Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (born 13 August 1948) is a British writer of

romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

and

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

novels. She normally writes under her own name but also uses the pseudonyms Emma Woodhouse and Elizabeth Bennett. Cynthia was born on 13 August 1948 at

Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush is a district of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character, i ...

, London, England and wrote her first novel in 1972 while still at university.

Biography

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born in Shepherd's Bush, London, England on 13 August 1948. She was educated at Burlington School, a girls'

charity school Charity schools, sometimes called blue coat schools, or simply the Blue School, were significant in the history of education in England. They were built and maintained in various parishes by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants to ...

founded in 1699. She then studied history, philosophy and English at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

and

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

. After leaving university, Cynthia had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, beginning as sales manager for the Coca-Cola Company in Edinburgh, and ending as pensions officer for the BBC in London. She started writing at university and, while employed, wrote in the evenings and during the weekends. The birth of

The Morland Dynasty ''The Morland Dynasty'' is a series of historical novels by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, in the genre of a family saga. They recount the lives of the Morland family of York, England and their national and international relatives and associates. There ...

series enabled her to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise 12 volumes, written alternately by two different writers. (This idea almost immediately proved impractical.) As of 2015, when the publisher dropped the series, the number of volumes had reached 35; in November 2022 they comissioned her to write a further volume, to be published in 2024. She also writes the internationally acclaimed Bill Slider mysteries. Cynthia and her husband still live in London. They have three children. In addition to writing, her interests are, horses, wine, architecture, the English countryside, and music: she plays in several amateur orchestras.

Awards

Cynthia wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award for ''The Waiting Game''. In 1993 she won the

Romantic Novelists' Association The Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) is the professional body that represents authors of romantic fiction in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1960 by Denise Robins (first president), Barbara Cartland (first vice-president), Vivian Stuar ...

Romantic Novel of the Year Award The Romantic Novel of the Year Award is an award for romance novels since 1960, presented by Romantic Novelists' Association, and since 2003, the novellas, also won the Love Story of the Year (now RoNA Rose Award). In 2018, awards were given to ...

for ''Emily'', the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia.

Bibliography

As Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Single novels

* ''The Waiting Game'' (1972) * ''Shadows on the Mountain'' (1973) * ''Hollow Night'' (1980) * ''Deadfall'' (1982) * ''The Crystal Crown'' (1983) * ''The Orange Tree Plot'' (1989) * ''The Enchanted Isle'' (1993) * ''I, Victoria: The Secret Diary of the Empress Queen....'' (1994) * ''Play for Love'' (1995) * ''A Cornish Affair'' (1996) * ''Nobody's Fool'' (1997) * ''Dangerous Love'' (1997) * ''Divided Love'' (1998) * ''Keeping Secrets'' (1998) * ''The Longest Dance'' (2000) * ''The Horsemasters'' (2001) * ''Julia'' (2002) * ''The Colonel's Daughter'' (2005) * ''Harte's Desire'' (2007) * ''Country Plot'' (2012) * ''Kate's Progress'' (2013)

The Morland Dynasty

The original idea for

series was a 'history without tears', fictional characters in a real historical background. The plan was for the whole run of British history from the Middle Ages to the Second World War to be covered in twelve volumes (Harrod-Eagles' initial contract was for just four books). The series now comprises 35 titles (June 2016). # ''The Founding'' (1980) Begins 1434 and covers the

War of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the throne of England, English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These w ...

and

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

# ''The Dark Rose'' (1981) Begins 1501 and covers

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

# ''The Princeling'' (1981) aka ''The Distant Wood'' Begins 1558 and covers

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

and

Mary Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

# ''The Oak Apple'' (1982) Begins 1630 and covers

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

and the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

# ''The Black Pearl'' (1982) Begins 1659 and covers Charles II and the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

# ''The Long Shadow'' (1983) Begins 1670 and covers Charles II and James II # ''The Chevalier'' (1984) Begins 1689 and covers William III and Mary II, Queen Anne,

George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George I of Antioch (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgor ...

and the

Old Pretender James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs, was the son of King James II and VII of England, Scotland and Ireland, and his second wife, Mary of Modena. He was Prince of Wales fro ...

(1715 Rebellion) # ''The Maiden'' (1985) Begins 1720 and covers

George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) ...

and the Young Pretender (

Bonnie Prince Charlie Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...

) (1745 Rebellion) # ''The Flood-Tide'' (1986) Begins 1772 and covers

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

, the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and

Enclosure Enclosure or Inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or " common land" enclosing it and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land ...

s # ''The Tangled Thread'' (1987) Begins 1788 and covers the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

and the beginning of the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

# ''The Emperor'' (1988) Begins 1795 and covers the Rise of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

# ''The Victory'' (1989) Begins 1803 and covers the

Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

Beau Brummell George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (7 June 1778 – 30 March 1840) was an important figure in Regency England and, for many years, the arbiter of men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, but ...

, the Industrial Revolution and the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...

# ''The Regency'' (1990) Begins 1807 and covers the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, the Peninsular Campaign and the Industrial Revolution # ''The Campaigners'' (1990) Begins 1815 and covers the Campaign of 100 Days and the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...

# ''The Reckoning'' (1992) Begins 1816 and covers the post-war slump,

Chartism Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in the United Kingdom that erupted from 1838 to 1857 and was strongest in 1839, 1842 and 1848. It took its name from the People's Charter of 1838 and was a national protest movement, w ...

, the Pentrich Revolution and Industrial Progress # ''The Devil's Horse'' (1993) Begins 1820 and covers

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

, the Factory Age, the Rainhill Trials and the

Liverpool and Manchester Railway The Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR) was the first inter-city railway in the world. It opened on 15 September 1830 between the Lancashire towns of Liverpool and Manchester in England. It was also the first railway to rely exclusively ...

# ''The Poison Tree'' (1994) Begins 1831 and covers

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...

, the 1832 Reform Act and the Railway Pioneers # ''The Abyss'' (1995) Begins 1833 and covers

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, the

Railway Age ''Railway Age'' is an American trade magazine for the rail transport industry. It was founded in 1856 in Chicago (the United States' major railroad hub) and is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation. History The magazine's ...

and

George Hudson George Hudson (probably 10 March 1800 – 14 December 1871) was an English railway financier and politician who, because he controlled a significant part of the railway network in the 1840s, became known as "The Railway King"—a title conferr ...

# ''The Hidden Shore'' (1996) Begins 1843 and covers the Early Victorian Age, Philanthropy and Ragged School # ''The Winter Journey'' (1997) Begins 1851 and covers the Mid-Victorian Age, the

Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary The Crystal Palace, structure in which it was held), was an International Exhib ...

and the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

# ''The Outcast'' (1998) Begins 1857 and covers the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, the Divorce Act and the first

Underground Railway The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

# ''The Mirage'' (1999) Begins 1870 and covers the High Victorian Age, the Franco-Prussian War and changes to medical training # ''The Cause'' (2000) Begins 1874 and covers the High Victorian Age and Women's Rights # ''The Homecoming'' (2001) Begins 1885 and covers the Late Victorian Age,

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

, Prince of Wales' set and Girls Education # ''The Question'' (2002) Begins 1898 and covers the Late Victorian/

Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

Age, the

Automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...

, the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

and

Suffragettes A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

# ''The Dream Kingdom'' (2003) Begins 1908 and covers the Edwardian Age and Aviation # ''The Restless Sea'' (2004) Begins 1912 and covers

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

, ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

'' and the

Cat and Mouse Act The Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act, commonly referred to as the Cat and Mouse Act, was an Act of Parliament passed in Britain under H. H. Asquith's Liberal government in 1913. Some members of the Women's Social and Political ...

# ''The White Road'' (2005) Begins 1914 and covers the beginning of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

# ''The Burning Roses'' (2006) Begins 1915 and continues

# ''The Measure of Days'' (2007) Begins 1916 and continues

covering the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

# ''The Foreign Field'' (2008) Begins 1917 and continues World War I covering the Battle of Passchendaele # ''The Fallen Kings'' (2009) Begins 1918 and covers the end of World War I, the Armistice and demobilisation # ''The Dancing Years'' (2010) Begins 1919 and continues demobilisation and peace # ''The Winding Road'' (2011) Begins 1925 and covers the Jazz Age and the Wall Street Crash # ''The Phoenix'' (2013) Begins 1931 and covers post-Crash depression, Hollywood and the Talkies

The Kirov Trilogy

#''Anna'' (1990). Begins in 1803 and covers the

ic invasion of Russia. ''Shortlisted for the 1991 RNA Novel of the Year''. #''Fleur'' (1991). Begins in 1851 and covers the

. #''Emily'' (1992). Begins in 1910 and covers

and the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...

. ''Winner of the 1993 RNA Novel of the Year''.

Bill Slider Mysteries

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles admits the first novel in the Bill Slider series was written for relaxation and was never intended for publication but received good reviews being praised for its "nicely detailed prose" and approachable characters" (Klett 1992:181) and as a "masterful debut" (Brainard 1992b:51). The reviews for the second novel state "the author is well on her way to an outstanding series" New York Times Marilyn Stasio 21 February 1993, and proved to be true as to date, the series consists of 24 novels. # ''Orchestrated Death'' (1991) # ''Death Watch'' (1992) # ''Necrochip'' (1993) aka ''Death to Go'' # ''Dead End'' (1994) aka ''Grave Music'' # ''Blood Lines'' (1996) # ''Killing Time'' (1996) # ''Shallow Grave'' (1998) # ''Blood Sinister'' (1999) # ''Gone Tomorrow'' (2001) # ''Dear Departed'' (2004) # ''Game Over'' (2008) # ''Fell Purpose'' (2009) # ''Body Line'' (2011) # ''Kill My Darling'' (2011) # ''Blood Never Dies'' (2012) # ''Hard Going'' (2013) # ''Star Fall'' (2014) # ''One Under'' (2015)* # ''Old Bones'' (2016) # ''Shadow Play'' (2017) # ''Headlong'' (2018) # ''Cruel As The Grave'' (2020) # ''Dying Fall'' (2021) # ''Before I Sleep'' (2023)

War At Home

# ''Goodbye Piccadilly'' (2014) # ''Keep the Home Fires Burning'' (2015) # ''The Land of My Dreams'' (2016) # ''The Long, Long Trail'' (2017) # ''Till the Boys Come Home'' (2018) # ''Pack Up Your Troubles'' (2019)

The Ashmore Castle series

# ''The Secrets of Ashmore Castle'' (2021) # ''The Affairs of Ashmore Castle'' (2022)

As Emma Woodhouse

Single novels

* ''A Well-Painted Passion'' (1976) * ''A Rainbow Summer'' (1976) * ''Romany Magic'' (1976) * ''Love's Perilous Passage'' (1978) * ''Never Love a Stranger'' (1978) * ''On Wings of Love'' (1978)

As Elizabeth Bennett

Single novels

* ''Title Role'' (1980) * ''The Unfinished'' (1983) * ''Last Run'' (1984) * ''Even Chance'' (1984)

References and sources

External links

Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) Awards

Authors website

Publisher – Little, Brown Books

Titles by Cynthia Harrod Eagles

Harrow Writers Circle, President – Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia 1948 births English historical novelists Living people People from Shepherd's Bush RoNA Award winners Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of University College London 20th-century English novelists 21st-century British novelists 20th-century English women writers 21st-century English women writers Women romantic fiction writers English women novelists Women mystery writers Women historical novelists Pseudonymous women writers Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period 20th-century pseudonymous writers 21st-century pseudonymous writers