Classic crime and mystery fiction

Book SynopsisHamburg State Prosecutor Chastity Riley and her friends are held hostage in a hotel bar by twelve armed men set on revenge, in a searing, breathtakingly original, and unexpectedly moving new thriller from the ‘Queen of Krimi’ ***WINNER of the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger 2022******WINNER of the German Crime Book of the Year Award*** ‘Simone Buchholz writes with real authority and a pungent, noir-ish sense of time and space … a palpable hit’ Independent ‘Reading Buchholz is like walking on firecrackers … a truly unique voice in crime fiction’ Graeme Macrae Burnet ‘[A] nerve-racking narrative … [with] a cunning climax that is shocking and deeply romantic’ The Times ____________________ Twenty floors above the shimmering lights of the Hamburg docks, Public Prosecutor Chastity Riley is celebrating a birthday with friends in a hotel bar when twelve heavily armed men pull out guns, and take everyone hostage. Among the hostages is Konrad Hoogsmart, the hotel owner, who is being targeted by a young man whose life and family have been destroyed by Hoogsmart’s actions. With the police looking on from outside their colleagues’ lives at stake and Chastity on the inside, increasingly ill from an unexpected case of sepsis, the stage is set for a dramatic confrontation and a devastating outcome for the team all live streamed in a terrifying bid for revenge. Crackling with energy and populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, Hotel Cartagena is a searing, relevant thriller that will leave you breathless. _____________________ Praise for the Chastity Riley series 'Combines nail-biting tension with off-beat humor ... Elmore Leonard fans will be enthralled' Publishers Weekly 'Buchholz doles out delicious black humor ... interwoven in a manner that ramps up the intrigue and tension' Foreword Reviews ‘Modern noir, with taut storytelling, a hard-bitten heroine, and underlying melancholy peppered with wry humour … there’s a fizz, a poetry and a sense of coolness’ New Zealand Listener ‘The coolest character in crime fiction … Darkly funny and written with a huge heart’ Big Issue ‘Fierce enough to stab the heart’ Spectator ‘A stylish, whip-smart thriller’ Herald Scotland ‘Combines slick storytelling with substance … like a straight shot of top-shelf liquor: smooth yet fiery, packing a punch with no extraneous ingredients watering things down’ Mystery Scene ‘Caustic, incisive prose. A street-smart, gutsy heroine. A timely and staggeringly stylish thriller’ Will Carver ‘With plenty of dry humour and a good old dash of despair, Simone Buchholz is an unconventional, refreshing new voice’ Crime Fiction Lover ‘With brief, pacy chapters and fizzling dialogue, this almost feels like American procedural noir and not a translation’ Maxim Jakubowski ‘There is a fantastic pace to the story which keeps you hooked from the first sentence all the way to the end a unique voice that delivers a stylish story’ NB Magazine ‘A smart and witty book that shines a probing spotlight on society’ CultureFly ‘Fans of Brookmyre could do worse than checking out Simone Buchholz, a star of the German crime lit scene who has been deftly translated into English by Rachel Ward’ Goethe Institute ‘By turns lyrical and pithy, this adventure set in the melting pot of contemporary Hamburg has a plot and a sensibility that both owe something to mind-altering substances. Lots of fun’ Sunday Times ‘Great sparkling energy, humour and stylistic verve and the story itself is gripping and pacey’ Rosie Goldsmith ‘A must-read, stylish and highly original take on the detective novel, written with great skill and popping with great characters’ Judith O’Reilly ‘Constantly surprising an original, firecracker of a read’ LoveReading

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Book SynopsisA classic British crime novel from the Golden Age one of the first to feature a serial killer by the founder of the Detection Club, marking 50 years since the death of the author.Investigating the disappearance of a vicar's daughter in London, the popular novelist and amateur detective Roger Sheringham is shocked to discover that the girl is already dead, found hanging from a screw by her own silk stocking. Reports of similar deaths across the capital strengthen his conviction that this is no suicide cult but the work of a homicidal maniac out for vengeance a desperate situation requiring desperate measures.Having established Roger Sheringham as a brilliant but headstrong young sleuth who frequently made mistakes, trusted the wrong people and imbibed considerable liquid refreshment, Anthony Berkeley took his controversial character into much darker territory with The Silk Stocking Murders, a sensational novel about gruesome serial killings by an apparent psychopath bent on targetingTrade Review‘Detection and crime at its wittiest – all Berkeley’s stories are amusing, intriguing and he is a master of the final twist.’Agatha Christie ‘Anthony Berkeley is the supreme master not of the “twist” but of the “double-twist”.’ Milward Kennedy in the Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisINTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Station Eleven and Sea of Tranquility, an exhilarating novel set at the glittering intersection of two seemingly disparate events—the exposure of a massive criminal enterprise and the mysterious disappearance of a woman from a ship at sea.“The perfect novel ... Freshly mysterious.” —The Washington PostVincent is a bartender at the Hotel Caiette, a five-star lodging on the northernmost tip of Vancouver Island. On the night she meets Jonathan Alkaitis, a hooded figure scrawls a message on the lobby's glass wall: Why don’t you swallow broken glass. High above Manhattan, a greater crime is committed: Alkaitis's billion-dollar business is really nothing more than a game of smoke and mirrors. When his scheme collapses, it obliterates countless fortunes and devastates lives. Vincent, who had been posing

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Book SynopsisA masterful and atmospheric mystery combining high stakes courtroom drama with a search for evidence in a war-torn Europe, where the roots of the central deadly crime lie buried.

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Book SynopsisOne of the best in the genre' THE SUNA fabulously satisfying addition to the canon of vintage crime' DAILY EXPRESSA delicious adventure' DAILY MAIL on The Riviera Express***X marks the spot for murderTemple Regis, 1959: Devon's prettiest seaside resort is thrown into turmoil by the discovery of a body abandoned in the lighthouse.It's only weeks since another body was found in the library and for the Riviera Express's ace reporter-turned-sleuth Judy Dimont, there's an added complication. Her friend Geraldine Phipps is begging her to re-investigate a mysterious death from many years before.What's more, Judy's position as chief reporter is under threat when her editor takes on hot-shot journalist David Renishaw, whose work is just too good to be true.Life is busier than ever for Devon''s most famous detective. Can Judy solve the two mysteries and protect her position as Temple Regis's best reporter before the murderer strikes again?Trade ReviewPraise for the series: ‘This is a fabulously satisfying addition to the canon of vintage crime.’ Daily Express ‘Unashamedly cosy, with gentle humour and a pleasingly eccentric amateur sleuth, this solid old-fashioned whodunit is the first in what promises to be an entertaining series.’ Guardian ‘Highly amusing’ Evening Standard ‘TP Fielden is a fabulous new voice and his dignified, clever heroine is a compelling new character . . . I can’t wait for the next one.’ Wendy Holden, Daily Mail ‘Tremendous fun’ Independent

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1944 Fell Murder sees E.C.R. Lorac at the height of her considerable powers as a purveyor of well-made, traditional and emphatic detective fiction. The book presents a 'return of the prodigal' mystery set in the later stages of the Second World War amidst the close-knit farmerfolk community of Lancashire’s Lune valley.

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Book SynopsisChristmas is a season of overindulgence. For most of us, that means an extra mince pie, a second helping of turkey, or perhaps a third glass of mulled wine. But for some, the festive season is a time to settle old scores, dispatch new enemies and indulge ... in murder. Here, ten masters of the genre serve up mystery and mayhem aplenty. From a dowager's missing jewels to a festive dinner gone horribly wrong, these classic crime stories will delight, puzzle and satisfy long after the last strands of tinsel have been cleared away.Trade ReviewWith Cecily Gayford in charge, we are on safe ground * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisThe new Sherlock Holmes novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Odin. It is 1890, and in the days before Christmas Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson are visited at Baker Street by a new client. Eve Allerthorpe - eldest daughter of a grand but somewhat eccentric Yorkshire-based dynasty - is greatly distressed, as she believes she is being haunted by a demonic Christmas spirit. Her late mother told her terrifying tales of the sinister Black Thurrick, and Eve is sure that she has seen the creature from her bedroom window. What is more, she has begun to receive mysterious parcels of birch twigs, the Black Thurrick's calling card... Eve stands to inherit a fortune if she is sound in mind, but it seems that something - or someone - is threatening her sanity. Holmes and Watson travel to the Allerthorpe family seat at Fellscar Keep to investigate, but soon discover that there is more to the case than at first appeared. There is another spirit haunting the family, and when a member of the household is found dead, the companions realise that no one is beyond suspicion.Trade Review"Atmosphere, setting, plot and style combine in a compelling tale" Sherlock Holmes Journal"Compelling and inherently fascinating" Midwest Book Review"Lovegrove has nailed the tone and rhythm of Conan Doyle's storytelling to a tee" Starburst"This is a wonderful, joyous Christmas treat" Starburst"A beautiful book that you'll want to revisit year after year" CultureflyPraise for The Thinking Engine“An enjoyable read that respects Conan Doyle’s canon.” Crime Scene““The plot, like the device, is ingenious, with a chilling twist… an entertaining, intelligent and pacy read.” The Sherlock Holmes Journal“The world of 19th century academia with its snobbery, petty conflicts and student pranks is brought to life vividly.” Baker Street BabesPraise for Gods of War“For fans of the non-canon Holmes stories, this one’s a must-read.” Booklist “This is an atmospheric mystery which shows just why Lovegrove has become a force to be reckoned with in genre fiction. More, please.” Starburst“It’s set by the seaside and is the story of a failed holiday… but I will recommend it even if you’re not going to the sea this summer, as it is very enjoyable at any distance from the ocean.” Baker Street BabesPraise for The Stuff of Nightmares"Lovegrove deftly weaves social commentary on religion, family, love and war into the contest between theocracy and humanism." Publishers Weekly (starred review)“The novel is perfectly structured and characters are introduced with flair and humanity. The overall effect is of a tremendously accomplished thriller which leaves the reader in no doubt that they are in the hands of a confident and skilful craftsman.” Starburst“This is delicious stuff, marrying the standard notions of Holmesiana with the kind of imagination and we expect from Lovegrove.” Crime Time

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Book SynopsisAgatha Christie's seasonal mystery thriller in a sumptuous Christmas hardback Special Edition.'There is, at Christmas, a spirit of goodwill. People who do not feel amiable are putting great pressure on themselves to appear amiable! If you dam the stream of natural behaviour, mon ami, sooner or later the dam bursts and a cataclysm occurs!'It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture, followed by a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs, the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood, his throat slashed.But when Hercule Poirot, who is staying in the village with a friend for Christmas, offers to assist, he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old manTrade Review‘You yearned for a “good violent murder with lots of blood”. So this is your special story – written for you.’Agatha Christie 'There is irresistible simplicity and buoyancy of a Christmas treat about it all'Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisVillage life can be deadly... A move to rural Oxfordshire is not the peaceful existence the London couple are looking for in A Touch of Morality, Ann Granger''s ninth English village crime novel in the Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of Agatha Raisin, Agatha Christie and ITV''s Midsomer Murders.''To be savoured'' - Publishers Weekly When Sally Caswell persuaded her scientist husband Liam to move from London to the quiet of rural Oxfordshire it was in the hope of a more peaceful existence. But so far the move has led to nothing but discord. Liam''s sabbatical book project is not going well so, frustrated and isolated, he quarrels incessantly both with Sally and with their next-door neighbour, the crotchety pensioner Bodicote whose unruly goats are a constant source of contention. But then a mysterious package arrives that gives the couple real cause for anxiety. It appears that Liam is being targe

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Book SynopsisFrom the Collins Crime Club archive, the seminal first novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, once dubbed The King of Detective Story Writers' and recognised as one of the big four' Golden Age crime authors.The unloading of a consignment of French wine from the steamship Bullfinch is interrupted by a gruesome discovery in a broken cask leaking sawdust and gold sovereigns. But when the shipping clerk returns with the police, the cask and its macabre contents have gone. Following the clues to Paris, Inspector Burnley of Scotland Yard enlists the help of the genial French detective M. Lefarge to check motives and alibis in their hunt for evidence of a particularly fiendish murder.This Detective Story Club classic is introduced by Freeman Wills Crofts himself in a unique preface from 1946 about The Cask's origins.Trade Review‘The soundest builder of them all.’ Raymond Chandler 'Deservedly a first favourite with all who want a real puzzle.’ Times Literary Supplement ‘Probably unsurpassed in ingenuity.’ The Queen

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Book SynopsisTo mark the publishing centenary of Freeman Wills Crofts, The King of Detective Story Writers', this is one of six classic crime novels being issued in 2020 featuring Inspector French, coming soon to television.Trade Review‘Rightly heralded as outstanding even for him . . . in literature we call it Croftsmanship.’ – Observer

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Book SynopsisA letter from beyond the graveOne last requestAn unsolvable crimeWhen Miss Marple receives a letter from the recently deceased millionaire Jason Rafiel, she's not sure what to make of it.Knowing her deductive skills, he challenges her to solve a crime. If she does so, she will inherit 20,000.The only problem is that he has failed to mention who was involved, or where, and when the crime was committed. Jane Marple is intrigued.Never underestimate Miss MarpleSorry Poirot, but I'm team Marple every time. A mind to rival the great Sherlock Holmes and much handier with a knitting needle yet patronised and underestimated by those around her, her invisibility is her superpower. That and her uncanny understanding of the darkest depths of human nature . . .'Lucy FoleyHer gift is pure genius.'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

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Book SynopsisA body in the back of a taxi begins an elegantly constructed mystery, perhaps the finest of Marsh’s 1930s novels.Trade Review‘The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers’Times Literary Supplement ‘Ngaio Marsh’s Death in a White Tie is the best detective story I have ever read…’Dashiell Hammett ‘[This book has] a distinction that puts the author in the front rank of crime story writers’Times Literary Supplement ‘A brilliant, vivacious teller of detective novels.’News Chronicle ‘The finest writer in the English language of the pure, classical puzzle whodunnit. Among the crime queens, Ngaio Marsh stands out as an Empress.’The Sun

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Book SynopsisAuthor of over fifty books, Georgette Heyer is the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, making the Regency period her own. Her first novel, The Black Moth, published in 1921, was written at the age of fifteen to amuse her convalescent brother; her last was My Lord John. She wrote twelve detective stories, which earned her much critical acclaim and the title 'Queen of Crime.' Georgette Heyer died in 1974 at the age of seventy-one.Georgette Heyer's mystery novels:April 2006Death in the Stocks - 0099493624; Behold, Here's Poison - 0099493640; They Found Him Dead - 0099493632; A Blunt Instrument - 0099493659September 2006Envious Casca - 0099493667; Detection Unlimited - 0099493748; Duplicate Death - 0099493756; No Wind of Blame - 0099493675January 2007Penhallow - 0099493683; Footsteps in the Dark - 0099493691; Why Shoot a Butler? - 0099493721; The Unfinished Clue - 009949373XTrade ReviewPraise for Georgette Heyer's mystery novels:'We had better start ranking Heyer alongside such incomparable whodunit authors as Christie, Marsh, Tey and Allingham' * San Francisco Chronicle *'Rarely have we seen humour and mystery so perfectly blended' * New York Times *'Sharp, clear and witty' * The New Yorker *'Heyer's characters and dialogue are an abiding delight to me ... I have seldom met people to whom I have taken so violent a fancy from the word "Go"' * Dorothy L. Sayers *

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Book SynopsisNgaio Marsh's most popular novel begins when a young New Zealander's first contact with the English gentry is the body of Lord Wutherford with a meat skewer through the eyeThe Lampreys had plenty of charm but no cash. They all knew they were peculiar and rather gloried in it. The double and triple charades, for instance, with which they would entertain their guests like rich but awful Uncle Gabriel, who was always such a bore. The Lampreys thought if they jollied him up he would bail them out yet again.Instead, Uncle Gabriel met a violent end. And Chief Inspector Alleyn had to work our which of them killed himTrade Review‘The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers’Times Literary Supplement ‘Brilliantly readable… first class detection.’Observer ‘Ngaio Marsh transcended the detective genre by the power of her writing and the rich variety of characters who people her novels.’P.D. James ‘Ngaio Marsh is among the most brilliant of those authors who are transforming the detective story from a mere puzzle into a novel with many other qualities.’Times Literary Supplement ‘The finest writer in the English languange of the pure, classical puzzle whodunnit. Among the crime queens, Ngaio Marsh stands out as an Empress.’The Sun

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Book SynopsisPagan revelry and morris dancing in the middle of a very cold winter set the scene for one of Ngaio Marsh's most fascinating murder mysteries.When the pesky Anna Bünz arrives at Mardian to investigate the rare survival of folk-dancing still practised there, she quickly antagonizes the villagers. But Mrs Bünz is not the only source of friction two of the other enthusiasts are also spoiling for a fight.When the sword dancers' traditional mock beheading of the Winter Solstice becomes horribly real, Superintendent Roderick Alleyn finds himself faced with a case of great complexity and of gruesome proportionsTrade Review‘The incomparable Ngaio Marsh.’Daily Express ‘Mrs Marsh’s work has the hallmark of the master. She is at the top of her form. Definitely first-class plus.’Queen ‘The finest writer in the English language of the pure, classical puzzle whodunit. Among the crime queens, Ngaio Marsh stands out as an Empress.’The Sun

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.They all agreed that it was a huge creature, luminous, ghastly and spectral.'Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine, Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles follows the infamous Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson as they investigate the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville, whose dead body is found on the misty and desolate Devon moors.The locals blame his death on the legend of the fearsome phantom hound that they claim has haunted the Baskerville family for generations. When the heir to the Baskerville fortune, Sir Henry, also comes under threat Holmes' detective skills are put to the test as he battles to discover the truth behind the legend and to solve one of the most macabre mysteries of his career.Trade Review‘Sherlock Holmes's best … remains a classic.’ The Times

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Book SynopsisThe third book in the classic Martin Beck detective series from the 1960s the novels that shaped the future of Scandinavian crime writing.Hugely acclaimed, the Martin Beck series were the original Scandinavian crime novels and have inspired the writings of Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbo.Written in the 1960s, 10 books completed in 10 years, they are the work of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö a husband and wife team from Sweden. They follow the fortunes of the detective Martin Beck, whose enigmatic, taciturn character has inspired countless other policemen in crime fiction; without his creation Ian Rankin's John Rebus or Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander may never have been conceived. The novels can be read separately, but are best read in chronological order, so the reader can follow the characters' development and get drawn into the series as a whole.The Man on the Balcony' balances the most inhuman of crimes with the humanity of the men who must solve it resulting in a poliTrade Review‘Authentic seeming, grim, but fascinating.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A well-told, documentary-type tale of how the Stockholm police slog away…There is something of Ed McBain's “87th Precinct” novels about it, but with less of a factory finish.’ Spectator ‘They changed the genre. Whoever is writing crime fiction after these novels is inspired by them in one way or another.’ Henning Mankell ‘If you haven’t read Sjöwall/Wahlöö, start now.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘Pick up one book…and you become unhinged. You want to block out a week of your life, lie to your boss, and stay in bed, gorging on one after another.’ Observer

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Book SynopsisAgatha Christie’s ingenious murder mystery, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.Trade Review“Despite only five suspects, Mrs Christie as usual puts a ring through the reader’s nose and leads him to one of her smashing last-minute showdowns.” Observer “The answer to the riddle is brilliant.” Times Literary Supplement “A brilliant piece of detective fiction, in which character plays an important part.” Daily Telegraph “Straightforward bamboozling from start to finish.” New Statesman “As usual, Mrs Christie hoaxes us with a double twist at the denouement, and provides excellent entertainment.” Punch “Agatha Christie never fails us, and her Five Little Pigs presents a very pretty problem for the ingenious reader.” Manchester Guardian

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Book SynopsisThe girl who has everythingIncluding a bullet in the headA cruise down the Nile on a river steamer sounds like the perfect way to get away from it all a luxurious retreat, miles from civilization.But the warm and tranquil Egyptian evening is thick with hot passions and cold malice. When everyone on board has a motive, Hercule Poirot must abandon the mysteries of ancient Egypt and focus on altogether deadlier matters . . .Trade Review“The construction is flawless.”Daily Mail “Must be read twice, once for enjoyment and once to see how the wheels go round.” The Times “The main alibi is of the first brilliance … the descriptive work hits, as it were, the Nile on the head.” Observer “A peach of a case for Poirot. I take my hat off to the author for as ingenious an alibi as can well be imagined.” Sunday Times

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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

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Book SynopsisA wheelchair-bound Poirot returns to Styles, the venue of his first investigation, where he knows another murder is going to take placeThe house guests at Styles seemed perfectly pleasant to Captain Hastings; there was his own daughter Judith, an inoffensive ornithologist called Norton, dashing Mr Allerton, brittle Miss Cole, Doctor Franklin and his fragile wife Barbara , Nurse Craven, Colonel Luttrell and his charming wife, Daisy, and the charismatic Boyd-Carrington.So Hastings was shocked to learn from Hercule Poirot's declaration that one of them was a five-times murderer. True, the ageing detective was crippled with arthritis, but had his deductive instincts finally deserted him?Trade Review‘First rate Christie: fast, complicated, wryly funny’ Time ‘Superb, vintage Christie’ Sunday Express

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Book SynopsisAs a favour to an old friend, Hercule Poirot finds himself at a summer fete in Devon, taking part not in a Treasure Hunt, but a Murder Hunt, in this never-before-published novella version of Dead Man's Folly. Now released for the first time in print in this illustrated collector's edition.Sir George and Lady Stubbs, the hosts of a village fête, hit upon the novel idea of staging a mock murder mystery. In good faith, Ariadne Oliver, the well known crime writer, agrees to organise their murder hunt. But at the last minute Ariadne calls her friend Hercule Poirot for his expert assistance. Instinctively, she senses that something sinister is about to happenIn 1954, Agatha Christie wrote this novella with the intention of donating the proceeds to a fund set up to buy stained glass windows for her local church at Churston Ferrers, and she filled the story with references to local places, including her own home of Greenway. But having completed it, she decided instead to expand the story intoTrade Review‘There are [authors] like Agatha Christie: I read those books and I’m in awe that somebody constructed those plots where they all make sense at the end. Those are like magic tricks to me.’ STEPHEN KING

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Book SynopsisThe new Hercule Poirot novel another brilliant murder mystery that can only be solved by the eponymous Belgian detective and his little grey cells'.Since the publication of her first book in 1920, Agatha Christie wrote 33 novels, two plays and more than 50 short stories featuring Hercule Poirot. Now, for the first time ever, the guardians of her legacy have approved a brand new novel featuring Dame Agatha''s most beloved creation.Hercule Poirot''s quiet supper in a London coffee house is interrupted when a young woman confides to him that she is about to be murdered. She is terrified, but begs Poirot not to find and punish her killer. Once she is dead, she insists, justice will have been done.Later that night, Poirot learns that three guests at the fashionable Bloxham Hotel have been murdered, a cufflink placed in each one's mouth. Could there be a connection with the frightened woman? While Poirot struggles to put together the bizarre pieces of the puzzle, the murderer prepares anothTrade Review“Hannah gets it right in every particular – her extraordinary feat is to make the reader forget very quickly that the novel is not, in fact, written by Dame Agatha herself.”—The Times “Poirot purists will be in seventh heaven.”—Daily Telegraph “Within the first few pages of The Monogram Murders it is obvious that we are in safe hands. Sophie Hannah has written a novel that would have delighted the Queen of Crime.”—The Independent “A brilliant new murder mystery which picks up where the grande dame of crime left off”—Mail on Sunday “Both faithful to the character and an entirely worthy addition to the canon. The plot is as tricky as anything written by Agatha Christie. Nothing is obvious or predictable in this very difficult Sudoku of a novel. The Monogram Murders has a life and freshness of its own. Poirot is still Poirot. Poirot is back.”— Alexander McCall Smith in The New York Times “Sophie Hannah had large boots to fill… Nevertheless, she manages it with considerable wit, charm and ingenuity.”—Sunday Express “Equal parts charming and ingenious, dark and quirky and utterly engaging … I was thrilled to see Poirot in such very, very good hands. Reading The Monogram Murders was like returning to a favourite room of a long-lost home.”—Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl “Perfect … a pure treat for Agatha Christie fans.”—Tana French, author of The Secret Place “Sophie Hannah’s The Monogram Murders does Christie proud. Our favourite detective is back and in impeccable form!”—Charles Todd “Sophie Hannah is a prodigious talent. I can’t wait to see what she does next.”—Laura Lippman

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Book SynopsisA unique anthology for crime aficionados – seven of the world’s most notorious genuine murder mysteries retold by the most accomplished classic crime writers of their generation.Trade Review‘Each author manages to give the essential facts of his or her case; and the reader has the further interest of seeing how characteristics of the author’s fiction writing reveal themselves in this kind of critical and historical work. The layman as well as the criminologist has good reason to read this volume; and he will desire lawyers and detectives also to digest it.’ Sunday Times Reviews for previous Detection Club re-issues: ‘A must for all connoisseurs of detective fiction.’ Literary Review ‘This year’s most welcome reissue.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A book of irresistible charm for students of the detective story.’ Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisIn the dead of night, a watchman is brutally attacked and with his dying breath cries out, “The Green Finger!” It is the latest in a series of robberies to take place that have left Scotland Yard mystified, and with no other choice but to call upon the expertise of Detective Paul Temple.Trade Review‘Francis Durbridge, made [Paul and Steve’s] adventures utterly enchanting within that shivering threadbare postwar reality.’–The Telegraph ‘A classy period piece, all clipped accents, glamour and a smoking and drinking count to rival Mad Men. Great fun and surprisingly gripping.’ –The Guardian

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Book SynopsisCar brakes failA boulder missesAccidents? Or not?On holiday in Cornwall, Poirot meets a pretty young woman with an unusual name, Nick' Buckley.Upon discovering a bullet-hole in Nick's sun hat, the great detective decides the girl needs his protection. He also begins to unravel the mystery of a murder that hasn't been committed. Yet.Trade Review'The actual solution is quite unusually ingenious.' Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisA simple accident?Or attempted murder?Everyone blamed the dog. When a wealthy spinster trips on the stairs, it seems only natural to assume it was an accident a rubber ball left there by her lively terrier.And yet the more Emily Arundell thought about it, the more convinced she became that one of her relatives was trying to kill her. Seeking answers, she writes to the famous detective, Hercule Poirot.Only, by the time her letter arrives, Miss Arundell is dead.Trade Review“One of Poirot’s most brilliant achievements”Glasgow Herald

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Book SynopsisAgatha Christie's ingenious mystery thriller, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.Lucy Angkatell invited Hercule Poirot to lunch. To tease the great detective, her guests stage a mock murder beside the swimming pool. Unfortunately, the victim plays the scene for real. As his blood drips into the water, John Christow gasps one final word: Henrietta'. In the confusion, a gun sinks to the bottom of the pool.Poirot's enquiries reveal a complex web of romantic attachments. It seems everyone in the drama is a suspect and each a victim of love.Trade Review“A grade-A plot – the best Christie in years”San Francisco Chronicle

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