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What Is The Halliday Cabinet?
When museum archivist Lark Halliday discovers a scarab tucked behind a shelf of dusty scrolls, she finds herself pulled into ancient Alexandria with no map, no way home, and the growing sense that someone is following her.
Relying on a blend of half-remembered historical knowledge and the ancient art of winging it, The Halliday Cabinet Mysteries follow Lark and her growing collection of allies… Mo in the modern stacks, Demetria among the ancient scrolls — one from now, one from a world two thousand years gone. Together, they navigate lost scrolls, suspicious locals, cultural mishaps, and the perilous business of not altering history too much.
It all begins with the Halliday Cabinet — an unassuming piece of furniture in a forgotten museum archive. It doesn’t always stay where (or when) it belongs.
Start with 'The Scarab and the Scroll'
The first book in The Halliday Cabinet Mysteries — a time-twisting historical mystery set in ancient Alexandria.
Each instalment reveals a new story, set in a different place, time, and tangle of history.
Coming soon!
Meet the Author
Talia Penrose writes cosy time travel mysteries set in history’s most extraordinary, and secretive, moments.
With a first-class and Master's degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, she writes into the silences left by history: where stories are lost, altered, or buried.
She also teaches, which helps with managing the timelines.
Her series, The Halliday Cabinet Mysteries, begins with 'The Scarab and the Scroll': where nothing, not even the past, stays buried for long.
The series blends dry wit and dead scrolls; offering readers a world where dusty archives hide dangerous secrets and history refuses to behave itself.
What my Readers say
‘This story crept into my bones. I felt like I’d wandered into a memory I wasn’t supposed to find.’
Early reader feedback
Early echoes from the timeline
‘If you’ve ever loved a library more than a person, this is for you.’
Early reader feedback
First impressions from the Cabinet
‘I didn’t realise how much I missed this kind of storytelling — thoughtful, layered, and full of wonder.’
Early reader feedback
Whispers from the Archive
‘I didn’t expect time travel, ancient Alexandria, and a murder mystery to belong in the same story — but somehow, it all feels inevitable. Like it was always meant to be told this way.’
Early reader feedback
Sequence zero
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Step quietly into ancient rooms, secret archives, and time-swept mysteries.
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Read the Book - 'The Scarab and the Scroll' COMING SOON!
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Dive into a whimsical time-travel mystery filled with ancient secrets, magical artefacts, and a heroine destined to remember. Start reading The Scarab and the Scroll today on Kindle Unlimited.
Kindle
£3.99
Perfect for fans of historical fiction with a magical twist. Yours to keep and reread.
Time Travel Tips from Lark Halliday
Time Travel Tip #1
Historically significant people rarely appreciate being told they’re historically significant. Especially the ones who end up assassinated.
Time Travel Tip #42
When in doubt, bow. If they bow lower, bow again. If they draw weapons, stop bowing.
Time Travel Tip #117
Ancient bathhouses are remarkably progressive about nudity and remarkably unprogressive about everything else.
CONTACT
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The Halliday Cabinet doesn’t open for everyone.
But today, it opens for you.
Step inside with your free guide to time travelling — and surviving — in ancient Alexandria.
© 2025 Talia Penrose. All rights reserved.
