Classic crime and mystery fiction

Book SynopsisCommemorating 75 years since the Empress of Crime's first book, the seventh volume in a set of omnibus editions presenting the complete run of 32 Inspector Alleyn mysteries.OFF WITH HIS HEADWhen the pesky Anna Bünz arrives at Mardian to investigate local folk-dancing, she quickly antagonizes the villagers. But Mrs Bünz is not the only source of friction. When the sword dancers'' traditional mock beheading of the Winter Solstice becomes horribly real, Superintendent Roderick Alleyn finds himself faced with a complex case of gruesome proportionsSINGING IN THE SHROUDSOn a cold February London night, the police find a corpse on the quayside, her body covered with flower petals and pearls. The killer, who walked away singing, is known to be one of nine passengers on the cargo ship, Cape Farewell. Superintendent Roderick Alleyn joins the ship on the most difficult assignment of his careerFALSE SCENT Mary Bellamy, darling of the London stage, holds a 50th birthday party, a gala for everyone who loves her and fears her power. Then someone uses a deadly insect spray on Mary instead of the azaleas. The suspects, all very theatrically, are playing the part of mourners. Superintendent Alleyn has to find out which one played the murderer

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2016 EDGAR, AGATHA, MACAVITY and H.R.F.KEATING crime writing awards, this real-life detective story investigates how Agatha Christie and colleagues in a mysterious literary club transformed crime fiction.Detective stories of the Twenties and Thirties have long been stereotyped as cosily conventional. Nothing could be further from the truth.The Golden Age of Murder tells for the first time the extraordinary story of British detective fiction between the two World Wars. A gripping real-life detective story, it investigates how Dorothy L. Sayers, Anthony Berkeley, Agatha Christie and their colleagues in the mysterious Detection Club transformed crime fiction. Their work cast new light on unsolved murders whilst hiding clues to their authors' darkest secrets, and their complex and sometimes bizarre private lives.Crime novelist and current Detection Club President Martin Edwards rewrites the history of crime fiction with unique authority, transforming our understanding of deteTrade Review‘Few, if any, books about crime fiction have provided so much information and insight so enthusiastically and, for the reader, so enjoyably’ THE TIMES ‘Illuminating and entertaining – provides a new way of looking at old favourites. I admire the way that Martin Edwards weaves the sometimes violent, sometimes unlawful, and always gripping true stories of these writers with the equally wild tales they tell in their books.’ LEN DEIGHTON, author of SS-GB ‘Forensically sharp and exhaustively informed… Crime fiction is driven by death. In this superbly compendious and entertaining book, Edwards ensures that dozens of authorial corpses are gloriously reborn.’ MARK LAWSON, GUARDIAN ‘Edwards knows his business. He understands how to parcel out the clues and red herrings so as to feed the reader enough information to keep a variety of possibilities open, while making sure to prepare for a satisfying solution.’ SEATTLE POST ‘You can learn far more about the social mores of the age in which a mystery is written than you can from more pretentious literature. I mean, if you want to know what it was like to live in England in the 1920s, the so-called Golden Age, you can get a much better steer from mysteries than you can from prize-winning novels.’ P. D. JAMES

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Book SynopsisTommy & Tuppence are hired to track down wartime spies at a seaside resortIt is World War II, and while the RAF struggles to keep the Luftwaffe at bay, Britain faces an even more sinister threat from the enemy within' Nazis posing as ordinary citizens.With pressure mounting, the Intelligence service appoints two unlikely spies, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. Their mission: to seek out a man and a woman from among the colourful guests at Sans Souci, a seaside hotel. But this assignment is no stroll along the promenade. After all, N and M have just murdered Britain's finest agentTrade Review‘As ingenious as ever.’Guardian ‘A nice surprise finish… all-round entertainment.’Observer

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Book SynopsisA malicious letterA tragic deathA village filled with suspectsNothing ever happens in the sleepy village of Lymstock.Until letters accusing the villagers of unspeakable acts start to appear.They try to dismiss them as a cruel hoax, but then one of the recipients is found dead. The letter next to her body reads simply, I can't go on'.As fear spreads among the villagers, Jane Marple must uncover who is writing these letters before anyone else is hurt.Never underestimate Miss MarpleMiss Marple is one of the most subversive, the most original, most distinctive characters in fiction. Often underestimated and overlooked, she always triumphs in the end.'Kate MosseBeyond all doubt the puzzle in The Moving Finger is fit for experts.'The TimesTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisAn ordinary villageA shocking announcementOne morning the villagers of Chipping Cleghorn wake to find a strange notice in their papers:A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30pm.'Suspecting this is just a joke, they gather for some evening entertainment.Then a gunshot is heard.In desperation, the police turn to an old lady whose hobbies are gardening, gossiping and solving murders.After all, old ladies know better than anyone exactly what goes on in quiet English villagesNever underestimate Miss MarpleThe queen of jaw-dropping, heart-stopping twists.'Karen M. McManusEstablishes firmly her claim to the throne of detection. The plot is as ingenious as ever the dialogue both wise and witty; while the suspense is maintained very skilfully until the final revelation.'A.A. MilneTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisA shocking crimeA mansion filled with suspectsRuth Van Rydock can't shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen to her sister at Stonygates house.Her old school friend Jane Marple decides it's time to pay a visit.But this grand Victorian mansion isn't just a family home it's also a correctional facility for wayward young men.And when something terrible does indeed happen, Miss Marple must face her most eccentric cast of suspects yet.Never underestimate Miss MarpleIf a genius is someone who leaves the field they work in totally different from how they found it, then we should certainly remember Agatha Christie as a genius.'Stephen FryNo one on either side of the Atlantic does it better.'New York TimesTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisThink you know whodunnit?Think again.Poor Roger Ackroyd. He knew the woman he loved had been harbouring guilty secret. And then, yesterday, she killed herself.But guilty secrets rarely stay secret. Who had been blackmailing her? Had it really driven her to suicide? Sadly, Roger Ackroyd wasn't going to live long enough to find out . . .Trade Review‘A classic – the book has worthily earned its fame.’–Irish Independent ‘The truly startling denouement is uncommonly original.’–Books ‘One of the landmarks of detective literature.’ H.R.F. Keating, –Crime & Mystery: The 100 Best Books

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Book SynopsisA movie starA deadly cocktailA murderWhen glamorous Marina Gregg came to live in St Mary Mead, tongues were sure to wag.But, with a local gossip's sudden death, has one tongue wagged a bit too much?As the police chase false leads, and two more victims meet untimely ends, Miss Marple starts to ask her own questions.What secrets might link a peaceful English village and a star of the silver screen?Never underestimate Miss MarpleChristie's ingenious plots and fiendish twists set the bar for all of us who follow in her footsteps.'Ruth WareThe pieces finally drop into place with a satisfying click.'Times Literary SupplementTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book Synopsis''Puts Chandler to shame ... Hughes is the master we keep turning to'' Sara ParetskyAfter the war, cynical veteran Dix Steele has moved to L.A., a city terrified by a strangler preying on young women. Bumping into an old friend, now a detective working on the case, Dix is thrilled by closely following the progress of the police. And meeting his new neighbour, sultry and beautiful actress Laurel Gray, brings even more excitement into his life. But the strangler is still prowling the streets - and Laurel may be in more danger than she realises...In a Lonely Place was adapted for film in 1950, with Humphrey Bogart as Dix Steele.Trade ReviewMy favourite crime writer. Full stop -- Sara Weinman * Los Angeles Review of Books *Dorothy B. Hughes is the unsung godmother of every feisty female investigator who has hit the streets in the last twenty-five years -- Val McDermindDorothy B. Hughes was in a class of her own. To be a female author of hard-boiled fiction back in the 1940s was unusual enough, but to write a first-person narrative from the viewpoint of a male serial killer was breaking new ground by anybody's standards. She marked out this territory years before most other writers even knew it existed. -- Max Decharne, author of Hardboiled Hollywood: The Origins of Great Crime FilmsIf you wake up in the night screaming with terror, don't say we didn't warn you. * New York Times Book Review *Dorothy B. Hughes was in a class of her own. To be a female author of hard-boiled fiction back in the 1940s was unusual enough, but to write a first-person narrative from the viewpoint of a male serial killer was breaking new ground by anybody's standards. She marked out this territory years before most other writers even knew it existed. -- Max Decharne, author of Hardboiled Hollywood: The Origins of Great Crime FilmsAn excellent novel -- David Thomson * Have You Seen...? *A tour de force . . . The structure is flawless, and the scenes of postwar L.A. have an immediacy that puts Chandler to shame. No wonder Hughes is the master we keep turning to. -- Sara Paretsky

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Book SynopsisStevenson's short novel, published in 1886, became an instant classic. It was a Gothic horror originating in a feverish nightmare, that has thrilled readers ever since. Also included in this edition are a number of short stories and essays of the 1880s and extracts from writings on personality disorder that set the works in their historical context.Trade ReviewThe best edition of Stevenson's supernatural fiction so far. The texts are very well edited, the notes are significant and unobtrusive for the average reader, and the appendices provide the perfect complementation for Stevenson's narratives of the uncanny. Roger Luckhurst's introduction is fascinating. A must. * Dr. Antonio Ballesteros-González, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha *Table of ContentsStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde ; The Body Snatcher ; Markheim ; Olalla ; A Gossip on Romance ; A Chapter on Dreams ; Appendix A: Henry Maudsley, 'The Disintegrations of the "Ego"' ; Appendix B: Frederic Myers, 'The Multiplex Personality' ; Appendix C: W. T. Stead, 'Has Man Two Minds or One?'

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Book SynopsisA witty, intricately-plotted exploration of a sudden fall from grace, the Penguin Classics edition of Wilkie Collins''s No Name is edited with an introduction and notes by Mark Ford.Magdalen and her sister Norah, beloved daughters of Mr and Mrs Vanstone, find themselves the victims of a catastrophic oversight. Their father has neglected to change his will, and when the girls are suddenly orphaned, their inheritance goes to their uncle. Now penniless, the conventional Norah takes up a position as a governess, but the defiant and tempestuous Magdalen cannot accept the loss of what is rightfully hers and decides to do whatever she can to win it back. With the help of cunning Captain Wragge, she concocts a scheme that involves disguise, deceit and astonishing self-transformation. In this compelling, labyrinthine story Wilkie Collins brilliantly demonstrates the gap between justice and the law, and in the subversive Magdalen he portrays one of the most exhilarating heroine

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Book SynopsisThis classic crime novel by six different authors is introduced by Martin Edwards, archivist of the Detection Club, and includes a never-before-published Preface by Agatha Christie, Detective Writers in England', in which she discusses her approach to writing and her fellow writers in the Detection Club.Lord Comstock is a barbarous newspaper tycoon with enemies in high places. His murder in the study of his country house poses a dilemma for the Home Secretary. In the hours before his death, Lord Comstock's visitors included the government Chief Whip, an Archbishop, and the Assistant Commissioner for Scotland Yard. Suspicion falls upon them all and threatens the impartiality of any police investigation. Abandoning protocol, the Home Secretary invites four famous detectives to solve the case: Mrs Adela Bradley, Sir John Saumarez, Lord Peter Wimsey, and Mr Roger Sheringham. All are different, all are plausible, all are on their own and none of them can ask a policemanThe contributors to Trade Review‘One of the most original – and entertaining – mysteries I have ever read… A brilliant tour de force that the most jaded fans will relish.’ R. A. J. Walters ‘A reminder of the genial heyday of the genre when the KGB other ingredients of the esurient modern thriller were barely a gleam in Stalin’s eye.’ Christopher Wordsworth, The Observer ‘A must for all connoisseurs of detective fiction.’ James Harris, Literary Review ‘This year’s most welcome reissue.’ Francis Goff, Sunday Telegraph ‘A book of irresistible charm for students of the detective story.’ Ruth Dudley Edwards, Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisCommemorating 75 years since the Empress of Crime's first book, the eighth volume in a set of omnibus editions presenting the complete run of 32 Inspector Alleyn mysteries.HAND IN GLOVEThe April Fool''s Day was a roaring success for all, it seemed - except for poor Mr Cartell who ended up in the ditch - for ever. Then there was the case of Mr Percival Pyke Period''s letter of condolence, sent before the body was found - not to mention the family squabbles. It''s all a puzzling crime for Superintendent AlleynDEAD WATERTimes are good in the Cornish village of Portcarrow, as hundreds flock to taste the healing waters of Pixie Falls. When Miss Emily Pride inherits this celebrated land, she wants to put an end to the villagers'' exploitation of miracle cures, especially Miss Elspeth Costs''s gift shop. But someone puts an end to Miss Cost, and Roderick Alleyn finds himself literally on the spotDEATH AT THE DOLPHINThe bombed-out Dolphin Theatre is given to Peregrine Jay by a mysterious oil m

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Book SynopsisThe Penguin English Library Edition of The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins''Here was our quiet English house suddenly invaded by a devilish Indian Diamond - bringing after it a conspiracy of living rogues, set loose on us by the vengeance of a dead man''When Rachel Verinder''s birthday present - the Moonstone, a large Indian diamond - is stolen at her party, suspicion and the diamond''s mysterious curse seem set to ruin everyone and everything she loves. Only Sergeant Cuff''s famous detective skills offer any hope of peace and a future for them all. The intricate plot and modern technique of multiple narrators made Wilkie Collin''s 1868 work a huge success in the Victorian sensation genre. With a reconstruction of the crime, red herrings and a ''locked-room'' puzzle, The Moonstone was also a major precursor of the modern mystery novel.The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century

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Book SynopsisThe Black Dahlia depicts the infrastructure of L.A.'s most sensational murder case. A young cop morphs into the obsessed lover and lust-crazed avenger. His rogue investigation is a one-way ticket to hell.The Big Nowhere blends the crime novel with the political novel. It is winter, 1950, and the L.A. authorities are targeting movieland Reds. The three cops assigned to the job are out to grab all the kudos they can. But a series of brutal sex killing intervenes ...L.A. Confidential plumbs the depths: political corruption, scandal-rag journalism, racism and gangland wars, savage slaughter in an all-night hash house. And the inglorious Los Angeles Police Department to disentangle the conspiracy that links it all together.White Jazz gives us the tortured confession of a cop who's gone to the bad - killer, slum landlord and parasitic exploiter. He's also a pawn in a police power struggle and beginning to realize it. But he's just met a woman and wants to claw his way out of the pit. Somehow.Trade ReviewAsk me to name the best living novelist who's fierce, brave, funny, scatalogical, beautiful, convoluted, and paranoid ... and it becomes simple: James Ellroy. -- Stephen King

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Book SynopsisAgatha Christie's disturbing 1960s mystery thriller, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.Gipsy's Acre was a truly beautiful upland site with views out to sea and in Michael Rogers it stirred a child-like fantasy.There, amongst the dark fir trees, he planned to build a house, find a girl and live happily ever after.Yet, as he left the village, a shadow of menace hung over the land. For this was the place where accidents happened. Perhaps Michael should have heeded the locals' warnings: There's no luck for them as meddles with Gipsy's Acre.'Michael Rogers is a man who is about to learn the true meaning of the old saying In my end is my beginning'Trade Review‘One of the best things Agatha Christie has ever done.’ Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisA quiet English villageA shocking murderAn unlikely detectiveNobody liked Colonel Protheroe.So when he's found dead in the vicarage study, there's no absence of suspects in the seemingly peaceful village of St Mary Mead.In fact, Jane Marple can think of at least seven.As gossip abounds in the parlours and kitchens of the parish, everyone becomes an amateur detective.The police dismiss her as a prying busybody, but only the ingenious Miss Marple can uncover the truth Never underestimate Miss Marple.Agatha Christie is the gateway drug to crime fiction both for readers and for writers.'Val McDermidAlways keeps her reader enthralled and guessing to the end.'Times Literary SupplementTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisA weekly dinner partyTen amateur sleuthsThe Tuesday Night Club murdersOn a quiet Tuesday in St Mary Mead, a group of friends gather for dinner.A policeman, a clergyman, a solicitor, an author, an artist, and an unassuming lady with a shrewd gaze Miss Jane Marple. Conversation naturally turns to crime.Each recounts a seemingly unsolvable mystery. Each thinks they know the answer.But it's the one they least expect who understands the true nature of each wicked actNever underestimate Miss MarpleBillions of readers can't be wrong.'Dreda Say MitchellThe plots are so good that one marvels . . . most of them would have made a full-length thriller.'Daily MirrorTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisCommemorating 75 years since the Empress of Crime's first book, the ninth volume in a set of omnibus editions presenting the complete run of 32 Inspector Alleyn mysteries.CLUTCH OF CONSTABLESAccording to Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn, ''the Jampot'' is an international crook who regards murder as ''tiresome and regrettable necessities''. But Alleyn''s wife Troy has shared close quarters with the Jampot on a pleasure cruise along the peaceful rivers of ''Constable country'' and knows something is badly wrong even before the two murders on boardWHEN IN ROMEWhen their guide disappears mysteriously in the depths of a Roman Basilica, the members of Sebastian Mailer''s tour group seem strangely unperturbed. But when a body is discovered in an Etruscan sarcophagus, Superintendent Alleyn, in Rome on the trail of an international drug racket, is very much concernedTIED UP IN TINSELWhen a much disliked visiting servant disappears without trace after playing Santa Claus, foul play is at onTrade Review‘The incomparable Ngaio Marsh.’Daily Express ‘Mrs Marsh’s work has the hallmark of the master. She is at the top of her form. Definitely first-class plus.’Queen ‘The finest writer in the English language of the pure, classical puzzle whodunit. Among the crime queens, Ngaio Marsh stands out as an Empress.’The Sun

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Book SynopsisCommemorating 75 years since the Empress of Crime's first book, the final volume in a set of omnibus editions presenting the complete run of 32 Inspector Alleyn mysteries.PHOTO-FINISHThe luxury mansion on New Zealand''s Lake Waihoe is the ideal place for a world-famous soprano to rest after her triumphant tour. Among the other guests are Chief Superintendent Alleyn and his wife but theirs is not a social visit. When tragedy strikes, and isolated by one of the lake''s sudden storms, Alleyn faces one of his trickiest casesLIGHT THICKENSPeregrine Jay, owner of the Dolphin Theatre, is putting on a magnificent production of Macbeth, the play that, superstition says, always brings bad luck. But one night the claymore swings and the dummy''s head is more than real: murder behind the scene. Luckily, Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn is in the audienceBLACK BEECH AND HONEYDEWWith all the insight and style her readers came to expect of her, Ngaio Marsh''s autobiography captures all the joys,

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Book SynopsisA brand new omnibus of 55 short stories, presented for the first time in chronological order.Described by her friend Dolly Bantry as the typical old maid of fiction', Miss Marple has lived almost her entire life in the sleepy hamlet of St Mary Mead. Yet, by observing village life she has gained an unparalleled insight into human nature and used it to devasting effect. As her friend Sir Henry Clithering, the ex-Commissioner of Scotland Yard has been heard to say: She's just the finest detective God ever made.' and many Agatha Christie fans would agree.Appearing for the first time in The Murder at The Vicarage (1930) her crime-fighting career spanned over forty years when she solved her final case in 1977 in Sleeping Murder. With every tale flawlessly plotted by the Queen of Crime herself, these short stories provide a feast for hardened Agatha Christie addicts as well as those who have grown to love the detective through her many film and television appearances.Here, for the first tiTrade Review‘The plots are so good that one marvels… most of them would have made a full length thriller.’ Daily Mirror

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Book SynopsisThe profession he had always yearned for did not actually exist... he imagined a cross between a doctor and a priest, a man capable of understanding another's destiny at first glance. The very first investigation by eager young police secretary Jules Maigret leads him to a wealthy Paris family's dark secrets.Trade ReviewPraise for Georges Simenon:“One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” —The Guardian “These Maigret books are as timeless as Paris itself.” —The Washington Post “Maigret ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals.” —People “I love reading Simenon. He makes me think of Chekhov.” —William Faulkner “The greatest of all, the most genuine novelist we have had in literature.” —André Gide “A supreme writer . . . Unforgettable vividness.” —The Independent (London) “Superb . . . The most addictive of writers . . . A unique teller of tales.” —The Observer (London) “Compelling, remorseless, brilliant.” —John Gray “A truly wonderful writer . . . Marvelously readable—lucid, simple, absolutely in tune with the world he creates.” —Muriel Spark “A novelist who entered his fictional world as if he were a part of it.”lle —Peter Ackroyd “Extraordinary masterpieces of the twentieth century.” —John Banville"Gem-hard soul-probes . . . not just the world's bestselling detective series, but an imperishable literary legend . . . he exposes secrets and crimes not by forensic wizardry, but by the melded powers of therapist, philosopher and confessor" ― Times (London)"Strangely comforting . . . so many lovely bistros from the Paris of mid-20th C. The corpses are incidental, it's the food that counts." ― Margaret Atwood"One of the greatest writers of the 20th century . . . no other writer can set up a scene as sharply and with such economy as Simenon does . . . the conjuring of a world, a place, a time, a set of characters - above all, an atmosphere." ― Financial Times"Gripping . . . richly rewarding . . . You'll quickly find yourself obsessing about his life as you tackle each mystery in turn."-- Stig Abell ― The Sunday Times (London)

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Book SynopsisAs inventive as Agatha Christie, as hilarious as P.G. Wodehouse - discover the delightful detective stories of Edmund Crispin. Crime fiction at its quirkiest and best.In the sleepy English village of Sanford Angelorum, professor and amateur detective Gervase Fen is taking a break from his books to run for Parliament. At first glance, the village he''s come to canvass appears perfectly peaceful, but Fen soon discovers that appearances can be deceptive: someone in the village has discovered a dark secret and is using it for blackmail. Anyone who comes close to uncovering the blackmailer''s identity is swiftly dispatched.As the joys of politics wear off, Fen sets his mind to the mystery but finds himself caught up in a tangled tale of eccentric psychiatrists, escaped lunatics, beautiful women and lost heirs.Erudite, eccentric and entirely delightful Before Morse, Oxford's murders were solved by Gervase Fen, the most unpredictable detective in classic crime fiction.Trade Review‘Both the mature and the discerning young choose to pick up one of Crispin's beautifully turned crime novels’ The Times ‘Crispin isn't in it for the mystery, but for the enigmas’ Guardian ‘His books are full of high spirits and excellent jokes, with constant literary allusions and an atmosphere of bibulous good humour. But at times the mood turns darker, and Crispin is capable of passages of both genuine suspense and ingenius deduction’ Daily Telegraph ‘Crispin is noted for an ability to embellish clever story lines with Marx Brothers touches’ New York Times ‘Rightly elevated to classic status’ New York Sun

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Book SynopsisFrom the Collins Crime Club archive, the first Inspector French novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, once dubbed The King of Detective Story Writers'.THE FIRST INSPECTOR FRENCH MYSTERYAt the offices of the Hatton Garden diamond merchant Duke and Peabody, the body of old Mr Gething is discovered beside a now-empty safe. With multiple suspects, the robbery and murder is clearly the work of a master criminal, and requires a master detective to solve it. Meticulous as ever, Inspector Joseph French of Scotland Yard embarks on an investigation that takes him from the streets of London to Holland, France and Spain, and finally to a ship bound for South America . . .Trade Review‘Because he is so austerely realistic, Freeman Wills Croft is deservedly a first favourite with all who want a real puzzle.’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT “If there is a better writer of detective stories alive, I would like to know his name.”GLASGOW CITIZEN

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Book Synopsis''Want to read a great whodunnit? Anthony Horowitz has one for you: MAGPIE MURDERS. It''s as good as an Agatha Christie. Better, in some ways. Cleverer.'' Stephen King''The finest crime novel of the year'' Daily Mail***** Seven for a mystery that needs to be solved . . . Editor Susan Ryland has worked with bestselling crime writer Alan Conway for years. Readers love his detective, Atticus Pünd, a celebrated solver of crimes in the sleepy English villages of the 1950s.But Conway''s latest tale of murder at Pye Hall is not quite what it seems. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but hidden in the pages of the manuscript lies another story: a tale written between the very words on the page, telling of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition and murder.From the creator of Midsomer Murders comes a fiendish mystery perfect for fans of Agatha Christie''s MiTrade ReviewWant to read a great whodunnit? Anthony Horowitz has one for you: MAGPIE MURDERS. It's as good as an Agatha Christie. Better, in some ways. Cleverer. * Stephen King *An ingenious novel-within-a-novel whodunit about the death of a crime writer . . . Part crime novel, part pastiche, this magnificent piece of crime fiction plays with the genre while also taking it seriously * Sunday Times *A cunning re-invention of the thriller formula -- Thriller of the Week * Mail on Sunday *Superbly written, with great suspects, a perfect period feel and a cracking reveal at the end * Spectator *A stylish, multi-layered thriller - playful, ingenious and wonderfully entertaining * Sunday Mirror *Brilliant. Really, really brilliant. I loved it. * Sophie Hannah, author of The Monogram Murders *Putting two books in one with their plots running side by side makes Magpie Murders difficult to put down and Horowitz fans will thoroughly enjoy a cracking good read * Daily Express *Although at first glance Horowitz's latest offering appears to be a classic whodunit novel, it will almost certainly prove to be unlike anything you've ever read before, and will have you mulling over its various intrigues in between sittings. * Scotsman *Anthony Horowitz's new novel is at once a brilliant pastiche of the English village mystery and a hugely enjoyable tale of avarice and skulduggery in the world of publishing . . . a compendium of dark delights * Irish Times *We loved this Agatha Christie-esque crime novel. A fiendish mystery within a mystery that will have you hooked from page one * Good Housekeeping *A highly enjoyable twist on the classic whodunnit * Metro *Horowitz is a superb pasticheur. * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe main plot...is dark and disturbing, but Atkinson brings wry comic touches to the story as she both playfully inhabits and deftly subverts the crime genre. * Observer *Big Sky is laced with Atkinson’s sharp, dry humour, and one of the joys of the Brodie novels has always been that they are so funny. * Observer *Atkinson weaves a magically absorbing world full of crossed paths and coincidences. Her sublime turn of phrase, impeccable gallows humour, beautifully drawn characters and complex plotting make for a fabulously entertaining and moving book. It can be enjoyed as either a standalone mystery or a very welcome reunion with an old friend. * Sunday Mirror *A masterclass in what can be done with crime fiction, brilliantly using the form to expose what Atkinson bleakly describes as 'one more battle in the war against women'. * Sunday Times *Atkinson’s new mystery hits all the right notes * Sunday Times Style *Atkinson brings back her much-loved PI Jackson Brodie for a tightly plotted tale...the real mystery here is the human heart, with Atkinson serving up an acute and believable look at the state of Britain today. * i *I romped through it: as ever, the plotting is clever and complex, it’s full of the dry wit Atkinson is so good at and it’s an absorbing mystery. * Good Housekeeping *There's a lot going on here, all of it rendered with Atkinson's vastly enjoyable nonchalance...Atkinson tells a great story, toys with expectations, deceives by omission, blows smoke and also writes like she's your favourite friend. Thank goodness the long Jackson Brodie hiatus is over. * New York Times *Atkinson throws in many entertaining diversions, and a fair few juicy red herrings… an exuberant, entertaining read…Atkinson’s work is always playful, and there’s a brisk, jaunty tone to Big Sky and much dry observational comedy. * Independent *The brilliance of Big Sky lies in its broad range of memorable characters, each with their own intriguing backstory.....sharp humour,sparkling prose and acute psychological insight. * Daily Express *A stunning comeback... Told in Atkinson’s typically wry prose, it is Dickensian in sweep, utterly riveting and has a wonderful ending, quite magnificent. * Daily Mail *I can't get enough of Jackson Brodie...he may well be the great fictional detective of our age...her bunch of seemingly ordinary but deeply fascinating characters... seem so real that you come to care about them like your oldest friends. * Sunday Express *As usual, it's ingeniously structured and told with humour and compassion. * New Statesman *Her peerless ability to plot with audacity and with a sinuous beauty...it's the most marvellous book, so delightful you'll want to eke it out for as long as possible. * Radio Times *Jackson Brodie gets his fifth outing in the new novel by the reliably brilliant Atkinson. * Woman & Home *You can't go wrong with the majestic new Kate Atkinson book...wise, funny and sad. * Stylist *Jackson Brodie is back and how we’ve missed him….you’re in for a treat. * Red *How can anyone fail to love Kate Atkinson?...A gripping beach read for lovers of detective fiction. * ES magazine *Atkinson’s nimble and endearing skill across all her fiction…is to take the determinedly domestic, find the wry, sometimes waspish humour in it, and yet reveal something profoundly humane....And deft misdirection, cheeky literary references and Brodie's flailing attempts to offer sympathy by quoting country-and-western lyrics are constantly entertaining. You finish Big Sky feeling battered - but thoroughly cheered up. * The Times *With a many-tentacled storyline distilling some of the more disturbing headlines of recent years, this dark material proves supremely compulsive...Brodie brings out the best in Atkinson, partly because he’s a handy peg for what tends to come across as her regretful sense of bemusement about modern Britain. * Metro *

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Book SynopsisThe 25-year-old case of a missing girl sees Varg Veum dig deep into the past to find her kidnapper, as the secrets and lies of a tiny community threaten everything … Gunnar Staalesen’s award-winning, international bestselling Varg Veum series continues in this chilling Nordic Noir thriller. ***WINNER of the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year*** 'Mature and captivating’ Herald Scotland ‘One of the finest Nordic novelists – in the tradition of Henning Mankell’ Barry Forshaw, Independent ‘Masterful pacing’ Publishers Weekly _________________ September 1977. Mette Misvær, a three-year-old girl disappears without trace from the sandpit outside her home. Her tiny, close middle-class community in the tranquil suburb of Nordas is devastated, but their enquiries and the police produce nothing. Curtains twitch, suspicions are raised, but Mette is never found. Almost 25 years later, as the expiry date for the statute of limitations draws near, Mette’s mother approaches PI Varg Veum, in a last, desperate attempt to find out what happened to her daughter. As Veum starts to dig, he uncovers an intricate web of secrets, lies and shocking events that have been methodically concealed. When another brutal incident takes place, a pattern begins to emerge… Shocking, unsettling and full of extraordinary twists and turns, Where Roses Never Die reaffirms Gunnar Staalesen as one of the world’s foremost thriller writers. _________________ Praise for Gunnar Staalesen 'There is a world-weary existential sadness that hangs over his central detective. The prose is stripped back and simple … deep emotion bubbling under the surface – the real turmoil of the characters’ lives just under the surface for the reader to intuit, rather than have it spelled out for them’ Doug Johnstone, The Big Issue ‘Gunnar Staalesen is one of my very favourite Scandinavian authors. Operating out of Bergen in Norway, his private eye, Varg Veum, is a complex but engaging anti-hero. Varg means “wolf ” in Norwegian, and this is a series with very sharp teeth’ Ian Rankin ‘Staalesen continually reminds us he is one of the finest of Nordic novelists’ Financial Times ‘Staalesen does a masterful job of exposing the worst of Norwegian society in this highly disturbing entry’ Publishers Weekly 'The Varg Veum series is more concerned with character and motivation than spectacle, and it’s in the quieter scenes that the real drama lies’ Herald Scotland 'Every inch the equal of his Nordic confreres Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbo' Independent ‘With an expositional style that is all but invisible, Staalesen masterfully compels us from the first pages … If you’re a fan of Varg Veum, this is not to be missed, and if you’re new to the series, this is one of the best ones. You’re encouraged to jump right in, even if the Norwegian names can be a bit confusing to follow’ Crime Fiction Lover ‘With short, smart, darkly punchy chapters Wolves at the Door is a provocative and gripping read’ LoveReading ‘Haunting, dark and totally noir, a great read’ New Books Magazine ‘An upmarket Philip Marlowe’ Maxim Jakubowski, The Bookseller ‘Razor-edged Scandinavian crime fiction at its finest’ Quentin BatesTrade Review'Gunnar Staalesen is one of my very favourite Scandinavian authors. Operating out of Bergen in Norway, his private eye, Varg Veum, is a complex but engaging anti-hero. Varg means "wolf'" in Norwegian, and this is a series with very sharp teeth' Ian Rankin * 'Not many books hook you in the first chapter - this one did, and never let go!' Mari Hannah * 'One of Norway's most skilful storytellers' Johan Theorin * 'Razor-edged Scandinavian crime fiction at its finest' Quentin Bates

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Book SynopsisA classic crime novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, The King of Detective Story Writers', featuring Inspector French, coming soon to television.The new Sir Geoffrey Buller is earning his living in Chicago when he unexpectedly inherits his title, an English baronetcy, and Forde Manor in Surrey, complete with its vast collection of priceless works of art. His widowed housekeeper, who knows a thing or two, is surprised to discover that Sir Geoffrey is having his pictures cleaned. But then disaster strikes! A devastating fire, a missing artist and a lot of insurance money from a mosaic of detail, Inspector French must reconstruct the pattern of a most cunning and complex crimeTrade Review“Good, sound, absorbing … and Inspector French, comforting as ever.”Observer “A detective novel by Mr. Wills Crofts is always an event to those who know … Mr. Crofts is among the few muscular writers of detective fiction. He has never let me down.”HAROLD NICHOLSON, DAILY EXPRESS

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Book SynopsisThe answer to any classic crime fiction fan's Christmas wish - and the only way for you to answer Who Killed Father Christmas? - this new anthology is set to muddle, befuddle, surprise and delight.

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Book Synopsis...now we have Not to Be Taken, a compact and fascinating essay in the art of home detection. Torquemada in The Observer, 1938The murder is by arsenic; and although the number of suspects is strictly limited the construction is so ingenious that to attain the correct solution of the problem requires all the reader's concentration; to skip is fatal. Times Literary Supplement, 1938John Waterhouse has died of some gastric complication. Exhumed at his brother's request, it transpires that he has been killed by arsenical poisoning, though nobody in the sleepy village of Anneypenny seems to have had a reason to do him ill. Rumours abound of Nazi intrigue and military skullduggery, but whatever the motive, the truth remains; this was murder. Originally serialised as a competition with a prize for the readers that could answer Berkeley's direct challenge of 'who was the poisoner?', Not to Be Taken remains one of the most fiendish exercises in subtle cluework and detection from the Golden A

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Book Synopsis''Has a charm, and mystery, all of its own'' THE TIMES''Frances Brody has made it to the top rank of crime writers'' DAILY MAILThe first historical mystery in a new classic crime series from bestselling author Frances Brody. This is the perfect locked room page-turner for fans of Agatha Christie and Jacqueline Winspear.___________1969. A job in the Prison Service is not for everyone. The training is hard, the cells are bleak and a thick skin is needed. But for Nell Lewis, helping prisoners is something she cares about deeply, and when she''s promoted into a new post as governor of HMP Brackerley in Yorkshire, she''s tasked with transforming the renowned run-down facility into a modern, open prison for women.Just as Nell is settling into her new role, events take a dark turn when a man''s body is discovered in the prison grounds. The mystery deepens still when one of their female inmateTrade ReviewHas a charm, and mystery, all of its own * The Times *An intriguing and heart-warming story * Daily Mail *With a competent, dynamic and likeable heroine, and an environment packed with stories great and small, it's hard to see how this series would fail * Morning Star *Praise for Frances Brody:Frances Brody has made it to the top rank of crime writers * Daily Mail *Brody's writing is like her central character Kate Shackleton: witty, acerbic and very, very perceptive -- Ann CleevesKate Shackleton is a splendid heroine -- Ann GrangerDelightful * People's Friend *Frances Brody matches a heroine of free and independent spirit with a vivid evocation of time and place . . . a novel to cherish -- Barry Turner * Daily Mail *Kate Shackleton joins Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs in a subgroup of young, female amateur detectives who survived and were matured by their wartime experiences. As self-reliant women in a society that still regards them a second-class citizens, they make excellent heroines * Literary Review *I really adore this series and Kate is such a strong, level-headed character * Woman's Way *

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Book SynopsisRegarded as one of the great Carr/Dickson locked-room mysteries among Carr connoisseurs, one of the highest-rated authors of the genre. The Ten Teacups features one of his famous series detectives Henry Merrivale (previously appearing in The White Priory Murders & returning in The Judas Window in Autumn 2025). Set in Henry Merrivale's stomping ground of central London.

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Book SynopsisA brand-new Sherlock Holmes mystery from the author of Sherlock Holmes: The Vanishing Man. It is 1897, and Sherlock Holmes is investigating a murder that took place during a society ball. Holmes and Watson rush to the scene, but are shocked by the flippant attitude of the ball's hosts: the wealthy Ernest Moncrieff and his new wife Gwendolen. Suspicion naturally falls upon the party guests, but the Moncrieff family and their friends are more concerned with the inconvenience of the investigation than the fact that one of them may have committed murder. But behind the superficial facade, Holmes and Watson uncover family secrets going back decades, and a mysterious blackmailer pulling the strings...Trade Review"Sherlockians and Wildeans alike will embrace Purser-Hallard. " -Publishers Weekly Starred Review... "Amusing cross-over pastiche ...plot and dialogue are thoroughly appropriate. " -Sherlockians and Doyleans

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Book SynopsisInternational bestselling author Jean-Luc Bannalec's Commissaire Georges Dupin and his team head to Breton paradise in An Island of Suspects.An August heat wave has all of Brittany in its grasp, and the only chance to cool down for Commissaire Georges Dupin is his daily swim in the ocean. Until one morning his routine is interrupted because a body has been found in the harbor with clear signs of foul play. Patric Provost was from one of the long-established families on the island of Belle-Ile, Breton's biggest and most famous island. Provost owned and operated a company dealing in an island delicacy: the famous Belle-Ile-sheep. As Bretons say, the sheep season themselves while they're eating, grazing on salty, iodine-rich meadows, full of wild herbs, directly by the ocean. In Dupin's culinary ranking, this lamb comes right behind entrecote. And that's saying something.Dupin has barely stepped foot on the utopia-like island before it comes to light that

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Book SynopsisDark magic is unleashed on the streets of Istanbul . . .When a newborn baby is found drowned in the shallow waters of the Golden Horn, all-out warfare threatens to erupt between rival criminal gangs. Inspector Kerim Gürsel is assigned to the case and he must tread carefully when DNA tests reveal that the baby''s father is Görkan Pasahan, Istanbul''s most feared Mafia boss. But the identity of the infant''s mother is yet to be discovered . . .Meanwhile, Çetin Ikmen and Mehmet Süleyman attend the winter festival known as Bocuk Gecesi, held on the darkest night of the year, and witness a magic trick whereby a young man, Emir Kaya, disappears. While Ikmen investigates how the illusion took place, Süleyman conducts a tortuous hunt for Emir Kaya that exposes a harrowing tale of depravation, betrayal and corruption where the bloodline of a child is worth killing for and everything has its price . . .Praise for Barbara Nadel''s novels:''Complex and beguiling: a

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Book Synopsis'Extraordinary... one of her finest novels' Guardian"If everybody in the world didn't keep watching to see what everybody else did, we'd all go berserk."Jenny believes that sighting an owl is a portent of death. When she spots a stranger looking in through her window one night, she believes that he is an omen too. But fate doesn't work in the way that either of them expect.This novel of suspense and paranoia draws on Highsmith's own experience of being a stalker.Trade ReviewPatricia Highsmith has an extraordinary talent for the sinister, and this is well revealed in The Cry of the Owl, one of her finest novels -- Robert Nye * Guardian *Patricia Highsmith is a craftsman who has made the suspense novel her own domain * The Times *The basic nightmare situation - to be accused of a crime you did not commit and be unable to prove your innocence- is the subject of The Cry of the Owl... It's Kafka with a vengeance... compulsive * Spectator *A rare talent, a remarkable novelist... her books are written in elegant and lucid prose -- John Mortimer

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1945, Loft's masterful storytelling manages to weave lighter comedic moments into this darker tale. A suspenseful thriller that will leave the reader guessing in the final pages, this mystery is a fantastic addition to the British Library Women Writers series, now featuring over 25 titles.

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Book SynopsisIt is 1895, and Sherlock Holmes's new client is a High Court judge, whose free-spirited daughter has disappeared without a trace. Holmes and Watson discover that the missing woman-Hannah Woolfson-was herself on the trail of a missing person, her close friend Sophia. Sophia was recruited to a group known as the Elysians, a quasi-religious sect obsessed with Ancient Greek myths and rituals, run by the charismatic Sir Philip Buchanan. Hannah has joined the Elysians under an assumed name, convinced that her friend has been murdered. Holmes agrees that she should continue as his agent within the secretive yet seemingly harmless cult, yet Watson is convinced Hannah is in terrible danger. For Sir Philip has dreams of improving humanity through classical ideals, and at any cost...

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Book SynopsisH. G. Wells skilfully combines tension, wit and terror in The Invisible Man, a masterpiece of science fiction. Complete & Unabridged. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.A mysterious stranger arrives at a rural Sussex inn on a cold winter’s night with his face obscured by bandages and his body cloaked in a long, heavy coat. He locks himself in his room and spends his stay labouring over chemicals in intricate glass bottles. The villagers, bewildered by what lurks under the bandages, could never be prepared for the terrible truth: that the man is a scientist who has rendered himself invisible and is desperately struggling to find an antidote. He flees to the rugged, cliff-lined coast where, pursued by police and an angry mob, he is intent on murderous revenge.

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Book SynopsisIt's the height of summer. As the heat shimmers on the streets and ice cream melts onto sticky fingers, tempers begin to rise and old grudges surface. From Cornish beaches to the French Riviera, it's not just a holiday that's on people's minds ... it's murder. In these ten classic stories from writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Cyril Hare and Gladys Mitchell, you'll find mayhem and mysteries aplenty. So grab the suncream and head down to the beach - if you dare.Trade ReviewShort, clever and puzzling murder tales which test the brains of the most avid crime reader ... delectable * On Magazine *With Cecily Gayford in charge, we are on safe ground * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisThirteen stories involving Sherlock Holmes, one of literature''s most beloved characters, are now available in an exclusive collector''s edition. Featuring beautiful cover art from artist Laci Fowler and decorative interior pages, this giftable book is ideal for fiction lovers and book collectors alike.Beloved by fans across the globe, this collection features thirteen riveting adventures, including an explanation of Holmes’s supposed murder at the hands of his nemesis Dr. Moriarty in Doyle’s 1893 short story The Final Problem. This time-honored classic is now available as an exclusive collector''s edition.Whether you''re buying it as a gift or for yourself, this remarkable edition features: A beautiful, high-end hardcover featuring Laci Fowler’s distinctive hand-painted art Embossed cover art and gold foiling? Decorative interior pages featuring pull quotes throughout Matching ribbon marker and gold

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Book SynopsisFind the truth. Solve the murder. Never reveal your secret.Twelve years ago, eight friends ran an exclusive group at university: The Murder Masquerade Society. The mysteries they solved may have been grisly, but they were always fictional - until their final Christmas Masquerade, when one of the group disappeared, never to be seen again.Now, the remaining members of the group receive an invitation to a reunion masquerade, to be held in a beautiful and remote country house in Scotland. When they arrive they are each assigned a new identity themed around the Twelve Days of Christmas - they become Lady Partridge or Mr Gold; Lord Leapworth or Doctor Swan. The game begins, and it feels just like old times.Until the next morning, when Lady Partridge is found hanging from a pear tree.

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Book SynopsisMurder, political intrigue, theft, secret identities, and deception—this Agatha Christie mystery has it all!In this fast-paced mystery from Agatha Christie—one of the masters of detective fiction—Prince Michael, heir to the throne of Herzoslovakia, is found murdered at the English countryside manor known as Chimneys. A plot full of political scheming, the theft of the famed Koh-i-Noor diamond, and layers of deception unfolds as Superintendent Battle from Scotland Yard investigates. Each clue weaves a new thread into a web of intrigue that mystery thriller fans will be hard-pressed to untangle!

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Book Synopsis This new mini hardback edition completes the series of collectable Miss Marple hardbacks – the first time all 14 Marple books have had their own uniform hardback series. Trade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisNgaio Marsh's classic Christmas murder mystery in a special 50th anniversary edition.Christmas time in an isolated country house and, following a flaming row in the kitchen, there's murder inside.When a much disliked visiting servant disappears without trace after playing Santa Claus, foul play is at once suspected and foul play it proves to be. Only suspicion falls not on the staff but on the guests, all so unimpeachably respectable that the very thought of murder in connection with any of them seems almost heresy.When Superintendent Roderick Alleyn returns unexpectedly from a trip to Australia, it is to find his beloved wife in the thick of an intriguing mysteryTrade Review‘So entertaining that I recommend it unreservedly.’Daily Telegraph ‘Agreeably effortless telling.’Guardian ‘One of her best and most baffling mysteries.’Daily Express

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Book SynopsisAn ingenious and highly atmospheric classic whodunit from Japan's master of crime. Amid the rubble of post-war Tokyo, inside the grand Tsubaki house, a once-noble family is in mourning. The old viscount Tsubaki, a brooding, troubled composer, has been found dead. When the family gather for a divination to conjure the spirit of their departed patriarch, death visits the house once more, and the brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to investigate. But before he can get to the truth Kindaichi must uncover the Tsubakis' most disturbing secrets, while the gruesome murders continue... PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO 'The diabolically twisted plotted is top-notch' New York Times Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' Economist 'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' Guardian, Best New Crime NovelsTrade Review“Yokomizo at his absolute best... From the ominous opening through the brilliant final reveal, [he] ably blends suspense and fair-play detection... A classic of the genre.” --Publishers Weekly, starred review“Another fiendishly complex mystery from the master of locked room murders... Atmospheric, chilling, and structurally complex.” --CrimeReads

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