In its weekly look at books, Waterstones focuses on a historical fantasy which mines themes of religious conflict, nationalism and prejudice…

Pagans by James Alistair Henry is set in a twisted version of 21st Century London – the Norman conquest never happened, the ancient tribes of Britain remain undefeated – but murders still have to be solved.

The small, mostly unimportant, island of Britain is inhabited by an uneasy alliance of tribes – the dominant Saxon East, the beleaguered Celtic West, and an independent Nordic Scotland.

As tensions rise by the second, supermarket warpaint sales are at an all-time high, mead abuse shortens the lives of thousands, and social media is abuzz with conspiracy theories suggesting the high table is putting GPS trackers in the honeycakes.

Amid this febrile atmosphere, the capital is set to play host to the ‘Unification Summit’, which aims to join together the various tribes into one ‘United Kingdom’ – but when a Celtic diplomat is found brutally murdered, his body nailed to an ancient oak, the fragile peace is threatened.

Captain Aedith Mercia, daughter of a powerful Saxon leader, must join forces with Celtic tribal detective inspector Drustan to solve the murder, and stop political unrest spilling onto the streets – but is this an isolated incident? Or are Aedith and Drustan facing a serial killer with a decades-old grudge?

To find out, they must delve into their own murky pasts and tackle forces that go deeper than they ever could have imagined.

Set in a world that’s far from our own and yet captivatingly familiar, Pagans is “The Bridge” meets “Vikings”, exploring contemporary themes of religious conflict, nationalism, prejudice, and the delicate internal politics of the office coffee round.

Gripping and darkly funny, Pagans keeps you guessing until the very end.

Top ten chart with Waterstones of Lynn:

1. Heated Rivalry – Rachel Reid

2. The Housemaid – Frieda McFadden

3. Murder at Mount Fuji – Shizuko Natsuki

4. Pagans – James Alistair Henry

5. When the Cranes Fly South – Lisa Ridzen

6. Blackfleet Broad – David Blake

7. Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell

8. The Nazi Mind – Laurence Rees

9. The Wasp Trap – Mark Edwards

10. The Boy From The Sea – Garrett Carr