Paul Brennan 
Imperial Secrets 
Recipes worth dying for

A rare and ancient manuscript, saved from destruction and hidden since colonial times, is discovered in the basement of the British Library. A secret that links two great chefs, separated from each other by 250 years. Wrenched from a nation at war, the manuscript s original owner escapes death and takes flight by river to an old Siamese trading port, hundreds of miles away. In the company of an opium- and gin-crazed Dutch ship s captain, he begins a sea voyage through vibrant coastal towns and violent storms, leading not to his freedom but to cruel betrayal by those in whom he has placed his trust. When the manuscript s new owner realises what she has discovered, she returns with it to modern-day Thailand, awakening long-dormant ancient spirits. But when the manuscript escapes Siam once more, a new trail of destruction is created in its wake. How far would you go to own the Imperial secrets?