DAVID GEORGE CLARKE
“Nail-biting, edge-of-the-seat crime writing.”
“Unputdownable modern and historical thrillers.”
“Wow, what an author and what a story he tells!”
THE COTTON & SILK CRIME THRILLERS
THE DUST OF CENTURIES
“This trilogy has something for everyone. Historical fiction, murder mystery, romance, sci-fi, art history and more.”
With the right DNA, you could be free from disease, free from ageing.
You could even live forever.
John Andrews has the right DNA …
AN IMPERFECT REVENGE
IN VILLA BROCANTI, NOTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS
“My hair stood up on the back of my neck reading this.”
“The ingenuity needed to create the labyrinth in the ancient villa left me truly amazed.”
“This story had an air of menace that reminded me of ‘Tales of the Unexpected’. I loved it.”
A CHILLING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
When travel blogger Evie Lorrigan arrives at the Villa Brocanti resort in Tuscany to review it, she is irritated to find no staff on duty, no phone signal and the pool closed. Undeterred, she decides to explore the Brocanti estate where deep in dense woods, she discovers the boarded-up ruin of a massive villa.
Her journalistic interest piqued, Evie searches for and discovers a way in, only to find herself in a terrifying maze of tricks and traps.
,,,, more
And finally, something completely different …
Illustrated Children's Books by Gail Clarke
My wife Gail has written and illustrated twelve delightful books suitable for children aged 3-9. The stories, which are told in rhyme, are based on the theme of animal migration or animal facts. As well as being great stories that children love to hear over and again, each book is packed with information, making them excellent educational tools for teachers and parents alike. Gail visits schools in most of the place we travel to: Hong Kong, Thailand, Dubai, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Singapore and England, where she gives presentations about the writing and illustrating process, and, of course, she reads one or more of the stories.
Since December 2010, Gail has seen close to 40,000 children in dozens of schools around the world. In order to make the books more generally available, we have now made them available as print-on-demand paperback and hardbacks from Amazon and IngramSpark. As with my books, the IngramSpark editions can be ordered through bookshops in many countries throughout the world. The quality of the hardbacks is excellent as are the paperbacks from both sources.
You can find out more about Gail and her books on her website at www.gailclarkeauthor.com and see some of the pages from the books.
Patrick is a very clever African grey parrot who wants send a message to his great-grandpa Gilbert. But it’s not just any message; Gilbert is about to celebrate his one hundredth birthday!
There’s just one big problem: Patrick’s great grandpa lives thousands of miles away in Perth, Australia. How is Patrick going to get a message all that way?
He decides to ask for the help of a flock of migrating swallows heading from northern Europe to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The swallows then pass the message on to whales and dolphins who sing it all the way to Australia.
Searching for Skye is the story of two baby Arctic terns, Pilot and Skye, who are born, like all Arctic terns, in the Arctic Circle.
Soon after they learn to fly it is time for their first pole-to-pole migration with their parents.
This is a marathon journey that all Arctic terns make every year of their lives. Just as they are about to leave Skye goes missing.
What can the parents do?
When Cosmos the baby humpback whale learns about the creatures that live in the world, he wants to see some of them for himself.
He sets off on an adventure to the South Pole to find polar bears and penguins.
His whale friends try to warn him that he is making a big mistake but Cosmos is so excited about his plans that he won’t stop to listen.
Follow the brave baby humpback as he meets a huge turtle, swims into the arms of a giant squid, watches penguins at play and rescues a baby polar bear from being swept out to sea.
Chameleon is green from the top of his scaley head to the tip of his scaley tail.
Not red, not blue, just green.
Chameleon knows he should be able to change colour but no matter how hard he tries he can’t do it. To make matters worse, all the creatures he meets want to see his clever colour-changing trick.
Let’s join Chameleon on his jungle walk and find out if he can learn the secret that every chameleon should know … how to change colour.
The sun is blazing in the sky. Elephant, Giraffe, Lion, Cheetah, Zebra and Snake are tired, grumpy and very, very hot. They would love to find a way to cool down.
When Monkey, who enjoys all sorts of mischief, hears them grumbling, he thinks of a cheeky way to help his friends and at the same time play a funny trick on them.
One morning, high in the Ndoto mountains of northern Kenya, a Samburu herdboy was amazed to find a tiny baby elephant sleeping among his goats and sheep. The elephant was very weak and the herdboy knew he was unlikely to survive.
But, thanks to the quick action of the herdboy’s tribespeople, an elephant rescue team and a helicopter, Ndotto the baby elephant did survive. Today he lives in an elephant sanctuary in Nairobi where he is lovingly cared for twenty-four hours a day by his keepers.
This book is based on the true story of his dramatic rescue.
When Dormouse hears that the swallows are migrating to somewhere warm for the winter, she decides she would like to go too.
She can’t fly with the swallows so she looks for a friend to join her.
Follow Dormouse as she talks to Squirrel, Snake, Hedgehog, Frog and Bat.
Will they go with her or do they prefer sleeping through the cold winter months? Let’s find out.
Aimed at three-to-seven-year-olds, Dormouse Snoremouse is a beautifully illustrated children’s reader told in verse.
Meerkat loves playing ‘Hide and Seek’ with her friends.
One day she hides in a safari jeep and finds a picnic basket full of delicious treats. She is enjoying a wonderful feast when suddenly the jeep starts to move. It speeds along carrying a terrified Meerkat far away from her family and friends.
How will she ever find her way home?
Told in rhyme, Meerkat’s Exciting Adventure is an action-packed tale written for 4-9 year-olds.
During her exciting day, Meerkat meets a friendly ostrich, a leopard, a not-so-friendly hyena, a rhinoceros, a hippopotamus and a very helpful giraffe. Once the story is over, readers can learn many fascinating facts about meerkats.
It’s almost Midsummer Night and time for the Minibeasts’ Annual Ball. The stick insects hand out the invitations and Brave Beetle is ready to lead the way.
There is a wonderful surprise waiting at the ball, but the journey is a dangerous one. Can Beetle make sure that everyone arrives safely?
Join the minibeasts’ adventure and celebrate with them as they dance the night away.
Livi is excited about starting school but there’s just one little problem: she’s scared there’s a monster hiding in the loo waiting to grab her.
Join Livi as she finds the solution inside herselfand helps her fellow five-year-olds to navigate the unexpected fears that starting school sometimes brings.
Livi is the first book in a new series addressing some of the problems young children face when dealing with changes in their lives. The books are written in rhyme by Gail and illustrated by Gail’s daughter Zoë O’Reilly, a learning support teacher specialising in developmental delay and play therapy.
Sharks Our Ocean Guardians: The Shark Guardian Series Book 1 is a very special book that Gail wrote at the request of the amazing Shark Guardian charity (sharkguardian.org) run by Liz Ward-Sing and Brendon Sing. Shark Guardian is a UK charity which aims to advance the conservation of sharks and many other marine species for their sustainable management while protecting their natural environment. This is achieved through education, skill development, conservation activities and promoting research projects.
Here’s what Sharks Our Ocean Guardians is about:
Two hundred million years before the birth of the first dinosaur, prehistoric sharks lived in rivers, lakes and seas. In these pages you will find a story of a special kind: how the sharks of long ago became the ones that we now know, and the important part they play in keeping our oceans healthy today.
Fifty percent of the profit from sales of the print-on-demand versions of ‘Sharks Our Ocean Guardians; The Shark Guardian Series Book One‘ and ‘Jed’s Big Adventure: The Shark Guardian Series Book Two’ will be donated to the Shark Guardian Charity.
By purchasing these books, or any of the Italian, French, German or Spanish versions that are also available on Amazon, you will be helping in the conservation of sharks and other marine species.
Jed’s Big Adventure is the second illustrated children’s book in the Shark Guardian Series.The story features Jed the Hammerhead, who was introduced in the first book in the series, Sharks Our Ocean Guardians.
Jed is now a juvenile shark who is growing fast and ready for adventure. He wants to see the world. Leaving his mangrove nursery to head for the reef, he meets other sharks including a black tip reef shark and a leopard shark. Together with the black tip reef shark, Jed rescues a turtle trapped in a net and the pair are shocked by all the plastic polluting the sea and the developments along the shores of the mangroves.
Closer to the reef, Jed meets other hammerhead sharks who coach him the skills of catching prey. Also near the reef, Jed almost swims into the jaws of Scarface, a terrifying moray eel.
And finally finally, you may well be wondering about this energetic delivery person tirelessly pumping the pedals of a rather rickety bike to bring you books from clarkeFiction.
To find out, simply sign up to my email newsletter and all will be revealed. And you’ll get a free copy of the audiobook of ‘An Imperfect Revenge’ – no strings: you can unsubscribe at any time.
… an art gallery in the Lake District where she is rebuffed and angrily sent packing by the gallery owner, John Andrews, who tells her he has no interest in her research and threatens to report her. While surprised and dismayed by the intensity of Andrews’ response, Claudia remains undaunted, determined to find a way to unravel the secrets hidden in his genetic code.
Meanwhile, John Andrews is worried. Although he knows little about DNA, he understands that his must be very special — how else could he have lived for more than five hundred years and still show no sign of ageing? But bitter experience over the centuries has taught the quincentenarian that if his secret is discovered, he could be in mortal danger.
As Claudia slowly moves closer to the incredible truth, she is unaware that she has unleashed a threat to John’s existence far greater than anything he has faced in the past.
Set throughout the world during the past six centuries, Quincentenarian is a fast-moving thriller that interweaves art history, forensic science and DNA profiling with John Andrews’ lives as various artists. It traces his lovers, his families and his friends, and above all it traces the challenges he faces in order to survive. For no matter how long he lives, one thing is certain: John Andrews can never stop looking over his shoulder.
Reviews of Quincentenarian
“… there are as many twists and turns as you’d find on a Lake District road. My advice is read this book – you won’t be disappointed.”
“An interesting, unique and compelling story, where both time lines are as intriguing and relevant as each other.”
“What made this book stand out from the crowd, was the melding of a scientific storyline with art history – certainly I’ve not come across anything like this before – absolutely brilliant. If you read a lot of books of the same genre, after a while they seem to follow a set pattern; this book is unique and certainly I found I couldn’t put it down.”
“Stretching over 500 years, the story stitches each part together seamlessly. As thrillers go, I couldn’t put this book down and got to many a 2am before reluctantly having to!”
“This book was great fun, clever and thought provoking.”
“This is a hidden gem. I have really enjoyed the book and its unique plot line.”
“An interesting and original premise with extremely well-drawn characters, I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery!”
“One of the best reads I have ever come across. It alternates between interwoven stories so well, it is a delight to read.”
“Highly believable, written with conviction. Could not put it down!”
“Brilliant, highly recommended.”
“You felt that this could easily happen in the not too distant future.”
“An original and thrilling read that is hard to put down.”
“The story was unique and absorbing and I enjoyed the author’s writing style.”
“Associating history of art with forensic science is quite an accomplishment. Fun, intelligent and to be recommended.”
“Takes you on a rare journey through time and the human spirit.”
“I made time to read this one, instead of just reading it when I had time.”
“This is one of the best books I’ve read in years. The plot, the characters, the historical detail are all amazingly good.”
“The thing that makes this book special is how it uses the forensic and art restoration sciences to propel an historic thriller.”
If you’re looking for something different that is incredibly well-written, [Quincentenarian]is the book for you, highly recommended.”
“I highly recommend this book as it encompasses several different genres and excels in each and every one of them.”
“This splendid and original story is a real page-turner.”
“From its fifteenth-century opening salvo to its surprising twentieth-century denouement it kept me guessing all the way.”
“I’m a fan of art and science fiction, so when I heard about this book, I knew I wanted to read it. When I finally did, I didn’t put it down until I was finished.”
“This book is fabulous, I looked forward to reading it every night and often stayed up far too late.”
“… gets into your head and I found myself thinking about it during the day which has not happened for years.”
“The story of his life though the ages is quite astounding.”
“Mr. Clarke is a brilliant and gifted story teller.”
“I loved this book….it is such an unusual plot and so very well written.”
“The book is a wonderful blend of the real and unreal, carrying the reader along through the centuries and through many adventures.”
“The book combines a very unique combination of history and current scientific knowledge to create a great story.”
“I recommend this to anyone who likes an impossible but imaginable plot with lots of action, changing characters, art, DNA, relationships, or just life!”
“… an original and thrilling read that is hard to put down.”
“Absolutely could not put this down – what wonderful characters, each so unique.”
“This story blends the very old with the very newest technology and weaves a wonderful tale along the way.”
“Very compelling, layered story that is quite the page-turner! Picked it up and couldn’t put it down.”
“Highly recommend to anyone – but especially someone with a passion for history.”
“Best book I have read in long time. A rip roaring read.”
“… an exceptionally fascinating story with such interesting characters.”
“I loved this book. Very well written and engaging. The weaving of past and future was so believable that I may start looking for the immortals among us :)”
… artist and yet neither is a forgery, he immediately thinks of his quincentenarian friend John Andrews and his incredible history. Could the artist be John’s long-lost daughter, Paola Santini, born centuries ago in Naples? And if so, who is the woman in Boston?
Further enquiries reveal that the modern artist, Annie Carr, was a delusional murderer incarcerated in a state psychiatric institution in Colorado in 1970, and worse, she is long dead. But if Annie Carr really was John’s daughter, Ced knows she will have honed her survival skills to perfection over the centuries and her apparent death could be a ruse. If that is the case, where is she now?
When John Andrews picks up the trail, he discovers he is not alone: a mysterious billionaire is also searching for Annie, and with almost unlimited resources, he will stop at nothing to find her.
The second book in the Dust of Centuries series continues the tale of 15th-century artist John Andrews and those who share his extraordinary longevity. Centred around the daughter John has never met, The Delusion Gambit is the story of a woman whose character is honed by adversity, her life a constant fight for survival in a world that will never understand her.
While Jacques protests his innocence and the police build their case, it takes the expertise of Claudia Reid, the feisty forensic geneticist who helped to unravel the code behind John Andrews’ centuries-old secret, to explain the paradox.
But why has Paola been abducted and by whom? Remembering his own close brush with death at the hands of the ruthless big pharma magnate Wallingford Peterson, John is convinced that Paola’s life is in imminent danger. And given that she has disappeared without trace, someone with resources as extensive as Peterson’s were must be responsible.
Meanwhile, Paola is sequestered on a remote estate thousands of miles away where her captor attempts to beguile her. Determined to outwit him, Paola draws on murderous skills acquired over the centuries while at the same time facing the hard truth about herself.
… an increasingly watertight case against him, his disdain turns to horror when he is charged with murder.
Jennifer Cotton, the young detective constable who uncovers much of the damning evidence, has no doubt about the actor’s guilt until an unexpected revelation turns her world on its head.
Unceremoniously removed from the case and her reputation in tatters, Jennifer risks her future by pursuing her own investigation, determined now to prove Silk’s innocence.
As one startling discovery leads to another, she draws closer to the real killer, and closer to a potentially fatal confrontation.
… However, when the search for the serial killer goes cold and Jennifer is back to full health, she puts all her energy into her new role with the London Metropolitan Police’s Art Fraud Squad who are investigating a multi-million-pound art-forgery racket based in Italy.
But has Jennifer Cotton’s nemesis gone to ground or is she closer than the young detective thinks, biding her time?
In this gripping sequel to Irrefutable Evidence, Jennifer Cotton once again finds herself in the cross hairs of a merciless serial killer who will stop at nothing until she has achieved her revenge, a killer without scruples, a killer bent on retribution.
… the person behind her friend’s disappearance is far closer to home than she imagines.
Little does she realise that an elderly man she sees sitting with his placid pug dog in a pub in central Nottingham is the enigmatic assassin Cosimo Graziano Rosselli.
Little does she realise that Cosimo Graziano Rosselli is planning how and when to kill her.
“It will be instant, amore. One moment she will be alive, the next her soul will be on its way to heaven while her body crumples to a lifeless shell.”
Prevented from leaving by doors with no handles closing behind her, she is forced to make her way onwards and upwards through elaborately painted rooms and corridors until, when a final door closes behind her, she is trapped in an attic room along with the gruesome remains of a long-dead man.
Evie knows nothing about the secretive Brocanti family’s history, nothing about the tyrannical Marchese Salvatore Brocanti, a brilliant artist working in the late 1800s, and nothing about the mysterious disappearance of his wife and children.
What Evie does know is that she is trapped in a deserted ruin with no food and little water.
And no one knows she is there…
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“If you haven’t read this author yet, you are missing a trick.”
“A brilliant ending that I never saw coming.”
“Good plot twists and some great characters made for an exciting page turner…”
“… the telling is so cleverly constructed, so beautifully described, so rigorously researched that I couldn’t put it down.”
“A genius idea with continuing twists and turns I certainly didn’t spot…..right to the last few pages.”
“An original and innovative concept full of intrigue, mystery, suspense, twist and turns and an ending to die for.”