Jodi Taylor books in order

Elinor Bascombe, widowed and tied to an impoverished estate, has learned to ask little of life. With no hope of leaving, the years have passed her by.

Lord Ryde, exiled abroad after a scandal, has returned to strip his estate and make a new start in America.

A chance encounter changes their plans, plunging Elinor and Lord Ryde into adventure and not a little peril until, finally, they are forced to confront the mystery of what happened on That Night, all those years ago.

Are they both so entangled in the riddles of the past that they are about to miss this one last opportunity for future happiness?

NB: Jodi Taylor writing as Isabella Barclay.

A long time ago in the future, the secret of time travel became known to all. Unsurprisingly, the world nearly ended. There will always be idiots who want to change history.

Enter the Time Police. An all-powerful, international organization tasked with keeping the timeline straight. At all costs.

Their success is legendary. The Time Wars are over. But now they must fight to save a very different future - their own.

This is the story of Jane, Luke and Matthew - the worst recruits in Time Police history. Or, very possibly, three young people who might change everything.

There have always been idiots who want to change history. But now temporal tourism is on the rise. Highly illegal, highly risky - and highly lucrative.

The Time Police dispatch their toughest undercover agents to take out the perpetrators. Then the unthinkable happens. Replacements are needed fast and who better than three young officers who barely look the part?

Step forward Team Weird - Luke, Jane and Matthew. They might still be in training. Their methods might be unorthodox. But, as the Time Police face their greatest ever threat, Team Weird might be their only shot at survival.

Life is good for Team Weird, now heroes and fully fledged Time Police officers. Luke can't wait to bear arms. Jane has a date. And Matthew still hasn't had his hair cut.

But Time waits for no one and neither do criminal masterminds. A major threat to the Timeline is looming, one far deadlier than mere idiots who want to change history. And when a familiar face becomes a Very Important Lead, will conflicting family loyalties spell trouble for Team Weird?

One missing. One guilt-ridden. And one facing the end of their Time Police career before it's even begun. Not so good then, after all.

After their heroic efforts to safeguard the Acropolis and prevent the Paris Time-Stop, the Time Police have gone from zero to hero in but a single bound.

Then one fateful mission to apprehend a minor criminal selling dodgy historical artefacts blows up in all their faces. An officer is attacked within TPHQ. A prisoner is murdered. And investigations are about to lead to the one place where no officer can legally tread.

Worst of all, trouble is brewing for Team Weird as a surprise revelation tears the team apart.

For Commander Hay, battling to keep the Time Police afloat in a sea of storms, this will turn out to be a very long day.

It all begins when the Time Police hold their first Children's Christmas Party. Their most dangerous mission yet . . .

No good deed ever goes unpunished. Lt Grint succumbs to his softer side and soon lives to regret it. The combination of bubble universes, candy floss, a small boy, a toad named Mr Fluffy, Mount Fanboten, £6.5 million, and a love-struck Officer Lockland are all hard enough to believe, but imagine a situation so dire that only Officer Parrish can save the aforementioned Grint from a lengthy stay in prison. At least, he can - but will he?

And, most unlikely of all, has Commander Hay's long-suffering adjutant finally experienced the first faint stirrings of romance? Is such a thing even possible?

A Perfect Storm; a brand new short story.

When a Child is Born; something goes slightly wrong during a jump back to 1066 to witness the coronation of William the Conqueror.

Roman Holiday; Max and her team become impressively involved with Julius Caesar, Cleopatra and a basket of confused asps.

Christmas Present; a rescue mission for lost historians involving a furious pig and Boudicca herself.

The Very First Damned Thing Right; from the start of St Mary's, get to know the truth behind Markham’s stolen furniture and Professor Rapson’s flies.

Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings; a gun left behind in Ancient Egypt and a mission to prevent a catastrophe.

The Great St Mary's Day Out; it's a happy holiday for everyone except Max whom is deeply buried in her job.

My Name is Markham Alfred; the cakes and Mr Markham. The Great British Bake Off it's not!

This book is a collection of eight short stories from the Chronicles of St Mary's series.

Christmas Past; the Farrells finally get to share their first St Mary's Christmas. The traditional illegal Christmas jump this time round is to Victorian London.

Battersea Barricades; a look into the past of some of your favorite St Mary's characters in the throes of Civil Uprisings.

The Steam-Pump Jump St Mary's; not even injury or being stuck in the Sick Bay is enough to stop Max. Step forward, Mr Markham...

And Now For Something Completely Different; would the St Mary's team ever pass on the offer of a little Christmas expedition to Mars? An illegal Christmas jump is after all a tightly held traditional.

When Did You Last See Your Father? Ever wondered how things would turn out if Max's husband met Max's father?

Desiccated Water; Professor Rapson makes a new scientific discovery.

Markham and the Anal Probing; is Markham’s disappearance linked to alien abduction.

Little Donkey

"So tell me, Dr Maxwell, if the whole of History lay before you ... where would you go? What would you like to witness?"

When Madeleine Maxwell is recruited by the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research, the last thing she expected was time travel.

She is shocked to find out that the historians there not only study the past but rather revisit it.

One miscalculated move however and History will fight back—right to the very death.

Soon enough, Madeleine discovers that history isn’t the thing she is fighting.

This is the first installation of the bestselling Chronicles of St Mary's series where Time Travel meets History.

“Wherever the historians go, chaos is sure to follow...”

Sent to Victorian London to search for Jack the Ripper, Max and the team end up witnessing the killing of Archbishop Thomas A Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.

Pursued through the foggy streets of Whitechapel, Max—not for the first time—is running for her life.

But that only marks the beginning of her problems.

Max finds herself racing against the clock when an old foe seeks to destroy St Mary's; an enemy determined to destroy even History itself.

From the Hanging Gardens of Nineveh to the killing of Thomas a Becket, A Symphony of Echoes is another is another witty and spine tingling adventure by the historians of St Mary's.

“History happens all around you. And, occasionally, to you.”

It all seemed to be going smoothly without any glitches. The assignment to 17th century Cambridge to meet Isaac Newton went well, as did witnessing of the historic events at The Gates of Grief.

That was however until everything went wrong during the much anticipated jump to the Trojan War.

Nothing shall ever be the same again for Max, as it’s back to the Cretaceous Period once again to face off with an arch rival who has nothing to lose.

As the fierce Battle of Agincourt takes place, Max will put everything on the line in one last attempt to save a life.

This truly is a tale of a second chance.

“Sometimes, surviving is all you have left.”

After reuniting and finally enjoying the safety of each other, Max and Leon are looking forward to a delightful lifetime together. Unfortunately for them, they won’t even make it to lunchtime.

From a 17th century Frost Fair to Ancient Egypt, from Pompeii to Scandinavia in the 8th century, Max and Leon play a risky game of hide-and-seek as they are chased down history lane.

They eventually take refuge at St Mary's which should ordinarily ensure their safety. A new kind of danger however lurks.

For Max, the happily ever after may have to wait—perhaps longer than she previously thought!

“A Fete Worse Than Death...”

Having been fully rebuilt from the destruction, normal activities resume for the mischief-makers in the History Department of the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research.

There is nonetheless the little issue regarding a seventeenth-century ghost; one that only Mr Markham can see.

From being caught up in the Great Fire of London to a regrettably timed comfort break at Thermopylae—which leaves the fate of the western world hanging by a thread—Max knows she has to do everything in her power to get History back on track.

Before doing all that however, they have to get through the St Mary's Fete.

This just doesn’t seem like it will end well.

“What if the course of history was on your shoulders?”

To whom much is given, much is also expected. That is something Max doesn’t need to be reminded of, especially now that she has been appointed as the new Chief Training Officer at the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research. This is a guiding principle that she must instill into her five new recruits.

With a training regimen that has Joan of Arc, a felonious mammoth, a deceitful Father of History, a bombed rat, Stone Age hunters and Dick the Turd, the question on everyone’s mind is - what could possibly go wrong?

In this sixth installation of the bestselling Chronicles of St Mary's series, Max is back with a new husband, a new job, and a training programme that cannot fail. Or can it?

“Rules are meant to be broken, aren't they?”

Max will be quick to admit that rules just weren’t meant for her. She may have been reckless, broken a couple of rules and generally just done some stupid things, but never has she ever destroyed so many lives.

She has crossed the line this time round, even by her standards. Even worse is that everybody at St Mary's is paying the price for her actions.

Will Max be able to succeed in fixing things this time round, taking into account that the History Department is not only falling apart around her but also grounded until the end of time.

"Because, my dear Max, you dance on the edge of darkness ... and I don't think it would take very much for you to dance my way."

Nobody is sure how it happened, but Max and her baby are finally safe.

Nobody is sure how it happened, but Peterson has somehow convinced Dr Foster to marry him.

Nobody is sure how it happened, but Markham’s marital status remains unknown.

Nobody is sure how a twelve-foot-high teapot can strangely materialise on the South Lawn, but it does.

What they are however sure of is that Clive Ronan is back.

They are also sure that he hates them and that this time round he is back for a worthy cause.

But he will bring death and devastation in his wake.

Max and St Mary’s are caught up in terrible tragedies far beyond their wildest imaginations.

Is this surely the end?

“They say that you shouldn't push your luck. Because if you do, it’s only a matter of time before luck pushes back...”

It’s January of 1536; the day that Henry VIII's had that infamous jousting accident that turned him into a tyrannical monster.

Documenting and arguing about the incident are the Historians from St Mary's.

A coincidental meeting between Max and the Time Police leads to a plan of attack. It however won’t be without deadly repercussions, more so for Max.

Her private life may not be in the best of states, but with Leon recovering and Matthew’s safety guaranteed in the future, this is the best time to get rid of Clive Ronan, forever.

From the Tudor period to the burning city of Persepolis, from a medieval siege to a disturbing case of 19th century incarceration, this time round Max is adamant that he will not escape.

“You can't change History. History doesn't like it. There are always consequences.”

Max is used to dealing with her problems on her own—none more so than when she has A Brilliant Idea.

It may entail breaking a few rules, but as she always says, rules are just not for her.

Endorsed to the Time Police to assist in the search for the treacherous Clive Ronan, Max is certainly a long way from St Mary's. But life in the future has its fair share of advantages, although not for long.

When a problem with the Time Map however reveals mayhem in the 16th century and the undeserving and erroneous Tudor queen on the throne, history turns completely on its head.

In the front line is the St Mary's team determined to make things right.

As the saying goes, you hope for the best whilst preparing for the worst.

I would have trusted this man with my life. Until a couple of days ago, anyway.

You know what they say - hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

Max is quite accustomed to everything going wrong. She's St Mary's, after all. Disaster is her default state. But with her family reunited and a jump to Bronze Age Crete in the works, life is getting back to normal. Well, normal for St Mary's.

And then, following one fateful night at the Tower of London, everything Max thought she knew comes crashing down around her.

Too late for plans. The worst has happened. And who can Max trust now?

'It's time, Max.' And so, a whole new chapter opens up...

It's long been known that if a thing can go wrong, it will. With knobs on, usually. Disasters start to pile up. A new colleague with no respect for the past and a great deal to prove. Historians lost in time. And - worst of all - Rosie Lee on her very first jump. Then there's the small matter of Max's dishonorable discharge.

From Tudor England to the Tower of Babel - it's all going horribly wrong.

Jobless and homeless, Max receives an offer she can't refuse. Another time, another place. A refuge, perhaps.

She's got that wrong, too.

Finally - finally! - Max has that nice office job she's always wanted. The one with no heavy lifting and no one tries to kill her. Well, one out of two's not bad...

Punching well above their weight, Max and Markham set out to bring down a sinister organization founded in the future - with a suspicious focus on the past.

Max's focus is staying alive long enough to reunite with Leon and Matthew, alternately helped and hindered by St Mary's. Who aren't always the blessing they like to think they are.

But non-stop leaping around the timeline - from witnessing Magna Carta to disturbing a certain young man with a penchant for gunpowder - is beginning to take its toll. Is Max going mad? Or are the ghosts of the past finally catching up with her?

St Mary's is under investigation. Their director has been shot and Max is Number One Suspect. Can things get any worse? We all know the answer to that one.

Max needs to get away - fast - and a Brilliant Idea soon leads her to a full-scale uprising in twentieth-century China. If she can come by a historical treasure or two in the process, even better. That is, if she makes it out alive.

Then there's the small matter of Insight - the sinister organization from the future hell bent on changing History for their own dark ends. Having successfully infiltrated their ranks, Max is perfectly placed to stop them. But she knows her cover will soon be blown - because it's already happened.

Can Max take down Insight before they come after her? The circle is closing, and only one can survive...

“I don't know who I am. I don't know what I am.”

While at a very young age, Elizabeth Cage discovers that there are certain things in this world that only she can see. But she doesn't want to see them and certainly doesn't want them to see her.

What appears to be a curse for her is nevertheless a blessing to others. It’s a gift that they will do everything in their power to control.

Elizabeth's world is however shattered after the passing on of her husband.

As she tries to stick back the pieces of her life, Elizabeth discovers that not everything is as it seems.

Desolate in a scary and mysterious world, she is continuously pursued by dark forces.

Trusting others is simply not an option.

“From the frying pan and into the fire.”

Elizabeth Cage flees from her home having been overwhelmed by betrayal, fear and loneliness.

Upon her arrival at the beautiful village of Greyston, with no plan and no friends, she somehow finds herself involved in an ages-old ceremony that will end in death.

That is however the least of her worries, as the Sorensen Institute is still pretty much after her. Not to mention that Michael Jones is still out there somewhere—hopefully.

It just doesn’t matter how far and fast Elizabeth Cage can run, as trouble will always court her.

"I don't know who I am. I don't know what I am."

The identity of Elizabeth Cage has always been a mystery. Even she doesn't know who, or what, she is. But she's learned to live with it.

Until now, when what should have been a peaceful holiday turns into anything but, and Elizabeth is forced to recognize that she isn't what she seems.

But neither is anyone else. Has her whole life been a lie?

Someone very badly wants to know the truth about Elizabeth Cage. And they'll do anything to find out. But who will live to regret it?

“Getting a life isn't always easy. And hanging on to it is even harder...”

Jenny Dove has been mockingly name as 'The Nothing Girl' for her acute stutter just as much as it is for her extremely low self-esteem.

In fact, the only thing that stopped her from ending it all was the unexpected appearance of Thomas—a mystical golden horse that no one else can see except her.

With the help of Thomas, Jenny ends up finding a husband—the delightful yet disorderly Russell Checkland. For her, nothing will ever be the same again.

With excessively protective relatives on one side and quite arguably the world's most unpredictable spouse on the other, Jenny knows she has to become someone; and become someone fast!

It's Christmas and Jenny Checkland is beset with problems.

The Vicar, who really should know better, has asked to borrow Marilyn the donkey for the nativity play thereby unleashing chaos on the already chaos-laden Frogmorton Farm.

Will Marilyn survive her bath? Will anyone survive Marilyn's bath?

Robbed of her role as the Virgin Mary, what revenge is the Angel Gabriel plotting?

Why is that sheep so fat?

Will Charlie ever get to say his one line?

Can Marilyn be prevented from eating the Baby Jesus?

Where is Thomas, who promised he would be there?

And worst of all - will Russell, lost on the moor in a blizzard, make it back in time for the birth of his first child? Or even at all?

The Nothing Girl is all grown up.

Life goes on as usual at Frogmorton Farm.

Events are no longer simply strange but are rather spinning towards the utterly aberrant.

Jenny, not for the first time, struggles to survive in the dangerous waves of matrimony with her husband, Russell Checkland, along with an unlikely mix of Patagonian Attack Chickens, Jack the Sad Donkey, and Mrs Crisp's mysterious boyfriend.

The old likable ones such as Marilyn the Omnivorous Donkey, Russell's ex-girlfriend Don't Call Me Franny, and the neurotic Boxer are also still around.

Not much has changed, save for the strange figure dogging Jenny's steps; one that she is convinced is her evil cousin Christopher.

Could he be insane enough to come back and give it another go?

It's Christmas time again and all is not well at Frogmorton Farm.

Jenny and Russell's daughter, Joy, is growing up. Not quickly enough as far as she's concerned but far too quickly according to Russell.

Father and daughter are at odds and suddenly the outlook is very dark indeed. That is until Thomas comes to the rescue.

Everyone should have their own giant invisible golden horse...