Peter Tonkin was born in Ulster, son of an RAF officer. He spent much of his youth travelling the world from one posting to another. He went to school at Portora Royal, Enniskillen and Palmer's, Grays. He sang, acted, and published poetry, winning the Jan Palac Memorial Prize in 1968. He studied English with Seamus Heaney at Queen's Belfast. In his year were Paul Muldoon, Bernard MacLaverty and Ciaran Hinds.
Genres: Thriller, Historical, Historical Mystery
Series
Richard Mariner
1. The Coffin Ship (1989)
2. The Fire Ship (1990)
3. The Leper Ship (1992)
4. The Bomb Ship (1993)
5. Iceberg (1994)
6. The Pirate Ship (1995)
7. Meltdown (1996)
8. Tiger Island (1997)
9. Hell Gate (1998)
10. Powerdown (1999)
11. High Water (2000)
12. Thunder Bay (2001)
13. Titan 10 (2004)
14. Wolf Rock (2005)
15. Resolution Burning (2006)
16. Cape Farewell (2006)
17. The Ship Breakers (2007)
18. High Wind in Java (2007)
19. Benin Light (2008)
20. River of Ghosts (2009)
21. Volcano Roads (2009)
22. The Prison Ship (2010)
23. The Red River (2010)
24. Ice Station (2011)
25. Dark Heart (2012)
26. Dead Sea (2012)
27. Black Pearl (2013)
28. Deadly Impact (2014)
29. Mariner's Ark (2015)
30. Blind Reef (2015)
1. The Coffin Ship (1989)
2. The Fire Ship (1990)
3. The Leper Ship (1992)
4. The Bomb Ship (1993)
5. Iceberg (1994)
6. The Pirate Ship (1995)
7. Meltdown (1996)
8. Tiger Island (1997)
9. Hell Gate (1998)
10. Powerdown (1999)
11. High Water (2000)
12. Thunder Bay (2001)
13. Titan 10 (2004)
14. Wolf Rock (2005)
15. Resolution Burning (2006)
16. Cape Farewell (2006)
17. The Ship Breakers (2007)
18. High Wind in Java (2007)
19. Benin Light (2008)
20. River of Ghosts (2009)
21. Volcano Roads (2009)
22. The Prison Ship (2010)
23. The Red River (2010)
24. Ice Station (2011)
25. Dark Heart (2012)
26. Dead Sea (2012)
27. Black Pearl (2013)
28. Deadly Impact (2014)
29. Mariner's Ark (2015)
30. Blind Reef (2015)
Tom Musgrave
1. The Point of Death (2001)
2. A Head for Murder (2002)
aka One Head Too Many
3. A Midwinter Murder (2003)
aka The Hound of the Borders
4. The Silent Murder (2003)
aka The Silent Woman
5. A Stage for Murder (2018)
6. A Verse To Murder (2019)
1. The Point of Death (2001)
2. A Head for Murder (2002)
aka One Head Too Many
3. A Midwinter Murder (2003)
aka The Hound of the Borders
4. The Silent Murder (2003)
aka The Silent Woman
5. A Stage for Murder (2018)
6. A Verse To Murder (2019)
Caesars Spies
1. The Ides (2016)
2. After The Ides (2017)
3. Cicero Dies! (2018)
4. The Road To War (2019)
5. Death at Philippi (2020)
1. The Ides (2016)
2. After The Ides (2017)
3. Cicero Dies! (2018)
4. The Road To War (2019)
5. Death at Philippi (2020)
Trojan Murders
1. Beware of Greeks (2020)
2. Vengeance at Aulis (2020)
3. The Anger of Achilles (2021)
1. Beware of Greeks (2020)
2. Vengeance at Aulis (2020)
3. The Anger of Achilles (2021)
Queen's Intelligencer
1. Shadow of the Axe (2021)
2. Shadow of the Tower (2022)
3. Shadow of Treason (2023)
1. Shadow of the Axe (2021)
2. Shadow of the Tower (2022)
3. Shadow of Treason (2023)
Novels
Collections
Triumphs and Tragedies (2023) (with Derek Birks, Richard Foreman, Alistair Forrest, Fiona Forsyth, Jacquie Rogers and Alistair Tosh)
Series contributed to
HWA Short Story Collection
1. Rubicon (2019) (with Nick Brown, Gordon Doherty, Ruth Downie, Richard Foreman, Alison Morton, Anthony Riches, Antonia Senior and L J Trafford)
3. Royal Blood (2020) (with Judith Arnopp, David Field, Elizabeth Fremantle, Philip Gooden, Michael Jecks, John Pilkington, Steven Veerapen and Michael Ward)
1. Rubicon (2019) (with Nick Brown, Gordon Doherty, Ruth Downie, Richard Foreman, Alison Morton, Anthony Riches, Antonia Senior and L J Trafford)
3. Royal Blood (2020) (with Judith Arnopp, David Field, Elizabeth Fremantle, Philip Gooden, Michael Jecks, John Pilkington, Steven Veerapen and Michael Ward)
Aspects of History (with Derek Birks, David Boyle, Richard Foreman, Alistair Forrest, Jacquie Rogers and Simon Turney)
1. Imperium (2021)
1. Imperium (2021)
Peter Tonkin recommends

Blood & Honour (2018)
(Spies of Rome, book 1)
Richard Foreman
"An arresting opening that leads into a thoroughly gripping story...A must read for fans of Steven Saylor."

A Dangerous Trade (2018)
(Jack and Amy Cole, book 1)
Steven Veerapen
"Grips like a thumbscrew tightened by a twist after twist...Le Carre transported to the 1560's."

The Game's Afoot (2019)
(Oliver Wade)
David Field
"An impressively convincing, well-researched and gripping glimpse into the snake-pit of spies, traitors and would-be regicides that sprang to life during the dangerous days between the death of Elizabeth I and the formal accession of James VI."

Nest of Vipers (2020)
(Agents of Rome, book 1)
Alistair Forrest
"A gripping and exciting read, well-researched and convincing."

The Crimson Child (2023)
(Empire of Shadows, book 2)
R N Morris
"Grips from the opening and its grasp on the reader only tightens as the strange and raffling case proceeds."
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