Classic crime and mystery fiction

Book SynopsisSet in London in 1968, A CURTAIN TWITCHER'S BOOK OF MURDER follows the lives of the inhabitants of a suburban London street. But this is no ordinary road.

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Book SynopsisSet in London in 1968, A CURTAIN TWITCHER'S BOOK OF MURDER follows the lives of the inhabitants of a suburban London street. But this is no ordinary road.

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Book SynopsisMore in the bestselling, fan favourite crime series from Leigh Russell.

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Book SynopsisIn the hazy heat of a Dorset summer, retired DI Thomas Maitland faces an unlaid ghost of the past wreaking retribution in the present.

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW NOVEL FROM ONE OF THE UK'S FAVOURITE CRIME WRITERS WITH OVER 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD.

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Book SynopsisThis delicously funny first in a new series of country house murder mysteries is full of period Twenties flavour and introduces feisty dressmaker Jemima Flowerday.

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Book SynopsisA dark Southern tale of desperate souls who've wound up on the road of poor choices, a messianic child with untold powers, and those out hunting her for their own reward, all drawn together by Michael Farris Smith's trademark mournful, spirit-gnawing prose.

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Book SynopsisA thrilling mystery unfolds in Oxford as a 50,000 prize sparks chaos. Theatre nurse Rachel and troubled police officer John become entangled in the game. When a man vanishes and Rachel senses a stalker, they uncover dark secrets leading to a sinister mansionwhere lies unravel and lives hang in the balance.

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Book SynopsisA missing starlet.An unsolved mystery.Can Lily save Hollywood's next big movie star?Lily Jones is thrilled to find herself in the 1950s. She misses her life from 2024 but has a blossoming romance with her musician friend Louis and her dream job working on a movie set.The lead actress Kitty Fox is a rising star, yet Lily recalls that after this movie she goes missing, her disappearance an unsolved mystery that barely makes a ripple in Hollywood history.But as Lily begins to understand the brutal studio system of the 1950s she wonders if there might be something sinister at play.Whatever happened to Kitty Fox? Can Lily save her and change the course of history?Readers adore the Hotel Hollywood series:A fabulous, sweepingly glamorous book I was completely caught up in 50s Vegas and the mobsters, movie stars and murder that kept me turning the pages until the small hours.' Amanda LeesBrimming with wonderful characters, cracking dialogue, exquisite description and an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing all the way quite simply a joy.' A.A. ChaudhuriCrime, glamour and love - Lisa Hall's latest time-slip novel is an absolute joy' Annabel KantariaFull of Las Vegas glamour, thrills, nostalgia and vivid characters. I loved it!' Louise SwansonFresh, fun and full of suspense. Crime-solving, time-hopping Lily Jones is a brilliant character and 1950s Vegas, in all its glamour and seediness, springs to life through her eyes.' Joanna DoddPut Las Vegas mobsters, a couple of showgirls, and a sexy musician into a shaker, pour that into a martini glass and add a plot twist. Lily Jones is back in her latest time-hopping mystery guaranteed to knock your bobby socks off.' Elena HartwellA brilliant timeslip novelI love the mix of history, real people and fictional characters and the setting is beautifully imagined and compelling a page turner and a joy to read.'????? Reader ReviewOh my days I love the glamour and glitz of the bygone era...so it is great that the author is recreating it and giving it more intrigue with an absolutely cracking case.'????? Reader ReviewThis book made me so happy, I read it in a dayI loved it.'????? Reader ReviewThe story rattles along at a pacea book to remember.'????? Reader Review

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Book SynopsisThe Earl of Lowesdale is found hanging at Wasdale Hall. Two hikers go missing. Both investigations lead DI Kelly Porter to dark secrets at the Lake District's most exclusive estate.

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Book SynopsisLondon, 1969. Great Britain has flourished under National Socialist rule since its integration into the Third Reich after the Second Great War a war Great Britain lost and the nation is at peace. Or so it seems. A psychedelic drug named Yonder has taken the working class population by storm, and has become a figurehead for a silent protest against the Nationalist Socialist regime. It is now the single greatest threat to social order, and must be stopped. British-born Detective Sergeant John Highsmith an officer in the Metropolitan Police's Drug Enforcement Squad is a member of the Task Force dedicated to achieving just this. But the job is not so straightforward, and when John is confronted with violence, torture, and death, only his stead-fast loyalty to National Socialism will protect him as he puts his life on the line in the name of the Reich. A harrowing tale of what might have been, In the Name of the Reich examines how Nazi rule would have warped British society and a young man raised under it. It is uncompromising in its depiction, and aims to revolutionise this genre of fiction.

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Book SynopsisAfter the death of her husband, Gracie leaves her home and friends in London to begin a new life with her children. She moves to Worcester, then takes a holiday in Devon and finds a beautiful cove near a quarry and a picturesque windmill and decides to call it Paradise Cove.But things take a dark and sinister turn when her friend dies, and Gracie becomes the victim of an attempted murder. She realises quickly that there is something very wrong in Paradise Cove.With heartbreak, attempted murder and a mysterious death, will Gracie find her happily ever after?

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Book SynopsisThe second book in a series of crime novels about the British Transport Police. Written by a former BTP detective showing the unique challenges of working in such a dangerous environment as the public transport system.

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Book SynopsisA traditional cosy crime novel but stands out from others because one of the sleuths is a ghost. A sequel to 'One Hundred Days'.

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Book SynopsisMichael Moorcock's triumphant return to Britain's adventuring detective, Sexton Blake! His first published novel restored, revised, expanded... and presented with a brand new prequel story!A deep sea mission...A baffling murder...Beneath a sky of limpid sapphire blue, the research ship Gorgon rolls gently on the scintillating waters of the Caribbean Sea.Below, two men in a bathysphere, lowered more than a 150 fathoms into the crushing depths. But when the sphere is raised, there is only one man inside... and he has a knife in his back!Now Sexton Blake must answer an impossible question: How did the killer escape?**Trade Review“Makes Jack Reacher look like a bungling amateur...definitely not be missed.” — The Crime Review“Delighted to see Sexton Blake still going strong – and with such aplomb!” -- Agatha Christie"The Sexton Blake Saga is the nearest approach to a national folk-lore" -- Dorothy L Sayers"After more than seventy years of continuous publication, Sexton Blake is still the doyen of detectives." -- Daily Telegraph"[Moorcock] is the greatest writer of post-Tolkien British Fantasy." — Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalaier & Clay, and Telegraph Avenue"Moorcock’s influence is nothing like Tolkien’s, at least on the surface, but his vision of a speculative-fiction genre that can be psychologically complex is evident in how very sophisticated some of it has become—from “True Detective” to Jeff VanderMeer, from David Mitchell to “Under the Skin.” — The New Yorker"Moorcock as the most important successor to Mervyn Peake and Wyndham Lewis... The vast, tragic symbols by which Moorcock continually illuminates the metaphysical quest of his hero are a measure of the author’s remarkable talents" — J.G.Ballard, author of Empire of the Sun, Crash, and The Drowned World"[Moorcock] can gleefully give you all the formulae of every kind of story there ever was, because he's tried and tested all of them ... the master story-teller of our time." — Angela Carter author of The Bloody Chamber, and Nights at the Circus"Serious literary fun as Mark Hodder vaults to the front of the new steampunk writers pack. Elaborately researched and name-checked, THE SECRET OF ABDU EL YEZDI races Victorian explorer Sir Richard Burton through a diabolically baffling maze of historical possiblities -- plus there's corsets and airships. Hard to imagine any lover of alternate British empires not being thoroughly amazed and entertained" ? K.W. Jeter

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Book SynopsisRural Iraq, during the war against the so-called Islamic State. A pregnancy out of wedlock. The young woman knows her fate is sealed. In crystalline prose May the Tigris Grieve for You enters the minds of all protagonists, before and after death; fragments of the legend of Gilgamesh, the Mesopotamian hero who carries along the memory of the country and its people, punctuate the family members' short monologues, spaced with the mythical voice of the Tigris River, who has seen it all.; Inspired by her experience of Iraq's complex reality and brutal wars, Malfatto delivers an uncompromising yet compassionate insight into a rigid society ruled by fathers and sons, a world in which life matters less than honour. Winner of the Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman 2021.Trade Review'A chorus of a novel with a rare intensity... here honour rhymes with horror. Each page is dazzling.' - Le Figaro Litteraire;'With masterful lyricism and elegant language, Emilienne Malfatto gives an account of one of the intimate tragedies that so often pass unnoticed between falling bombs' - Liberation; 'Approaching the tragedy of femicide from the inside, Emilienne Malfatto brings a stripped back lyricism to these destinies of submission.' - Livres Hebdo; 'The writing is simple, the sentences often short and arresting. The story comes swift and powerful, a true literary achievement.' - France Info Culture; 'A long poem in prose, like a fable, or Greek tragedy. A beautiful book, and beautiful first novel.' - France bleue radio; 'A hard-hitting tale of many voices, that is strong, moving and painful in equal measure.' - Femmes ici et ailleurs; 'A first novel that reads raw, laid bare, short and hard-hitting. A taut tragedy, like a rope that we know is fragile, threatened by obscurantim, the weight of tradition and taboo. A deep dive into present day Iraq.' - Bernard Magnier, Le francais dans le monde

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Book Synopsis A gripping mystery with a classic feel, for fans of Agatha Christie 'Haunting and exquisitely written. Part intricate mystery and part ghost story. This book will stay with me for a long time' Anna MazzolaThe drive leads past the gate house and through the trees towards the big house, visible through the winter-bared branches. Its windows stare down at Harkin and the sea beyond . . .January 1921. Though the Great War is over, in Ireland a new, civil war is raging. The once-grand Kilcolgan House, a crumbling bastion shrouded in sea-mist, lies half empty and filled with ghosts - both real and imagined - the Prendevilles, the noble family within, co-existing only as the balance of their secrets is kept.Then, when an IRA ambush goes terribly wrong, Maud Prendeville, eldest daughter of Lord Kilcolgan, is killed, leaving the family reeling. Yet the IRA column insist they left her alive, that someone else must have been responsible for her terrible fate. Captain Tom Harkin, an IRA intelligence officer and Maud's former fiancé, is sent to investigate, becoming an unwelcome guest in this strange, gloomy household.Working undercover, Harkin must delve into the house's secrets - and discover where, in this fractured, embattled town, each family member's allegiances truly lie. But Harkin too is haunted by the ghosts of the past and by his terrible experiences on the battlefields. Can he find out the truth about Maud's death before the past - and his strange, unnerving surroundings - overwhelm him?A haunting, atmospheric mystery set against the raw Irish landscape in a country divided, The Winter Guest is the perfect chilling read.Praise for THE WINTER GUEST and W.C. Ryan'A snowflake of a novel: intricate, exquisite, and unlike any other. If Sebastian Faulks and Laura Purcell were to join forces, they might produce a novel like this... yet I can't imagine anyone but WC Ryan shaping it with such imagination, or charging it with such intelligence, or gracing it with such heart' A.J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window 'Haunting, gripping . . . hugely evocative' Elodie Harper'Works superbly on several levels. This is a most welcome winter guest indeed, to be greeted by the fire with drink in hand' Irish Times'Ryan evokes this moody, gothic atmosphere with convincing skill. Harkin is a sensitive, complex character and his quest to solve the mystery is deftly plotted. A treat' The Times'A perfectly crafted mystery. Vivid, compelling and deeply moving, it is a triumph both as a crime novel and a work of historical fiction' Jane Casey'A beautifully taut and evocative thriller' Sarah Hilary'Superb . . . I could not put it down' Elizabeth Buchan'Atmospheric and genuinely eerie, this is an ideal winter read' Sinead Crowley'A terrifically atmospheric, gripping novel' Amanda Craig, The Golden Rule'Haunting, beautifully crafted, and full of heart. Perfect reading for dark days' A.K. Benedict, author of The Christmas Murder Game'Beautifully written, haunting and unmissable' Cass Green'Excellent murder mystery/ghost story set during the Irish war of independence and as usual with W.C. Ryan, beautifully written' Liz Nugent'Intriguing, haunting, romantic and beautifully written, I cared as much about the fate of the characters as about the gripping mystery' Laura Marshall*longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger award 2023: 22/04/23 (https://thecwa.co.uk/awards-and-competitions/the-daggers/gold-dagger)Trade ReviewRyan evokes this moody, gothic atmosphere with convincing skill. Harkin is a sensitive, complex character and his quest to solve the mystery is deftly plotted. A treat. * The Times *A haunting, gripping novel . . . hugely evocative, with some absolutely beautiful writing which captures the profound unease of the times and the bleak nature of the landscape. I really loved this book. * Elodie Harper, The Wolf Den *A terrifically atmospheric, gripping novel. * Amanda Craig, author of The Golden Rule *Ryan writes with precision and elegance... This is the best historical crime novel set in Ireland I have read. * Literary Review *In 2018, WC Ryan published A House Of Ghosts, a superb period mystery with spooky overtones, and now he returns with an equally engrossing read. A clever whodunnit with a bracing whiff of the supernatural. * Daily Express *A snowflake of a novel: intricate, exquisite, and unlike any other. Here, as in his every book, Ryan once again recalls Graham Greene - the command of plot, the precision of language - but The Winter Guest also finds him summoning the dark-rose spectres of haunted-house classics like The Woman in Black. If Sebastian Faulks and Laura Purcell were to join forces, they might produce a novel like this... yet I can't imagine anyone but WC Ryan shaping it with such imagination, or charging it with such intelligence, or gracing it with such heart. * AJ Finn, international bestselling author of The Woman in the Window *The Winter Guest works superbly on several levels. As a mystery it unfolds in well-constructed, satisfyingly dramatised scenes, with sharp dialogue and an especially nice line in flirtatious banter. Ryan deftly sketches the contours of a society where friends and mortal enemies live at close quarters, and explores those shifting, volatile allegiances with subtlety and nuance. This is a most welcome winter guest indeed, to be greeted by the fire with drink in hand. * Irish Times *A serendipitously timed, impeccably researched and utterly intriguing historical mystery that lays bare the societal fractures caused in Ireland's fight for freedom. * Irish Independent *Excellent murder mystery/ghost story set during the Irish war of independence and as usual with W.C. Ryan, beautifully written. * Liz Nugent *A beautifully taut and evocative thriller. * Sarah Hilary *Ryan adroitly marshals a dense plot in a thriller that bears comparison with both le Carré and Buchan. William Ryan - writing here as WC Ryan - has a le Carré-like facility with genre. Like le Carré, Ryan's novels converge at the point where crime fiction, the historical novel and the spy thriller intersect. His Russian crime series, featuring Captain Alexei Korolev of the Moscow Militia, established his reputation as a compelling storyteller. Ryan's story commands your undivided attention . . . his marshalling of his extremely dense plot is deft and assured . . . and the tension builds to a crescendo that keeps the reader guessing until the final pages. His prose is richly evocative of the historical period. Seriously impressive . . . a ripping yarn. * Sunday Times (Ireland) *Apart from the immaculately paced plot, there's an aura in this novel that's quite bewitching, with the dead coming and going like the west wind, wordless but somehow profound. Harkin's loneliness is so palpable it's like a solid thing, bringing John Banville's Quirke and PD James's Dalgliesh to mind. He is a man mired in darkness but vaguely attempting to reach for some elusive shaft of light. Here's hoping we encounter him again. * Sunday Irish Independent *Haunting and exquisitely written. Part intricate mystery and part ghost story. This book will stay with me for a long time. * Anna Mazzola *Atmospheric and genuinely eerie, this is an ideal winter read. * Sinead Crowley *Beautifully written, haunting and unmissable. * Cass Green *A master of the dark arts penning spine-tingling ghost stories. Ryan conjures up the perfect winter's tale... Perfectly pitched for the dark nights, The Winter Guest is a multi-layered, twisting turning masterpiece that moves deftly through a claustrophobic miasma of bitter recriminations, divided loyalties, ghostly shadows, deadly deeds, dangerous double-crossing, and thrills that chill to the bone. Entertaining, unsettling and utterly captivating, this is Ryan at his intelligent, storytelling best. Don't miss it! -- Pam Norfolk * Lancashire Evening Post *Superb . . . an old war and new sectarianism, family division and decay, a love story, murder, layered in with such finesse and skill. I could not put it down. * Elizabeth Buchan *Intriguing, haunting, romantic and beautifully written, I cared as much about the fate of the characters as about the gripping mystery. * Laura Marshall *The horrors of the First World War spill into an Irish countryside aflame with revolution in this superb tale of treachery, murder and divided loyalties. Excellent. * Michael Ridpath, author of The Diplomat’s wife. *A stunning book, beautifully written. I'm haunted by it. * Ann Cleeves *A beautifully written, atmospheric novel about Ireland in 1921, betrayal and spies, an ambush and a brutal murder. Agatha Christie meets Elizabeth Bowen with an edge of Graham Greene. I loved it * Jane Casey *

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Book SynopsisTHE FIRST IN THE ORIGINAL LAIDLAW TRILOGY. WINNER OF THE CWA SILVER DAGGER.THE DARK REMAINS, Laidlaw's first case, out 2 September 2021. PRE-ORDER NOW!'If you only read one crime novel this year, this should be it' Guardian'A bloody good read' Val McDermidWhen a young woman is found brutally murdered in Kelvingrove Park, only one man stands a chance of finding her killer. Jack Laidlaw. He is a man of contrasts, ravaged by inner demons but driven by a deep compassion for the violent criminals in Glasgow's underworld. But will Laidlaw's unorthodox methods get him to the killer in time, when the victim's father is baying for blood?Acclaimed for its corrosive wit, dark themes and original maverick detective, the Laidlaw trilogy has earned the status of classic crime fiction.Trade ReviewHe kicked the door open so the likes of Ian Rankin, Denise Mina and me could sneak through behind him -- VAL McDERMIDThe pure distilled essence of Scottish crime writing -- PETER MAYFastest, first and best, Laidlaw is the melancholy heir to Marlowe. Reads like a breathless scalpel cut through the bloody heart of a city -- DENISE MINAIt's doubtful I would be a crime writer without the influence of McIlvanney's Laidlaw -- IAN RANKINForensic examination would likely reveal that all Scottish crime novels have a little Laidlaw in their DNA . . . Powerful, gripping and beautifully written -- Craig Robertson * * Guardian, Top 10 Scottish crime novels * *A crime trilogy so searing it will burn forever into your memory. McIlvanney is the original Scottish criminal mastermind -- CHRISTOPHER BROOKMYREMcIlvanney is the razor king of Scottish crime writing, carving out crackling prose and pounding storylines. His Laidlaw is an enduring hero with the dry wit and insight to make other literary detectives seem two-dimensional -- GORDON FERRISThe Laidlaw books are not just great crime novels, they are important ones. McIlvanney proved that crime writing could have both perfect style and huge ambition. Most of us writing crime fiction today are standing on the shoulders of giants. McIlvanney is one such giant -- MARK BILLINGHAMIf you only read one crime novel this year, this should be it * * Guardian * *In his compelling novel, LAIDLAW, McIlvanney lays bare the soul of Glasgow, capturing every nuance of its many voices -- ALEX GRAY

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Book SynopsisTHE THIRD IN THE ORIGINAL LAIDLAW TRILOGYTHE DARK REMAINS, Laidlaw's first case, out 2 September 2021. PRE-ORDER NOW!'The Laidlaw books are not just great crime novels, they are important ones' Mark Billingham'It's doubtful I would be a crime writer without the influence of McIlvanney's Laidlaw' Ian RankinWhen his brother dies stepping out in front of a car, Jack Laidlaw is determined to find out what really happened. Laidlaw begins an emotional quest through Glasgow's underworld, and into the past. He discovers as much about himself as about the brother he has lost, in a search that leads to a shattering climax.Acclaimed for its corrosive wit, dark themes and original maverick detective, the Laidlaw trilogy has earned the status of classic crime fiction.Trade ReviewIt's doubtful I would be a crime writer without the influence of McIlvanney's Laidlaw -- IAN RANKINHis Laidlaw is an enduring hero with the dry wit and insight to make other literary detectives seem two-dimensional -- GORDON FERRISThe Laidlaw books are not just great crime novels, they are important ones -- MARK BILLINGHAMTransfixing * * Sunday Times * *He kicked the door open so the likes of Ian Rankin, Denise Mina and me could sneak through behind him -- VAL McDERMIDThe pure distilled essence of Scottish crime writing -- PETER MAYA crime trilogy so searing it will burn forever into your memory. McIlvanney is the original Scottish criminal mastermind -- CHRISTOPHER BROOKMYREThe good news is that Laidlaw is back * * Observer * *In a class of his own * * Guardian * *Reads like a breathless scalpel cut through the bloody heart of a city -- DENISE MINA

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Book SynopsisTHE SECOND IN THE ORIGINAL LAIDLAW TRILOGY. WINNER OF THE CWA SILVER DAGGER. THE DARK REMAINS, Laidlaw's first case, out 2 September 2021. PRE-ORDER NOW!'In a class of his own' Guardian'Reads like a breathless scalpel through the bloody heart of a great city' Denise MinaEck Adamson, an alcoholic vagrant, summons Jack Laidlaw to his deathbed. Probably the only policeman in Glasgow who would bother to respond, Laidlaw sees in Eck's cryptic last message a clue to the murder of a gangland thug and the disappearance of a student. With stubborn integrity, Laidlaw tracks a seam of corruption that runs from the top to the bottom of society.Acclaimed for its corrosive wit, dark themes and original maverick detective, the Laidlaw trilogy has earned the status of classic crime fiction.Trade ReviewA bloody good read -- VAL McDERMIDThe pure distilled essence of Scottish crime writing -- PETER MAYA crime trilogy so searing it will burn forever into your memory. McIlvanney is the original Scottish criminal mastermind -- CHRISTOPHER BROOKMYREIt's doubtful I would be a crime writer without the influence of McIlvanney's Laidlaw -- IAN RANKINIn a class of his own * * Guardian * *The good news is that Laidlaw is back * * Observer * *He kicked the door open so the likes of Ian Rankin, Denise Mina and me could sneak through behind him -- VAL McDERMIDFastest, first and best, Laidlaw is the melancholy heir to Marlowe. Reads like a breathless scalpel cut through the bloody heart of a city -- DENISE MINAMcIlvanney is the razor king of Scottish crime writing, carving out crackling prose and pounding storylines. His Laidlaw is an enduring hero with the dry wit and insight to make other literary detectives seem two-dimensional -- GORDON FERRISThe Laidlaw books are not just great crime novels, they are important ones. McIlvanney proved that crime writing could have both perfect style and huge ambition. Most of us writing crime fiction today are standing on the shoulders of giants. McIlvanney is one such giant -- MARK BILLINGHAM

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Book Synopsis'An epic, devastating, majestic mystery. Clever, richly imagined and outright thrilling' Chris Whitaker Berkeley, California 1944: A former presidential candidate is assassinated in one of the rooms at the opulent Claremont Hotel. A rich industrialist, Walter Wilkinson could have been targeted by any number of adversaries. But Detective Al Sullivan's investigation brings up the spectre of another tragedy at the Claremont ten years earlier: the death of seven-year-old Iris Stafford, a member of the wealthy and influential Bainbridge family. Some say she haunts the Claremont still. The many threads of the case keep leading Sullivan back to the three remaining Bainbridge heiresses, now adults: Iris's sister, Isabella, and her cousins Cassie and Nicole. Determined not to let anything distract him from the truth - not the powerful influence of Bainbridges' grandmother, or the political aspirations of Berkeley's district attorney, or the interest of Chinese first lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek - Sullivan follows his investigation to its devastating conclusion. Chua's page-turning debut brings to life a historical era rife with turbulent social forces and ground-breaking forensic advances, when access to power, and therefore justice, hinged on gender, race and class.'Riveting' Daily Mail'Intriguing' Sunday Times'Vividly intoxicating' Janice HallettTrade ReviewHistorical detective noir at its best. A vividly intoxicating story weaves the political landscape of post-war California together with the mystery and humanity of a notoriously tragic upper class family. A multi-layered read with something to say. Intelligent, surprising and satisfying. I can't believe this is a debut! -- Janice HallettAn epic, devastating, majestic mystery. The Golden Gate is clever, richly imagined and outright thrilling. -- Chris WhitakerBrimful of plot, packed with intriguing characters ... a riveting homage to American crime noir. * Daily Mail *All the elements I love in a mystery: A tough-guy homicide detective, an entrancing femme fatale, family secrets, a fabulous building in a beautiful city in a great time period, a touch of Agatha Christie, and a soupcon of Dashiell Hammett. And Amy Chua's terrific writing provides the icing. -- Lisa SeeAn intriguing mystery * Sunday Times *An atmospheric page-turner * Prima *A tour de force of a novel. Brilliantly detailed, unflinching and supercharged with colour and character. Bravo -- Elizabeth BuchanA sharp, stylish and fascinating mystery novel that bring to life the grit, glamour and complexity of 1940s America -- Anna MazzolaA richly satisfying historical mystery that draws on its setting for more than mere atmosphere * Publishers Weekly *A sumptuous, rollercoaster of a read. Beautifully and intricately plotted, it reads like James Ellroy decided to channel Raymond Chandler and set a story in golden age San Francisco. I whizzed through it in two days and didn't want it to end. -- Simon ToyneSatisfyingly twisty, highly educational and lots of fun * Kirkus, starred review *A riveting mystery ... Chua skilfully creates tension * Booklist *A successful, compelling mashup of California history, ghost story, family drama and social commentary * Library Journal *Rich and satisfying ... an entertaining read * Seattle Times *A tough guy with room for gentleness... Detective Al Sullivan and his crew are a joy, introducing us to a Bay Area that is both intimately familiar and surprisingly new. -- Laurie R. King

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Book SynopsisSir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a writer and physician. Born in Edinburgh in Scotland, he began writing short stories while studying medicine. His first work featuring his famous literary creation, (the detective Sherlock Holmes) was A Study in Scarlet, published in 1886. Relentlessly curious about a vast range of subjects, his interests were reflected in the vast array of knowledge that Sherlock Holmes exhibited in his stories. Conan Doyle died at the age of 71 and is buried in Hampshire.

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Book Synopsis1st book in the Morden series DI James Morden and his sister Kat explore the dark secrets of Bath and its surroundings in crime thriller involving workers in a residential home, political corruption and a national debate on assisted suicide.

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Book SynopsisA thrilling tale of mystery and crime from a master storyteller. A pacy tale from the original master of detective fiction Wilkie Collins. Transported from the temples of India to atmospheric Victorian England, the scene is set for a tale which twists between death, drugs, mystery and, most of all, misdirection. Rachel inherits the moonstone from her uncle on her 18th birthday, a cursed diamond of sacred importance stolen from India. When the stone goes missing, Sergeant Cuff is faced with a myriad of possible culprits, from mysterious Indian jugglers who may not be all they seem, to a very oddly acting maidservant. Told from the viewpoints of various vivid characters, Collins spins a tale of intrigue with many a wrong-turn as the moonstone leaves a path of destruction in its wake.FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and fantasy to science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic. Each book features a brand new biography and glossary of Literary, Gothic and Victorian terms.

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Book SynopsisLittle treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. Originally published as a series in The Strand Magazine, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s second collection of Sherlock Holmes stories was originally intended to mark the final appearance of the brilliant detective. Holmes’ exceptional powers of observation and deduction are once more put to the test in these twelve adventures full of murder and intrigue, culminating in “The Final Problem”. After finally meeting his match in Professor James Moriarty, a nefarious criminal mastermind, Holmes must face off against his most dangerous nemesis yet.

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Book SynopsisLittle treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. Regarded by many as one of the greatest crime novels, The Hound of the Baskervilles brings Sherlock Holmes to the brink of failure before the inevitable triumph at the end. His deductive, rational approach, one that determines his every move, is pitched against supernatural forces, in the search for the mysterious cause of Sir Charles Baskerville's death. Was it the family curse, a huge phantom hound, or something more logical and explainable? Sherlock Holmes has entertained readers and viewers alike for over 120 years, remaining one of the most celebrated movie characters, played more recently by Robert Downey Jnr (Iron Man) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr Strange).

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Book SynopsisEdgar Wallace, the original writer of King Kong and hundreds of vintage crime, science fiction and adventure novels, created The Avenger as a page-turning thriller about the mysterious death of Francis Elmer, a dark secret and a movie set. The discovery of a mysterious note signed 'The Head Hunter' lights up the chase for the murderer and a further series of disappearances brings the urbane detective, Captain Mike Brixan, to hunt for the hunter in a desperate race against time. A classic crime thriller from a master movie storyteller who was a multi-million copy selling author in his time. FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and fantasy to science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic. Each book features a brand new biography and a new glossary of Literary, Gothic and Victorian terms.

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Book SynopsisIncluded here are some of the well-loved Father Brown detective stories, surely among the best in the genre, and a range of poetry, serious and light-hearted - Chesterton wrote some of the best nonsense and satirical verse in the language. The main bias of the selection, however, will be towards his non-fictional prose, where, Dr Ker argues, his real greatness lies. In that sense he is the successor of the great Victorian 'Sages', Carlyle, Arnold, Ruskin and Newman. Selections will be made from his studies of Victorian literature (particularly his classic essays on Dickens, originally published by Everyman), his critical biographies of St Francis of Assisi, St Thomas Aquinas and William Cobbett; his apologetic classics Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man, his journalistic essays (a form in which he excelled) and from his best political and social criticism, with particular emphasis on his championing of the common man and the masses against virtually all the intellectuals of his day. Edited and introduced by an expert in the field, this substantial volume promises to bring its author back into prominence with a thorough intellectual and literary reassessment of his achievements

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Book SynopsisThis beautiful hardback collection features the world's most famous detective in his most classic adventures. We begin with A Study in Scarlet, the novel that introduces the most famous characters in literature - Sherlock Holmes and Dr. watson. Then, in The Sign of Four we delve into the East India Company and a pact between four convicts. Finally, in The Hound of Baskerville, we follow Sherlock and Watson as they investigate murder with a legendary twist on the Dartmoor Moors.

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Book SynopsisA friend and contemporary of Richard Wright and James Baldwin - and every bit their equal - Chester Himes was the acclaimed author of literary novels, stories and essays, as well as the classic crime fiction series for which he is best known, featuring detectives Coffin Ed Johnson and Gravedigger Jones.Himes wrote nine novels in the Harlem Detectives series, and in these four popular, accomplished instalments, his cold, wise-cracking sleuths are thrown into a brutal, murderous world peopled with conniving con men, gut-toting gangsters and opium-smoking preachers. Himes's vision of Harlem's criminal underground, enriched by deft plotting and scintillating dialogue, is both riotous entertainment and penetrating enquiry into the fraught tensions of race in postwar America.Trade ReviewThese wholly original, occasionally disorienting and sometimes surreal books are a must for all crime fiction aficionados * Guardian *Chester Himes is perhaps the most singular American novelist of the past century, whose insight and innovation are still only beginning to be recognised * Independent *Himes's Harlem saga vies with the novels of David Goodis and Jim Thompson as the inescapable achievement of postwar American fiction * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisRyan Rossetti and Jake Thomas were the two Major League-bound rivals on their high school baseball team. Until Ryan hurt his pitching arm and landed a $10 dollar an hour life as a house painter. Lucky Jake made it all the way, and he and his $10 million signing bonus are heading back for a publicity-motivated homecoming weekend. But he's got a nasty surprise in store: Ryan is involved in an intense, addictive relationship with Jake's fiancé Christina, who now faces a choice between love in a Brooklyn tenement or a heartless marriage on Easy Street. None of the three have any idea what's about to play out in the streets they once all called home. Lights out is vintage Jason Starr, a razor sharp crime novel that brilliantly combines biting social satire, explosive suspense, and honest, revealing human drama.Trade Reviewa fast, furious page-turner from the git-go... This book is a huge treat -- Jefferey DeaverLights Out has the New York sound, the energy, dialog that's on the beat... Read it and you'll go hunting for Jason Starr's other books, I promise -- Elmore LeonardJason Starr is hypnotically good - if you miss him, you're missing some of the best new writing there is -- Lee ChildJason Starr is a leader of the new noir movement -- George P. Pelecanos(A) strangely fascinating riff off classic noir.... Starr is a master at portraying Brooklyn as a dark corner of hell -- Publishers Weekly * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisIn New York City's work hard, play harder singles scene, a young woman looking for love can find herself the object of a deadly obsession. With each meaningless date and disappointing new boyfriend, Katie Porter is becoming more and more disillusioned. No matter how wide a net she casts she can't seem to find a guy who really understands her.But someone thinks she's special - very special. And he's following her... But it's not her boyfriend, Andy. The frat-boy who never grew up is too busy working out how far Katie will go and if her friends are hot, to stop and think whether Katie's 'the one'. But someone's already decided she is - and he's watching her. Peter sees Katie at the gym. He sees her at the coffee bar she stops at on the way to work. In fact, he sees her almost everywhere, as he quietly follows her. But most of all, he sees her in his plans for the future. He's got the proposal worked out, he's even got the ring and their happy home already bought. After all, he's had enough time to plan things to perfection - he grew up in the same small town. Surely, after all these years, he can't let anything stand in his way

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Book SynopsisSherlock Holmes is the most famous fictional detective ever created. The supremely rational sleuth and his dependable companion, Dr Watson, will forever be associated with the gaslit and smog-filled streets of late nineteenth and early twentieth century London. Yet Holmes and Watson were not the only ones solving mysterious crimes and foiling the plans of villainous masterminds in Victorian and Edwardian England. The years between 1890 and 1914 were a golden age for English magazines and most of them published crime and detective fiction. The startling success of the Holmes stories that appeared in The Strand magazine spawned countless imitators. This volume highlights some of those 'Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'. In the fifteen tales which Nick Rennison has brought together in this anthology, readers can meet: THE THINKING MACHINE - Jacques Futrelle's dazzlingly intellectual genius Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen, aka the Thinking Machine, even more capable than Holmes himself of solving the most baffling of mysteries through brainpower alone CARNACKI THE GHOST FINDER - detective of the occult created by the legendary horror writer William Hope Hodgson, author of The House on the Borderlands EUGENE VALMONT - a sophisticated and urbane French detective, created by Robert Barr, who lives in exile in London and uses his Gallic wit and wisdom to learn the truth about the mysteries that regularly come his way NOVEMBER JOE - Hesketh Prichard's Canadian woodsman who uses his extraordinary powers of observation to track down villains and bring them to justice It may well be true that there never has been and never will be a detective quite like Sherlock Holmes but he did not stand alone. He did have his rivals and, as this collection of short stories shows, many of their adventures were as exciting and entertaining as those of the master himself.Trade Review[an] intriguing anthology * Mail on Sunday *a book which will delight fans of crime fiction * Verbal Magazine *it's good to see that Mr Rennison has also selected some rarer pieces - and rarer detectives, such as November Joe, Sebastian Zambra, Cecil Thorold and Lois Cayley -- Roger Johnson * The District Messenger (Newsletter of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London) *

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