Mark’s Newest Published Works



Mark’s newest book Elusive Folktales of the Peak District now on sale

Mark P. Henderson’s Elusive Folktales of the Peak District is a captivating volume of traditional folktales that are both tragic and humorous, fantastical and historical.

With three dozen stories and accompanying photographs and a sketch map, this collection will be enjoyed by visitors to the National Park and storytellers alike.

Following the success of his previous anthology, Folktales of the Peak District, Henderson’s latest work offers a glimpse into the region’s rich folklore heritage.

Buy Black Harry

William Dickenson, man of business to the earl of Shrewsbury, knows that raising the rents on farmholds will ease his master’s cash-flow problem. But Lord Shrewsbury imposes such huge increases on one manor, Glossopdale in the Derbyshire Peak District, that none of the tenants can pay.

“Black Harry” Botham, of Storth Farm in the Glossopdale hamlet of Simmondley, knows the courts won’t oppose those rent increases; Lord Shrewsbury is too powerful. So accompanied by a few followers he walks to London, determined to complain to the Queen’s Privy Council.

Will this desperate venture cost him his family, his freedom, his livelihood – even his life?

Told partly by Tom “Spiderlegs” Booth, Harry’s brother-in-law and close friend, and partly from William Dickenson’s perspective, Black Harry recounts one of the most remarkable David and Goliath episodes in Elizabethan England.

Buy the SEQUEL to Perilaus II

Doug Carmichael has spent 15 years behind bars in a Scottish jail for the murder of his partner Linda. He is now eligible for parole and must undergo a series of interviews with a forensic psychologist, Fiona MacDonald, who is acting on behalf of the Parole Board.

The interactions between Doug and Fiona draw us into Doug’s prison life with the grim, funny, sad, infuriating, smart, stupid and scary men with whom he shares his days. Aware that he’s being psychologically dissected, Doug starts to engage in verbal duels with Fiona. These duels are weighted in Fiona’s favour, but he succeeds in hiding some of himself from her analytical scrutiny and occasionally disconcerts her.

This is no stereotypical relationship between criminal and forensic psychologist. Far from seeking to minimise his guilt, Doug never wavers from his original confession; he killed Linda. This leaves Fiona’s conventional role redundant; Doug doesn’t need to be pushed to confront his guilt. Oddly, it is Fiona who starts to explore the evidential anomalies of the case.
Con – the gripping sequel to Perilaus II.

NOW you can buy Perilaus II in paperback!

A psychologically disturbed crime novelist wakes up to find himself in the middle of the (fictional) story he’s writing – immediately after the obligatory murder. Why has he been transferred to this parallel world? How will his presence in the story he’s creating affect its development? How can he get out of it again? And in the meantime, what will happen when he meets his fictional detective?

Slightly under 80,000 words, the novel reflects reflects on the psychological and moral relationship between creator and creative product — but more importantly, tells a story with multiple twists and turns and an ending you might not anticipate!

 

Buy The Engklimastat

“Mark Henderson’s novel, The Engklimastat (“that which prevents or stops crime or law-breaking”) weaves a fast-paced story of drama, treachery and love around the question posed by the title; what would happen to modern society if crime became impossible? The story weaves nail-biting drama into moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity as it follows Henderson’s unlikely protagonists, the hapless Solomon Threep and the dynamic Theresa Greene, who are both used and pursued by the demon Hypostates. As the drama unfolds it becomes only too clear, with the logical inevitability that is Henderson’s trademark, how much modern society relies on crime just to function, let alone to flourish.”

Buy The Definitive Biography of St. Arborius of Glossopdale and his Thin Dog!

Seventh century England; a baby is found in a tree by a party of monks. He’s brought up in their monastery and given the name Arborius. Young Arborius appears to have miraculous powers, so he’s awarded a halo (second-hand, source uncertain)—but all is not as it seems. His “miracles” are really the work of his guardian spirit, a foul-mouthed thin dog, visible only to himself and to the slowest-witted of his fellow monks.

This biography of a little-known (actually non-existent) saint reveals how Arborius ostensibly earned his halo, worsted the Devil, was famed for feeding the poor and healing the sick, founded many of our Christmas traditions, departed the world in a manner recalling the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk—and was canonised.

Warning: the story contains groan-inducing word games!

Buy National Cake Day in Ruritania!

Rory fancies Ariadne. Ariadne considers him irresponsible. When they both travel to Ruritania – a country of no fixed location – Rory’s capacity for trouble is increased. He becomes embroiled in Ruritania’s political unrest and is soon being hunted by both the Communist revolutionaries, led by the fascinating and elusive Klarissa, and the national security forces and their British allies. He even faces a life-threatening situation in the Faerie Realm, with which Ruritania is closely linked.

Before National Cake Day, the summer solstice, Rory must exercise all his skills in logic, marathon running and Morris-dancing to save his life, prevent a national crisis and discover why Britain’s secret service wants to protect Ruritania’s government.  And – perhaps – to win Ariadne.

 

To purchase ANY of Mark’s published works CLICK HERE!

 

 

OTHER Mark P. Henderson Books:

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Cruel and Unusual Cover

 

Buy Cruel & Unusual Punnishments!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was Aardvark. So begins Mark P. Henderson’s introduction to his beautifully crafted and wholly unlikely collection of animal sonnets that form just one part of Cruel and Unusual Punnishments. Add to these his fables without morals, his tales to tell and the skilful illustrations of illustrator David Moss, and you have a wonderful collection of entertaining short pieces of poetry and prose to make you laugh out loud, cry hysterically and throw yourself to the ground in utter disbelief.

 

12 Comments

  • Mark, you are so talented!

  • Brilliant!!

    • Thanks for visiting, Phibby! At some point I hope to get ‘Perilaus’ republished in the UK, but I must get the current novel finished before I turn my attention in that direction…

      Hope all’s well with you!

  • Love the new site Mark, looks super
    xx

  • Hey Mark,

    Great looking website – I’m a little jealous – makes mine look like an over tired toddler had a hand in it.

  • One day, dear friend, I will purchase your book. I promise.

    • Hey, dear lady, that’s really sweet of you – but I’d swop it ten times over for news that your financial and family circumstances had become settled. If I get my latest effort at novel-writing published (and we know it can take ages if it happens at all!) I’ll be delighted to send you a copy gratis!

      xx

  • Hello Mark

    Wow, your website looks terrific!

    I love the photo of Sam in the snow, he appears to be in his element.

    I love your imagination, it is almost like watching a movie. You are so talented.

    well done!

    Pippa

  • hey mark the book looks interesting by any chance will be available to buy on the kindle via amazon uk ?

    • Hey Saeed –

      Good to hear from you! I hope all’s well with you.

      I’m not sure whether Amazon have “Perilaus” on Kindle but they do have hard copies, both new and second hand, for reasonably reduced prices. If you do a Google search for “Perilaus, Mark Henderson” you’ll get the Amazon link immediately, and I see there’s an option there for requesting a Kindle version.

      Mark.

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