A.J. MacKenzie

A.J. MacKenzie is the pseudonym of Marilyn Livingstone and Morgen Witzel, a collaborative Anglo-Canadian husband-and-wife duo. Between them they have written more than twenty non-fiction books on subjects such as economic history and medieval warfare. They currently have two series of historical crime thrillers on the go. The first, set in 1790s Romney Marsh in Kent consists of The Body on the Doorstep, The Body in the Ice and The Body in the Boat (all published by Zaffre). The second, set during the War of 1812 between Canada and the U.S. consists of: The Ballad of John MacLea, The Hunt for the North Star, and Invasion (all published by Canelo).

Their latest series, The Hundred Years War, is also published by Canelo in both paperback and e-book. A Flight of Arrows is a historical thriller set against the campaign of July-August 1346 which ended at the Battle of Crécy. The second is published in August 2021 and is entitled A Clash of Lions, set against the conflict between England and Scotland up to the time of the Battle of Neville’s Cross. The third thriller, The Fallen Sword, which concludes the series, takes place between November 1346 and July 1347 in France and Flanders.

A second series on the Hundred Years War featuring the hero of the first books, Simon Merrivale, has now been launched. The first book, By Treason We Perish, deals with corruption and political intrigue in England during the period 1339-40. The second, City of Woe, set largely in Florence in 1342-3, was published in February 2024. The third, Path of Gold, set in Andalusia including the Emirate of Granada, will appear in 2025.

Marilyn and Morgen also write together as R.L. Graham, and their first novel under this pseudonym, Death on the Lusitania, will be published by Pan Macmillan in January 2024.

Marilyn was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2022, and passed away in September 2023. Her spirit lives on her books, and she will always be part of A.J. MacKenzie.