Classic crime and mystery fiction

Book SynopsisFLYING SAUCERS, MAD SCIENTISTS AND DOUBLECROSSING VILLAINS.The intrepid Sexton Blake enters the roaring 60’s – and it’s all happening.Psychics and aliens clash on a secret volcanic base as the fate of the world lies in peril; the hunters become the hunted as a series of horrific murders strike a peaceful village; a scientist uses new techniques to bring ancient creatures to life; and a brilliantly planned heist gets double-crossed – and triple-crossed!The New Age brings in a new era for the famous detective – and things are getting interesting.“Makes Jack Reacher look like a bungling amateur... definitely not be missed.” — The Crime ReviewTrade Review“Makes Jack Reacher look like a bungling amateur...definitely not be missed.” — The Crime Review

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Book SynopsisChristmas is a time of goodwill to all men ... or is it? As the nights draw in, throw another log on the fire and settle back into your armchair to enjoy this collection of ten classic Christmas mysteries, in which crime's best known sleuths, from Rebus to Holmes and Cadfael to Father Brown, uncover murder and mayhem galore. Whether it's a Christmas goose with a surprising secret cargo, a murdered pantomime dame, or a killer who departs the scene of the crime without leaving a single footprint, these stories will puzzle and delight in equal measure. And along the way, there'll be enough carols and Christmas pudding, mistletoe and mulled wine, to warm the heart of a stone-cold killer ... perhaps.Trade ReviewThis killer selection is the icing on the (Christmas) cake ... this is all your Christmases come at once for fans of the genre. * The Lady *

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Book Synopsis** The first Biographic of a fictional character ** The Biographic series presents an entirely new way of looking at the lives of the world's greatest thinkers and creatives. It takes the 50 defining facts, dates, thoughts, habits and achievements of each subject, and uses infographics to convey all of them in vivid snapshots. Each Biographic title is designed to be as entertaining as it is informative. Timelines not only pinpoint significant dates, but set them in the context and culture of their times. Dynamic maps locate biographical events alongside other points of interest. Character traits are illuminated by visual comparisons. Many people know that Sherlock Holmes was an enigmatic detective who, with his companion Dr Watson, pursued criminals through Victorian and Edwardian England. What, perhaps, they don't know is that he investigated 60 fully documented cases, including 37 murders; that 46 of those cases began in his offices at 221B Baker Street; that only three of them involved his nemesis Moriarty; and that in his later years Holmes spent his time beekeeping on the Sussex Downs. Biographic: Sherlock presents an investigative guide to his life and work, with an array of clues and observations converted into infographics to reveal the detective behind the detection. SELLING POINTS: . Sherlock Holmes through 50 defining facts, thoughts, habits and achievements . Entertaining and informative infographics . Stylish gift for lovers of classic fiction 150 illustrations

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Book SynopsisWriting under the pseudonym Neil Gordon, A. G. Macdonell wrote several crime and thriller novels. In the classic genre of '20s and '30s crime fiction, Macdonell managed to introduce a different element, unusual twists that keep the reader captivated and anxious to discover what came next. The Shakespeare Murders is another example of Macdonell's carefully thought-through detective stories, where the detective is aided by the star of the cast. Peter Kerrigan saw a pickpocket take the wallet of a shabby little man, and with speed and precision he stole from the thief. Peter was a handsome gentleman-adventurer - not too scrupulous - and before he returned the pocketbook he read the letter which it contained. It was so that he heard of the million pound treasure, and began the search which was to lead him through so many horrors. At Marsh Manor he found the police trying to solve a murder, and lent somewhat grudging assistance; three more violent deaths followed rapidly. The working out of the solution to the mystery, and the final disposition of the treasure are brilliantly satisfying. The strictly logical framework of the book is filled in witty and entertaining fashion with strange and amusing characters. Macdonell uses his usual skill, well-dosed with ingenious twists, and a fast moving story-line, to keep the reader riveted to the book. Chase, conspiracy, and American gangsters add to the excitement of solving the Shakespeare riddle.

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Book SynopsisWriting under the pseudonym Neil Gordon, A. G. Macdonell wrote several crime and thriller novels. In the classic genre of '20s and '30s crime fiction, Macdonell managed to introduce a different element, unusual twists that keep the reader captivated and anxious to discover what came next. Silent Murders begins with murder of an elderly tramp on the road between King's Langley and Berkhampstead. Nobody really knows who the tramp was or what his background was. To his gentlemen-of-the-road peers he was known as 'Stuck-up Sam'. The only unusual aspect of the crime was a square of cardboard tied to the last surviving button of the tramp's ragged overcoat and on which was written the word 'Three.' The next victim could not have been different; for the gentleman silently shot through the open window of a taxi, stationery in traffic, was Mr Aloysius Skinner, Chairman of the Imperial Cochineal Company. A clue, for what it was worth, was a piece of white cardboard on which was printed in ink the single word 'Four', presumably thrown through the open window by the murderer. Another murder took place at a quiet family tennis party in suburbia, with the host's elder brother being the unfortunate victim of the bullet. The police assumed the bullet was intended for the host, Mr Henry Maddock, a gentleman of great wealth with a dubious background in Africa from where poverty had changed with peculiar suddenness to riches. But with skill, ingenious twists, and a fast moving story-line, a tale is woven to show that not all was what it seemed...New Introduction by Alan Sutton

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Book SynopsisA fascinating thrill with unusual twists - a 'Buchanesque' tale Writing under the pseudonym Neil Gordon, A. G. Macdonell wrote several crime and thriller novels. In the classic genre of '20s and '30s crime fiction, Macdonell managed to introduce a different element, unusual twists that keep the reader captivated and anxious to discover what came next. The Factory on the Cliff begins with a spoilt golf holiday at a coastal golf-links hotel in Aberdeenshire. 'George Templeton's car refused to start on the self-starter. He jumped out impatiently and gave the handle a mighty twist. The engine back-fired and dislocated his thumb and he found himself unable to play golf for the remainder of his holiday.' Unable to play golf with his friends, he resorts to country walks and stumbles upon suspicious goings-on at a cliff-top farmstead where there are numerous outbuildings. The story moves from Scotland to London, and then to a small village in the Home Counties. In a fast-moving thriller which in some degree resembles John Buchan's The Thirty-Nine Steps, George Templeton and his friends foil an international plot to mass-poison many countries in the World. Macdonell uses his usual skill, well-dosed with ingenious twists, and a fast moving story-line, to keep the reader riveted to the book. Chase, conspiracy, espionage, quick-thinking initiative and much adventure with Irishmen and Russians thrown in, keeps the adventure in a high gear from beginning to end. New Introduction by Alan Sutton

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Book SynopsisFrom the moment he first gazes at Marjory across the roulette table in the Côte d'Azur Jean-Marie is entranced, and when their feverish holiday romance comes to an end he decides to take the biggest gamble of his life - to follow the beautiful Englishwoman back to rainy Edinburgh. But no sooner has Jean-Marie arrived than his luck runs out. He is drawn into an impenetrable mystery and soon, with blood on his hands, trapped in the grey-granite labyrinth of the city, he is running out of time to save his sanity and his life. The King of Fools is a fiendish tale of passion, betrayal and murder.Trade ReviewThe French master of noir The Observer Alongside the Maigret novels of Georges Simenon there is a rich vein of period French crime still to be tapped. Frederic Dard is a case in point Daily Mail At heart, The King of Fools is another Dard Noir Romance, a book about a love story gone bad, which is charming and engaging far beyond the plot details International Crime Fiction The literary descendant of Simenon and Celine Le Figaro No question: for me, he was the greatest Philippe Geluck France's most popular post-war author L'Express His language is cutting, his point-of-view original and his verdict uncompromising... One of the few twentieth-century authors to win both critical acclaim and great popularity Solidarite Militaire

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Book SynopsisIt felt like the slipknot on a rope round my chest was being tightened without pity Trouble is the last thing Albert needs. Travelling back to his childhood home on Christmas Eve to mourn his mother's death, he finds the loneliness and nostalgia of his Parisian quartier unbearable... Until, that evening, he encounters a beautiful, seemingly innocent woman at a brasserie, and his spirits are lifted. Still, something about the woman disturbs him. Where is the father of her child? And what are those two red stains on her sleeve? When she invites him back to her apartment, Albert thinks he's in luck. But a monstrous scene awaits them, and he finds himself lured into the darkness against his better judgment. Unravelling like a paranoid nightmare, Bird in a Cage melds existentialist drama with thrilling noir to tell the story of a man trapped in a prison of his own making.Trade ReviewMelancholy and atmospheric, with a twist worthy of Agatha Christie at her devious best, this brief tale has the hallmark of classic French noir Guardian Hugely atmospheric The Times The French master of noir Observer Alongside the Maigret novels of Georges Simenon there is a rich vein of period French crime still to be tapped. Frederic Dard is a case in point Daily Mail Disturbing from the outset with strong echoes of Dard's hero Simenon Sunday Times Crime Club (star pick) This short, sly novel of the night has more than enough substance and mystery to keep readers awake and engrossed The National It's exceedingly clever - when surprising things happen they slap you in the face for being so obvious, so necessary and so vital yet so surprising at the same time, and you can only squirm more enjoyably into your seat as you read on Bookbag A typically tense and yearning tale... One eagerly awaits forthcoming translations to see whether he can do the trick over again Wall Street Journal It's a brilliant book, and though Frederic Dard may have been 'one of the best known and loved French crime writers of the twentieth century' he's new to me, so this was a real discovery and treat all rolled into one Desperate Reader It's a short, sharp story featuring a handful of brilliantly portrayed characters, and is structured as intriguingly and cunningly as an Escher drawing Thriller Books Journal It is a tribute to the quality of the writing that Dard can contain so much tension, surprise and mystery in so few words Crime Review Imbued with a tantalising mix of Patricia Highsmith and Alfred Hitchcock Raven Crime Reads If you're a fan of Film Noir, you'll love Bird in a Cage... if all the novels in the Vertigo series are this good, I predict I'll be needing more bookshelves -- Lee Randall Randall Writes A slick novella... the ending is deliciously ambiguous... a triumph The Worm Hole The literary descendant of Simenon and Celine Le Figaro No question: for me, he was the greatest -- Philippe Geluck His language is cutting, his point-of-view original and his verdict uncompromising... One of the few twentieth-century authors to win both critical acclaim and great popularity Solidarite Militaire France's most popular post-war author L'Express

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 1957 Grand prix de la littérature policière It was fate that led her to step out in front of the car. A quiet mountain road. A crushed violin. And a beautiful woman lying motionless in the ditch. Carrying her back to his lodging on a beach near Barcelona, Daniel discovers that the woman is still alive but that she remembers nothing - not even her own name. And soon he has fallen for her mysterious allure. She is a blank canvas, a perfect muse, and his alone. But when Daniel travels to France in search of her past, he slips into a tangled vortex of lies, depravity and murder. The Executioner Weeps is a macabre thriller about the dangerous pitfalls of love. 'The French master of noir' Observer 'Unsettling... worthy of Agatha Christie at her devious best... classic French noir' Guardian 'Hugely atmospheric' The Times 'Spellbinding' Wall Street Journal 'Disturbing from the outset with strong echoes of Simenon' Sunday Times Frédéric Dard (1921-2000) was one of the best known and loved French crime writers of the twentieth century. Enormously prolific, he wrote more than three hundred thrillers, suspense stories, plays and screenplays, under a variety of noms de plume, throughout his long and illustrious career, which also saw him win the 1957 Grand prix de la littérature policière for The Executioner Weeps. Dard's Bird in a Cage, The Wicked Go to Hell, Crush, The Gravediggers' Bread and The King of Fools are also available or forthcoming from Pushkin Vertigo.Trade ReviewThe French master of noir Observer Disturbing from the outset with strong echoes of Dard's hero Simenon Sunday Times Crime Club (star pick) A great story full of suspense and intriguing twists International Crime Fiction (blog) Searing, dark and economical... Dard... expertly blends glossy thrills, social commentary and escapist lust Hits the Fan (blog) It's exceedingly clever - when surprising things happen they slap you in the face for being so obvious, so necessary and so vital yet so surprising at the same time, and you can only squirm more enjoyably into your seat as you read on Bookbag This short, sly novel of the night has more than enough substance and mystery to keep readers awake and engrossed The National No question: for me, he was the greatest -- Philippe Geluck The literary descendant of Simenon and Celine Le Figaro His language is cutting, his point-of-view original and his verdict uncompromising... One of the few twentieth-century authors to win both critical acclaim and great popularity Solidarite Militaire France's most popular post-war author L'Express

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Book SynopsisA genre-bending mystery recalling the work of Alain Robbe-Grillet and anticipating the postmodern fictions of Paul Auster and other contemporary neo-noir novelists. Inspector Barlach forgoes the arrest of a murderer in order to manipulate him into killing another, more elusive criminal. This is a thriller that brings existential philosophy and the detective genre into dazzling convergenceTrade ReviewIt's a detective story that gladly upends some of the genre's stereotypes. It is a tribute to Durrenmatt's huge literary talent that this holds true even if looked at from a contemporary perspective Thriller Books Journal Spellbinding Washington Post Seldom have I found anything as hard to put down... a detective thriller stripped down to its essence Ready When You Are Breathtaking What Are You Reading For? I eagerly await the sequel Bookbag

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Book SynopsisA dizzying tale oflust and murder, from one of Japan's greatest mysterywriters. A hunter prowls the night spotsof Shinjuku But he's the one walking into a trap... IchiroHonda leads a double life: by day a devoted husband and a diligent worker, bynight he moves through the shadow world of Tokyo's cabaret bars and nightclubsin search of vulnerable women to seduce and then abandon. But when a trail ofbodies seems to appear in his wake, the hunter becomes the prey and Ichirorealises he has been caught in a snare. Has he left it too late to free himselfbefore time runs out?Trade Review'Full of subtly menacing tensions and sharp psychological insights, told in lean, sparsely ornamented style. This one is a must for the discerning reader.' - Kirkus‘Long established in Japan, [Togawa’s] books have benefited from sensitive translation to enjoy a well-deserved second life.’ — Daily Mail'The PD James of Japan.' - Times Literary Supplement‘There's a great and distinct timbre to this book … it certainly has the cleverness ultimately to keep a genre reader really satisfied.’ — The Bookbag"Even when you think you know just where the book is headed… you don’t… Thoroughly enjoyable." — David’s Book World

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Book SynopsisA respected professor is dead - shot in a crowded Zurich restaurant, in front of dozens of witnesses. The murderer calmly turned himself in to the police. So why has he now hired a lawyer to clear his name? And why has he chosen the drink-soaked, disreputable Spät to defend him? As he investigates, Spät finds himself obsessed, drawn ever deeper into a case of baffling complexity until he reaches a deadly conclusion: justice can be restored only by a crime. This is a captivating neo-noir classic from the master of the genre. The Execution of Justice is a dark, wicked satire on the legal system and a disturbing, if ambivalent, allegory on guilt, justice, violence and morality.Trade Review"The Swiss master of the astounding plot" — Sunday Times Crime Club"It's not that Dürrenmatt always took the road less chosen, more that he carved out an entirely different and perverse path through the literary undergrowth" — Crime Time"A dark, wicked satire on the legal system and a disturbing, if ambivalent, allegory on guilt, justice, violence and morality" — Publishers Weekly"Audacious... Durrenmatt's compelling handling of his favorite themes... makes Spat's funny, sad nightmare less like The Murder of Roger Ackroyd than like The Fall or The Crying of Lot 49" — Kirkus Reviews "Durrenmatt has the gift to create unforgettable characters within a few lines" — Los Angeles Times

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Book SynopsisAn apartment on the rue Morgue turned into a charnel house; the corpse of a shopgirl dragged from the Seine; a high-stakes game of political blackmail-three mysteries that have enthralled the whole of Paris, and baffled the city's police. The brilliant Chevalier Auguste Dupin investigates - can he find the solution where so many others before him have failed? These three stories from the pen of Edgar Allan Poe are some of the most influential ever written, widely praised and credited with inventing the detective genre. This edition contains: 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', 'The Mystery of Marie Rogêt' and 'The Purloined Letter'.Trade Review"A perfect winter evening read... 5/5 stars." — New Books Magazine"Each [of Poe's detective stories] is a root from which a whole literature has developed... Where was the detective story until Poe breathed the breath of life into it?" -- Arthur Conan Doyle "He wasn't just a mystery/suspense writer. He was the first." -- Stephen King "What a strange, though enormously talented writer, that Edgar Poe!" -- Fyodor Dostoevsky

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Book SynopsisA nightmare is haunting Daisy Harker. Night after night she walks a strange cemetery in her dreams, until she comes to a grave that stops her in her tracks. It's Daisy's own, and according to the dates on the gravestone she's been dead for four years. What can this nightmare mean, and why is Daisy's husband so insistent that she forget it? Driven to desperation, she hires a private investigator to reconstruct the day of her dream death. But as she pieces her past together, her present begins to fall apart...

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Book SynopsisIt has been twenty years since Polly Burton last saw the Teahouse Detective, but one foggy afternoon she stumbles into a Fleet Street café and chances upon the cantankerous sleuth again. The years have not softened his manner, nor dulled his appetite for unravelling the most tortuous of conspiracies, shedding light on mysteries that have confounded the finest minds of the police. How did Prince Orsoff disappear from his railway carriage in-between stations? How could the Ingres masterpiece be seen in two places at once? And what is the truth behind the story of the blood-stained tunic that exonerated its owner? From the comfort of his seat by the fire, the Teahouse Detective sets his brilliant mind to work once more.Trade Review"The first and greatest armchair detective." -- Ellery Queen"A literary tour-de-force." -- E.F. Beiler"Simple but effective... cleverly contrived." -- Daily Mail"One of the only rivals to Sherlock Holmes who can stand comparison... Will delight fans of cosy crime and the golden heyday of British crime writing." -- New Books Magazine"I just wanted to snuggle up in a blanket and read these mysteries, trying to guess the end... I can't recommend them enough." -- Umut Reviews

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Book SynopsisCan you solve the mystery of the tattoo murder? Tokyo, 1947. At the first post-war meeting of the Edo Tattoo Society, Kinue Nomura reveals her full-body snake tattoo to rapturous applause. Days later she is gone. A dismembered corpse is discovered in the locked bathroom of her home, but her much-coveted body art is nowhere to be found. Kinue's horrified lover joins forces with the boy detective Kyosuke Kamizu to try to get to the bottom of the macabre crime, but similar deaths soon follow. Is someone being driven to murder by their lust for tattooed skin, and can they be stopped? Set in a seedy Tokyo of bomb sites, dive bars and Yakuza gangs, The Tattoo Murder is one of Japan's most ingenious and legendary whodunits.Trade Review'Intricate, fantastic and utterly absorbing. More please . . . Calculated to outdo John Dickson Carr in both ghoulishness and ingenuity' - Kirkus Reviews'A delightful, different book, not only because of its unusual setting and premise, but because Takagi is a powerful plotter and constructor of fascinating, complex characters' - The A.V. Club'Like voyeurs, we follow Takagi down the charred streets of bombed-out Tokyo to scenes of fastidiously executed decadence' - The New York Times'It took 50 years for this novel to reach our shores but it feels thoroughly modern.' - Parade Magazine'Clever, kinky, highly entertaining . . . I want more.' - Washington Post Book World

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Book Synopsis'An audacious puzzle mystery, woven into an exquisitely crafted historical tale. One of the most original works in the history of Japanese mystery writing' Haruo Yuki, author of The Ark __________ Tokyo, 1869. It is the dawn of the Meiji era in Japan, but the scars of the recent civil war are yet to heal. The new regime struggles to keep the peace as old scores are settled and dangerous new ideas flood into the country from the West. A new police force promises to bring order to this land of feuding samurai warlords, and chief inspectors Kazuki and Kawaji are two of its brightest stars. Together they investigate a spree of baffling murders across the capital, moving from dingy drinking dens to high-class hotels and the heart of the Imperial Palace. Can they solve these seemingly impossible crimes and save the country from slipping into chaos once more?Trade ReviewAn audacious puzzle mystery, woven into an exquisitely crafted historical tale. One of the most original works in the history of Japanese mystery writing, which could never have been created by anyone other than Futaro Yamada -- Haruo Yuki, author of The Ark

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Book SynopsisOne evening the wealthy Roger Ackroyd is discovered slumped in his armchair, a knife buried in his heart. It is the start of a murder case that spurs the inhabitants of the sleepy English village of King's Abbot to feverish speculation. The local police are perplexed, but soon a recently retired Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, joins the investigation. The truth he uncovers will shock even the most imaginative of the village gossips. With its famously shocking ending, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of Agatha Christie's greatest mysteries, and the book that changed her career.

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Book SynopsisThere's blood in the backwaters of Kerala BOLLYWOOD Detective Harith Athreya is recuperating in the beautiful backwaters of Kerala when he meets a family of vacationing Bollywood royalty, who ask for his help making a murder mystery film. BANKRUPTCY But the family is not what it seems- there are rumours of major money troubles, links to organised crime, and rivalry between the scions. BUTCHERY When one of them is found dead, murdered exactly like a victim in the film, Athreya puts his holiday on hold to solve the case. Is this the work of an angry co-star, or something more sinister?Trade ReviewAbly-plotted, well-written and enjoyable * The Critic *

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Book SynopsisCan you solve the puzzle of the Noh Mask Murder?Death and madness have haunted the Chizui family for years. Now a strange figure has been seen wandering their mansion at night, wearing a sinister Noh mask that is said to bear a centuries-old curse.Budding crime writer and sleuth Akimitsu Takagi receives a desperate plea for help from the head of the family but arrives too late to find the man dead in a locked room, with the mask at his feet. Takagi begins to investigate, but it seems the curse of the mask is not finished with the Chizuis yet...From one of Japan's most renowned mystery writers-who appears in the novel as a detective!-The Noh Mask Murder is an ingeniously constructed masterpiece with a breathtaking ending.

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Book SynopsisAn irresistible gift edition of the mindbending thriller that inspired Hitchcock's Vertigo He isn't a cop anymore, but when an old friend asks Flavières to keep an eye on his dazzlingly beautiful wife, how can he refuse? And so he begins to scour the streets of wartime Paris in search of a woman who belongs to no one, not even to herself. Soon, intrigue is replaced by obsession, and dreams by nightmares, as the boundaries between the living and the dead begin to blur... This is the original breath-taking psychological thriller behind Hitchcock's legendary film-the story of a desperate man, tormented by his search for the truth, and ultimately destroyed by a dark, terrible secret.Trade Review'This story of obsession, deceit and human frailty has an almost overpowering intensity... Alongside Patricia Highsmith Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac deserve recognition as part of the great tradition of chilling psychological crime fiction.' - Crime Fiction Lover'Makes a fascinating companion to the Hitchcock film, and is, I think, an amazing book in its own right' - Lit Love'Gallic noir at its most psychologically acute' - Crime Scene'A fantastic book' - Col's Criminal Library'One of the pleasures of reading the book is noting how it compares with, and in places even improves on, the film' - The National

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Book Synopsis'The perfect sleuth for the Jazz Age' Crimereads 'With his highbrow manner and his parade of encyclopaedic learning, Philo Vance is not only a detective; he is a god out of the machine' New York Times 'Probably the most asinine character in detective fiction' Raymond Chandler __________ In one of the most well-known classic American puzzle mysteries, amateur detective Philo Vance must solve a baffling series of murders based on nursery rhymes A series of gruesome murders has left the glittering world of Jazz Age Manhattan in shock. With every new victim, the perpetrator sends a taunting note to the press, simply signed 'The Bishop'. New York's District Attorney turns to the only man who can crack the case: the dapper and brilliant detective Philo Vance. With his razor-sharp intellect and impeccable style, Vance sets out to track down the killer before more lives are lost, and soon uncovers a dark pattern to the murders. As the investigation takes him from the mansions of the city's elite to the seedy underworld of speakeasies and jazz clubs, Vance must use all his wits to stay one step ahead of The Bishop. Will he be able to solve the case in time, or risk becoming the killer's next victim?Trade Review'The perfect sleuth for the Jazz Age' - CrimeReads'Mr. Van Dine's amateur detective is the most gentlemanly, and probably the most scholarly snooper in literature' - Chicago Daily Tribune'The Philo Vance novels were well-crafted puzzlers that captivated readers' - Mystery Scene'With his highbrow manner and his parade of encyclopedic learning, Philo Vance is not only a detective; he is a god out of the machine' - New York Times'Probably the most asinine character in detective fiction' - Raymond Chandler

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Book SynopsisIt is 1870. When amateur archaeologist Adam Carver and his loyal but obdurate retainer Quint are visited in their lodgings in London's Doughty Street by an attractive young woman, their landlady is not pleased. The visitor's arrival pitches Carver and Quint headlong into an elaborate mystery which comes to centre on the existence (or not) of a lost text in Ancient Greek, one that may reveal the whereabouts of the treasure hoard of Philip II of Macedonia.Two deaths soon ensue as master and manservant follow what clues they can grasp in the roughest and most genteel parts of the teeming metropolis, with the whiff of cordite and blackmail never far from their nostrils. The scene shifts to Athens and the wilder fastness of a Greece gripped by political unrest as Carver and Quint join forces with Adam's former Cambridge tutor in an attempt to track down the elusive text. But nothing is quite what it seems, and no one involved is prepared for the final, shocking denouement amidst the extraordinary hilltop monasteries of Meteora...Trade ReviewA richly textured, thoroughly relishable helping of ripe Victoriana -- Phil Baker * The Sunday Times *It's entertaining stuff - knowing, but never too knowing - and Rennison's love of Victorian slang reflects a broader linguistic flair * Guardian *It's got the lot: mystery, murder, theft, blackmail, infamy, treachery, bandits, a beautiful maiden, heroes, villains, romance and adventure in bucket loads -- Sarah Broadhurst * Bookseller *Bristles with an energy and inventiveness that positively leap off the page... Readers may well be looking to spend more time in the company of Carver and Quint -- Barry Forshaw, Crimetime.co.ukA wonderfully researched, deftly written tale of deering-do * Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisA visit from the distraught Ronald Temple sets SHERLOCK HOLMES and Dr Watson on the hunt for a kidnapped child. With no ransom note and a sinister connection to the highest echelons of Victorian society, it becomes clear that it is no ordinary kidnapping, and soon the companions' lives are in danger. What is the child's true heritage? And what is the connection with the Whitechapel murders of a decade before?

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Book SynopsisA psychological thriller which studies the male desire to possess, control and watch his beloved in the most intimate of spaces.

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Book SynopsisAn eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth? Do people who have sinned deserve to be punished? One killer thinks so and that''s why there are bodies being found in strange situations. Can Taliesin MacLeavy find the killer before more people die?

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Amateur sleuth Mordecai Tremaine is back in another classic mystery from the author of Murder for ChristmasMordecai Tremaine’s hobby of choice – crime detection – has left him in need of a holiday. A break away from that gruesome business of murder will be just the ticket, and the picturesque island of Moulin d’Or seems to be just the destination. Amid the sunshine and the sea air, Mordecai falls in with a band of fellow holidaymakers and tries to forget that such a thing as foul play exists. He should have been wiser, of course, because before too long villainy rears its head and a dead body is discovered. With a killer stalking the sand dunes, it falls to Mordecai to piece together the truth about just who has smuggled murder on to the island idyll…

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Book SynopsisThis classic crime treat is the perfect Christmas gift for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh.‘A delight… An amateur sleuth to rival Miss Marple’ GuardianMrs Bradley, sharp-eyed detective and celebrated psychiatrist, has decided to spend Christmas with her nephew at his beautiful house in the Cotswolds.It isn’t long before a mystery unfolds. There are strange events occurring in the nearby wood and local villagers are receiving anonymous threatening letters. Then the snow begins to fall – and a body is discovered.Mrs Bradley is on the case, but she’ll have to hatch an ingenious plan to reveal the truth and find the culprit…First published in 1950 as Groaning Spinney.Trade ReviewOne of the "Big Three" female mystery novelists, judged the equal of Dorothy L Sayers and Agatha Christie * Independent *Take yourself back to a time in which ladies swoon, people say, “Dash it” and mixed-up telegrams land you in the wrong place at the wrong time. Murder in the Snow is a chocolate-box delight of a book… Just kick back and enjoy an era when even murder was sprinkled with mischievous innocence -- Kirsty Brimelow * The Times *If a relaxing diversion is of the essence for a good holiday, a Gladys Mitchell novel is a must * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisIn the Tokyo suburbs four women work the graveyard shift at a factory. Burdened with heavy debts, alienated from husbands and children, they all secretly dream of a way out of their dead-end lives. A young mother among them finally cracks and strangles her philandering, gambling husband. She confesses her crime to her colleagues and unexpectedly, they agree to help. But then the dismembered body parts are discovered, the police start asking questions and more dangerous enemies begin to close in.OUT is a psychologically taut and unflinching foray into the darkest recesses of the human soul, an unsettling reminder that the desperate desire for freedom can make the most ordinary person do the unimaginable.'Grimly satisfying - like no one you've ever read before' Kirkus ReviewsVINTAGE JAPANESE CLASSICS - five masterpieces of Japanese fiction in gorgeous new gift editions.Trade ReviewDaring and disturbing, OUT is prepared to push the limits of this world - not only in violence and sex but also in human outlook… Remarkable * Los Angeles Times *OUT is a potent cocktail of urban blight, perverse feminism and vigilante justice * New York Times Book Review *A shockingly intense read * Daily Telegraph *Brings the mystery thriller to new levels of intensity and realism - OUT has great plot twists, vigour and an ending that would make Hannibal Lecter smile * Library Journal *In this top-drawer page-turner, Kirino offers a clever snapshot of her own culture...slyly amusing and compulsive * Metro *

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Book Synopsis"You're always good on ideas, Tom..."An American art collector is claiming that the expensive masterpiece he bought is a fake. He wants to meet with the artist - but Tom Ripley knows that artist no longer exits.Ripley needs to hide his role in the fraud, and keep his colleague's mouth shut. But not everyone's nerves are as steady as his, especially when it comes to murder.The second in Highsmith's Ripley series, Ripley Under Ground is set six years after the events of The Talented Mr Ripley.'Patricia Highsmith is unrivalled' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewIn Ripley Under Ground Patricia Highsmith is in her most brilliant form * Daily Telegraph *The No.1 Greatest Crime Writer * The Times *Ripley Under Ground is Highsmith back on top of her most enjoyable humour-and-horrors form * Sunday Telegraph *By her hypnotic art Highsmith puts the suspense story into a toweringly high place in the hierachy of fiction * The Times *The Ripley books are marvellously, insanely readable * The Times *

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Book SynopsisVINTAGE CLASSICS' AMERICAN GOTHIC SERIESSpine-tingling, mind-altering and deliciously atmospheric, journey into the dark side of America with nine of its most uncanny classics.Edgar Allan Poe was a writer of uncommon talent; in The Murders in the Rue Morgue he created the genre of detective fiction while his genius for finding the strangeness lurking within us all has been an influence on everyone from Freud to Hollywood. This complete collection of all his short stories and novellas contains well-known tales 'The Pit and the Pendulum' and 'The Tell-Tale Heart' alongside hidden gems that both unsettle and enthrall the reader.Trade ReviewPoe's work as a whole is a series of haunting improvisations on themes from the macabre that are hard to categorise, dazzlingly original and posthumously influential on an extraordinary range of writers from Baudelaire and RL Stevenson to Yeats, Wilde and Borges * Observer *His work continues to enthral. His greatest tales (The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum) radiate a dark humour and mockery that strike an oddly modern note * Sunday Times *If genius is an exceptional capacity for imaginative creation, Poe had it in spades * Daily Mail *His reputation as a master of the grotesque and macabre has veiled the real cause of his fame: an astonishing mastery of language and literary technique which made Arthur Ransome, himself no mean story technician and a considerable literary critic, liken his stories to rare coloured goblets or fantastic metalwork * Independent *

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Book SynopsisThree complete radio dramas featuring writer-cum-amateur detective Paul Temple, plus bonus archive material. When it comes to classic crime partnerships, Paul Temple and his wife Steve are the crème de la crème. Between 1938 and 1968 their glamorous exploits enthralled generations of radio listeners around the world. Here, presented in chronological order, are some of the amateur detective's earliest adventures. 'Send for Paul Temple' (1940) is an early remake of the now-lost original 1938 BBC production. 'Paul Temple Intervenes' (1942) finds Paul and Steve investigating a series of celebrity murders, whilst 'Paul Temple and the Vandyke Affair' (the original 1950 production, presented here for the very first time) concerns the strange disappearance of the Desmond baby and her sitter. Hugh Morton, Bernard Braden, Carl Bernard and Peter Coke play Paul in these episodes, with Bernadette Hodgson, Peggy Hassard and Marjorie Westbury as Steve. A bonus disc features rare archive material from otherwise lost productions, including the final episodes of 'Send for Paul Temple' (1938) and 'Paul Temple and the Front Page Men' (1938). Duration: 11 hours approx.

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Book SynopsisSuicide is the official cause of death when a body is found on a secluded part of the Anglesey coastline. DI John has his suspicions and believes that hidden forces are at work. Police deception, domestic violence, injustice and suspicious deaths - following Y Milwr Coll, this is the next case for maverick policeman DI John from Anglesey.

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Book SynopsisFollowing a turbulent period in Cwm y Glo, Dela Arthur decides to take a break to regain her strength. However, it doesn''t take long for a new case to present itself, at a seaside town this time. Will the sea air reinvigorate her or cloud her judgement? Two deaths happen very close together in Abergorwel, and Dela wants to know if they are connected.

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Book SynopsisDetective Sergeant Eigil Holst is on holiday in the countryside when the body of a baby is washed up on the banks of a nearby lake. The local magistrate orders the lake to be drained and the body of a young woman is discovered, naked and weighed down with stones tied to her feet and neck. Her identity is a mystery. Holst then takes it upon himself to find out where this woman came from, why she was in this remote location and who could have had motive to kill her. His investigations take him across Scandinavia and into central Europe as, gradually, he realises that the solution to the mystery could have huge implications for his own future. Originally published in 1903, The Forest Lake Mystery is considered to be the very first Danish crime novel, and the annual Danish crime writing awards are named in honour of its author, Palle Rosenkrantz.

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Book SynopsisWhen breakfast TV host and nation's darling Rosie Harper is found brutally murdered at home, suspicion falls on her spouse, formerly international football star, Danny 'walks on water' Mallard, now living out of the public eye as trans woman, Debbie. Not only must Debbie challenge the hard evidence against her, including her blood-drenched glove at the scene of the crime, she must also contend with the world's prejudices, as the trial is broadcast live. For someone trying to live their life without judgment, it might be too much to bear. Legal duo Judith Burton and Constance Lamb feel the pressure of public scrutiny as they strive to defend their most famous client yet. Another thought-provoking courtroom drama from the acclaimed author of the Burton & Lamb series.Trade Review'A gripping mystery, sensitively told' - The Times, 'Thought-provoking...the trial is genuinely enthralling. Silver's real achievement is in making issues that fascinate lawyers transparent, accessible and entertaining to readers' - Jewish Chronicle

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Book SynopsisWhen eminent psychiatrist Dr Liz Sullivan is found dead in her bed, suspicion falls on local gamer and YouTube celebrity Jaden 'JD' Dodds. Did he target her because of her anti-gaming views and the work she undertook to expose the dangers of playing online games? And what was her connection with Valiant, an independent game manufacturer about to hit the big time, and its volatile boss? Judith Burton and Constance Lamb team up once more to defend JD when no one else is on his side. But just because he makes a living killing people on screen doesn't mean he'd do it in real life. Or does it?Trade Review'A first-rate courtroom thriller' --Daily Mail (Pinocchio Brief) "A tense thriller wrought from a cutting edge subject"--Times (Cinderella Plan) "Rumpole of the Bailey, Kavanagh QC, Perry Mason - now joining their ranks is Judith Burton' --Jewish Chronicle

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Book SynopsisWhen food magnate Brett Ingram collapses and dies at a public event, his seafood allergy is blamed and the caterer, Nick Demetriou, charged with manslaughter. Nick hires legal duo Judith Burton and Constance Lamb to defend him. They scrutinise the colourful panellists at the event - a food blogger, a beef farmer, a food scientist, a TV chef and a radio host - who all seem to be holding something back. There's something fishy about the allergy story. Did one of the speakers have a hand in the businessman's death? And what of the nasty incidents that keep befalling them? Should the net be cast wider to include opponents of Brett's mysterious Ambrosia initiative? In another of Abi Silver's nail-biting games of courtroom cat-and-mouse, Judith and Constance must find the truth among a smorgasbord of lies and deception.Trade Review'Abi Silver writes her years of legal experience into each of her courtroom thrillers' The Big Issue 'It is Abi Silver's imaginative touches as well as her thorough legal knowledge that make her courtroom thrillers stand out' Jake Kerridge 'Rumpole of the Bailey, Kavanagh QC, Perry Mason - now joining their ranks is Judith Burton' Jewish Chronicle

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Book SynopsisA series of grisly murders rocks London. At each location, only a jumble of bones remains of the deceased, along with a bizarre sphere covered in strange symbols. The son of the latest victim seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes and his former partner, Dr. John Watson.They discover the common thread tying together the murders. Bizarre geometries, based on ancient schematics, enable otherworldly creatures to enter our dimension, seeking to wreak havoc and destruction.The persons responsible are gaining so much power that even Holmes's greatest enemy fears them-to the point that he seeks an unholy alliance.Trade Review"THE ADVENTURE OF THE DEADLY DIMENSIONS is a wild, exciting and thoroughly satisfying collision of otherworldly horror and deductive reasoning. So much fun!"--Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of V-WARS and PREDATOR ONE.

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Book SynopsisFollowing a summons to a fictional patient, Dr Watson finds himself arrested for the horrific murder of an elderly woman. Imprisoned and with the evidence against him, Watson's only hope is that Sherlock Holmes can discover the identity of the real killer. But when a mysterious letter appears to link Watson to blackmail and a notorious street gang, Holmes must use all his powers of reasoning to save his friend from the hangman’s noose.

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Book SynopsisFrom Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner - during his life, the best-selling American author of all time -- comes a lost classic of detective fiction featuring private eyes Donald Lam (once played by Frank Sinatra!) and Bertha Cool. Has Donald Lam gone to the dark side? From the world-famous creator of "Perry Mason," Erle Stanley Gardner - at his death the best-selling American writer of all time - comes another baffling case for the Cool & Lam detective agency: SHILLS CAN'T CASH CHIPS. Return to the 1960s as a simple insurance investigation into a car accident puts Bertha Cool and Donald Lam on the trail of murder - and Donald hip-deep in danger when he poses as an ex-con to infiltrate a criminal gang. It's Gardner's twistiest caper ever, and a fitting capper to Hard Case Crime's revival of this classic (and long unavailable) detective series.Trade Review"A high-spirited romp you'll be sorry to see end." - Kirkus Reviews "Just the ticket for fans of retro crime fiction." - Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisSherlock Holmes’s latest case takes him to the heart of Paris, in pursuit of Marguerite Hardy – a mysterious Frenchwoman who fled her comfortable English home when she received a strange letter. Desperate for her safe return, her husband begs for Holmes’s help. But Holmes’s investigations will take him and his cousin, Henry Vernier, into a world of theft, seduction and betrayal – and uncover a secret that has been buried for over twenty years.

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Book SynopsisThe new novel by NBA All-Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, starring brothers Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. It is 1873, and as the economies of Europe threaten to crumble, Mycroft Holmes finds himself in service to the Crown once again. A distant relative of Queen Victoria has been slain by the Fire Four Eleven killer, a serial murderer who leaves no mark upon his victims, only a mysterious calling card. Meanwhile, Sherlock has already taken it upon himself to solve the case, as his interest in the criminal mind grows into an obsession. Mycroft begrudgingly allows Sherlock to investigate, as Ai Lin--the woman he is still in love with--needs his aid. Her fiance has been kidnapped, and the only man who might know his fate is a ruthless arms dealer with a reputation for killing those who cross him. Mycroft persuades his friend Cyrus Douglas to help find the young man, but Douglas himself is put in harm's way. As Sherlock travels the country on the hunt for the Fire Four Eleven murderer, both he and Mycroft will discover that the greed of others is at the root of the evil they are trying to unearth...Trade Review"Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse's third pastiche (after 2018's Mycroft and Sherlock), their best yet, provides intriguing challenges for both Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes while continuing to present plausible backstories for the brothers....The authors do a stellar job of illuminating the siblings' developing relationship while concocting a clever and twisty plot. Sherlockians will be enthralled." -Publishers Weekly Starred Review "All the usual pleasures--blood and thunder, sibling rivalry, historical walk-ons..." -Kirkus Reviews "The third Mycroft tale is another winner. The Victorian setting is well drawn, the dialog rings true, the period details, both factual and fictive, support a labyrinthine plot including race and class distinctions...Highly recommended, as are its two predecessors." -Library Journal Starred Review "The Mycroft books are notable for...creating deep characters who would have been largely ignored or nonexistent in the actual literature of the age: characters of color" - CrimeReads "The third novel in this cunning series...just might be its best...This fast-paced installment is filled with rich and intriguing character backstories and period details that Sherlocks fans will love." - Barnes & Noble Best New Mysteries "Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse capture the flavor of Arthur Conan Doyle's Victorian London and his characters to a tee." - BookPage "Thoroughly entertaining mystery, with great appeal for Holmesians, in particular, and fans of Victorian mysteries, in general." -Booklist "With a diverse and colorful cast of characters, and two very challenging crimes to solve, The Empty Birdcage is a delightful telling of the relationship between a pair of siblings destined for greater things, while giving some insight of why they become the way they are later in life." -New York Journal of Books "The third book in this superb series again provides an elegant writing style with a captivating mystery. Don't you love abstruse clues left by a serial killer that only geniuses like the Holmes brothers could decipher?" -Otto Penzler, editor of The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories "Could one have ever imagined Sherlock Holmes without Watson? There is a new partnership afoot, of the pre-Watson, young and energetic Holmes brothers. This volume continues the initial pairing of Mycroft and Sherlock to our complete delight." -Michael F. Whelan, president of The Baker Street Irregulars "Another important chapter in the secret, thrilling lives of the brothers as they become Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes! I hope we see many more from the brilliant team of Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse!"--Leslie S. Klinger, editor, New Annotated Sherlock Holmes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse's crackling international intrigue Mycroft & Sherlock - The Empty Birdcage re-animates Conan Doyle's world and makes it their own. Their portrait of Mycroft Holmes, his best friend Cyrus Douglas, the Trinidad born tobacco merchant whose race means he is in a kind of perennial disguise, and Mycroft's younger brother Sherlock broadens the lens through which the world of crime is seen. Through a parallel series of mysteries that stretch from the quiet English countryside to the London docks, the landing stage for a world in violent transition, KAJ and AW bring to the foreground the voices of those whose stories have too long been footnotes and now take their place in the complex, historically vibrant page-turner. - Walter Mosley, NY Times Best-Selling Author & Edgar Award Grandmaster Recipient "What began as a remarkable standalone in Mycroft Holmes has become a series eagerly anticipated by not only the Sherlockian community, but lovers of well-executed historical fiction in general" - Criminal Element "In the third adventure, MYCROFT AND SHERLOCK: The Empty Birdcage, Abdul-Jabbar and Waterhouse are at the top of their game" - Reviewing the Evidence "Our authors absolutely shine in the way they hint at the canon they're writing towards with this series" - The Frumious Consortium "Waterhouse and Abdul-Jabbar deliver a satisfying one-two punch." - San Francisco Book Review "Nicely done, with style and substance." - Sherlockians and Doyleans "an impressively researched prequel...tracing Mycroft Holmes's journey from virile young bachelor to sedentary brain in a jar remains as riveting as ever" - CrimeReads Year in Sherlock "Brilliantly written and intricately plotted" -Ellery Queen Magazine

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