Clifford Beal Join my list
Clifford Beal in black and white, standing beside a stone column
photo: Gesine Garz Photography

Clifford
Beal

Welcome

I write historical thrillers that take you from the 15th century to the 20th, from spies in medieval Venice to domestic suspense in small town New England of the 1960s. Come along for a ride.

Join my listThe Books

Reviews

Praise for Clifford Beal:

  1. Hawker is a terrific creationBernard Cornwell
  2. Great storytellingDavid Gilman, author of Master of War and The Englishman
  3. I took a look - and was hookedMichael Moorcock
  4. The sensuous texture of the period is superbly evokedDaily Mail
  5. A great storyteller who keeps his readers on the edgeThe Spectator
  6. ... a real talent for bringing history to life in the most engaging wayAdrian Tchaikovsky
  7. ...the novel fizzes with action, romance, and intrigueAngus Donald, author of the Fire Born series

Journal

Latest Posts

All Posts →
A 1960s family dinner table laden with food

cliffordbeal · Feb 26

Risky business: putting your hometown into a novel

My new novel, Little Sins, admittedly started out partly as an exercise in nostalgia as I have lived for many years a few thousand miles away from where I grew up. It…

 A street of 1960s cars and houses

cliffordbeal · Jan 15

Why "Little Sins"?

With the publication date of Little Sins getting closer, I’ve been asked: Why did you write it? You’ve previously penned historical novels set hundreds of years ago so…

 A detail of the Little Sins cover badge

cliffordbeal · Nov 26, 2025

Innocence Lost: Death and trauma in the “coming of age” novel

Here’s the premise: two sixteen-year-olds, best buddies, are out camping alone in local woods when they stumble across a body in a shallow grave. First off, they…

The shelf

The Books

The Books →
Little Sins by Clifford Beal, book cover Clifford Beal Little Sins Hawker and the King's Jewel by Ethan Bale, book cover Ethan Bale Hawker and the King's Jewel The Lost Prince by Ethan Bale, book cover Ethan Bale The Lost Prince The Knight's Redemption by Ethan Bale, book cover Ethan Bale The Knight's Redemption
Crime Writers' Association member

About

Clifford Beal aka Ethan Bale

Clifford Beal, originally from Providence, Rhode Island, worked for 30 years as an international journalist and consultant covering aerospace, defense and foreign affairs. In 2007, he published his first book, the non-fiction crime history Quelch's Gold, but then made a wide detour into genre fiction including fantasy and horror. More recently, he's authored historical thrillers including the "Swords of the White Rose" trilogy, set during the twilight of the English Wars of the Roses and garnering high praise from Bernard Cornwell among others. He also writes contemporary mystery and suspense. His latest novel, Little Sins, was published in March 2026.
About Me →

Join my list

News, new books and the occasional dispatch.

Join my list