Manda Scott is a veterinary surgeon, writer and climber, not necessarily in that order. Born and educated in Scotland, she trained at the Glasgow Vet School and now lives and works in Suffolk, sharing her life with two lurchers and other assorted wildlife. She is known primarily as a crime writer. Her first novel, Hen's Teeth, hailed by Fay Weldon as 'a new voice for a new world' was shortlisted for the 1997 Orange Prize. Her subsequent novels, Night Mares, Stronger than Death and No Good Deed, for which she was hailed as 'one of Britain's most important crime writers' by The Times, are published by Headline.
The Boudica series are her first historical novels. They are, she says, the books she was born to write.
Clytemnestra (2023) Costanza Casati "A heroine of fierce spirit caught in a world ruled by men, finding a way through with a sharp, unquenchable courage. With the fire and spark of Madeline Miller and the depths of Mary Renault, Clytemnestra will keep you reading well into the small hours, and your dreams will be of worlds where women reach for the gods."
The Other Side of Night (2022) Adam Hamdy "Absolutely brilliant. Weaving themes of the nature of time, love, loss and regret with elements of neuro-science into a genuinely wonderful plot line, Adam Hamdy's The Other Side of Night has taken his writing to another level. With a thriller-level sense of foreboding and tension, this is a genre-busting novel full of big ideas. I was blown away."
Cecily (2021) Annie Garthwaite "CECILY is the WOLF HALL for the 2020s... marks the start of a stellar career."
Camelot (2020) Giles Kristian "So beautiful, so haunting . . . bitingly real . . . Giles has given us a vital, glorious story: rich, rewarding, and utterly revealing of our times."
To the Lions (2019) (Casey Benedict, book 1) Holly Watt "Completely riveting. A breath-holding roller coaster of a read, which opens doors and windows into the way the world is that are genuinely shocking."
A Long Night in Paris (2019) Dov Alfon "Fast action, clever plotting and a Bond-esque lead character who drives the narrative forward at every turn . . . This is high octane spy action."
Time's Convert (2018) (All Souls, book 4) Deborah Harkness "This is a glorious, finely-wrought gem of a book: intelligent, thoughtful, intricate... I could lose myself in here and never want to come out: what better accolade can there be? ...Utterly enchanting on every level."
Clash of Empires (2018) (Clash of Empires, book 1) Ben Kane "Carried off with panache and Kane's expansive, engaging, action-packed style. A complex, fraught, moving and passionate slice of history from one of our generation's most ambitious and engaging writers."
The Hunger (2018) Alma Katsu "Beautiful, lyrical, utterly grounded in the land, and the people, this is the best - and scariest - story I’ve read this year."
Pilgrim's War (2018) Michael Jecks "A cracking read in the best style of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell."
The Coffin Path (2018) Katherine Clements "The Coffin Path is the perfect ghost story: utterly absorbing, immersed in a world so completely authentic, peopled by men, women, children - and the beasts of a shepherding life - so completely flesh and blood that when the not-so-flesh arise, it's *terrifying*. But not only that, it's a beautifully wrought evocation of a world and a time that feels as if it's just around the corner. If you like Michelle Paver, you'll love this, but fans of Mantel will love it too - the language is a delight, the word-smithing pitch-perfect, and the narrative drive compelling. This is a book about passion and fear, blood and death and life and love and all the pieces from which life is wrought - if you read only one book this year, make it this one, you won't regret it."
Betrayal (2017) (Centurions , book 1) Anthony Riches "Stands head and shoulders above a crowded field . . . . real, live characters act out their battles on the northern borders with an accuracy of detail and depth of raw emotion that is a rare combination."
Stormbird (2013) (Wars of the Roses, book 1) Conn Iggulden "Full of period detail, the narrative weaves a glittering thread through the complex, political chaos of the time. It's been said that Game of Thrones is the Wars of the Roses written as fantasy: this is the real thing, more glorious, more passionate, far, far more gritty."
Adept (2004) (Adept , book 1) Robert Finn "Cracking...Fast paced,carefully plotted, hard-hitting, but with an edge of humour to keep it sharp...thoroughly to be recommended."
Hound (2003) George Green "The ultimate warrior's tale... a beautiful, poignant story of vengeance, lost love, outstanding heroism and a quite astonishing capacity for alchohol."
More recommendations
Awards
Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction Best Book nominee (1997) : Hen's Teeth
Women's Prize For Fiction Best Novel nominee (1997) : Hen's Teeth
Edgar Awards Best Novel nominee (2003) : No Good Deed