Classic crime and mystery fiction

Book SynopsisA man returns from the dead, and the body of a mysterious stranger is found in his roomA few weeks after marrying an attractive young widow, Gordon Cloade is tragically killed by a bomb blast in the London blitz. Overnight, the former Mrs Underhay finds herself in sole possession of the Cloade family fortune.Shortly afterwards, Hercule Poirot receives a visit from the dead man's sister-in-law who claims she has been warned by spirits' that Mrs Underhay's first husband is still alive. Poirot has his suspicions when he is asked to find a missing person guided only by the spirit world. Yet what mystifies Poirot most is the woman's true motive for approaching himTrade Review‘One of the best… her gift for blending the cosy with the macabre has seldom been more in evidence than it is here.’Elizabeth Bowen, Tatler ‘Told briskly, vivaciously, and with ever-fertile imagination.’Manchester Evening News ‘One of the better Christies… Don’t miss.’New York Herald Tribune

Read more less

Book SynopsisOut of his smoke-filled rooms in Baker Street stalks a figure to cause the criminal classes to quake in their boots and rush from their dens of inequity The twelve mysteries gathered in this first collection of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson's adventures reveal the brilliant consulting detective at the height of his powers. Problems involving a man with a twisted lip, a fabulous blue carbuncle and five orange pips tax Sherlock Holmes' intellect alongside some of his most famous cases, including A Scandal in Bohemia and The Red-Headed League.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA'What a magnificent thriller this is' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'She wrote exciting plots . . . a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN 'A good original novel, well tinged with nightmare' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT 'He turned and stared at me and I at him, and I realised, with a strange sense of shock and fear and nausea all combined, that his face and voice were known to me too well. I was looking at myself.'By chance, two men - one English, the other French - meet in a provincial railway station. Their resemblance is uncanny, and they spend the evening talking and drinking. It is not until John wakes the next morning that he realises his French companion has stolen his identity and disappeared. So John steps into the Frenchman's shoes, and faces a variety of perplexing roles - as owner of a chateau, director of a failing business, head of a fractious family, and master of nothing.Trade ReviewShe wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *A good original novel, well tinged with nightmare * Times Literary Supplement *What a magnificent thriller this is * New York Times Book Review *No other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification . . . She satisfied all the questionable criteria of popular fiction, and yet satisfied the exacting requirements of "real literature", something very few novelists ever do

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn old widow is brutally killed in the parlour of her cottageMrs McGinty's dead!'How did she die?'Down on one knee, just like I!'The old children's game now seemed rather tasteless. The real Mrs McGinty was killed by a crushing blow to the back of the head and her pitifully small savings were stolen.Suspicion falls immediately on her lodger, hard up and out of a job. Hercule Poirot has other ideas unaware that his own life is now in great dangerTrade Review‘So simple, so economical, so completely baffling. Every clue scrupulously given, with superb sleight of hand.’Sunday Times ‘The plot is perfect and the characters are wonderful.’San Francisco Chronicle ‘The best Poirot since such pre-war classics as Cards on the Table.’New York Times ‘Highly ingenious – Christie is still able to vary the tricks she plays.’ROBERT BARNARD

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn London's Bloomsbury, Inspector Julian Rivers of Scotland Yard looks down at a dismal scene. Here is the victim, burnt to a crisp. Here are the clues - clues which point to a good climber and expert skier, and which lead Rivers to the piercing sunshine and sparkling snow of the Austrian Alps to crack the case.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPuzzling and atmospheric, this exceedingly rare mystery from one of the masters of crime fiction’s Golden Age returns to print for the first time since its publication in 1954.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA gruesome discovery at an aircraft hanger leads Albert Campion into a turbulent mystery set in Cambridge in the middle of the Cold War.Ripley again marries a crafty plotline with a persuasive evocation of Allingham''s style and characterizations. Fans of the originals will be delighted- Publishers Weekly Starred ReviewI have often said that my wife is a constant surprise to me.Cambridge, 1965. The honorary doctorate ceremony for Albert Campion''s wife takes a dramatic turn when Lady Amanda is arrested by Special Branch for breaking the Official Secrets Act.Never before having taken much interest in his wife''s work in cutting-edge aircraft design, Mr Campion sets out to discover more about the top-secret Goshawk Project in which Amanda is involved. He quickly realizes he is not the only one keen to learn the secrets of the project.When a badly mutilated body is discovered at the Goshawk Project''s han

Read more less

Book SynopsisFUN, COLOURFUL ILLUSTRATIONS of the characters, places and objects important to Agatha Christie's best-selling mysteries appear on every single cardLEARN MORE ABOUT CHRISTIE AND HER CHARACTERS in the accompanying booklet, which includes expert notes on everything in the deckA 54 CARD DECK with standard playing card suits, numbers and court cards: can be used in exactly the same way as regular playing cardsEASY HANDLING: these high-quality cards will not crack or bend when shuffled or flexedTHE PERFECT GIFT for any bookworm, or fan of Agatha Christie Follow the trail of murder and mystery set by the Queen of Crime. Travel down the Nile, on the Orient Express and into the drawing rooms of quaint English country cottages, as you play your favourite card games with this new deck filled with Christie's most baffling and brilliant characters and clues.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA CLASSIC NOVEL BY THE MASTER OF HARD-BOILED CRIME, THE HIGH WINDOW IS RAYMOND CHANDLER''S THIRD STORY FEATURING LACONIC PI PHILIP MARLOWE.''He lay crumpled on his back. Very lonely, very dead. The safe door was wide open. A metal drawer was pulled out. It was empty now. There may have been money in it once.''Los Angeles PI Philip Marlowe''s on a case: his client, a dried-up husk of a woman, wants him to recover a rare gold coin called a Brasher Doubloon, missing from her late husband''s collection. That''s the simple part. It becomes more complicated when Marlowe finds that everyone who handles the coin suffers a run of very bad luck: they always end up dead. That''s also unlucky for a private investigator, because leaving a trail of corpses around LA puts cops'' noses seriously out of joint. If Marlowe doesn''t wrap this one up fast, he''s going to end up either in jail or in a wooden box in the ground . . .''Chandler''Trade ReviewChandler seems to have created the culminating American hero: wised up, hopeful, thoughtful, adventurous, sentimental, cynical and rebellious -- Robert B. Parker * The New York Times Book Review *Raymond Chandler invented a new way of talking about America, and America has never looked the same to us since -- Paul AusterRaymond Chandler is a star of the first magnitude -- Erle Stanley Gardner[T]he prose rises to heights of unselfconscious eloquence, and we realize with a jolt of excitement that we are in the presence of not a mere action tale teller, but a stylist, a writer with a vision -- Joyce Carol Oates * New York Review of Books *Raymond Chandler is a master * New York Times *Philip Marlowe remains the quintessential urban private eye * Los Angeles Times *Anything Chandler writes about grips the mind from the first sentence * Daily Telegraph *Nobody can write like Chandler on his home turf, not even Faulkner. . . A great artist * The Boston Book Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe thirteenth book in Dorothy L Sayers'' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by crime writer Natasha Cooper - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie''s Poirot and Margery Allingham''s Campion Mysteries. They plan to have a quiet country honeymoon. Then Lord Peter Wimsey and his bride Harriet Vane find the previous owner''s body in the cellar.Set in a country village seething with secrets and snobbery, this is Dorothy L. Sayers'' last full-length detective novel. Variously described as a love story with detective interruptions and a detective story with romantic interruptions, it lives up to both descriptions with style.''She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.'' P. D. JamesTrade ReviewI admire her novels . . . she has great fertility of invention, ingenuity and a wonderful eye for detail - Ruth RendellD. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers. - Daily TelegraphA truly great storyteller - Minette Walters

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisEdgar 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 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisInevitably Maigret was a hostile presence in the Majestic. He constituted a kind of foreign body that the hotel's atmosphere could not assimilate. Not that he looked like a cartoon policeman. He didn't have a moustache and he didn't wear heavy boots. His clothes were well cut and made of fairly light worsted.Trade ReviewGem-hard soul-probes . . . not just the world's bestselling detective series, but an imperishable literary legend . . . he exposes secrets and crimes not by forensic wizardry, but by the melded powers of therapist, philosopher and confessor * Times *Strangely comforting . . . so many lovely bistros from the Paris of mid-20th C. The corpses are incidental, it's the food that counts. * Margaret Atwood *One of the greatest writers of the 20th century . . . no other writer can set up a scene as sharply and with such economy as Simenon does . . . the conjuring of a world, a place, a time, a set of characters - above all, an atmosphere. * Financial Times *Simenon's supreme virtue as a novelist, to burrow beneath the surface of his characters' behaviour; to empathise . . . it is this unfailing humanity that makes the Maigret books truly worth reading. * Guardian *Gripping . . . richly rewarding . . . You'll quickly find yourself obsessing about his life as you tackle each mystery in turn -- Stig Abell * The Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPlayback is Raymond Chandler''s gripping last full-length novel featuring laconic PI Philip Marlowe.''Chandler invented a new way of talking about America, and America has never looked the same to us since'' Paul AusterLos Angeles PI Philip Marlowe is mixing business with pleasure - he''s getting paid to follow a lovely mysterious redhead called Eleanor King. And wherever Miss King goes, trouble is sure to follow. But she''s easy on the eye and Marlowe''s happy to do as he''s told. But one dead body later and what started out as a lazy afternoon''s snooping soon becomes a deadly cocktail of blackmail, lies, mistaken identity - and murder . . .''Chandler grips the mind from the first sentence'' Daily Telegraph ''One of the greatest crime writers, who set standards others still try to attain'' Sunday Times''Chandler is an original stylist, creator of a character as immortal as Sherlock Holmes'' Anthony Burgess

Read more less

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

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Caribbean resortStrangers thrown togetherIs there evil in paradise?Major Palgrave enjoys an audience, and, in Miss Marple, he discovers a captive audience too polite to walk away.But midway through recounting the tale of a multiple murder, he stops suddenly when something, or someone, catches his eye.Then, when he's found dead the following day, Miss Marple suspects that someone wanted to silence the talkative major. Permanently.Never underestimate Miss MarpleThere's no such thing as a disappointing Agatha Christie: there are only good ones and better ones.'Naomi AldermanLivelieness . . . infectious zest . . . as good as anything Miss Christie has done.'ObserverTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisAgatha Christie's classic short story collection, including one of her most enduring and shocking thrillers, The Witness for the Prosecution.1920s London.A murder, brutal and bloodthirsty, has stained the plush carpets of a handsome London townhouse. The victim is the glamorous and enormously rich Emily French. All the evidence points to Leonard Vole, a young chancer to whom the heiress left her vast fortune and who ruthlessly took her life. At least, this is the story that Emily's dedicated housekeeper Janet Mackenzie stands by in court. Leonard however, is adamant that his partner, the enigmatic chorus girl Romaine, can prove his innocence.Trade Review“With the long terrible shadow of the Great War falling across the rackety, feral 1920s, The Witness for the Prosecution is a compelling story of deceit, desire, murder, money and morality, innocence and guilt, heartbreak and most painful and dangerous of all, love. At the centre of this dark and tangled net is the astonishing character of Romaine, a noir heroine for all our times.” Sarah Phelps

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe world's greatest detective, Hercule Poirotlegendary star of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nilereturns to solve a fiendish new mystery.Hercule Poirot is travelling by luxury passenger coach from London to the exclusive Kingfisher Hill estate, where Richard Devonport has summoned him to prove that his fiancée, Helen, is innocent of the murder of his brother, Frank. But there is a strange condition attached to this request: Poirot must conceal his true reason for being there.The coach is forced to stop when a distressed woman demands to get off, insisting that if she stays in her seat, she will be murdered. Although the rest of the journey passes without anyone being harmed, Poirot's curiosity is aroused, and his fears are later confirmed when a body is discovered with a macabre note attachedCould this new murder and the peculiar incident on the coach be clues to solving the mystery of who killed Frank Devonport? And if Helen is innocent, can Poirot fTrade Review“‘Close enough to Christie’s own style that the reader could segue from Murder on the Orient Express into this present novel without a stumble.”— New York Journal of Books “What Sophie and Agatha have in common is a rare talent for fiendish unpredictability. They make you see how the impossible might be possible after all.”— Sunday Telegraph “The latest in Sophie Hannah’s series of mysteries featuring Agatha Christie’s beloved detective is a magnificently intricate puzzle for Poirot’s famous little grey cells.”— Daily Mail “I was thrilled to see Poirot in such very, very good hands.”— Gillian Flynn, bestselling author of Gone Girl “Perfect…a pure treat for Agatha Christie fans.”— Tana French “Does Sophie Hannah’s Poirot live up to our expectations? Yes, he does, and markedly so … Poirot is still Poirot. Poirot is back.”— Alexander McCall Smith “Sophie Hannah is genuinely Christie’s heir.”— The Scotsman

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Moonstone is one of the first true works of detective fiction, in which Wilkie Collins established the groundwork for the genre itself. This Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction by Sandra Kemp.The Moonstone, a priceless yellow diamond, is looted from an Indian temple and maliciously bequeathed to Rachel Verinder. On her eighteenth birthday, her friend and suitor Franklin Blake brings the gift to her. That very night, it is stolen again. No one is above suspicion, as the idiosyncratic Sergeant Cuff and the Franklin piece together a puzzling series of events as mystifying as an opium dream and as deceptive as the nearby Shivering Sand. The intricate plot and modern technique of multiple narrators made Wilkie Collins''s 1868 work a huge success in the Victorian sensation genre. With a reconstruction of the crime, red herrings and a ''locked-room'' puzzle, The Moonstone was also a major precursor of the modern mystery novel.In her introduction Sandra Kemp explores The Moonstone''s the detective elements of Collins''s writing, and reveals how Collins''s sensibilities were untypical of his era.Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was born in London in 1824, the eldest son of the landscape painter William Collins. In 1846 he was entered to read for the bar at Lincoln''s Inn, where he gained the knowledge that was to give him much of the material for his writing. From the early 1850s he was a friend of Charles Dickens, who produced and acted in two melodramas written by Collins, The Lighthouse and The Frozen Deep. Of his novels, Collins is best remembered for The Woman in White (1859), No Name (1862), Armadale (1866) and The Moonstone (1868).If you enjoyed The Moonstone you might like Collins''s The Woman in White, also available in Penguin Classics.''Probably the very finest detective story ever written''Dorothy L. Sayers''The first, the longest and the best of modern modern English detective novels''T.S. EliotTrade Review"The first and greatest of English detective novels."--T. S. Eliot

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA unique teller of tales ... What interested Simenon was the average man losing control of his own fate * Observer *A treat. . . every bit as gripping as his detective stories. . . There's much to enjoy in the atmospheric portrayal of 1950s French life and the elegant simplicity with which Milk's story is told. Simenon enthusiasts should get a copy. They won't be disappointed -- Martin Bentham * Evening Standard *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFirst published in 1946 and set in the fell country of Lunesdale over the course of a rainy September, The Theft of the Iron Dogs is the very picture of a cosy crime mystery and showcases Lorac's masterful attention to detail and deep affection for both Lunesdale and its residents.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLord Peter Wimsey, wealthy, charming and charismatic, is one of the most famous amateur detectives of the golden age of crime. This Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Lord Peter Wimsey Investigates is introduced and edited by crime writer David Stuart Davies.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. The fifteen short stories in this lively and witty collection, Dorothy L. Sayers’s very best, celebrate the breadth of Peter Wimsey’s career as London’s most celebrated amateur sleuth. From the foppish man about town of 'In the Teeth of the Evidence', to the happily married man in 'The Haunted Policeman', to the father of three in 'Talboys', Wimsey kept that twinkle in his eye and the brilliance of mind that helped him spot a clue a mile off.Trade ReviewBe warned . . . once you make friends with Wimsey you'll want to get better acquainted -- Christopher FowlerPart of the Golden Age of mystery writers working between the wars, Sayers is often credited as the most intelligent of them all. Certainly her plots are ingenious and intricate, and she relishes technical detail and literary quotation * Guardian *After 60-odd years still compulsively readable * Independent *The books chronicling Wimsey’s adventures remain models of their kind -- Barry ForshawIn time of dire and immediate trouble, one might well call upon a Sherlock Holmes for a quick solution to one’s trials. But for the balm that reassures one about surviving the vicissitudes of life, one could do no better than to anchor onto a Lord Peter Wimsey -- Elizabeth GeorgeTable of ContentsIntroduction - i: Introduction by David Stuart Davies Chapter - 1: The Necklace of Pearls Chapter - 2: The Queen’s Square Chapter - 3: The Image in the Mirror Chapter - 4: In the Teeth of the Evidence Chapter - 5: The Entertaining Episode of the Article in Question Chapter - 6: Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey Chapter - 7: The Fascinating Problem of Uncle Meleager’s Will Chapter - 8: The Unprincipled Affair of the Practical Joker Chapter - 9: The Undignified Melodrama of the Bone of Contention Chapter - 10: The Unsolved Puzzle of the Man with No Face Chapter - 11: The Vindictive Story of the Footsteps that Ran Chapter - 12: Absolutely Elsewhere Chapter - 13: Striding Folly Chapter - 14: The Haunted Policeman Chapter - 15: Talboys

Read more less

Book Synopsis'The most interesting of the great female writers of the Golden Age. This disarmingly low-key tale of a mysterious disappearance is the perfect introduction to her world' VAL MCDERMID 'The definition of a classic, a real cut above. It hasn't aged a day' JOSEPH KNOX When Hollywood-star photographer Leslie Searle disappears from a remote English village, gifted inspector Alan Grant is called in to investigate. But what would bring such a successful individual to the village? And was his vanishing his own doing, or did something eerie occur at the hands of an unsuspected culprit?'Will leave you desperate to re-read' SARAH HILARY 'Worth reading for its ingenious denouement'TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENTTrade ReviewThe most interesting of the great female writers of the Golden Age. This disarmingly low-key tale of a mysterious disappearance is the perfect introduction to her world -- Val McDermidThe definition of a classic, a real cut above. It hasn't aged a day -- Joseph KnoxWill leave you desperate to re-read -- Sarah HilaryWorth reading for its ingenious denouement * Times Literary Supplement *One of the best mysteries of all time * New York Times *As interesting and enjoyable a book as they will meet in a month of Sundays * Observer *Nobody can beat Miss Tey at characterisation or elegance of style: this novel's a beauty * San Francisco Chronicle *First-rate mystery, ably plotted and beautifully written * Los Angeles Times *Suspense is achieved by unexpected twists and extremely competent storytelling . . . credible and convincing * Spectator *Tey's style and her knack for creating bizarre characters are among the best in the field * New Yorker *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA captivating novel of love and intrigue.Everyone expected Isabella Charteris, beautiful, sheltered and aristocratic, to marry her cousin Rupert when he came back from the War. It would have been such a suitable marriage. How strange then that John Gabriel, an ambitious and ruthless war hero, should appear in her life. For Isabella, the price of love would mean abandoning her dreams of home and happiness forever. For Gabriel, it would destroy his chance of a career and all his ambitionsFamous for her ingenious crime books and plays, Agatha Christie also wrote about crimes of the heart, six bittersweet and very personal novels, as compelling and memorable as the best of her work.Trade Review'Quiet and intelligent, with class distinctions which motivate its characters.' Books 'Miss Westmacott writes crisply and is always lucid… much material has been skilfully compressed.' Times Literary Supplement

Read more less

Book SynopsisFirst published in 1946, in later years Carr considered this novel one of his finest works. It shows the masterful author at the height of his powers, boasting an ingenious plot delivered with an astounding pace and striking characters including none other than the great detective, Dr Gideon Fell.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWho really killed the princes in the tower? Was Richard III truly the ogre of legend and Shakespeare's play. - a wicked uncle who murdered his nephews to steal the crown of England? Inspector Alan Grant is not so sure. Laid up in hospital with a broken leg, he becomes obsessed with unravelling this most enduring of historical mysteries. As he investigates with the help of an enthusiastic young American scholar, he unearths long-buried intrigues and comes to a startling conclusion.Trade Review'As interesting and enjoyable a book as you will meet in a month of Sundays' - Observer'One of the best mysteries of all time' - New York Times'First-rate mystery, ably plotted and beautifully written' - Los Angeles Times'A detective story with a very considerable difference. Ingenious, stimulating and very enjoyable' - Sunday Times'One of the permanent classics in the detective field' - Anthony Boucher

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe world's most beloved detective, Hercule Poirot the legendary star of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express and currently The Haunting in Venice returns in a stylish, diabolically clever mystery set in 1930's London.Murder! Me? How dare you!'Hercule Poirot's tranquil afternoon is ruined when an angry woman accosts him outside his front door. She threatens to report the famous detective to Scotland Yard for falsely accusing her of murder. Seeking sanctuary inside, Poirot is startled to find that he has a visitor another stranger claiming to have received a letter from Poirot accusing him of killing the same man.How many more innocent people have been sent letters? If Poirot didn't send them, who did? And who is Barnabas Pandy, the alleged victim is he dead or alive? Poirot has answers to find, and quickly, or more lives may be put in dangerTrade Review‘What Sophie and Agatha have in common is a rare talent for fiendish unpredictability. They make you see how the impossible might be possible after all.’SUNDAY TELEGRAPH ‘A literary marriage made in heaven!’THE TIMES ‘Sophie does justice to the Belgian brainiac, both in terms of bringing his character to life and giving him a mystery to solve that is worthy of his talents. It’s her best Poirot novel so far.’SUNDAY EXPRESS

Read more less

Book SynopsisNine intriguing talesOne unequalled storytellerAn unknown wounded man in a church. A fatal riding accident. A corpse and a tape measure.Whether in St Mary Mead or further afield, there is always much wickedness lurking below the surface, should, like Jane Marple, you have the eyes to see it.Published posthumously, this collection of tales, seven of them featuring Agatha Christie's much loved Miss Marple, plus two stand-alone stories, is a treasure trove.Never underestimate Miss MarpleShe gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed.'Susan LewisThe acknowledged queen of detective fiction.'ObserverTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe master of weird fiction, H. P. Lovecraft combines cosmic fantasy with creeping horror in these three tales of malevolent alien forces, body-switching and travel across the space-time continuum.''Evil, in Lovecraft, is universal, pervasive'' Michael Chabon''His prescience and novelty seem more and more remarkable ... shows a deeply modern horror at the universe'' Guardian''A unique and visionary world of wonder, terror and delirium'' Clive BarkerTrade ReviewOne of the most influential popular authors of the 20th century * Independent *It casts a spell . . . fiction like Lovecraft's can be brutally hypnotic * New York Review of Books *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'As gritty and hard-driving a thriller as you'll find . . . The action never stops, the language sings and stings' Washington Post Clement Mansell knows how easy it is to get away with murder. The crazed killer is back on the Detroit streets - thanks to some nifty courtroom moves by his lawyer - and this time he's feeling invincible enough to execute a crooked Motown judge. Homicide Detective Raymond Cruz thinks the 'Oklahoma Wildman' crossed the line long before this latest outrage, and he's determined to see that the psycho does not slip through the legal system's loopholes a second time. But that means a good cop is going to have to play somewhat fast and loose with the rules - in order to manoeuvre Mansell into a showdown that he won't be walking away from.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

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 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn old woman in a nursing home speaks of a child buried behind the fireplaceWhen Tommy and Tuppence visited an elderly aunt in her gothic nursing home, they thought nothing of her mistrust of the doctors; after all, Ada was a very difficult old lady.But when Mrs Lockett mentioned a poisoned mushroom stew and Mrs Lancaster talked about something behind the fireplace', Tommy and Tuppence found themselves caught up in an unexpected adventure involving possible black magicTrade Review‘The most macabre and eerie Christie I have read for a long time.’Sunday Express ‘All beautifully plotted in the way that Mrs Christie is famous for. The title is from Macbeth: “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.” Wicked indeed!’Best Sellers ‘Ladies disappearing from homes of rest, sinister empty houses, hints of gang-leaders mixed with black magic – mystery at the usual high Christie level.’Evening Standard ‘Devised with fiendish ingenuity in the classic Christie cast.’Illustrated London News

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE MULTIMILLION-COPY BESTSELLING ADAM DALGLIESH SERIES FROM THE QUEEN OF ENGLISH CRIME' (Guardian) A legend.' VAL MCDERMIDP. D. James took the classic crime novel and turned up the dial.' MICK HERRONA whodunit which takes murder seriously.' GUARDIANPERFECT FOR FANS OF VAL MCDERMID, RUTH RENDELL AND ELLY GRIFFITHS__________________________________________________________________________________He thought of Combe as a place of violent emotions of danger.Combe Island, off the Cornish coast, is a restful retreat for the rich and powerful until one of its distinguished visitors is murdered, and the peace of the island is shattered. Commander Adam Dalgliesh is called in to solve the mystery quickly and discreetly, but at a difficult time for him and his depleted team. No sooner have they begun to unravel the complicated motives of the suspects when there is a second brutal killing.But there is another danger just as insidious and potentially as fatal as murder on the island, which puts Dalgliesh at even greater risk . . .__________________________________________________________________________________P. D. James on top form . . . you will love it.' SpectatorOutstanding in characterisation and the plot is crafted with consummate skill. The setting was idyllic and chilling at the same time. . . Gripping and a rewarding read. Brilliant.' 5* reader reviewJames''s precision can be as deftly murderous as the weapons her killers wield.' New York Times**Now a major Channel 5 series**__________________________________________________________________________________READERS LOVE THE ADAM DALGLEISH SERIES:Adam Dalgleish is one of the best characters in modern detective fiction.' 5* reader reviewIf you are not already an Adam Dalgliesh fan, I urge you to become one . . . James can describe a scene or delineate a character with precision and depth, like no other writer I have read . . . I usually stay up all night to read a P. D. James novel once I start one.' 5* reader reviewI would never give less than 5 stars to any P. D. James book. She is one of a kind, always constant, always wonderful writing, always great characters, and always a good mystery that you cannot put down.' 5* reader reviewP.D. James writes mysteries for ordinary people. Her characters are relatable and her hero is dynamic. But don''t expect cell phones or computers. Her stories are strictly old school, which is what I love about them.' 5* reader reviewCrime writing at its very best!' 5* reader reviewPRAISE FOR P. D. JAMES:P. D. James is the crème de la crème of crime writers. Her books are shrewd puzzles, full of wit and depth.' IAN RANKINNobody can put the reader in the eye of the storm quite like P. D. James.' SUNDAY EXPRESSOne of the literary greats. Her sense of place was exquisite, characterisation and plotting unrivalled.' MARI HANNAHJames manages a depth and intelligence that few in her trade can match.' THE TIMESThere are very few thriller writers who can compete with P. D. James at her best.' SPECTATORThe queen of English crime.' GUARDIAN

Read more less

Book SynopsisA collection of the most famous cases faced by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's peerless creationThis collection of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes includes many of the famous cases - and great strokes of brilliance - that made the legendary detective one of fiction's most popular creations. With his devoted amanuensis Dr Watson, Holmes emerges from his smoke filled room in Baker Street to grapple with the forces of treachery, intrigue and evil in such cases as 'The Speckled Band', in which a terrified woman begs their help in solving the mystery surrounding her sister's death, or 'A Scandal in Bohemia', which portrays a European king blackmailed by his mistress. In 'Silver Blaze' the pair investigate the disappearance of a racehorse and the violent murder of its trainer, while in 'The Final Problem' Holmes at last comes face to face with his nemesis, the diabolical Professor Moriarty - 'the Napoleon of crime'. In his iTable of ContentsThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and the Memoirs of Sherlock HolmesIntroductionFurther ReadingChronologyThe Adventures of Sherlock HolmesA Scandal in BohemiaA Case of IdentityThe Red-Headed LeagueThe Boscombe Valley MysteryThe Five Orange PipsThe Man with the Twisted LipThe Blue CarbuncleThe Speckled BandThe Engineer's ThumbThe Noble BachelorThe Beryl CoronetThe Copper BeechesThe Memoirs of Sherlock HolmesSilver BlazeThe Yellow FaceThe Stockbroker's ClerkThe Gloria ScottThe Musgrave RitualThe Reigate SquiresThe Crooked ManThe Resident PatientThe Greek InterpreterThe Naval TreatyThe Final ProblemNotes

Read more less

Book SynopsisAt first the interruption to the boredom of Sherlock Holmes seems to have little to do with crime. A governess, whose father vanished ten years ago and who has been receiving money each year, now needs an escort to meet her unknown benefactor. But before the night is over, murder has occurred.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA collection of short stories featuring the heart specialist', Parker Pyne.Mrs Packington felt alone, helpless and utterly forlorn. But her life changed when she stumbled upon an advertisement in The Times which read: ARE YOU HAPPY? IF NOT, CONSULT MR PARKER PYNE'.Equally adept at putting together the pieces of a marriage or the fragments of a murder mystery, Mr Parker Pyne was possibly the world's most unconventional private eye and certainly its most charming.Trade Review“Crimes of the heart were his forte.”Observer

Read more less

Book Synopsis''He took the spy thriller out of the gentility of the drawing room and into the back streets of Istanbul, where it all really happened'' Frederick ForsythSmall-time hustler Arthur Abdel Simpson ekes out a living in Athens by robbing gullible tourists. But when an attempted theft backfires, he finds himself out-smarted and blackmailed into driving a highly suspicious car across the border to Istanbul. Then the Turkish secret police get involved, and Simpson becomes embroiled in something far deeper, and more dangerous, than he could imagine. Featuring a heart-stopping jewel heist, this compulsive, morally complex thriller became the basis for the classic film Topkapi.Trade ReviewThe source on which we all draw -- John le CarréUnquestionably our best thriller writerMr. Ambler is phenomenal -- Alfred HitchcockAmbler is, quite simply, the best * The New Yorker *

Read more less