Crime and mystery: hard-boiled crime, noir fiction

Book Synopsis*Shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of 2017*Chicago, 1928. In the stifling summer heat three disturbing events take place. A clique of city leaders is poisoned in a fancy hotel. A white gangster is found mutilated in an alleyway in the Black Belt. And a famous heiress vanishes without a trace. Pinkerton detectives Michael Talbot and Ida Davis are hired to find the missing heiress by the girl’s troubled mother. But it proves harder than expected to find a face that is known across the city, and Ida must elicit the help of her friend Louis Armstrong. While the police take little interest in the Black Belt murder, crime scene photographer Jacob Russo can’t get the dead man’s image out of his head, and so he embarks on his own investigation. And Dante Sanfelippo – rum-runner and fixer – is back in Chicago on the orders of Al Capone, who suspects there’s a traitor in the ranks and wants Dante to investigate. But Dante is struggling with problems of his own as he is forced to return to the city he thought he’d never see again . . . As the three parties edge closer to the truth, their paths cross and their lives are threatened. But will any of them find the answers they need in the capital of blues, booze and corruption?Dead Man’s Blues is the gripping second installment in Ray Celestin's prize-winning City Blues quartet. It is followed by the third book in the series, The Mobster's Lament.Trade ReviewA magnificent crime novel, at least as good as his stunning 2014 debut . . . His portrait of an edgy, sexy, corrupt, dangerous, deeply racially prejudiced city, where savage violence cohabited with exciting music, is totally absorbing -- Marcel Berlins * The Times *Celestin certainly doesn’t short change us on plot as his book centres on investigations into the disappearance of a celebrity heiress, the brutal murder (complete with gouged-out eyes) of a gangster and an attempt to poison a group of pro-Capone city dignitaries. But he also packs in enough details about the people, buildings, musicians and criminals of Prohibition-era Chicago to fill a fair-sized history book. He writes so vividly that at times I was convinced I could see 1920s Chicago in front of me and, even more impressively, he writes so well about music that I could virtually hear it. His first book was one of the best crime novels of its year and this sequel is even better. VERDICT: 5/5 * Daily Express *This is the sequel to the prize-winning The Axeman’s Jazz . . . Under the constant threat of bloodshed, the three stories gradually weave together into an intriguing portrait of a time and a place . . . the historical detail is captivating . . . The young Louis Armstrong turns up, and his powerful, searching, explosive jazz pulses through the pages, a soundtrack to Ida’s increasingly dangerous investigation * Spectator *Celestin’s promise of two further instalments of this lively, jazz-based series can only be cause for celebration * Sunday Times *As he did in his first novel, The Axeman’s Jazz, Celestin perfectly captures the jazzy street rhythms of this proudly pugnacious city and its peculiar characters * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisScott King investigates allegations of demon possession in a rural Yorkshire village, where a 12-year-old boy was murdered by two young children. Book six in the spine-tingling, award-winning Six Stories series.‘Matt’s books are fantastic’ Ian Rankin‘An exceptional storyteller’ Andrew Michael Hurley ‘Matt Wesolowski is taking the crime novel to places it’s never been before’ Joseph Knox, author of True Crime Story'A stunning new episode of the powerful Six Stories series. A masterful storyteller, Matt Wesolowski is my go-to writer for literary horror' C J Cooke, author of The Lighthouse Witches____________In 1995, the picture-perfect village of Ussalthwaite was the site of one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, in a case that shocked the world.Twelve-year-old Sidney Parsons was murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this terrible crime, and the ‘Demonic Duo’ who killed him were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were given new identities and lifetime anonymity.Elusive online journalist Scott King investigates the lead-up and aftermath of the killing, uncovering dark stories of demonic possession, and encountering a village torn apart by this unspeakable act.And, as episodes of his Six Stories podcast begin to air, and King himself becomes a target of media scrutiny and public outrage, it becomes clear that whatever drove those two boys to kill is still there, lurking, and the campaign of horror has just begun...____________ ‘Matt Wesolowski is boldly carving his own uniquely dark niche in fiction’ Benjamin Myers‘Matt’s real skill is in finding a deeply human story and twisting it with the paranormal, touching the reader and scaring the wits out of them’ Chris MacDonald‘One of the most exciting and original voices in crime fiction’ Alex North‘A wonderful writer’ Chris Whitaker‘I’ll be rereading these books forever’ Sublime Horror‘The master of horror, of mixing folklore with urban myth and real life. Terrifyingly good’ Louise Beech‘A taut and gripping tale that deftly skewers the perfect balance of crime, thriller and horror. Intriguing, disturbing and impeccably crafted – I was riveted from the first page’ Lucie McKnight Hardy, author of Dead RelativesPraise for the Six Stories series: **Longlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year****Winner of the Capital Crime Best Independent Voice Award**’A captivating, genre-defying book with hypnotic storytelling’ Rosamund Lupton Original, inventive and dazzlingly clever’ Fiona Cummins‘Daisy Jones and the Six gone to the dark side. I couldn’t put it down’ Harriet Tyce‘Bold, clever and genuinely chilling with a terrific twist’ Sunday Mirror‘Insidiously terrifying, with possibly the creepiest woods since The Blair Witch Project’ C J Tudor‘Frighteningly wonderful … one of the best books I’ve read in years’ Khurrum Rahman‘Disturbing, compelling and atmospheric, it will terrify and enthral you in equal measure’ M W Craven‘A dark, twisting rabbit hole of a novel. You won't be able to put it down' Francine Toon‘First-class plotting’ S Magazine‘A dazzling fictional mystery’ Foreword Reviews‘Readers of Kathleen Barber’s Are You Sleeping and fans of Ruth Ware will enjoy this slim but compelling novel’ BooklistFor fans of Serial, The Conjuring, C J Tudor, Fiona Cummins, Sarah Pinborough and Catriona Ward

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Book Synopsis''Marvellously paced and ingeniously plotted. A real page-turner'' Observer_________________________One winter morning, Lorimer Black - young, good-looking, but with a somewhat troubled expression - goes to keep a perfectly routine business appointment and finds a hanged man. A bad start to the day, by anyone''s standards, and an ominous portent. For Lorimer works in the only-slightly corrupt business of financial adjusting, and he is about to learn that it is much uglier - and even more crooked - than he ever imagined. Suddenly, he''s being unfairly blamed for all kinds of irregularities. Next, his life is threatened. And, lastly, he''s coming to realise that the life he has led till now - the one someone wants to rub out - is one big fat lie . . ._________________________''A joy to read: easy to get into, addictively plotted and beautifully written'' Daily Mail''A novel that is truly comic, and, like all true comedy, also disturbing'' Scotsman''A pleasure to read'' Independent on SundayTrade Review'As entertaining and as thought-provoking as anything Boyd has ever written' Daily Telegraph 'Marvellously paced and ingeniously plotted. A real page-turner' - Andrew Motion, Observer 'Armadillo doesn't miss a trick. It has depth and resonance which will make you want to read it again... zinging readability' - Philip Hensher, Mail on Sunday 'A joy to read: east to get into, addictively plotted and beautifully written' - James Delingpole, Daily Mail 'As entertaining as anything he has written... brisk farce and dialogue that can be finger-licking good' - David Profumo, Spectator

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Book SynopsisThis dark and disturbing, edge-of-your-seat thriller from bestselling and prize-winning author Mo Hayder is perfect for fans of Stephen King, Stuart MacBride and Karin Slaughter. Full of twists and turns, it''s an unmissable, engrossing read...''Hayder has a profound ability to shock and surprise her readers. She is the bravest writer I know'' -- Karin Slaughter''Warped ... bloodthirsty ... No matter how much you despise yourself for getting sucked into such places, Hayder is brilliant at making you read on'' -- Daily Telegraph''A story I found hard to put down.'' -- ***** Reader review''Gripping to the very end'' -- ***** Reader review''My night-time reading - so good it''s a wonder l go to sleep at all!'' -- ***** Reader review''A proper page-turning thriller'' -- ***** Reader review*********************************************************************************YOU''VETrade ReviewHayder has a profound ability to shock and surprise her readers. She is the bravest writer I know -- Karin SlaughterWarped ... bloodthirsty ... No matter how much you despise yourself for getting sucked into such places, Hayder is brilliant at making you read on * Daily Telegraph *Hayder is the closest we've got to Stephen King ... the goriest thriller writer this side of the pond * Mirror *Hayder's gory insights into the dark are compelling * Guardian *Fast paced and absorbing ... complex and gripping * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA beautifully crafted, darkly atmospheric crime novel from one of Scotland's most talked-about crime writersTrade ReviewThe fourth novel by the woman touted as Glasgow's answer to Ian Rankin' THE HERALD * 'An efficiently plotted story with the necessary red herrings and an interesting twist' SUNDAY HERALD *An absorbing, vivid police-procedural' LITERARY REVIEW * 'Gray artfully intertwines Lorimer's personal and professional lives, balancing action and gore with the kind of emotional depth that keeps the heart thudding and pages turning' SCOTTISH DAILY RECORD *A fast-paced thriller * **** HOT STARS *

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Book SynopsisFresh from rehab, Norwegian PI Varg Veum faces his most complex investigation yet, when a man is found drowned, a young woman disappears, and the case of a missing child is revived. The classic Nordic Noir series continues…‘As searing and gripping as they come’ New York Times ‘One of my very favourite Scandinavian authors’ Ian Rankin‘The Norwegian Chandler’ Jo Nesbø ***Now a major TV series starring Trond Espen Seim***________________________PI Varg Veum has returned to duty following a stint in rehab, but his new composure and resolution are soon threatened when a challenging assignment arrives on his desk.A man is found dead in an elite swimming pool and a young woman has gone missing. Most chillingly, Varg Veum is asked to investigate the ‘Camilla Case’: an eight-year-old cold case involving the disappearance of a little girl, who was never found.As the threads of these apparently unrelated crimes come together, against the backdrop of a series of shocking environmental crimes, Varg Veum faces the most challenging, traumatic investigation of his career.________________________ 'Every inch the equal of his Nordic confreres Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbø' Independent‘Staalesen continually reminds us he is one of the finest of Nordic novelists’ Financial Times ‘There are only two other writers that I know of have achieved the depth of insight in detective writing that Staalesen has: Chandler, and Ross MacDonald …’ Mystery Tribune ‘Employs Chandleresque similes with a Nordic Noir twist … simply superb’ Wall Street Journal‘Masterful pacing’ Publishers Weekly 'The Varg Veum series is more concerned with character and motivation than spectacle, and it’s in the quieter scenes that the real drama lies’ Herald Scotland ‘Unsettling, moving, sad, hopeful and hopeless … it’s rich and it’s sharp and it’s cynical and sentimental all at once’ NB Magazine ‘A complex, layered plot in which human tragedy and mystery combine to play out beautifully in a classic Nordic noir with a touch of Christie’ Live & Deadly For fans of Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbø, Jorn Lier Horst, Harlan Coben and Jussi Adler-Olse

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Book SynopsisThe third gripping Virgil Flowers thriller by internationally bestselling author John Sandford. A LAND WITHOUT LAW. A KILLER WITHOUT MERCY.  While competing in a fishing tournament in a remote area of northern Minnesota, Virgil Flowers gets a call from his old friend Lucas Davenport to investigate a murder at a nearby resort, where a woman has been shot while kayaking. The resort is for women only: a place to relax, get fit, commune with nature, and sometimes get to know each other a little better. As Flowers begins investigating, he finds a web of connections between the people at the resort, the victim, and some local women – notably a talented country singer. And the more he digs, the more he discovers a multitude of motivations for murder: jealousy, greed, anger, and blackmail. And then Flowers learns that this is not the first death at this particular resort. Someone else died there a year ago. And there's

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Book SynopsisAs Bergen PI Varg Veum investigates two different cases, it becomes clear that they are uncannily similar to harrowing events that took place thirty-six years earlier… A gripping instalment of the award-winning Varg Veum series, by one of the fathers of Nordic Noir. Bergen Private Investigator Varg Veum is perplexed when two wildly different cases cross his desk at the same time. A lawyer, anxious to protect her privacy, asks Varg to find her sister, who has disappeared with her husband, seemingly without trace, while a ship carrying unknown cargo is heading towards the Norwegian coast, and the authorities need answers. Varg immerses himself in the investigations, and it becomes clear that the two cases are linked, and have unsettling – and increasingly uncanny – similarities to events that took place thirty-six years earlier, when a woman and her saxophonist lover drove their car off a cliff, in an apparent double suicide. As Varg is drawn into a complex case involving star-crossed lovers, toxic waste and illegal immigrants, history seems determined to repeat itself in perfect detail … and at terrifying cost... A chilling, dark and twisting story of love and revenge, Mirror Image is Staalesen at his most thrilling, thought-provoking best.

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Book SynopsisA KILLER. A SAINT. A TOWN FULL OF WHISPERS When an English expat is brutally murdered, his charred corpse left on a Loire Valley hillside, the police turn to juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard to find the killer. Instead, Lombard discovers a wealth of secrets, grudges and feuds in the idyllic town of Saint-Genèse-sur-Loire. He begins to suspect that the remaining members of the Comité des Fêtes know more about the death than they are letting on. But rather than towards an arrest, each clue he uncovers seems to point in one, unexpected direction: Joan of Arc. Is the answer to the murder hiding in the barroom gossip of the Lion d’Or? Or in another century altogether? The thrilling new crime series from The Times-bestselling author of Death and CroissantsTrade Review‘With more twists and turns than a backwoods farm track, Moore has made a blistering start to what is near certain to be a long-running series’ Barry Turner, Daily Mail'Like a French inspector Morse, a gallic delight reminiscent of Fred Vargas and Donna Leon' C. K. McDonnell, author of The Stranger Times‘A cracking good read’ Mark Billingham, author of the Tom Thorne thrillers'Charming, clever and expertly crafted… wickedly fabulous' Rachel Lynch, author of the Detective Kelly Porter thrillers'Full of twists and turns, I couldn't put this down. Great stuff' Simon McCleave, author of the D.I. Ruth Hunter thrillers‘This is great fun… crime fiction at a European pace, with a fabulous Loire Valley setting… reminiscent of Michael Dibdin’ Sarah Hilary, author of the D.I. Marnie Rome thrillers'An accomplished and compelling tale' Martin Walker, author of the Bruno, Chief of Police, Dordogne Mysteries'Wine, chateaux and murder, what's not to love? I highly recommend' Cara Black, author of the Aimée Leduc Investigations'An engrossing, slickly plotted policier that will leave you wanting more' Tom Benjamin, author of the Daniel Leicester mysteries'A bracing antidote to the many stories of beautiful, sun-soaked French towns... Juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard is a great character, curmudgeonly but clever, dogged but sensitive, and with a brain packed with the kind of general knowledge that wins quizzes' Literary Review'A surprising and truly entertaining mystery… Moore has finely drawn, colourful characters… incredibly enjoyable' Paul Burke, Crime Time FM'A hotbed of grudges and feuds. Thrilling’ Marie Warren, Crime Monthly'A cunning murder mystery, a dive into history, a warm and intimate portrait of provincial France and, in Juge Lombard, a compelling continental detective – a terrific read' Jon Henley

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Book Synopsis*Icarus 17, the fourth book in the gripping Lachlan Kite thriller series is available to pre-order now!*The second book in Charles Cumming's gripping new thriller series surrounding BOX 88 a covert intelligence organization that operates below the radar.A spy in one of the most dangerous places on Earth1993: Student Lachlan Kite is sent to Russia by secret intelligence agency BOX 88. To the outside world, he is there as a language teacher. In reality, he is there as a spy. But Kite's mission soon goes wrong and he is left stranded with a former KGB officer on his trail.An old enemy looking for revenge2020: Kite discovers he has been placed on the JUDAS' list enemies of Russia who have been targeted for assassination. His only hope of survival is to confront the Russian secret state head onWho will come out on top in this deadly game of cat and mouse?Judas 62 has all you could want from a tense, topical and intelligent spy thriller' The Times Books of the YearTrade Review‘Often hailed as the heir to John le Carré, Charles Cumming sets out his credentials as well as he ever has in Judas 62.’ The Times ‘The storytelling is first-rate, with all the minutiae of spycraft, sense of place and memorable supporting characters you could wish for’ Sunday Times ‘Tense and topical, this has all you could want from an intelligent contemporary spy thriller’ The Times, Books of the Year ‘The first Kite novel was excellent, but this is even better — an elegant exposition of what being a spy in the field actually feels like and the fear it can instil in even the most hardened operator. Superbly constructed, it never hurries, but evokes the world of espionage in a way the late John le Carre would have much admired’ Daily Mail ‘This sequel to Cumming’s stunning Box 88 is further proof that the author is one of the most adroit practitioners of the espionage art; the spycraft involving a covert intelligence group operating below the radar is nonpareil’ i ‘Some of the best writing around on the intricacies of spycraft and the high price agents pay for doing their job’ Sun ‘Intelligent, relevant and engrossing’ NB Magazine ‘Cumming adroitly portrays Kite’s inner life…nail-biting’ Financial Times ‘ Cumming knows his stuff and has done his research, giving the novel an admirably authoritative air’ The Literary Review ‘Charles Cumming knows how to write a good spy novel’ The Herald ‘The gold standard in espionage fiction’ Kirkus

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR FICTION''This ambitious account of a sudden coming of age reminded me strongly of To Kill a Mockingbird - and is every bit as moving and satisfying'' Daily TelegraphIn the long hot summer of 1972, three events shattered the serenity of ten-year-old Marsha''s life: her father ran away with her mother''s sister; a young boy called Boyd Ellison was molested and murdered; and Watergate made the headlines. Living in a world no longer safe or familiar, Marsha turns increasingly to ''the book of evidence'' in which she records the doings of the neighbors, especially of shy Mr Green next door. But as Marsha''s confusion and her murder hunt accelerate, her ''facts'' spread the damage cruelly and catastrophically throughout the neighborhood. ''It is impossible not to be completely swept along. Berne''s vision is gently humorous, ironic, quirky, and she writes with such piercing sensitivity . . . a c

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Book SynopsisIn a city that could well be New York, a series of identical women are found dead in suspicious circumstances. Magazine photographer Johnny Farthing, who is reporting on the suspected murders, is chilled to discover that his fiancée looks identical to the victims too - and then she disappears. As his investigations spiral beyond his control, he finds himself at the heart of a sinister plot that uses cloning to revive the Nazi vision of a world-powerful master race...Part detective noir, part dystopic thriller, Plan for Chaos reveals the legendary science fiction novelist grappling with some of his most urgent and personal themes.Trade ReviewPerhaps the best writer of science fiction England has ever produced -- Stephen KingRemains fresh and disturbing in an entirely unexpected way * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisMidnight Atlanta is the stunning new novel in the award-nominated, critically acclaimed Darktown series, and sees a newspaper editor murdered against the backdrop of Rosa Parks'' protest and Martin Luther King Jnr''s emergence.Atlanta, 1956.When Arthur Bishop, editor of Atlanta''s leading black newspaper, is killed in his office, cop-turned-journalist Tommy Smith finds himself in the crosshairs of the racist cops he''s been trying to avoid. To clear his name, he needs to learn more about the dangerous story Bishop had been working on. Meanwhile, Smith''s ex-partner Lucius Boggs and white sergeant Joe McInnis - the only white cop in the black precinct - find themselves caught between meddling federal agents, racist detectives, and Communist activists as they try to solve the murder.With a young Rev. Martin Luther King Jnr making headlines of his own, and tensions in the city growing, Boggs and Smith find themselves back on the sameTrade ReviewThomas Mullen writes the opposite of escapist fiction: his thrillers force the reader to confront the realities of "skewed" Southern justice, police brutality, civic corruption and mind-boggling racial prejudice . . . Mullen is "an expert button-pusher". His heartfelt, heavy-hitting, feel-bad fiction makes your blood boil * The Times *An exemplary and compelling series . . . Enlightening and admirable * Crime Time *All the ingredients drive the story through a terrific shoot-out and surprises to an explosive climax. Genius! * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *Modern American literature at its most eye-opening and important and crime fiction at its compelling, excellent best * Morning Star *

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Book SynopsisJoin Kurt Austin and the NUMA crew in the thrilling SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER continuing the bestselling series from the grand master of adventure, Clive CusslerA PIRATE''S HOARD. A VANISHED SHIP. A GLOBAL CATASTROPHE BECKONS.________Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala are diving for treasure . . .Specifically, the legendary hoard of Pirate Queen Ching Shih, lost in the South China Sea. But no sooner than they''ve found a clue than a more pressing matter requires urgent attention: a nearby freighter carrying the world''s most state-of-the-art computers has vanished.NUMA must find the ship - and fast. If hackers, criminals or terrorists get hold of it, this cargo could be the Information Age''s most deadly weapon.Plunged into a cyberwar that has spilled into real life, facing modern-day pirates and cut-throat billionaires, Kurt and Joe are about to discover just how perilous are the high seas . . .________Trade ReviewPraise for Clive Cussler * - *The Adventure King * Sunday Express *Cussler is hard to beat * Daily Mail *Nobody does it better . . . nobody! -- Stephen Coonts * - *

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Book SynopsisA retired ambassador''s life is in Andy Roark''s hands in this explosive, fast-paced mystery featuring the Vietnam veteran turned private investigator.Page-turning . . . the balance of plot and character is perfect Publishers Weekly Starred Review Roark is genuinely likeable (not too tough, but not a patsy) The New York TimesBoston, 1985. Private Investigator - and former Special Forces operative - Andy Roark knows he doesn''t fit in with the regular clientele at the Harvard Club, and that''s fine by him. He''s at the elegant bar for one reason only: to meet with the former ambassador of Laos. Ambassador Gordon Stevenson has a job for him . . . and Roark''s here to turn it down. So what if Stevenson''s been getting death threats? After what he did during the Vietnam war, the lives lost under his incompetent command, Roark''s almost tempted to cheer his would-be assassin on. But then Roark finds out why

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Book Synopsis‘Ben Myers is the master of English rural noir, and with Turning Blue, he has created a whole new genre: folk crime … this is by turns gripping, ghastly and unputdownable’ PAUL KINGSNORTH In the depths of winter in an isolated Yorkshire hamlet, a teenage girl, Melanie Muncy, is missing. The elite detective unit Cold Storage dispatches its best man to investigate. DI Jim Brindle may be obsessive, taciturn and solitary, but nobody on the force is more relentless in pursuing justice. Local journalist Roddy Mace has sacrificed a high-flying career as a reporter in London to take up a role with the local newspaper. For him the Muncy case offers the chance of redemption. Darker forces are at work than either man has realised. On a farm high above the hamlet, Steven Rutter, a destitute loner, harbours secrets that will shock even the hardened Brindle. Nobody knows the bleak moors and their hiding places better than him. As Brindle and Mace begin to prise the secrets of the case from the tight-lipped locals, their investigation leads first to the pillars of the community and finally to a local celebrity who has his own hiding places, and his own dark tastes.Trade ReviewMyers summons up the Yorkshire landscape with lyrical aplomb. The bleakness of the snowbound landscape, the beauty of the moors, the vivid realisation of market town and northern city are all rendered with absolute clarity. His prose is beautifully controlled and so graphic it’s impossible not to picture the scenes he conjures up in striking detail. There is no hiding place from the darkness because the writing is so damned good -- VAL McDERMID * GUARDIAN *Working within the genre of crime fiction, and yet with a prose style that at times reads like poetry, Myers spins a tale of torment that creaks into other, older narratives. He creates a novel that is both environmentally and ecologically prescient … Turning Blue is a brave and utterly uncompromising novel which positions Benjamin Myers alongside the great names of crime fiction. He has earned his metaphorical seat on the bench, snuggled in between Val McDermid and James Ellroy -- KATHARINE NORBURY * CAUGHT BY THE RIVER *A queasily compulsive evocation of a wild and brutal Yorkshire landscape, informed and haunted in equal measure by the shades of Jimmy Savile and his monstrous deeds and the East Riding’s lost boy of crime fiction, Ted Lewis -- CATHI UNSWORTH[Myers is] grammatically armed, experienced, and capable of subverting language to dangerous effect….In terms of the current pantheon of crime writing, there truly is nothing with Turning Blue’s dark power and literary ferocity * THRILL FILTER *Myers has his own style, he is an exciting writer of extraordinary talent with an ability to weave heart-breaking tales about marginalised communities and individuals with brutal, bleak and stomach-wrenching stories into the evocative tapestry of a landscape setting … I am continually excited and blown away by Myers’ awesome writing * A FICTION HABIT *Not only has Myers managed to retain his genuine gift for writing about the countryside – despite some quite explicit diversions into the sexual underworld – but in James Brindle he has created a detective who is troubled, and thankfully not just by the tired clichés of drink, drugs or divorce … Turning Blue works as a proper old-fashioned page turner, but Myers has created a new genre – Dales Noir – with echoes of a great like James Ellroy * LOUDER THAN WAR *Turning Blue is cool, dark and hypnotic. As we’ve come to expect from Myers, landscape and nature play an important role in the book, providing the rough-hewn canvas on which he paints yet another gripping, shadowy portrait of humanity, and in the process proves himself one of our most interesting and original writers * LOUD & QUIET *This is far removed from the picture postcard Yorkshire of Heartbeat … the wildness of the environs are particularly well drawn, the reek of sheep shit practically wafting off the page…this compulsively readable work is driven by the same kind of grimly hypnotic thump that David Peace brought to his Red Riding Quartet (another author not given to romanticising “the north” * THE CRACK *The writing is masterful. The descriptive power throughout is akin to that of the best metaphysical poetry….to read Turning Blue is to be totally immersed, to be so engaged with the richness of the text that when reality calls and the book needs placing back on the table, you long to escape back to it * NUDGE *Rural crime fiction in Britain is often hounded by a sense of cosiness, of layers of geniality laid as thick as a buttered scone. Trust Benjamin Myers to swallow those clichés into oblivion, and regurgitate a dark, nasty detective story set in the Yorkshire dales, with barely an iota of compassion for our methods of clinging to what we know … this is a tour de force of stark horror writhing from any pigeonhole you lump it in * THE SKINNY *What a revelation Turning Blue turned out to be. A glorious mash up of the staccato darkness of David Peace, fused with Ross Raisin, this book was not only utterly original, but infused with a beautifully realised balance of naturalistic imagery, and a totally compelling tale of sordid murder in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Drawing on the theme of the infamous Yew Tree investigations, Myers has conjured up a cast of emotionally damaged characters across the spectrum, with blood chilling moments of revelation, that will haunt your dreams * RAVEN CRIME READS *Deeply uncomfortable, essential reading, examining something very rotten in British society * UNSUNG STORIES *

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Book SynopsisOne chance encounter, one murder, will change everything.DI Thomas Ridpath is in the process of getting his life back together when everything goes wrong. Caught in a gruesome motorway incident, one question remains: why did nobody else see what happened? Ridpath’s investigations soon pulls the police force itself into question, and hints at something even more sinister.With Manchester on the brink of violence unlike anything seen in decades, Ridpath must battle this unprecedented conflict alongside his own demons…A nail-biting crime thriller, MJ Lee’s Where the Dead Fall is an absolute must-read, perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Peter James.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE CRIME WRITERS'' ASSOCIATION DEBUT DAGGERWINNER OF THE 2018 INDIE DEBUT FICTION AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR LITERARY FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR, ABIA AWARDS 2018SHORTLISTED FOR THE MATT RICHELL AWARD FOR NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR, ABIA AWARDS 2018SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FICTION 2018Growing up in a small country town, Ben and Fab spend their days playing cricket, wanting a pair of Nike Air Maxes and not talking about how Fab''s dad hits him, or how the sudden death of Ben''s next-door neighbour unsettled him. Almost teenagers, they already know some things are better left unsaid.Then a newcomer arrived. Fab reckoned he was a secret agent and he and Ben staked him out. He looked strong. Maybe even stronger than Fab''s dad. Neither realised the shadow this man would cast over both their lives.Twenty years later, Fab is going nowhere but hoping for somewhere better. Then a body is found in the river, and Fab can''t ignore the past any more.''This book is SO good. Published to huge acclaim in Australia (as Wimmera), Into the River is dark, unsettling and makes for compulsive reading. UK readers, you have a treat coming'' Hannah Richell''Brimming with tension and menace, Brandi's Into the River is an unforgettable story extremely well told. It had my heart racing and breaking in equal measure'' Sarah Bailey''A bold new voice in fiction'' Louise Jensen''Mark Brandi writes with elegant brevity a rare writer who knows the power of words left unwritten'' Chris Hammer

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Book SynopsisThe truth could ruin everything.A decade ago, the bodies of nine people were discovered at Black Valley Farm. The only suspect vanished without a trace.Clare has spent ten years living a lie, but a new podcast on the murders threatens to bring her carefully built life crashing down. Because someone else has listened to the podcast.Someone who knows Clare is lying, and who will stop at nothing to ensure the truth never comes to light.An absolutely unputdownable crime thriller. Perfect for fans of C. L. Taylor, Tim Weaver and T Orr. Munro.Praise for Black Valley Farm ‘Black Valley Farm kept me turning the pages and with intricate plotting and memorable characters this is a thrilling read.’ Patricia Gibney, author of the Detective Lottie Parker Series‘Chilling and compulsive, this darkly menacing tale is full of suspense that keeps on building – everything you want from a crime thriller.’ Marion Todd, author of the DI Clare Mackay Series‘A dark visceral thriller where nobody and nothing is what it seems. Bugler has evoked a terrifying world where power over the most needy leads to the most shocking outcomes.’ Graham Bartlett, author of Force of Hate‘Twisting and shocking. A sinister community, dangerous politics and a host of complex characters make this heart-thumping thriller a truly engrossing read.’ Heather Critchlow, author of Unsolved‘The twists keep coming... The final resolution is so perfect it moved me to tears.’ Chris Curran, author of When the Lights go out‘Wow! What a great book. I loved every moment of it. Just when I thought I had it all figured out (yet again) there was another twist.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘Black Valley Farm is a fascinating read, and the plot kept me turning the pages well into the night. I thought I figured it out, but the author weaved in some good twists that proved me wrong!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘A fresh new take on a thriller! I couldn’t put this one down and highly recommend it!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘Fantastic! I thought the plot was excellent, and there are a couple of twists in the story that you don’t expect.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘Completely mesmerising. I was hooked from the first page. You will think you have this figured out but it gets real twisty. Just fantastic.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

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Book SynopsisTHE TOP 10 BESTSELLER'An emotional read that pulls you in all directions. I was completely absorbed from the first page' Gemma RogersYou want your sister to have all her heart desires. But - what if she wants your children?Maggie has everything her sister Rose always wanted. A handsome husband and two adorable children, Emily and Elliot.But what Rose doesn’t see is that Maggie is struggling. Every day is a fog of sleep loss and mess made by two tiny children. Left alone in her distress by husband Stephen, Maggie drifts ever closer to the edge.When Maggie finally cracks, walking out one day and not returning, Rose is right there to step into the breach . . .You trust your sister to look after your children. But should you?Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng.What people are saying about The Cuckoo Sister‘It begins with a visceral shock and evolves through unexpected twists and turns to a deeply felt and satisfying conclusion’ Greg Mosse, author of The Coming Darkness'This was a beautifully written debut that handles a difficult subject matter with a delicacy that makes me excited to read whatever Alison Stockham writes next' Stacy Thomas, author of The Revels‘This book comes with a killer hook… Sibling relationships, post-natal depression, marriages with cracks that turn into fissures and the nature of friendship are all explored via a pacy storyline.’ Jo Leevers, author of Tell Me How It Ends'Stormed through The Cuckoo Sister by Alison Stockham... A fascinating premise and she handles it admirably, with nuance and compassion.' Laura Pearson, author of I Wanted You To Know, Missing Pieces & Nobody’s Wife'Beautifully poignant and utterly compelling.' Alex Stone, author of The Perfect Daughter and The Other Girlfriend'An emotional and relatable story.' Louise Douglas, author of The Room in the Attic and The Lost Notebook'Such a clever and engaging book with a late twist that I absolutely did not predict.' Beth Miller, author of The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright & The Woman Who Came Back To Life'A brilliant concept delivered with real emotional depth and clout. I felt for each and every character in this story of family, guilt and deepest desires' Gytha Lodge, author of Little Sister, Lie Beside Me, Watching From The Dark & She Lies in Wait**'I devoured The Cuckoo Sister in a day . . . Cleverly written, emotionally and psychologically complex. It’s a brilliant intense read' Elspells‘Beautifully written, interesting & completely gripping . . . This is definitely one that would be perfect for book clubs’ Little Miss Book Lover 87

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Book SynopsisWhen several children from the same village start succumbing to a mysterious illness, the quest to discover the cause has devastating and extraordinary consequences.'Absolutely MAGNIFICENT: dark, witty, charming. I LOVED it.' MARIAN KEYES 'Utterly absorbing' LISA MCINERNEY'Heart-rending, hilarious . . . it's a belter' LOUISE KENNEDY'Blistering...glorious...written from the guts and from the heart.' LUCY CALDWELL'An original and exciting work that's equal parts terrifying, hilarious and memorable.' SUNDAY TIMESIt is late June in Ballylack. Hannah Adger anticipates eight long weeks' reprieve from school, but when her classmate Ross succumbs to a violent and mysterious illness, it marks the beginning of a summer like no other.As others fall ill, questions about what - or who - is responsible pitch the village into conflict and fearful disarray. Hannah is haunted by guilt as she remains healthy while her friends are struck down. Isolated and afraid, she prays for help.Elsewhere in the village, tempers simmer, panic escalates and long-buried secrets threaten to emerge.Bursting with Carson's trademark wit, profound empathy and soaring imagination, The Raptures explores how tragedy can unite a small community - and tear it apart. At its heart is the extraordinary resilience of one young girl. As the world crumbles around her, she must find the courage to be different in a place where conforming feels like the only option available.Darkly funny, highly inventive and deeply moving, The Raptures is an unmissable novel of 2022.Trade ReviewAbsolutely MAGNIFICENT: dark, witty, charming. I LOVED it * MARIAN KEYES *Heart-rending, hilarious . . . It's a belter. * LOUISE KENNEDY *An Agatha Christie-esque whodunnit, a dark supernatural mystery and an account of mass trauma. Carson forges these parts into a tragicomedy in which fantastic elements slot almost seamlessly alongside kitchen-sink realism...compassionate and meticulously observed.' * GUARDIAN *Original and vivid, The Raptures is its own beautiful, unique thing * IRISH TIMES *The book's beauty comes from its hilarious depiction of claustrophobic small-town life * Sunday Times *An utterly compulsive and gripping portrayal of the brilliance of children, the power of intergenerational relationships, and the certainty of our human desire to belong. An utterly engrossing read - one that confronts the trauma of loss and the dangers of religious zealotry through powerful narrative, compelling characters and sharp wit. Jan Carson is a true original. An absolute must read. Outstanding. * ELAINE FEENEY *The Raptures is a wonderful piece of fiction. It engages the reader with a clever plot and with its perfect portrayal of parochial life in Northern Ireland imploded by tragedy told in prose that shimmers with empathy, warmth and humanity. * IRISH INDEPENDENT *A fascinating tale of trauma, fury and panic. * INDEPENDENT *I gobbled up The Raptures. It's a delightful read - sharp, packed with wit and heart, and always utterly absorbing. And it's got that perfectly Irish mix of darkness and humour, the smartarsed wink into the void. * LISA MCINERNEY *A blistering account of small-town Ulster life, The Raptures is unflinching in its exploration of the corrosive effects of fear and small-mindedness on a community, and the trauma wreaked by uncompromising religious fundamentalism on a young and tender soul. Rich in a glorious colloquial idiom, rich with Jan Carson's sharp, sardonic wit, it is ultimately a hopeful read, too, about the ways - whether we like it or not - we are all connected. This is a book written from the guts and from the heart. * LUCY CALDWELL *An original and exciting work that's equal parts terrifying, hilarious and memorable... It is truly one of those books in which every piece fits together like the cogs of a watch. * SUNDAY TIMES IRELAND *Hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure, The Raptures is a very special novel. Jan Carson is a writer of astounding empathy, giving every character - alive or dead - a voice that rings brilliantly true. A real gem. * RUTH GILLIGAN *This superb book deserves all the plaudits and praise going. * SUNDAY INDEPENDENT, IRELAND *I laughed, cried, was enraptured. * SAGA, BOOK OF THE MONTH *Jan has such a singular voice; she is somehow able to write gently and playfully about the largest, most timely and tragic of topics. Here she has conjured a scenario that feels both very true and very mysterious. I adored it. * SARA BAUME *The Raptures is perfect and generous and beautifully crafted and everything I demand from a book. And Hannah, brave and brilliant Hannah -- I've made up a room for her in my heart forever. I'll be putting it in every hand this Christmas. * KARL GEARY *An instantly compelling and novel take on a fractured society, The Raptures is a captivating, clever book by a truly original writer * Sarah Gilmartin *

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Book SynopsisNew York, 1956. A couple walking through Central Park on a fall evening are confronted by a hansom cab driver, only to kill him and casually walk away. Who are the couple and did they know the man?A man commits suicide by throwing himself through a hotel window. His colleagues claim he was depressed - but is there more to it than that?Before Detective Michael Cassidy even begins investigating these cases, he is threatened by an unknown man - the reasons for which are unclear.Are all three incidents connected? If so, how, and will Cassidy live long enough to find out before his would-be assassin claims his life?

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Book SynopsisA body has been found in the trunk of a Cadillac. Jesse's investigation takes him to the neighboring homes of two 'retired' gangsters. But it isn't the mobsters who fascinate Jesse - it's their wives: two completely identical twin sisters, who not even their husbands can tell apart. And when one of the mobsters is found with a bullet in his skull, Jesse is forced to start digging into the twins' past...Trade Review'If Spenser is the invincible knight, the timeless hero of American detective fiction, then Jesse Stone is the flawed hero of the moment, a man whose deficiencies define his humanity' New York Times Book Review. * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisLondon, 1891. Deliveries. Opium. Regret. The only three things twenty-one-year-old Gabriel Ashmore’s life consists of until four murder victims are found in the increasingly criminal city, all marked with the same black veins. Gabriel is connected to all four. He delivered Erebus to them, a new opium variant on the market, after being forced to provide for his family following the brutal death of his mother four years ago. Fearing his involuntary part in the murders, he becomes embroiled in an amateur investigation led by the wealthy aspiring detective Alexander Wakefield, supported by the Leader of the Opposition, Lord Benedict Granville. However, when they witness the fifth death, they realise nothing is as it seems in the city of veils and shadows. Truths become twisted, secrets are revealed and it soon becomes clear they are not dealing with a single killer, but the greatest criminal plot London has ever seen. 'A darkly enchanting and engrossing read – kept me hooked from start to finish.' James Brogden, critically acclaimed author of Bone Harvest

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Book Synopsis***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray''s bestselling Scottish detective series*** ***Don''t miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.***Whether you''ve read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, SLEEP LIKE THE DEAD is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves WHAT THEY''RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES:''Warm-hearted, atmospheric'' ANN CLEEVES''Relentless and intriguing'' PETER MAY''Move over Rebus'' DAILY MAIL''Exciting, pacey, authentic'' ANGELA MARSONS''Superior writing'' THE TIMES''Immensely exciting and atmospheric'' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH_______________ No one rests in peace. There''s a hitman in Glasgow: unpaid and angry, he''s decided Trade ReviewGray's best book yet . . . A thoroughly impressive outing from a writer ready to join the top rank of crime authors. * DAILY EXPRESS *

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Book SynopsisTesla Crane, a brilliant inventor and an heiress, is on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner, cruising between the Moon and Mars. She's travelling incognito and is reveling in her anonymity. Then someone is murdered and the festering chowderheads who run security have the audacity to arrest her spouse.Armed with banter, martinis and her small service dog, Tesla is determined to solve the crime so that the newlyweds can get back to canoodling and keep the real killer from striking again.Trade Review“A vibrant space mystery” – Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisEvoking the golden age of crime, and for fans of Raymond Chandler and Agatha Christie, comes the second book in the Private Investigator Archer series, A Gambling Man from one of the world’s bestselling thriller writers, David Baldacci.A lucky roll of the diceCalifornia, 1949. Aloysius Archer is on his way to start a new job with a renowned Private Investigator in Bay Town. Feeling lucky, he stops off at a casino in Reno, where he meets an aspiring actress, Liberty Callahan. Together, they head west on a journey filled with danger and surprises – because Archer isn’t the only one with a secretive past.A risk worth takingArriving in a town rife with corruption, Archer is tasked with finding out who is doing everything they can to disrupt the appointment of a top official. Then two seemingly unconnected people are murdered at a burlesque club. In a tight-lipped community, Archer must dig deep to reveal the connection between the victims.All bets are offAs the final perilous showdown unfurls, Archer will need all of his skills to decipher the truth from the lies and finally, to prove she’s a star in the making, will Liberty have her moment in the spotlight?A Gambling Man is the second historical crime novel in David Baldacci’s Private Investigator Archer series, following the Sunday Times top five bestseller One Good Deed.Trade ReviewOne of his finest books. Great character, great story, great portrait of an era -- Bill Clinton on One Good Deed, the first novel in the Aloysius Archer series.One Good Deed represents David Baldacci’s move into historical crime with a new character, ex- jailbird Aloysius Archer . . . Unsurprisingly, the talented Baldacci proves to be as adept in this new venture as he is in his contemporary-set novels * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisLucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers join forces on a deadly maritime case like no other . . .   An off-duty Coast Guardsman is fishing with his family when he calls in some suspicious behaviour from a nearby boat. The slick craft has stopped to pick up a surfaced diver, who was apparently alone, without his own boat, in the middle of the ocean. None of it makes sense, and his hunch is proved right when all three Guardsmen who come out to investigate are shot and killed. They're federal officers killed on the job, which means the case is the FBI's turf. And when the FBI's investigation stalls out, they call in Lucas Davenport. But when the case turns lethal, Davenport will need to bring in every asset he can claim, including a detective with a fundamentally criminal mind: Virgil Flowers.With sinister motives running deep, Flowers and Davenport will need to work together to catch the killers – before they bec

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

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Book SynopsisHe thought he was invincible. He was wrong.REVENGE by the ''undisputed queen of crime writing'' (Guardian) and Sunday Times No.1 bestseller Martina Cole is an unflinching novel that exposes a world that many would rather ignore...Michael Flynn is untouchable. He''s the boss of a dangerous empire, the biggest the criminal world has ever seen. No one crosses him, no one gets in his way, and everyone does what he says - including the law.But you don''t get to where Michael is without making enemies. Someone is out for revenge. And it''s best served when least expected.For more novels that will take you deep into the dark and dangerous criminal underworld, check out Martina Cole''s THE GRAFT, THE BUSINESS and THE LIFE

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Book Synopsis''A truly gripping read'' Mick HerronThe cobbled lanes and back streets of St Andrews have become home to a vicious serial killer. Striking during heavy rain and choosing only victims who abuse women, ''The Stabber'' has police baffled. After the sixth man is found murdered, having been stabbed to death through his left eye, DCI Andy Gilchrist is at his wit''s end. Struggling against his self-serving and autocratic boss, Gilchrist is left furious when he is taken off the case at a crucial point. Driven by his fear of failure, and desperate to redeem his career and his reputation, Gilchrist vows to catch The Stabber alone.Digging deeper into the world of a psychopath, Gilchrist fears he is up against a serial killer on the verge of mental collapse. Can Gilchrist unravel the warped mind of the murderer and stop him before the next victim is slain? With reckless resolve, Gilchrist risks it all in a heart-stopping race to catch The Stabber, knowing that anTrade ReviewRebus did it for Edinburgh. Laidlaw did it for Glasgow. Gilchrist might just be the bloke to put St Andrews on the crime fiction map. * Daily Record *A bright new recruit to the swelling army of Scots crime writers * Quintin Jardine *

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Book SynopsisAn art expert joins a detective to investigate a horrific murder on a Swedish island, leading them to a mystery rooted in Viking rites and Scandinavia's deepest, darkest winter. The Queen of French Noir returns with a chilling, utterly captivating gothic thriller, based on a true story. FIRST in a new series. ‘A dark, dark slice of Scandi Noir’ Heat magazine *Book of the Month* ‘Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying’ Peter James ‘Remember her name. Johana Gustawsson has become a leading figure in French crime fiction [and] Yule Island is impossible to put down’ Le Monde ***Winner of the Cultura Ligue de l'Imaginaire Award 2023*** ________ Art expert Emma Lindahl is anxious when she's asked to appraise the antiques and artefacts in the infamous manor house of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, on the island of Storholmen, where a young woman was murdered nine years earlier, her killer never found. Emma must work alone, and the Gussman family apparently avoiding her, she sees virtually no one in the house. Do they have something to hide? As she goes about her painstaking work and one shocking discovery yields clues that lead to another, Emma becomes determined to uncover the secrets of the house and its occupants. When the lifeless body of another young woman is found in the icy waters surrounding the island, Detective Karl Rosén arrives to investigate, and memories his failure to solve the first case come rushing back. Could this young woman's tragic death somehow hold the key? Battling her own demons, Emma joins forces with Karl to embark upon a chilling investigation, plunging them into horrifying secrets from the past – Viking rites and tainted love – and Scandinavia's deepest, darkest winter… ________ PRAISE FOR JOHANA GUSTAWSSON ‘Wonderfully dark and intricately woven … will have you hooked from the very first page’ B A Paris ‘Johana Gustawsson has become the queen of the French thriller genre’ Le Point ‘Intriguingly dark and vivid, and so cleverly told’ Essie Fox `A gripping story of murder and black magic …Gustawsson slowly weaves together three seemingly disparate strands of her narrative with a skill that shows why she is such an admired crime writer in her native France´ The Times ‘A wonderfully creepy, unsettling read, with a superb twist in its tail‘ James Oswald ‘Bewitching and wonderfully gothic’ Sunday Express ‘Johana Gustawsson brilliantly illuminates the depths of the human heart’ Le Figaro `A whirlpool that draws you irresistibly into levels of darkness so much deeper than you can possibly be ready for´ Ambrose Parry ‘Ethereal, romantic and as cold as death, this nerve-shattering and powerful novel immerses us in a cruel and thrilling Nordic tale where love smashes against the rocks of madness’ La Fringale culturelle ‘A stunning and beautifully written gothic thriller’ Alexandra Benedict ‘Johana Gustawsson has no equal when it comes to hooking us with stunning twists and unexpected leaps in time’ Les Echos 'A bold and intelligent read' Guardian 'Utterly compelling' Woman's Own `Brilliant … the last chapters knocked me sideways, and it’s a long time since that’s happened´ Lisa Hall `A dark world of elegance and grotesque … mesmeric´ Matt Wesolowski 'Cleverly plotted, simply excellent' Ragnar Jónasson 'A must-read' Daily Express

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Book SynopsisAssassin. Immortal. Spy.INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERAn ill-matched pair of spies pose as a couple to investigate a series of murders in 1930s Shanghai, from the author of THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS.Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was saved from the brink of death. Now she doesn't sleep or age - and can heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Desperate for redemption from her traitorous past, she works as an assassin for her country.Code name: Fortune. When a series of murders causes unrest in Shanghai, Rosalind's mission pivots. Ordered to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits, she must pose as the wife of another spy, Orion Hong, to reduce suspicion. Although Rosalind finds Orion's cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she agrees to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets she wants to keep buried. Soon, the two spies will find there is more to this mystery than they ever imagined . . .PRAISE FOR CHLOE GONG'An electrifying, swashbuckling tale of intrigue and assassins, romance and betrayal' CASSANDRA CLARE'Amazing, show-stopping, spectacular' XIRAN JAY ZHAO'A dark delight' RENEE AHDIEH'Foul Lady Fortune had my heart pounding from the first chapter' ELIZABETH LIM'Chloe Gong has outdone herself' JOAN HETrade ReviewRaw, thrilling and dizzyingly romantic, Foul Lady Fortune is a marvel * Sangu Mandanna, author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches *Foul Lady Fortune is a rich and thrilling web of covert identities and competing ideologies, with a devastating slow-burn romance at its core. Gong has crafted an absolutely gripping and wonderfully confident start to a new series * Sunya Mara, author of The Darkening *An absolute fireball of a book. This is an impeccably slick murder mystery entangled in the backstabbing, claustrophobic world of spies and political machinations ... leaves you scheming, theorising and obsessing * The Nerd Daily *In the usual style of conspiracy thrillers, it contains rather a lot to keep up with: a large cast of characters, some with more than one name, some of them working for more than one side. But Chloe Gong unfolds it all with care ... over time, the reader becomes properly invested in her cast of young agents with messy lives * SFX *Filled with secrets, conspiracy and romance, this evocative slice of historical fiction from the author of These Violent Delights sees a young assassin fight for the greater good in 1930s Shanghai * Waterstones *I love a period piece and I love a little bit of fantasy in my books. Chloe Gong has been able to mix the two in her novels that are set in early 1900s Shanghai * Stellar.ie *When a story is this pacey and captivating, with such beautifully written characters, why wouldn't you want to read every book that shapes the world they exist in? * Culturefly *

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Book Synopsis Nick Miller is Central Division’s maverick Detective Sergeant. Disliked and distrusted by friends and foes, he works alone. He crosses the line. And he gets results. Trade Review‘A classic British thriller reminiscent of The Sweeney with a dash of Line of Duty’ Charles Cumming, author of Box 88 ‘Action-packed, colourful and written by a natural storyteller’ Mail on Sunday ‘Open a Jack Higgins novel and you’ll encounter a master craftsman at the peak of his powers … first-rate tales of intrigue, suspense and full-on action’ Sunday Express ‘Higgins is a master of his craft’ Daily Telegraph ‘A thriller writer in a class of his own’ Financial Times ‘The master craftsman of good, clean adventure’ Daily Mail ‘One hundred percent proof adventure’ New York Times

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Book SynopsisAs much a thriller as a chilling exploration of grief, The Woman on the Pier is one of B P Walter's finestand most shockingnovels yet' A. J. Gnuse, author of Girl in the WallsTwo strangers meet on the pierOnly one walks awayScreenwriter Caroline Byrne is desperate to know why her daughter Jessica died, murdered in Stratford when she was supposed to be at a friend's in Somerset.When Caroline discovers the messages Jessica had been sending a boy named Michael, she realises it's because of him. Because he failed to meet her that day.He's the reason why her daughter is dead.And so she makes a choice. He's the one who's going to pay.That is her promise. Her price.Set between Essex, Kent, and Australia, The Woman on the Pier is a dark suspense thriller brimming with secrets and lies seeping across three generations a must-read for fans of Lucy Foley and Rosamund Lupton.An unflinching, visceral and eloquently written dissection of a mother's grief and her journey to get what she perceives asTrade ReviewPraise for THE DINNER GUEST: ‘Stayed up till past 2am to finish this! Well done, B P Walter – immensely gripping!’ Sophie Hannah, Sunday Times-bestselling author of the Hercule Poirot Mysteries ‘Could not put this book down, kept me guessing the entire way. Wow! A triumph from B P Walter’ Susan Lewis, Sunday Times-bestselling author of FORGIVE ME ‘I couldn't put this down. Suspenseful and well crafted, this is twisty, addictive reading to add to your list’ Debbie Howells, bestselling author of THE VOW and Richard and Judy Book Club pick THE BONES OF YOU Praise for A VERSION OF THE TRUTH: ‘Devilishly well-plotted, crisply written – and a hell of a lot of fun. What a smashing debut!’ A.J. Finn, #1 bestselling author of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW ‘Beguiling, surprising and sometimes shocking. Cleverly crafted with characters who stay with you. Highly-polished debut.’ Jane Corry, author of THE DEAD EX ‘Such a confident debut from Barnaby Walter and the most disturbing thriller I’ve read this year.’Emma Curtis, author of ONE LITTLE MISTAKE and WHEN I FIND YOU. ‘Day one of my holiday lost to B P Walter and his intriguing thriller A Version of the Truth. If you like Peter Swanson, this will be right up your dark, twisted alley’John Marrs, author of THE ONE ‘A Version of the Truth is engaging and sinister in places. Walter has created wonderfully authentic characters, and the writing is superb. Highly recommended.’ Elisabeth Carpenter, author of 99 RED BALLOONS ‘Walter's debut is an assured piece of world-building, with characters both flawed and real, and a crescendo that sweeps you up then crashes you down. Unpredictable, clever & subtly twisted. Loved it.’ Helen Fields, author of PERFECT SILENCE ‘A dark and sometimes disturbing debut; a compelling story with credible characters. Walter emerges as a powerful new voice in the world of thriller writing.’ Diane Jeffrey, author of HE WILL FIND YOU

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Book SynopsisMatilda Darke is backAPRIL 2020: LOCKDOWNDI Brady has been tracing victims of systemic abuse at a local children's home after a high-profile accusation pitched it into the spotlight a case that couldn't be more personal.As Matilda and her team piece together the disturbing picture of the history of the home, it soon becomes clear that this is much bigger than they ever suspected.But nothing prepares them for what they uncover nextThe Lost Children is an utterly gripping crime thriller weaving a breakneck tale of a vast network of secrets and lies, a relentless detective determined to sabotage it, and a murder that shatters two decades of silence.Praise for the DCI Matilda Darke Series:Tense, twisty, emotional and gripping. Will definitely be reading more from Matilda Darke and this gets a huge 5 stars from me!' Angela MarsonsMatilda Darke is an excellent character' BA ParisThis explosive novel is already making a bang with reviewers comparing Michael's work to that of his heroes Val Trade ReviewPraise for Michael Wood: ‘A tense, nail-biting story with a truly twisted ending’ Katerina Diamond “An established master of the serial killer novel takes us on another dangerous journey through the streets of Sheffield. Watch out for those twists – you won't see them coming!” Stephen Booth ‘A gritty and atmospheric thriller with more twists and turns than a hangman's knot. I loved it’ Matt Hilton ‘Solid storytelling and great unravelling of plot. Michael Wood ups the pace as the noose tightens’ Rachel Sargeant ‘Taut, twisting and sharp as a blade, The Hangman’s Hold wrong-footed me at every, devious turn’ Chris Whitaker 'Wood hit the ground running with For Reasons Unknown, first in the DCI Matilda Darke series. In the fourth instalment, The Hangman's Hold, he picks up the pace again with a twisting plot that races to a nail-biting finish’ Chris Simms ‘Bites into you like the rough twine of a hangman’s noose and refuses to let go. Tautly plotted, brilliantly realised, this is further proof that Michael Wood is only going to get better and better. The Hangman’s Hold is going to be big…’ Neil Broadfoot Praise for Michael Wood: ‘You can count on Michael Wood to deliver a deliciously twisted and intriguing plot, leading to a surprise ending by a likeable and very real protagonist, Matilda Darke’ Yrsa Sigurdardottir ‘She is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths ‘A pitch-black concept, tightly delivered and played at exhilarating pace’ Paul Finch ‘Crackling dialogue, dark wit and an exciting ending. Recommended if you liked Happy Valley’ Mark Edwards ‘DCI Matilda Darke is going places’ James Oswald ‘A compelling, addictive read, it’s hard to put down. I really enjoyed getting to know DCI Matilda Darke. She's strong character with real depth’ Robert Bryndza, bestselling author of THE GIRL IN THE ICE ‘A beautifully written book with a dark heart and a secret that impacts on generations’ Sarah Ward

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Book Synopsis''The new crime and espionage series from Penguin Classics makes for a mouth-watering prospect'' Daily TelegraphMaude Slocum is in trouble. But luckily trouble is Investigator Lew Archer''s business.A well-dressed, wealthy woman has arrived at Archer''s L.A. office, having intercepted a poison pen letter accusing her of adultery. Reluctantly agreeing to help her find the culprit, he dives into the Slocums'' moneyed, oil-rich California world. But when Maude''s mother-in-law is found dead in the swimming pool, secrets come to the surface too. For the urbane, world-weary Archer, a case of blackmail soon becomes murder.

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Book Synopsis''I need a man good-looking enough to pick up a dame who has a sense of class, but he''s got to be tough enough to swap punches with a power shovel.'' In the first of the four cases in Trouble is My Business, Los Angeles PI Philip Marlowe is offered a job that leaves a bad taste in the mouth: smearing a girl who''s ''got her hooks into a rich man''s pup''. Before too long Marlowe''s up to his neck in corpses and cops and he''s taken pity on the girl. There''s nothing like making trouble out of your business . . .The four novellas collected here are quintessential Raymond Chandler: slick, crystal-clear writing that pins the reader to the seat and won''t let go until the last page is turned.''Age does not wither Chandler''s prose'' Literary Review''Chandler''s prose flies off the pages like a burst from a Tommy gun. Chandler was perhaps the finest exponent of the fledgling genre now known as pulp fiction'' Scottish Field

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Book SynopsisBest-known as the creator of the original private eye, Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler was born in Chicago in 1888 and died in 1959. Many of his books have been adapted for the screen, and he is widely regarded as one of the very greatest writers of detective fiction.Trade ReviewRaymond 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 *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 *

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Book SynopsisChicago PI Dek Elstrom is called into action when a man acquitted of his wife''s murder asks Dek to investigate the strange circumstances around her death.A shocking chain of events occur after midnight one night on a quiet suburban street in West Chicago. The first neighbor hears a woman scream. The second sees the lights in the Tripps'' house being switched on, one by one, room after room. The third receives a call from a voice he doesn''t recognize, screaming at him to come over right away. But to where?When the police arrive on the street, Sara Tripp is discovered brutally murdered. Her husband, Martin Tripp, is put on trial for her murder and acquitted. Martin is convinced Sara was scared of something before she died, and he wants private investigator Dek Elstrom to find out what it was. As Dek investigates, he makes a series of disturbing discoveries. Can he get to the truth of what really happened that terrifying night?

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Book SynopsisROBERTA KRAY'S 15th BOOK. NO ONE KNOWS CRIME LIKE KRAY.The new gripping gangland crime novel: STOLEN, the sequel to SURVIVOR. Trade ReviewA cracking good read * Jessie Keane *A cracking good read -- Jessie KeaneWell into Martina Cole territory * Independent *Well into Martina Cole territory * Independent *Great writing, gripping story, loved it! -- Mandasue HellerAction, intrigue and a character-driven plot . . . sure to please any crime fiction fans * Woman *Action, intrigue and a character-driven plot . . . sure to please any crime fiction fans * Woman *Gripping * Daily Express *Gripping -- Daily ExpressA compelling mystery -- Heather BurnsideA gripping page-turner -- Kerry BarnesRoberta is an excellent writer, and this tale of a widow hunting for her errant husband in the post-war East End underworld fairly rattles along. * Choice *

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Book Synopsis''Immensely exciting and atmospheric'' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH''Move over Rebus'' Daily Mail''Exciting, pacy, authentic''ANGELA MARSONS''Convincing Glaswegian atmosphere and superior writing''The Times Don''t miss Alex Gray''s latest novel - WHEN SHADOWS FALL is out now in paperback It doesn''t matter whether you''ve read them all or whether you''re discovering this bestselling series for the first time, this Lorimer mystery is the perfect winter read to cozy up with _________________________A murder on their doorstepA case that''s too close to home . . . The body of a young woman has been discovered in Bellahouston park, the second in a matter of months. It''s clear to Detective Superintendent William Lorimer of Police Scotland that they have a repeat killer on their hands, who is sure to strike again.Lucky for DSI Lorimer tTrade ReviewEerie, psychological and easy to delve into * Woman *

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Book SynopsisHarlan Coben meets Broadchurch in this dazzling first novel in a page-rippingly suspenseful new series Trade ReviewFast-paced and brimming with superb characters. I couldn't put it down for a single second. Twelve stars! -- LISA JEWELLTwelve Secrets is a smart, satisfying, one-of-a-kind thriller that entertained me from start to finish. It examines the confluence of family loyalties and dark secrets while keeping the plot boiling. -- JAMES PATTERSONUtterly absorbing -- SHARI LAPENAOminous at the beginning, breathless by the end ... this is excellent hardcore suspense -- LEE CHILDA pacey thriller full of twists and turns. You won't be able to put TWELVE SECRETS down until the very end. -- KARIN SLAUGHTERA fine debut * The Sunday Times (Books of the Year) *Twelve Secrets is rather special. So clever, so engrossing, a genuine 'just one more page' kind of book -- M. W. CRAVENWhat a tangled web! Brilliantly weaved and then carefully unravelled for the big revelations at the end. A totally gripping read. -- SUSAN LEWISAbsolutely addictive. An unforgettable and nuanced cast of characters, a claustrophobic setting, and a suspenseful and chilling examination of the dark and destructive power of secrets. You will sleep with your eyes open after reading this one. -- GILLY MACMILLANA tightly-woven thriller that races to a conclusion I didn't see coming -- NELL PATTISONOriginal, unputdownable and a really great read -- KATIE FFORDEI adored TWELVE SECRETS - It was so much twisty-turny fun and I loved the characters and how their secrets unravelled. It's a fast-paced, utterly gripping thriller - a definite twelve out of ten! -- VANESSA SAVAGEA fantastic, plot-twisting debut. Original and addictive. -- CAMERON WARDTwelve Secrets contains cliff-hangers and revelations galore. [It] is all plot, plot, plot - and, boy, what a lot it's got. * THE TIMES *Fast-paced and shocking. * Woman's Weekly *A page-turner with a final revelation that satisfies by being unguessable but retrospectively inevitable * Morning Star *Satisfyingly twisty, straight from Harlan Coben territory and surely Netflix bound * IRISH INDEPENDENT *One very twisty tale * HEAT *

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Book Synopsis***THE GUARDIAN BEST CRIME AND THRILLERS OF 2023***THE TIMES BEST THRILLERS OF THE MONTH*** ***MAIL ON SUNDAY BEST NEW FICTION***FINANCIAL TIMES BEST NEW THRILLERS***''Powerful'' THE GUARDIAN ''A gritty, authentic triumph, one howling to be turned into a film or TV series'' FINANCIAL TIMES''Atmospheric and tense thriller that has TV series written all over it.'' THE SUN''Eli Cranor is that rare writer who can make you gasp, cry and cheer often in the same paragraph'' S. A. COSBYAfter his son is convicted of murder, Vietnam War veteran Jeremiah Fitzjurls takes over the care of his granddaughter, Joanna, raising her with as much warmth as can be found in an Ozark junkyard outfitted to be an armory.He teaches her how to shoot and fight, but there is not enough training in the world to protect her when the dreaded Ledfords, notorious meth dealers and Trade ReviewEli Cranor's superb new novel Ozark Dogs tunnels into your brain with feverish power. A story of family burdens and dark legacies, it's thrillingly told, deeply wrenching, not to be missed. -- Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The TurnoutRaw, gritty, and darkly beautiful noir at its finest. Cranor digs deep into the hard places, the hard choices that crush and grind. And he does so with great tenderness for his flawed and broken characters as they seek revenge, cling to honor, and sacrifice everything for family. This is a writer to watch. -- Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps SixWhatever darkness lives in the space between a finger and a trigger also lives in the pages of Ozark Dogs. A tale of blood, guilt, family, and murder, this one will move from the junkyard straight into your heart. Cranor is one of the South's best contemporary chroniclers, and his keen eye is on full display here. -- Gabino Iglesias, author of The Devil Takes You HomeEli Cranor writes about his people and his place with a bloodred certainty and a careful eye toward the things that both bind us together and tear us apart. Ozark Dogs does not compromise one single beat. -- Michael Farris Smith, author of Nick and The FighterThe author has a superior gift for capturing the cadences and feel of Southern small towns. Greg Iles fans will be eager for Cranor's next. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisAn FT Best Summer Thriller 2023''Creates an atmosphere of mounting menace'' The Times''Conjures up a backdrop so vivid you can taste the smoke in the air'' Val McDermid, author of 1989BIRMINGHAM, 1933.Private enquiry agent William Garrett facilitates divorces for the city''s male elite. With the help of his best friend - charming, out-of-work actor Ronnie Edgerton - William sets up honey traps. But photographing unsuspecting women in flagrante plagues his conscience and William heaves up his guts with remorse after every job.William''s life changes when he meets the beautiful Clara Morton and falls in love. Little does he know she is the wife of a client - a leading fascist with a dangerous obsession. Soon, what should have been another straightforward job turns into something far more deadly.Drenched in evocative period atmosphere and starring an unforgettable cast of characters, Needless Alley taTrade ReviewA fine writer with a great sense of period and place who creates an atmosphere of mounting menace and dread. A more than promising debut * The Times *Conjures up a backdrop so vivid you can taste the smoke in the air . . . one of those books that runs like a movie in your head and leaves greasy fingerprints all over your memory -- Val McDermid, author of 1989Marlow's very engaging protagonist may herald the birth of a new genre: Midlands Noir * Financial Times *Transplanting the hardboiled Hollywood noir of the 1940s to the backstreets of 1933 Birmingham, [Needless Alley] has all the seamy glitter and cynical grime of the genre * Daily Mail *Marlow has a nicely theatrical way with a scene, and her witty prose has texture and heft. The city is atmospherically rendered, the narrative has an almost hallucinatory quality and Garrett is an engaging leading man. Needless Alley is an exceptionally well-written first novel that whets the appetite for many sequels * Irish Times *From its claustrophobic descriptions of Birmingham's darker corners to revelations of the seedier proclivities of the rich and powerful, Needless Alley offers a gripping portrait of 1930s England, a country where Blackshirts and fascism have entered the national psyche. William Garrett - dour, dark, and damaged - is a man of principle in an unprincipled vocation. A meditative and wonderfully written historical crime debut -- Vaseem Khan, author of THE LOST MAN OF BOMBAYA gripping debut . . . Garrett may play hard-boiled but, in the best tradition of private detectives, there is a quixotic romanticism lurking under the cynical and dishevelled exterior * Irish Independent *This is pulp fiction of the highest quality, marking the arrival of a fabulous new thriller writer -- Matthew d’Ancona * Tortoise *An atmospheric, hardboiled thriller with a hint of Peaky Blinders about it * Sun *Marlow's stylish debut is an elegant homage to classic pulp fiction, steeped in dark and seedy glamour * Daily Mail *Needless Alley by Natalie Marlow is something special . . . [A] superbly written debut * Morning Star *Needless Alley is well plotted, lively and builds a great cast of characters for future mysteries * Bookseller *Crafted with all the style and elegance of classic hardboiled fiction, lovingly splashed in the grubbiness and grime of interwar Birmingham's cuts, alleys and back streets. A smart, ripping yarn, whose compelling hero is movingly supported by a cast of lived in characters, and put through the wringer by some shocking and moving revelations. Sensational start to a new series -- Dominic Nolan, author of VINE STREETDeftly plotted, beautifully written, Needless Alley is a delicious slice of Chandleresque Midlands noir. Marlow's pellucid prose shines a brilliant light on 1930s Birmingham and the lives and loves of the exquisitely drawn characters that populate its mean streets and waterways. I loved this book and I can't wait to read more -- Mark Wightman, author of WAKING THE TIGERA Chandleresque hard-boiled detective novel with an atmospheric, horrifying feel all of its own. Tightly plotted and beautifully written, a world of Blackshirts and misogyny with a flawed, human detective who I took straight to my heart -- Harriet Tyce, author of BLOOD ORANGENeedless Alley not only evokes 1930s Birmingham in all its dark glory - it introduces characters that are impossible to forget. Read it -- Alan Parks, author of BLOODY JANUARYMarlow beautifully distils 1930s Birmingham into a seamy world of moral corruption: anyone can fall and few are left clean. Gripping, confident and atmospheric -- Kate Mascarenhas, author of HOKEY POKEYA terrific debut. It's not often that historical fiction gets this down and dirty, but Natalie Marlow has delivered dark and twisted in spades. I urge you to take a stroll down Needless Alley, but you might want to watch your back as you do . . . -- Trevor Wood, author of DEAD END STREETNeedless Alley, Marlow's debut is crime fiction gold. Every word is crafted with care; every plot twist is elegantly presented. And at the heart of it all is a heinous crime that begs to be solved by a hero as full of heart as he is driven. I love everything about this book -- Femi Kayode, author of LIGHTSEEKERSNeedless Alley is great - dark, gritty and full of unexpected twists and turns -- Frances Quinn, author of THAT BONESETTER WOMAN1930s Birmingham is brought expertly to life in this atmospheric crime noir where corruption and seedy entanglements lurk down every darkly lit street. Compelling and clever, Needless Alley makes for a gripping read that any Peaky Blinders fan is sure to love -- Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of PANDORADown these mean Brummie streets a man must go . . . and on the strength of Natalie Marlow's cracking debut, I'll be following. An elegantly written, meticulously researched 1930s noir thriller, with a twisting, turning plot and vivid characters both utterly of their time and powerfully resonant of our own -- Robbie Morrison, author of EDGE OF THE GRAVENeedless Alley is a great murder mystery, rich in character and detail and darker than a Black Country canal at midnight -- Peter Hanington, author of A CURSED PLACEAs with every atmospheric mystery, it's all about the lighting, and Natalie Marlow illuminates the hard-boiled players in this thrilling debut with all the dexterity of any of our great noir novelists. You will wince, you will gasp, you will shudder at every turn, and you will want to keep reading until that last light dims at the disquieting end -- J.M. Varese, author of THE SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHER and THE COMPANY

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Book SynopsisTHE LATEST INSTALMENT IN THE FARGO ADVENTURES FROM BESTSELLING GRAND MASTER OF ADVENTURE CLIVE CUSSLER WHO WILL DISCOVER THE LOST RICHES OF CROESUS?________ Treasure hunters Remi and Sam Fargo are in Washington, DC looking for the final clue in a puzzle more than a decade old - a dangerous mystery which originally led to their teaming up. For ten years ago, a chance meeting that threw Remi and Sam together led to the pair diving together for ancient sunken wrecks off the Greek coast.But when a secretive billionaire decided he didn''t want anyone diving in the seas near his operations, the pair found themselves in deep trouble. Only now, returning ten years later, do they finally understand who and what they were up against.For with the lost riches of Croesus lying somewhere in these waters, their formidable enemy won''t be giving up easily. Suddenly, finding the treasure becomes less important than making it home alivTrade ReviewPraise for Clive Cussler * - *The Adventure King * Sunday Express *Cussler is hard to beat * Daily Mail *Nobody does it better . . . nobody!Just about the best storyteller in the business * New York Post *Delivers what it promises * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisIRRESISTIBLE AND PULSE-POUNDING Karin SlaughterA TENSE, PACY PAGE-TURNER GUARDIANBRILLIANT AND RELENTLESS Don WinslowThe unmissable new thriller from the bestselling author of THE CHAIN.YOU DON''T KNOW WHAT YOU''RE CAPABLE OF UNTIL THEY COME FOR YOUR FAMILY.After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they''re deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.When they discover a remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram. But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shockinTrade ReviewUnforgettable * DON WINSLOW *Heart-stoppingly tense and unpredictable, The Island twists a family vacation to a nightmarish breaking point. Adrian McKinty has written another irresistible and pulse-pounding thriller about the surprising places evil hides and just how far we'll go for those we love. * KARIN SLAUGHTER *A pulsating, nerve-shredding thriller. I loved it! * M.J. ARLIDGE *Wow, this book left me breathless and on the edge of my seat from the very first page-this is thriller writing of a high order. Gripping and unpredictable, prepare to be hooked and pumped full of adrenaline as McKinty deftly weaves a compulsively readable plot with characters that you are rooting for. No one does high- stakes tension like McKinty. Put The Island at the top of your TBR-you won't regret it. * SARAH PEARSE, Bestselling author of THE SANATORIUM *Extraordinary * T.J. NEWMAN *A haunting masterpiece * STEVE CAVANAGH *McKinty delivers another skillful, blade-sharp page-turner. * JAMES SWALLOW *Expertly choreographed and breathlessly exciting . . . both the peril and the family are like no other. The Chain was McKinty's breakthrough novel and this one could be every bit as big. * Booklist (starred review) *Exciting . . . Pulls readers compulsively onward * Kirkus Reviews *Exquisite prose at blistering pace. McKinty strikes again. Absolutely riveting. * Paul Finch *With more than a touch of the gothic, this seat-of-the-pants ride sees an Australian woman bring her American family to an island off the Victorian coast. But a fatal road accident leaves them falling foul of the Deliverance-like family that rules the island and in a battle for survival. (Top 10 Books You Should Read in June) * Sydney Morning Herald *The Baxters fight for survival in this tense, pacy page-turner from the author of The Chain. * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis''Involving, sophisticated, intelligent and suspenseful'' Lee Child''A gripping, twisty police procedural'' Shari Lapena''Sets off at a cracking pace from page one and never slows down'' Rachel Abbott''Compelling, page-turning suspense ... Mari is a writer at the very top of her game'' Steve CavanaghA FATAL CRASHA plane on route from London to New York City has disappeared out of the sky. This breaking news dominates every TV channel, every social media platform, and every waking hour of the Metropolitan Police and US Homeland Security. A PRIVATE TRAGEDYThe love of DCI Kate Daniels'' life was on that aircraft, but she has no authority to investigate. This major disaster is outside of her jurisdiction and she''s ordered to walk away.A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTHBut Kate can''t let it lie. She has to find out what happened to that plane - evTrade ReviewInvolving, sophiticated, intelligent and suspenseful - everything a great crime thriller should be. * Lee Child *A gripping, twisty police procedural - fans of the Kate Daniels series will love this one. * Shari Lapena *With a cast of compelling characters and a chilling plot, Without a Trace sets off at a cracking pace from page one and never slows down. * Rachel Abbott *Mari Hannah has a rare gift. She can write compelling, page-turning suspense with the very best, but she adds heart to every page. Kate Daniels is a character to cherish, and Mari is a writer at the very top of her game. * Steve Cavanagh *I loved it - both compelling and incredibly moving. * Elly Griffiths *A personal tragedy puts Kate Daniels at the heart of an international incident, testing her skills as a detective. Without A Trace is a deft blend of emotional drama and crime procedural that kept me hooked to the very end. Mari Hannah has a talent for writing about the light and dark of life, and creates characters who feel so realistic they almost pop from the page. * Adam Hamdy *Mari Hannah is in the uppermost echelon of British crime writers and Without a Trace demonstrates why. It's her best book yet - compelling, emotional and intricately plotted with a procedural authenticity few can match. A stunning novel. * M.W. Craven *

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