nick Zuliani Mystery set in Kubilai Khan's court – Cathay, 1268. Nick Zuliani and Lin Chu-Tsai are sent to a provincial town to investigate the case of a young Chinese girl condemned to death for murder. They encounter an acting troupe, and a soon-to-be-famous playwright who is keen to see Mongol justice being taken to task. Zuliani and Lin are faced with a dilemma. Do they confirm the girl's guilt in the face of contrary evidence in order to save themselves? Or stand up to the local Mongol governor, and risk the wrath of the Great Khan?

An anthology of stories Following the huge success of the previous BBM collections comes the latest batch of stories from the UK's top-flight crime writers. Alongside an "Inspector Morse" story from Colin Dexter and a "Rumpole" tale from John Mortimer, is Jake Arnott's first short story and a wealth of exclusive stories from some of Britain's most exciting up-and-coming young crime writers. An ideal present for anyone who has ever enjoyed a good murder-mystery, "The Best British Mysteries 2006" will cause many sleepless nights of avid page turning!

From Ancient Rome through thirteenth-century Venice to 1930s' New York, twelve compelling historical crime stories. Our dark past brought to life by leading contemporary crime writers A new generation of crime writers has broadened the genre of crime fiction, creating more human stories of historical realism, with a stronger emphasis on character and the psychology of crime. This superb anthology of 12 novellas encompasses over 4,000 years of our dark, criminal past, from Bronze Age Britain to the eve of the Second World War, with stories set in ancient Greece, Rome, the Byzantine Empire, medieval Venice, seventh-century Ireland and 1930s' New York. A Byzantine icon painter, suddenly out of work when icons are banned, becomes embroiled in a case of deception; Charles Babbage and the young Ada Byron try to crack a coded message and stop a master criminal; and New York detectives are on the lookout for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid