Crime and mystery: hard-boiled crime, noir fiction

774 products


  • The Accused

    Black Curtain Press The Accused

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £11.99

  • No Good from a Corpse

    Black Curtain Press No Good from a Corpse

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £17.99

  • Detour

    Black Curtain Press Detour

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £17.99

  • Only to Sleep: A Philip Marlowe Novel

    Hogarth Press Only to Sleep: A Philip Marlowe Novel

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisLawrence Osborne brings one of literature’s most enduring detectives back to life—as Private Investigator Philip Marlowe returns for one last adventure. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND NPR • NOMINATED FOR THE EDGAR AND SHAMUS AWARDSThe year is 1988. The place, Baja California. And Philip Marlowe—now in his seventy-second year—is living out his retirement in the terrace bar of the La Fonda hotel. Sipping margaritas, playing cards, his silver-tipped cane at the ready. When in saunter two men dressed like undertakers, with a case that has his name written all over it.   For Marlowe, this is his last roll of the dice, his swan song. His mission is to investigate the death of Donald Zinn—supposedly drowned off his yacht, and leaving behind a much younger and now very rich wife. But is Zinn actually alive? Are the pair living off the spoils? Set between the border and badlands of Mexico and California, Lawrence Osborne’s resurrection of the iconic Marlowe is an unforgettable addition to the Raymond Chandler canon. Praise for Only to Sleep “A new case for Philip Marlowe and—have a smell from the barrel, all you gunsels and able grables —it crackles.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice) “Brilliant. Osborne and Chandler are a perfect match.”—William Boyd, author of Any Human Heart “A Marlowe we at once know, but have never met before. As much a meditation on aging and memory as it is a crime thriller.”—Los Angeles Times “It’s the kind of book where, when you read it, it turns the world to black and white for a half-hour afterward. It leaves you with the taste of rum and blood in your mouth. It hangs with you like a scar.”—NPR

    10 in stock

    £11.54

  • Sirens: A Novel

    Random House USA Inc Sirens: A Novel

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    10 in stock

    £13.60

  • The Smiling Man: A Novel

    Random House USA Inc The Smiling Man: A Novel

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    10 in stock

    £20.80

  • Gaslight: The second Philip Taiwo investigation

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Gaslight: The second Philip Taiwo investigation

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisAS FEATURED ON THE ZOE BALL RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB SUNDAY TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH 'Wonderful' Lee Child 'Outstanding' Nadine Matheson 'Riveting' Harriet Tyce 'Brilliant' Janice Hallett 'We know you know. Talk and you’re next.' Bishop Jeremiah Dawodu, pastor of a Nigerian megachurch, has been arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, Folasade, the 'First Lady' of the church. The arrest was public, humiliating and sensational - sending shockwaves through Lagos - but throughout it all, Bishop Dawodu maintains his innocence. Philip Taiwo, an acclaimed investigative psychologist, is asked by his sister, a member of the church's congregation, to clear the pastor’s name. With no actual body, it looks to be a simple case and despite Philip’s dislike of organised religion, he agrees to take it on as a favour to his sister. Then the First Lady's body is found in a nearby lake just as Philip’s beloved family come under attack from someone warning him off the case, and he realises that nothing to do with this investigation will be straightforward. Was it murder or suicide? Is someone framing the Bishop or the First Lady? Gaslight is the sensational follow up to Femi Kayode's acclaimed debut, Lightseekers, picked as a Book of the Month by the Times, Sunday Times, Independent, Guardian, Observer, Financial Times and Irish Times 'Femi Kayode is an unparalleled wordsmith' S. A. Cosby 'Deftly plotted, with strong characterisation and a great sense of place' Guardian Trade ReviewWonderful. Full of narrative charm (appropriately leavened by a little cynicism), full of characters that, while specific to the theme and setting, were also universally recognizable and translatable -- Lee ChildOutstanding … This is Kayode’s second novel in the Taiwo series and it brings a refreshing new perspective to contemporary crime fiction * Sunday Times *Gaslight deserves all the stars. It’s an outstanding, clever and emotional thriller. The best thrillers take you on a journey. Definitely a recommended read -- Nadine MathesonGaslight is a dizzying poetic crime novel. Femi Kayode is an unparalleled wordsmith -- S. A. Cosby bestselling author of ALL THE SINNERS BLEEDDeftly plotted, with strong characterisation and a great sense of place, Gaslight more than lives up to the promise of its excellent predecessor * Guardian *Gaslight ’s particular appeal is the sharp glimpses it provides of local ways of getting things done * The Times *Gaslight nicely showcases both [Kayode's] understanding of human complexity and his maturing skills as a novelist * Financial Times *Philip Taiwo is such an engaging protagonist - so good to see a detective character who is committed to his family and properly functional! The relationship with Lara and Folake’s solution was also particularly satisfying. Femi has nailed the difficult second novel and set in concrete the foundations for what I hope will be a very long series featuring Philip and Chika. Powerful and shocking, it’s a riveting read -- Harriet TyceI loved it. The atmosphere and characters were authentic to the point I felt I could recognise them, and I was captivated to find out who was responsible and why -- Amen AlongeIn the depths of faith, dark secrets lie buried. Welcome to the heart-pounding world of Femi Kayode’s Gaslight, where shadows dance to the rhythm of danger -- Leye AdenleThe charismatic pastor of a wealthy Nigerian mega-church is accused of killing his missing wife. But is the case as cut and dried as so many want it to be? Investigative psychologist Dr Philip Taiwo is back and what a triumph Gaslight is! Femi Kayode delivers a brilliant, uncompromising story rich with humanity and intrigue. His characters burst from the page and the atmosphere he creates whisks you across the world in the blink of an eye. A wild, exhilarating ride from cover to cover -- Janice HallettI’m crossing my fingers that one of my loved ones has picked up on the fact that I’ve yet to read the second Femi Kayode novel, Gaslight. I loved his first, Lightseekers … and I can’t wait to curl up with Philip’s latest investigation -- Alison Flood, Observer[A] vivid and immersive novel. Kayode blends the murder case with a subplot around Taiwo’s personal life expertly, layering meaning and resonances into both stories to create a very satisfying whole. Fine stuff * Big Issue *Kayode’s vivid sequel…Kayode joins the two investigations in surprising and satisfying ways, maintaining steady momentum and populating the story with well-drawn characters. His evocative portrait of contemporary Nigeria is icing on the cake. This series continues to captivate * Publisher's Weekly, US *The pace of Gaslight is electric. It is a constant powerful current with jolting bursts of excitement and horror. Femi Kayode is a remarkable writer; his style is addictive, even after one ‘shot’ * Shots Mag *This thrilling murder mystery set in Nigeria bursts with impressive energy … Powerful, provocative and absolutely captivating, Gaslight deserves to fly. Highly recommended * Love Reading *Beautifully written, thought-provoking and contemporary, Gaslight is a wholly engrossing book that draws you in, makes you think and raises your temperature as you want the perpetrators caught just as much as the book’s protagonist -- Live and DeadlyThe standout thriller of the month ... A stunning murder mystery ... The suspense is expertly handled * Independent on Lightseekers *A superb novel – so inventive and so well done. It’s just brilliant -- Harriet Tyce on LightseekersWhat a sensational debut ... Dr Philip Taiwo is a protagonist I want to meet again, and the setting is so well-drawn. Intelligent, suspenseful and utterly engrossing -- Will Dean on LightseekersFemi Kayode is an atmospheric writer -- Mark Sanderson * The Times on Lightseekers *

    5 in stock

    £15.29

  • Turning Blue

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Turning Blue

    15 in stock

    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 *

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • These Darkening Days

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC These Darkening Days

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisAs autumn draws in, a series of unexplained vicious attacks occur in a small northern town renowned for being a bohemian backwater. As the national media descends, local journalist Roddy Mace attempts to tell the story, but finds the very nature of truth brought into question. He turns to disgraced detective James Brindle for help. When further attacks occur the shattered community becomes the focus of an accelerating media that favours immediacy over truth. Murder and myth collide in a folk-crime story about place, identity and the tangled lives of those who never leave.Trade ReviewAs good as anything being written in Britain today -- HORATIO CLARELayers of landscape, myth and the hidden underbelly of everyday life outside of the metropolis are built up as the plot unfolds and the darkness grows. By now you should all know how good a writer Myers is. If you don’t, These Darkening Days will be more than enough to convince you * LOUD & QUIET *A powerful novel by a writer who has found his subject and the voice that best expresses it … He could be Yorkshire’s Iain Sinclair as well as its Cormac McCarthy * BOOKMUNCH *Subtle and compelling, controlled and atmospheric – perfect, in fact, for the long dark nights ahead * MORNING STAR *He’s James Ellroy with a flat cap and a terrier -- JOHN MITCHINSONThe collective blood pressure of the Yorkshire tourist board must ratchet up several notches every time that Myers publishes a new novel, but for the rest of us this is gripping stuff * THE CRACK *Everything here, from the now-familiar landscapes to the description of life at the local newspaper and the behaviour of parachuted-in Sun reporters, is note perfect…But the book goes much further, delving into society’s hysterical narcissism and the way its tendrils snake all the way back into myth, legend and half-forgotten community history. There’s no question that this is a superb piece of work….a fantastic eye for landscape and great political and cultural insight…it’s funny, brutal and properly thrilling * THRILL FILTER *The writing is stunning, from the occasional sentence which catches you and brings you up short – The streetlights wear soft halos in the mist – through to the ability to evoke the grittiness of this northern town in a few words. Sometimes I found myself going back and rereading sections, just for the pleasure the words gave. In places it’s almost poetic. And it’s all brilliant * BOOK BAG *

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • West Heart Kill: An outrageously original work of

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC West Heart Kill: An outrageously original work of

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis'Doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as crash through it in a bulldozer' Guardian 'Engrossing, surprising, clever, genre bending' Val McDermid 'Diabolical' Chris Pavone You are reading the blurb for an experimental novel by a debut author called Dann McDorman. It is book set sometime in the 1970s, in an exclusive US country club and if you read the book itself, you will very quickly meet the man you think will be the protagonist, private detective Adam McAnnis. You don't know who has hired him, but you do know from the very first line of the book that someone will die (maybe him? maybe the driver of the car he is a passenger in? maybe someone we are yet to meet?). But you can't imagine in what ways this story will unfold. We can absolutely promise you that. West Heart Kill is an outrageously original and imaginative novel that plays with the very nature of story telling, beginning with a detective but definitely not ending with a solution 'Well, I have no idea how this ended and need someone to talk to about it!' Rachel S, booksellerTrade ReviewDoesn’t so much break the fourth wall as crash through it in a bulldozer ... very well executed indeed * Guardian *One of the most unique and meta murder mysteries you will read all year * i *A crime novel that unpicks traditional storytelling … engrossing, surprising, clever, genre-bending -- Val McDermidFun, clever, and innovative. A remarkable novel by a major talent, who has created a crime novel that feels entirely unique -- Stuart TurtonPhenomenal … totally unique … a treat for every murder mystery fan -- Janice HallettWest Heart Kill is a brilliantly crafted crime novel that wears its influences on its sleeve, and in doing so manages at once to wrong-foot the reader and the genre entirely. A terrific, thrilling and novel debut -- A. E. Gauntlett, author of forthcoming The Stranger at the WeddingA highly original and hugely entertaining novel, West Heart Kill breaks new ground, in a classic way * BookTime *A thoroughly original suspense novel that hops across elements of the genre—a diabolical locked-room mystery interspersed with a fascinating primer on the form—while always being tremendous fun to read -- Chris Pavone, author of Two Nights in LisbonA brain-teaser and a crowd-pleaser. I loved it -- Benjamin Stevenson, author of Everyone in my Family Has Killed SomeoneBoth honouring the classic crime genre and turning it on its head, this is a talented, unique read that we predict will perform superbly * Belfast Telegraph *West Heart Kill may well prove to be one of the most discussed mysteries of the year … a writer to watch out for -- Set the TapeIn this re-imagining of the classic detective story McDorman tweaks aside the curtain to show us the nuts and bolts, revealing just how easily we get hooked and why. And in contradiction to of accepted wisdom that detective stories must sacrifice stylish prose in service of plot, McDorman’s prose is a delight to read * Good Reading *West Heart Kill is perfect for those who love classic murder mysteries, and those who are more interested in experimental and ambitious crime writing. Bold and original, McDorman’s debut is a wondrous achievement that succeeds in making the reader a cast member -- Aurelia Orrs, Readings website, Australia

    1 in stock

    £15.29

  • One Good Deed

    Pan Macmillan One Good Deed

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisMurder and family secrets, a touch of romance and deeply-felt revenge – with the twist of all twists – make up the perfect page-turning thriller, One Good Deed, from one of the world's bestselling thriller writers, David Baldacci.'One of his finest books. Great character, great story, great portrait of an era' – Bill ClintonFreedom never tasted so sweetPoca City 1949. Fresh from serving time for a crime he didn’t commit, Aloysius Archer is ready to put the past behind him and start again.Who can you trust?Accepting a job as a debt collector for the local tycoon he gets embroiled in a long-running feud betweenthe town’s most dangerous residents. When one of them is found dead, Archer is the number one suspect.Framed for murderA bloody game is being played in this town. Should Archer run or fight for the truth?Trade ReviewOne of his finest books. Great character, great story, great portrait of an era -- Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of AmericaOne 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 *A fast-paced investigation with dark secrets, unexpected twists, well-drawn characters and an intriguing plot * Candis Magazine *A mile-a-minute read that proves once again why David Baldacci has readers the world over flocking for more -- Jane Harper, bestselling author of The DryAlternately chilling, poignant, and always heart-poundingly suspenseful -- Scott Turow, author of Presumed InnocentDavid Baldacci is one of the all-time best thriller authors -- Lisa Gardner, author of One Step too FarA multi-layered protagonist; a plot as deep and twisty as the setting -- Kathy Reichs, author of the Temperance Brennan seriesMystery and suspense surround a fabulous new character in an enticing, engaging thriller that does not disappoint * Live and Deadly *

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • Dream Town

    Pan Macmillan Dream Town

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisKiller twists. Heroes to believe in. Trust Baldacci. Private Investigator and WWII veteran, Aloysius Archer, returns to solve a new case in Hollywood in this riveting thriller from international number 1 bestselling author, David Baldacci.All that glitters . . . 1952, Los Angeles. It is New Year’s Eve and PI Aloysius Archer is dining with his friend and rising Hollywood actress Liberty Callahan when they’re approached by Eleanor Lamb, a screenwriter who would like to hire him, as she suspects someone is trying to kill her.Murder and mysteryA visit to Lamb’s Malibu residence leaves Archer knocked unconscious after he stumbles over a dead body in the hallway; and Lamb seems to have vanished. With the police now involved in the case, a close friend and colleague of Lamb’s employs Archer to find out what’s happened to the screenwriter.The City of Angels – or somewhere much, much darker?Archer’s investigation takes him from the rich, glamorous and glitzy LA to the seedy, dark side of the city, and onward to the gambling mecca of Las Vegas, just now hitting its stride as a hot spot for celebrities and a money-making machine for the mob. In a place where cops and crooks work hand in hand, Archer will cross paths with Hollywood stars, politicians and notorious criminals. He’ll almost die several times, and he’ll discover bodies and secrets from the canyons and beaches of Malibu and the luxurious mansions of Bel Air and Beverly Hills to the narcotics clubs of Chinatown.With the help of Liberty and his PI partner Willie Dash, Archer will risk everything and leave no stone unturned in finding the missing Eleanor Lamb, and in bringing to justice killers who would love nothing better than to plant Archer six feet under.

    1 in stock

    £17.00

  • Dream Town

    Pan Macmillan Dream Town

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisKiller twists. Heroes to believe in. Trust Baldacci.Private Investigator and WWII veteran, Aloysius Archer, returns to solve a new case in Hollywood in Dream Town, a riveting thriller from international number 1 bestselling author, David Baldacci.All that glitters . . .1952, Los Angeles. It is New Year’s Eve and PI Aloysius Archer is dining with his friend and rising Hollywood actress Liberty Callahan when they’re approached by Eleanor Lamb, a screenwriter who would like to hire him, as she suspects someone is trying to kill her.Murder and mysteryA visit to Lamb’s Malibu residence leaves Archer knocked unconscious after he stumbles over a dead body in the hallway; and Lamb seems to have vanished. With the police now involved in the case, a close friend and colleague of Lamb’s employs Archer to find out what’s happened to the screenwriter.The City of Angels – or somewhere much, much darker?Archer’s investigation takes him from the rich, glamorous and glitzy LA to the seedy, dark side of the city, and onward to the gambling mecca of Las Vegas, just now hitting its stride as a hot spot for celebrities and a money-making machine for the mob. In a place where cops and crooks work hand in hand, Archer will cross paths with Hollywood stars, politicians and notorious criminals. He’ll almost die several times, and he’ll discover bodies and secrets from the canyons and beaches of Malibu and the luxurious mansions of Bel Air and Beverly Hills to the narcotics clubs of Chinatown.With the help of Liberty and his PI partner Willie Dash, Archer will risk everything and leave no stone unturned in finding the missing Eleanor Lamb, and in bringing to justice killers who would love nothing better than to plant Archer six feet under.Trade ReviewBaldacci is the master of American detective stories. He captures Los Angeles like no other -- Jeffrey Archer author of Next in Line One of his finest books. Great character, great story, great portrait of an era -- Bill Clinton on One Good DeedOne 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 *Baldacci nails the noir * Kirkus starred review *

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • Sweet Dreams: A nerve-wracking dark suspense full

    Vintage Publishing Sweet Dreams: A nerve-wracking dark suspense full

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis*THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER*'Nerve-wracking dark suspense with a masterly resolution. Anders Roslund is a marvellously talented author' Erik Axl Sund, bestselling author of THE CROW GIRL'A perfect example of Scandi noir' The Times***Two little girls go missing on the same day in Stockholm. Their disappearances are never explained. In time, the investigations are abandoned.A chance discovery puts Detective Ewert Grens back on the trail five years later. His own personal trauma makes him determined to find out what happened to these children who were snatched from a supermarket and a car park and never seen again.His search leads him into the recesses of the dark web and the discovery of a paedophile ring that can only be cracked from the inside. Grens is forced to call upon his retired partner, Piet Hoffman, the best undercover operative he knows, to try to infiltrate the group. They will have only one chance - but are they up to the darkest challenge of their lives?***'If you thrill to the chills of Scandinavian noir, chances are you've read something by Anders Roslund. He has two strong prose styles - dark and darker' New York Times'A complex, white-knuckle read' ObserverFROM THE WINNER OF THE Crime Writers' Awards International Dagger and the GLASS KEY AWARD.Trade ReviewNerve-wracking dark suspense with a masterly resolution. Anders Roslund is a marvellously talented author. -- Erik Axl Sund, bestselling author of THE CROW GIRLA perfect example of Scandi noir * The Times *A complex, white-knuckle read * Observer *Anders Roslund is one of the best in the genre, always with an important agenda * Skånska Dagbladet *One of the country's top suspense novelists. * Jönköpings-Posten *

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Girl by the Bridge

    Vintage Publishing The Girl by the Bridge

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisOne girl missing. Another found dead. Only one detective can solve this case.'One of the greats of modern crime fiction' Sunday TimesWhen a young woman known for drug smuggling goes missing, her elderly grandparents have no choice but to call the retired Detective Konrád.Still looking for his own father's murderer, Konrád agrees to investigate the case.But digging into the past reveals more than he set out to discover, and a strange connection to a little girl who drowned in the Reykjavík city pond decades ago recaptures everyone's attention.A brilliant, chilling tale of broken dreams and children who have nowhere to turn.'The undisputed king of the Icelandic thriller' Guardian'An international literary phenomenon - and it's easy to see why. His novels are gripping, authentic, haunting, and lyrical' Harlan CobenTrade ReviewThe second novel in Arnaldur Indridason's intriguing new series, The Girl by the Bridge...is as darkly brilliant as anything he has written * Sunday Times *Short, crisply written chapters move the action briskly along while keeping all the seemingly disparate pieces of the puzzle in the mix. Veteran Indridason weaves all these eerie elements together masterfully. Superb crime fiction from an acclaimed virtuoso. * Kirkus Starred review *

    7 in stock

    £9.49

  • Widespread Panic

    Cornerstone Widespread Panic

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisFreddy is an ex-L.A. cop on the skids. He snuffed a cop killer in cold blood - and it got to him bad. Now he's a sleazoid private eye, a shakedown artist, a pimp - and, most notably, the head strongarm goon for Confidential magazine.Welcome to the world of the malevolent monarch of the Hollywood underground - a tale of pervasive paranoia teeming with communist conspiracies, FBI finks, celebrity smut films and strange bedfellows.Trade ReviewUnfolds in shimmering Ellroyvision -- Tom Nolan * The Wall Street Journal *Purgatory is rarely this much fun * Financial Times *Like drinking a pint of espresso -- Sam Leith * TLS *Extraordinary... Ellroy's legion of fans will love it -- Mark Sanderson * The Times *James Ellroy is the king of macho noir -- Laura Wilson * Guardian *

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • Listen To Me: The gripping new 2023 Rizzoli &

    Transworld Publishers Ltd Listen To Me: The gripping new 2023 Rizzoli &

    4 in stock

    Book Synopsis'Suspenseful and clever - nobody is who they seem to be in this shocking and fast-paced mystery.' KARIN SLAUGHTERThe nail-biting new thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen. Have you met Rizzoli & Isles yet?Detective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles are investigating a gruesome and seemingly senseless murder. The victim was a respected, much loved nurse. But she was guarding a dangerous secret - a secret that may have lead the killer straight to her door.Meanwhile, Jane's watchful mother Angela Rizzoli is convinced there's something strange, perhaps even dangerous, about her new neighbours across the street. The problem is, no one is listening to her. Not even her own daughter.Ignored and frustrated, and with danger mounting in her neighbourhood, Angela may be forced to take action on her own . . .'Outstanding - inventive, scary, and funny. Listen to Me is Gerritsen at her best!' KATHY REICHS'Gerritsen walks that high wire between humour and suspense without ever falling off as she plays a great game of bait and switch with her readers.' LINWOOD BARCLAY___Readers are raving about Listen to Me!'Tightly woven plot, sharp characters and some laugh out loud scenes. LOVED IT' *****'Twisting and turning with an intriguing plotline and maintaining a dark undercurrent throughout' *****'This may have been my first Gerritsen book but it won't be the last!' *****__Praise for Tess Gerritsen:'Tess Gerritsen's clever plotting and medical knowledge give her thrillers that extra edge. Expect a white-knuckle ride to very dark places.'PAULA HAWKINS'Suspense doesn't get smarter than this.'LEE CHILD'Crime-writing at its nerve-tingling best.'HARLAN COBEN'Baby, you are going to be up all night.'STEPHEN KING'Gruesome, seductive and creepily credible.'THE TIMES'Hair-raising, nail-biting stuff.'GUARDIANTrade ReviewSuspenseful and clever - nobody is who they seem to be in this shocking and fast-paced mystery. Come for Rizzoli & Isles. Stay for an unbeatable read. * Karin Slaughter *Outstanding - inventive, scary, and funny. Listen to Me is Gerritsen at her best! * Kathy Reichs *Absolutely first rate - readers will be thrilled and delighted by this new Rizzoli and Isles outing! * Shari Lapena *Gerritsen walks that high wire between humour and suspense without ever falling off as she plays a great game of bait and switch with her readers. * Linwood Barclay *I loved Listen To Me. Only the supertalented Tess Gerritsen can meld multiple storylines so successfully while she keeps the twists coming, the pages turning, and the blood spray arterial. This is her best novel yet. If you haven't read Rizzoli & Isles, this is the one to get! * Lisa Scottoline *You need to #ListentoMe and read Tess Gerritsen's new thriller. It's fiendishly well-plotted. You won't work it out until the very end - guaranteed. I enjoyed every single line! * Lesley Kara *The Rizzoli and Isles books are loved by many, including me; the women's warm, complicated friendship and superior investigative acumen remain, in their 13th outing, an utter pleasure to keep readerly company with * New York Times *Explosive twists and pulse-pounding tension * Woman's Own *

    4 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Burning Men: The first in a gripping, gritty

    Hodder & Stoughton The Burning Men: The first in a gripping, gritty

    5 in stock

    Book Synopsis 'AN UNMISSABLE DEBUT' Sunday Express Magazine'A GRIPPING DEBUT (...) YOU WON'T WANT IT TO END' HeatTHE FIRST IN A PHENOMENAL NEW SERIES FEATURING DI ALEX FINN AND DC MATTIE PAULSEN. Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Peter James and Peter Robinson. When a development in South London catches fire mid-construction, a close-knit team of fire fighters runs in to save a man spotted at the window. They come out without a body. They quit the service. They plan never to speak to each other again. Five years later one of them is set alight at his own wedding. Soon after, a second is found, nothing but a smoking corpse. It appears that someone knows what they did that night. What they chose over their duty. And there are still three men left to burn . . . DI Alex Finn and his new partner DC Mattie Paulsen are an unlikely pairing, but they need to discover who is behind these killings before the next man faces the fire. This is first in Will Shindler's Finn and Paulsen series - a British detective series that ranks with Mark Billingham, M.J. Arlidge, Stuart MacBride.***Order the second novel in the Finn and Paulsen series, THE KILLING CHOICE, now!***REAL READERS ARE LOVING THE BURNING MENRATED 4.5 STARS ON NETGALLEY'Well-constructed and cleverly penned, this is one that starts strongly, continues powerfully and ends with a very satisfying bang. It's about consequences, consciences and morals intertwined with some gruesome scenes and a thumping good ride''A real page turner. I loved this book . . . There must be more of these two, they are fascinating. More please, equally well thought out, equally well written . . . please. SOON!''If, like me, you are the kind of reader who likes to be in on the ground floor of a brand-new series, then get The Burning Men on your pre-order to be read lists because this is one of those times . . .''This is a great read about greed and treachery. An engaging, exciting read which I read in one sitting. Lots of red herrings, twists and turns''I absolutely loved it, it drew me in from the first page and didn't let go until the end. I cannot wait to read the next book by this author'Trade ReviewAn unmissable debut * Sunday Express S Magazine, Books to look forward to in 2020 *The pace is good and Finn is a great character. There is also an excellently portrayed organised crime boss * Literary Review *This debut is, simply put, fantastic. It has such a strong opening, you'll be hooked after the first chapter * Yahoo *A gripping debut with well-rounded characters and an intriguing plot. You won't want it to end * Heat *This thriller's hot stuff. A blaze of action and surprises, making it a sure crime debut of the year contender. Shindler's list (sorry!) of successes include an original plot, gasp-out-loud twists and a brilliant new detective team... the case is a humdinger. 10/10 * The Peterborough Telegraph *Arresting... an unusual novel with a rising sense of menace * The Sunday Times *Fans of police novels and dramas will lap up this tale, and as it's the first in the Finn and Paulsen series, I can't wait for the next instalment * Daily Record *Blistering debut... this is a gritty and cleverly plotted police drama - the very definition of a page- turner * Culture Fly *A highly accomplished police procedural with intriguing characters and plenty of twists to keep readers guessing until its explosive finale * The Daily Express *The Burning Men hooked me from the start and never gave me second thoughts (...) The sharp scenes, good pacing and deft characterisation mark this as a series to follow * Crime Review *

    5 in stock

    £15.29

  • The Burning Men: The first in a gripping, gritty

    Hodder & Stoughton The Burning Men: The first in a gripping, gritty

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis 'AN UNMISSABLE DEBUT' Sunday Express Magazine'A GRIPPING DEBUT (...) YOU WON'T WANT IT TO END' HeatTHE FIRST IN A PHENOMENAL NEW SERIES FEATURING DI ALEX FINN AND DC MATTIE PAULSEN.Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Peter James and Peter Robinson.When a development in South London catches fire mid-construction, a close-knit team of fire fighters runs in to save a man spotted at the window.They come out without a body. They quit the service. They plan never to speak to each other again.Five years later one of them is set alight at his own wedding. Soon after, a second is found, nothing but a smoking corpse. It appears that someone knows what they did that night. What they chose over their duty. And there are still three men left to burn . . .DI Alex Finn and his new partner DC Mattie Paulsen are an unlikely pairing, but they need to discover who is behind these killings before the next man faces the fire.This is first in Will Shindler's Finn and Paulsen series - a British detective series that ranks with Mark Billingham, M.J. Arlidge, Stuart MacBride.***Order the second novel in the Finn and Paulsen series, THE KILLING CHOICE, now!***REAL READERS ARE LOVING THE BURNING MENRATED 4.5 STARS ON NETGALLEY'Well-constructed and cleverly penned, this is one that starts strongly, continues powerfully and ends with a very satisfying bang. It's about consequences, consciences and morals intertwined with some gruesome scenes and a thumping good ride''A real page turner. I loved this book . . . There must be more of these two, they are fascinating. More please, equally well thought out, equally well written . . . please. SOON!''If, like me, you are the kind of reader who likes to be in on the ground floor of a brand-new series, then get The Burning Men on your pre-order to be read lists because this is one of those times . . .''This is a great read about greed and treachery. An engaging, exciting read which I read in one sitting. Lots of red herrings, twists and turns''I absolutely loved it, it drew me in from the first page and didn't let go until the end. I cannot wait to read the next book by this author'Trade ReviewAn unmissable debut * Sunday Express S Magazine, Books to look forward to in 2020 *The pace is good and Finn is a great character. There is also an excellently portrayed organised crime boss * Literary Review *This debut is, simply put, fantastic. It has such a strong opening, you'll be hooked after the first chapter * Yahoo *A gripping debut with well-rounded characters and an intriguing plot. You won't want it to end * Heat *This thriller's hot stuff. A blaze of action and surprises, making it a sure crime debut of the year contender. Shindler's list (sorry!) of successes include an original plot, gasp-out-loud twists and a brilliant new detective team... the case is a humdinger. 10/10 * The Peterborough Telegraph *Arresting... an unusual novel with a rising sense of menace * The Sunday Times *Fans of police novels and dramas will lap up this tale, and as it's the first in the Finn and Paulsen series, I can't wait for the next instalment * Daily Record *Blistering debut... this is a gritty and cleverly plotted police drama - the very definition of a page- turner * Culture Fly *A highly accomplished police procedural with intriguing characters and plenty of twists to keep readers guessing until its explosive finale * The Daily Express *The Burning Men hooked me from the start and never gave me second thoughts (...) The sharp scenes, good pacing and deft characterisation mark this as a series to follow * Crime Review *

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Killing Choice: Sunday Times Crime Book of

    Hodder & Stoughton The Killing Choice: Sunday Times Crime Book of

    5 in stock

    Book Synopsis Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month, one of The Times Best Crime Novels of 2021, The Sunday Times Crime Club Book of the Week and one of the Observers thrillers of the month!'Riveting . . . Shindler's second novel displays an acute understanding of family dynamics, easily fulfilling the promise of his debut, The Burning Men' SUNDAY TIMES, CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTHTHE SECOND NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BURNING MEN, FEATURING DI ALEX FINN AND DCI MATTIE PAULSEN5* RATING ON NETGALLEY'Don't think I've loved a Detective as much since Idris Elba's John Luther''Will Schindler's books have all the hallmarks of future classics of this genre''A sharp police procedural with an interesting plot''The greatest strengths lies in the terrific police team whose characters are so well fleshed out they feel real''I loved the storyline, it kept me on edge till the end''A real contender, which is up there with the best''Leave your daughter with me, or I will kill you both'It felt like a normal Friday evening before Karl and his daughter Leah were ambushed by a figure in a blank mask. At knife point, Karl is forced to make an impossible choice. Stay and die, or walk away from Leah and take this thug's word that they both will live. Should Karl trust a villain and leave his daughter with a knife at her throat? Could he ever live with himself if he did? It's not long before more seemingly unconnected and innocent people across London are offered a deal in exchange for their life. More blood is spilled, more families shattered, and more people are left to suffer with the consequences of their decisions.DI Alex Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen must hunt for a killer that appears to have no face, no motive and no conscience before more victims are forced to make their choice. This is second in Will Shindler's Finn and Paulsen series - a British detective series that ranks with Mark Billingham, M.J. Arlidge and Stuart MacBride.***Order the third novel in the Finn and Paulsen series, THE HUNTING GROUND, now!***Trade ReviewThe explosive opening hooked me straight in . . . With a cast of credible characters, a twisting plotline and some ingenious twists, the book develops at a cracking pace * Lesley Sanderson, author of The Orchid Girls *An outstanding page-turner * Robin Morgan-Bentley, author of The Wreckage *Warm and dealing with recognisable emotions, this is the best kind of police procedural * Literary Review *DI Alex Finn and DCI Mattie Paulsen are back, this time chasing someone who forces their victims to make an impossible life-and-death decision. This is sitting up and begging to be developed for television * Sunday Times, Pick of the Week *Riveting . . . Shindler's second novel displays an acute understanding of family dynamics, easily fulfilling the promise of his debut, The Burning Men * Sunday Times, Book of the month *An excellent second outing for the cop pair following their introduction in The Burning Men - and as fine a police procedural as you'd want for a cold winter's night * Weekend Sport *The Killing Choice is the second in a series that opened with The Burning Men , and is another adept police procedural, building the sense of dread to breaking point as Finn and Paulsen rush to uncover any links between the victims. This is an immersive read that leaves the reader wondering how they would react if faced with such an unimaginable choice * Observer *Riveting * The Times, Best thrillers and crime novels of 2021 so far *This slick tense thriller about families, loyalty, guilt and revenge is top notch * The Sun, Pick of the Week *This slick, tense thriller about families, loyalty, guilt and revenge is top notch - and no doubt heading to TV screens soon * The Sun *This riveting novel has a protagonist faced with a choice no parent should have to make: does he save his own life or that of his daughter? His decision has catastrophic consequences * Times Online, 'top 50 best books to read for summer 2021' *Thrilling * The Killing Choice *

    5 in stock

    £15.29

  • The Killing Choice: Sunday Times Crime Book of

    Hodder & Stoughton The Killing Choice: Sunday Times Crime Book of

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month, one of The Times Best Crime Novels of 2021, The Sunday Times Crime Club Book of the Week, one of The Times best books to read this summer and one of the Observers thrillers of the month.'Riveting . . . Shindler's second novel displays an acute understanding of family dynamics, easily fulfilling the promise of his debut, The Burning Men' SUNDAY TIMES, CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTHTHE SECOND NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BURNING MEN, FEATURING DI ALEX FINN AND DCI MATTIE PAULSENA FRIDAY NIGHTKarl and his daughter Leah are on their weekly evening stroll through Crystal Palace Park.A HOODED FIGUREFrom out of the shadows, a figure wearing a blank mask ambushes them, armed with a large knife.A CHOICE TO MAKEKarl is forced to make an impossible decision: stay and die, or walk away from Leah with a knife at her throat and the promise that they will both survive. Could Karl ever live with himself if he left his daughter? Does he really have a choice?Soon, more seemingly unconnected and innocent people across London are offered a deal in exchange for their lives. DI Alex Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen must hunt for a killer that appears to have no face, no motive and no conscience before more victims' blood is spilled.Praise for THE KILLING CHOICE'The explosive opening hooked me straight in . . . With a cast of credible characters, a twisting plotline and some ingenious twists, the book develops at a cracking pace' Lesley Sanderson, author of The Orchid Girls'An outstanding page-turner' Robin Morgan-Bentley, author of The Wreckage'DI Alex Finn and DCI Mattie Paulsen are back, this time chasing someone who forces their victims to make an impossible life-and-death decision. This is sitting up and begging to be developed for television' Sunday Times, Pick of the Week'Riveting . . . Shindler's second novel displays an acute understanding of family dynamics, easily fulfilling the promise of his debut, The Burning Men' Sunday Times, Book of the month'An excellent second outing for the cop pair following their introduction in The Burning Men - and as fine a police procedural as you'd want for a cold winter's night' Weekend Sport'The Killing Choice is the second in a series that opened with The Burning Men, and is another adept police procedural, building the sense of dread to breaking point as Finn and Paulsen rush to uncover any links between the victims. This is an immersive read that leaves the reader wondering how they would react if faced with such an unimaginable choice' Observer***Order the third novel in the Finn and Paulsen series, THE HUNTING GROUND, now!***Trade ReviewThe explosive opening hooked me straight in . . . With a cast of credible characters, a twisting plotline and some ingenious twists, the book develops at a cracking pace * Lesley Sanderson, author of The Orchid Girls *An outstanding page-turner * Robin Morgan-Bentley, author of The Wreckage *Warm and dealing with recognisable emotions, this is the best kind of police procedural * Literary Review *DI Alex Finn and DCI Mattie Paulsen are back, this time chasing someone who forces their victims to make an impossible life-and-death decision. This is sitting up and begging to be developed for television * Sunday Times, Pick of the Week *Riveting . . . Shindler's second novel displays an acute understanding of family dynamics, easily fulfilling the promise of his debut, The Burning Men * Sunday Times, Book of the month *An excellent second outing for the cop pair following their introduction in The Burning Men - and as fine a police procedural as you'd want for a cold winter's night * Weekend Sport *The Killing Choice is the second in a series that opened with The Burning Men , and is another adept police procedural, building the sense of dread to breaking point as Finn and Paulsen rush to uncover any links between the victims. This is an immersive read that leaves the reader wondering how they would react if faced with such an unimaginable choice * Observer *Riveting * The Times, Best thrillers and crime novels of 2021 so far *This slick tense thriller about families, loyalty, guilt and revenge is top notch * The Sun, Pick of the Week *This slick, tense thriller about families, loyalty, guilt and revenge is top notch - and no doubt heading to TV screens soon * The Sun *This riveting novel has a protagonist faced with a choice no parent should have to make: does he save his own life or that of his daughter? His decision has catastrophic consequences * Times Online, 'top 50 best books to read for summer 2021' *Thrilling * The Killing Choice *

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Island: the next gripping Scandinavian noir

    Hodder & Stoughton The Island: the next gripping Scandinavian noir

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom internationally bestselling author Katrine Engberg, the series that is a "gripping addition to the Scandinavian crime fiction pantheon" (Oprah Daily) comes to a stunning conclusion as Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner rush to untangle a long-simmering mystery before a brutal killer strikes again.Jeppe Kørner, on leave from the police force and nursing a broken heart, has taken refuge on the island of Bornholm for the winter. Also on the island is Esther de Laurenti, a writer working on a biography on a female anthropologist with a mysterious past and coming to terms with her own crushing sense of loneliness in the wake of a dear friend's death. When Jeppe lends a helping hand at the island's local sawmill, he begins to realize that the island may not be the peaceful refuge it appears to be.Back in Copenhagen, Anette Werner is tasked with leading the investigation into a severed corpse discovered on a downtown playground. As she follows the strange trail of clues, they all seem to lead back to Bornholm. With an innocent offer to check out a lead, Jeppe unwittingly finds himself in the crosshairs of a sinister mystery rooted in the past, forcing him to team up with Anette and Esther to unravel the island's secrets before it's too late.With her signature "unforgettable characters and brilliant plot twists" (Kathy Reichs, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Katrine Engberg weaves a satisfying and white-knuckled finale to her Korner and Werner series that is a modern classic of Scandinavian noir.

    1 in stock

    £19.80

  • The Island: the next gripping Scandinavian noir

    Hodder & Stoughton The Island: the next gripping Scandinavian noir

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom internationally bestselling author Katrine Engberg, the series that is a "gripping addition to the Scandinavian crime fiction pantheon" (Oprah Daily) comes to a stunning conclusion as Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner rush to untangle a long-simmering mystery before a brutal killer strikes again.Jeppe Kørner, on leave from the police force and nursing a broken heart, has taken refuge on the island of Bornholm for the winter. Also on the island is Esther de Laurenti, a writer working on a biography on a female anthropologist with a mysterious past and coming to terms with her own crushing sense of loneliness in the wake of a dear friend's death. When Jeppe lends a helping hand at the island's local sawmill, he begins to realize that the island may not be the peaceful refuge it appears to be.Back in Copenhagen, Anette Werner is tasked with leading the investigation into a severed corpse discovered on a downtown playground. As she follows the strange trail of clues, they all seem to lead back to Bornholm. With an innocent offer to check out a lead, Jeppe unwittingly finds himself in the crosshairs of a sinister mystery rooted in the past, forcing him to team up with Anette and Esther to unravel the island's secrets before it's too late.With her signature "unforgettable characters and brilliant plot twists" (Kathy Reichs, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Katrine Engberg weaves a satisfying and white-knuckled finale to her Korner and Werner series that is a modern classic of Scandinavian noir.

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • Foul Lady Fortune: From the #1 New York Times

    Hodder & Stoughton Foul Lady Fortune: From the #1 New York Times

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisAssassin. Immortal. Spy.From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights comes the first book in a captivating new duology following an ill-matched pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930s Shanghai. It's 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue. Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging - and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption for her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country. Code name: Fortune. But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind's mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind's new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed. To reduce suspicion, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong. Although Rosalind finds Orion's cavalier attitude and playboy demeanour infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers 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 *Equal parts intoxicating and dazzling, Gong's newest duology is enchanting and unmissable. Each page is a finely honed blade that goes straight to the heart * Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Gilded Wolves *

    1 in stock

    £15.29

  • Foul Heart Huntsman: The stunning sequel to Foul

    Hodder & Stoughton Foul Heart Huntsman: The stunning sequel to Foul

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA lover in peril. A nation under threat. The clock is ticking . . .'AMAZING, SHOW-STOPPING, SPECTACULAR' XIRAN JAY ZHAOThe captivating sequel to Foul Lady Fortune, by the New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights.Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the threat of a Japanese invasion. Rosalind Lang's identity as a national spy has been exposed. With the media camped outside her apartment, she's barely left her bedroom in weeks, plotting her next course of action after Orion was taken and his memories wiped. Their marriage might have been a sham, but his absence hurts more than any physical wound. She won't rest until she gets him back. But with her identity in the open, the task is near impossible. The only way to rescue Orion is under the guise of a national tour. It's easy to convince her superiors that the countryside needs unity more than ever, and who better than an immortal girl to stir pride and strength? When the tour goes wrong, everything Rosalind once knew is thrown up in the air. Taking refuge outside Shanghai, old ghosts return and adversaries turn to allies. To save Orion, they must find a cure to his mother's invention and steal this dangerous weapon away from foreign invasion -but the clock is ticking, and if Rosalind fails, it's not only Orion she loses, but her nation itself . . .PRAISE FOR CHLOE GONG'A glamorous spy thriller that will leave you breathless' DUSTIN THAO'Brilliant pacing and utterly dynamic characters' ELIZABETH LIM'The chemistry was crackling, the revelations hair-raising, and I was so taken by the world that I did not see the reveals coming' JOAN HE'A thrilling historical fantasy packed with action, intrigue, and swoon-worthy romance' JUNE HUR'A dark delight . . . Captivating' RENEE AHDIEH'Equal parts intoxicating and dazzling, Gong's newest duology is enchanting and unmissable' ROSHANI CHOKSHITrade Review** PRAISE FOR CHLOE GONG **Deliciously dark * Natasha Ngan, New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire *Heady, smart, and vicious * Tessa Gratton, author of The Queens of Innis Lear *Chloe Gong's debut is a terrific, deliciously unputdownable read! * June Hur, author of The Silence of Bones *Equal parts intoxicating and dazzling, Gong's newest duology is enchanting and unmissable. Each page is a finely honed blade that goes straight to the heart * Roshani Chokshi, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride *An electrifying, swashbuckling tale of intrigue and assassins, romance and betrayal * Cassandra Clare, bestselling author of The Mortal Instruments series *Foul Lady Fortune is a thrilling historical fantasy packed with action, intrigue, and swoon-worthy romance. I will read anything Chloe Gong writes * June Hur, bestselling author of The Silence of Bones *A glamorous spy thriller that will leave you breathless. Chloe Gong masterfully blends romance, political drama, and Black Widow-esque action sequences into a familiar world with new characters you'll fall completely in love with * Dustin Thao, New York Times bestselling author of You've Reached Sam *With tense, lush storytelling, a complicated heroine and her swoon worthy foil, Foul Lady Fortune invites you into a dark chapter of twentieth century China where intrigue lies behind every corner. Intoxicating! * Stacey Lee, author of Under a Painted Sky *Amazing, show-stopping, spectacular. Chloe Gong does it again with her fantastical take on the classic Chinese genre of Minguo-era spy thrillers, where no loyalties are certain and no one can be trusted in the shadowy political battle between the Nationalists, communists, and imperialists. A enthralling mystery that is sure to stun as it unravels * Xiran Jay Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow *Foul Lady Fortune had my heart pounding from the first chapter. With brilliant pacing and utterly dynamic characters, Gong transports us to 1930s Shanghai-into a high stakes game of war, love, and espionage-and conquers every page with cinematic precision * Elizabeth Lim, New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes *When I think Republican era spy story, I think thrills, triple agents, and twists. Foul Lady Fortune delivers on all these fronts and more. The chemistry was crackling, the revelations hair-raising, and I was so taken by the world that I did not see the reveals coming, in the best way possible. Chloe Gong has outdone herself, without a doubt * Joan He, New York Times bestselling author of The Ones We're Meant to Find *Chloe Gong's Foul Lady Fortune is an electric, action-packed jewel of a story, brimming with vivid prose, exhilarating twists and turns, and incredible characters who will steal your heart. This book dazzles * Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn *This book is a dark delight. I found myself transported to a different place and time, which is exactly what I look for in my favorite books. Gong's writing is evocative, and her dialogue crackles. Mesmerizing and mysterious in equal turns, Foul Lady Fortune is a captivating read, and I look forward to the next installment in the series * Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Beautiful Quartet *

    2 in stock

    £17.09

  • The Blood Line: an absolutely gripping detective

    Hodder & Stoughton The Blood Line: an absolutely gripping detective

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn ordinary day. An ordinary street. A gruesome delivery waiting on the doorstep that's going to set off an spine-chilling chain of events...Claire Beacham returns from a busy day at work to a parcel on her doorstep - no note, no label. As a politician, she's used to being suspicious of anonymous hate mail but today she's too tired to worry. She opens it, finding a gruesome surprise inside. A severed head falls to her kitchen floor; the rich, red drip of blood on her hands. It is clear to Claire and those around her that this terrifying package is a message. But who sent it, and why? It's Claire's first delivery - and won't be her last. DI Finn cannot enjoy the gentle return to his role in the Murder Investigation Team of the Metropolitan Police that he planned. Someone is targeting Claire and with every message comes another casualty. With the clock ticking, DI Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen must wade through the depths of the murky political sphere before the bodies start piling up.Praise for Will Shindler's DI Alex Finn series: 'Riveting' The Sunday Times 'Excellent' Weekend Sport'Unmissable' Sunday Express Magazine'Gripping' Heat'This is the best kind of police procedural' Literary Review

    7 in stock

    £17.09

  • The Blood Line: an absolutely gripping detective

    Hodder & Stoughton The Blood Line: an absolutely gripping detective

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisSOMEONE HAS BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS... Claire Beacham arrives home to a parcel on her doorstep - no note, no label. As a politician she has received her fair share of hate mail, but there's no way she could be prepared for what's inside the box. A severed head falls to her kitchen floor; the rich, red drip of blood on her hands. The terrifying package is a message. But who sent it and why? DI Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen are on the case. But what they don't yet know is that this is only Claire's first delivery. There will be more. And each package means another body... Praise for Will Shindler's DI Alex Finn series: 'Riveting' The Sunday Times 'Excellent' Weekend Sport'Unmissable' Sunday Express Magazine'Gripping' Heat'This is the best kind of police procedural' Literary Review

    5 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Cold Case: A totally gripping crime thriller

    Hodder & Stoughton The Cold Case: A totally gripping crime thriller

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe brand-new gripping thriller in Will Shindler's acclaimed DI Alex Finn series - available to pre-order now!Years ago someone got away with murder... But time's up. 2009 During a summer heatwave, teenagers are going missing. Junior officer Alex Finn takes the case and fears that the disappearances are linked. In a race against the clock to find and rescue the children alive, Finn and his team are only partially successful. Two of the children are saved, but they were too late for Oliver. And the killer got away. 2023 DI Alex Finn is still tormented by the cases of his youth - none more than so than the 2009 kidnappings. And it seems someone else has not forgotten either. They want answers after all this time, and with a gun in their pocket and their sights set on Alex, they'll do anything to get what they're after... Highly original and utterly compelling, THE COLD CASE is Will Shindler's biggest book yet and is perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Mick Herron.

    1 in stock

    £16.50

  • A Trick of the Light: (A Chief Inspector Gamache

    Hodder & Stoughton A Trick of the Light: (A Chief Inspector Gamache

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis'A cracking storyteller' ANN CLEEVESThere is more to solving a crime than following the clues.Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings.In the green depths of spring, morning breaks on a woman splayed in a bed of flowers - her eyes wide, her neck broken.Her death is a mystery; so is the woman herself. But as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team peer into the dark corners of the victim's past, they expose a secret that rots at the very heart of their community - a secret that will implicate someone they've trusted for years. And as Gamache knows too well, in the flickering shadows of death, the truth may be just a trick of the light.Ten million readers.Three pines.One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache.'Stellar . . . With her smart plot and fascinating, nuanced characters, Penny proves again that she is one of our finest writers' PEOPLE MAGAZINETrade ReviewStellar . . . With her smart plot and fascinating, nuanced characters, Penny proves again that she is one of our finest writers * People Magazine *Outstanding . . . Penny effectively employs the interplay of light and dark . . . which resonates symbolically in the souls of the characters * Publishers Weekly *A commanding and artful performance . . . For connoisseurs of mysteries, success is judged by the genre's holy trinity: plot, people and prose. When all three attain excellence, a fourth quality shines through: power . . . what lifts her work to the highest plane is the deep sense of humanity with which she invests her novels, and A TRICK OF THE LIGHT satisfies and surpasses that standard * Richmond Times-Dispatch *Louise Penny's writing is intricate, beautiful and compelling. She is an original voice, a distillation of both PD James and Barbara Vine at their peaks and a worthy successor to both * Peter James *

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • A Great Reckoning: (A Chief Inspector Gamache

    Hodder & Stoughton A Great Reckoning: (A Chief Inspector Gamache

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisWinner of the the Barry, Macavity, & Anthony Awards for Best Novel 2017Winner of the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Crime Novel 2016There is more to solving a crime than following the clues.Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings.Former Chief Inspector Gamache has been hunting killers his entire career and as the new commander of the Sûreté Academy, he is given the chance to combat the corruption and brutality that has been rife throughout the force. But when a former colleague and professor of the Sûreté Academy is found murdered, with a mysterious map of Three Pines in his possession, Gamache has an even tougher task ahead of him.When suspicion turns to Gamache himself, and his possible involvement in the crime, the frantic search for answers takes the investigation to the village of Three Pines, where a series of shattering secrets are poised to be revealed ...Ten million readers.Three pines.One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache.'Outstanding ... a constantly surprising series' THE NEW YORK TIMESTrade ReviewLouise Penny's writing is intricate, beautiful and compelling. She is an original voice, a distillation of both PD James and Barbara Vine at their peaks and a worthy successor to both * Peter James *Penny's elegant style is deeply satisfying, while Gamache is contemplative even when under pressure, and remains a man you want to spend time with * Metro *Brimming with atmosphere and steeped in soul-searching . . . Penny combines clever plotting with beautifully evocative descriptions * Daily Express *Penny's elliptical style works brilliantly in a novel that combines modern-day police corruption with century-old tragedy * Sunday Times *

    3 in stock

    £9.49

  • Glass Houses: (A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery

    Hodder & Stoughton Glass Houses: (A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis'Makes most of her competitors seem like wannabes' THE TIMESThere is more to solving a crime than following the clues.Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings.One cold November day, a mysterious figure appears on the village green in Three Pines, causing unease, alarm and confusion among everyone who sees it. Chief Superintendent, Armand Gamache knows something is seriously wrong, but all he can do is watch and wait, hoping his worst fears are not realised. But when the figure disappears and a dead body is discovered, it falls to Gamache to investigate.In the early days of the murder inquiry, and months later, as the trial for the accused begins, Gamache must face the consequences of his decisions, and his actions, from which there is no going back . . .Ten million readers.Three pines.One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache.'One of the greatest crime writers of our times' DENISE MINATrade ReviewLouise Penny's writing is intricate, beautiful and compelling. She is an original voice, a distillation of both PD James and Barbara Vine at their peaks and a worthy successor to both * Peter James *Penny's elliptical style works brilliantly in a novel that combines modern-day police corruption with century-old tragedy * Sunday Times on A Great Reckoning *Pacy and drips with atmosphere * Saga on A Great Reckoning *

    3 in stock

    £9.49

  • Kingdom of the Blind: (A Chief Inspector Gamache

    Hodder & Stoughton Kingdom of the Blind: (A Chief Inspector Gamache

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis'A wonderful addition to a fantastic series' ELLY GRIFFITHSThere is more to solving a crime than following the clues.Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings.When Armand Gamache receives a letter inviting him to an abandoned farmhouse outside of Three Pines, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him as an executor of her will. The bequests are so wildly unlikely that he suspects the woman must have been delusional - until a body is found.But it isn't the only menace Gamache is facing. The investigation into the events that led to his suspension delves deeper, and he takes increasingly desperate measures to rectify previous actions. As he does, Gamache begins to see his own blind spots - and the terrible things hiding there . . .Ten million readers.Three pines.One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache.'This gloriously shocking book grips from the very first page' DENISE MINATrade ReviewThis gloriously shocking book grips from the very first page and spans centuries and continents, worlds and underworlds. Louise Penny is one of the greatest crime writers of our times * Denise Mina *No one does atmospheric quite like Louise Penny. Kingdom of the Blind tackles some tough contemporary issues whilst retaining the timeless small-town charm of Three Pines. A wonderful addition to a fantastic series * Elly Griffiths *Kingdom of the Blind is an ingenious mystery that follows a thoughtful group of beloved characters navigating their way through a fallen world. What more could a mystery reader - or any reader for that matter - want? * Washington Post *Outstanding . . . a constantly surprising series that deepens and darkens as it evolves * New York Times *The premise is an intriguing one . . . I loved the setting. A welcome return to Three Pines and its inhabitants. * Scotland on Sunday *

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Cruellest Month: The third Chief Inspector

    Hodder & Stoughton The Cruellest Month: The third Chief Inspector

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis'No one does atmospheric like Louise Penny' ELLY GRIFFITHSThere is more to solving a crime than following the clues.Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings.It's Easter, and on a glorious Spring day in peaceful Three Pines, someone waits for night to fall. They plan to raise the dead . . .When Chief Inspector Gamache of the Surete du Quebec arrives the next morning, he faces an unusual crime scene. A séance in an old abandoned house has gone horrifically wrong and someone has been seemingly frightened to death.In idyllic Three Pines, terrible secrets lie buried, and even Gamache has something to hide. One of his own team is about to betray him. But how far will they go to ensure Gamache's downfall?Ten million readers.Three pines.One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache.'The series is grand and deep and altogether extraordinary' WASHINGTON POST

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • A Rule Against Murder: The fourth Chief Inspector

    Hodder & Stoughton A Rule Against Murder: The fourth Chief Inspector

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis'No one does atmospheric quite like Louise Penny' ELLY GRIFFITHSThere is more to solving a crime than following the clues.Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings.It's the height of summer, and the wealthy Finney family have gathered at the Manoir Bellechasse to pay tribute to their late father. But as the temperature rises, old secrets and bitter rivalries begin to surface. When the heat wave boils over into a mighty storm, a dead body is left in its wake.Chief Inspector Gamache, a guest at the Bellechasse, finds himself with a building full of suspects. With the hotel locked down, the murderer is trapped. But a cornered predator is always the most dangerous of all...Ten million readers.Three pines.One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache.'Impossible to put down' GLOBE AND MAILTrade ReviewLouise Penny's writing is intricate, beautiful and compelling. She is an original voice, a distillation of both PD James and Barbara Vine at their peaks and a worthy successor to both * Peter James *Full of twists and turns . . . Wonderfully satisfying * Kate Mosse on How the Light Gets In *Penny's elegant style is deeply satisfying, while Gamache is contemplative even when under pressure, and remains a man you want to spend time with * Metro *Impossible to put down * Globe and Mail *

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Furies: Private Investigator Charlie Parker

    Hodder & Stoughton The Furies: Private Investigator Charlie Parker

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisNO ONE EVER FORGETS MEETING THE SISTERS STRANGE ...The Furies: mythological snake-haired goddesses of vengeance, pursuers of those who have committed unavenged crimes. Now, private investigator Charlie Parker is drawn into a world of modern furies in two linked stories. In The Sisters Strange, the return of the criminal Raum Buker to Portland, Maine brings with it chaos and murder, as an act of theft threatens not only to tear apart his own existence but also that of Raum's former lovers, the enigmatic sisters Dolors and Ambar Strange. And in The Furies Parker finds himself fighting to protect two more women as the city of Portland shuts down in the face of a global pandemic, but it may be that his clients are more capable of taking care of themselves than anyone could have imagined . . .From the number one Sunday Times and multi-million-copy bestselling author John Connolly comes the most compelling and unsettling Charlie Parker novel yet.'Masterly genre-splicing thrillers . . . Connolly's grip is inexorable' Financial Times'Charlie Parker . . . is one of modern crime fiction's most popular creations, a unique combination of a man who has one foot in the temporal world and the other in the spirit world' Irish Independent'John Connolly is the creator of a unique blend of thriller and horror who receives rave reviews every time' Sunday TelegraphThe Charlie Parker novels can be read and enjoyed in any order. The Furies is the landmark twentieth book in this globally bestselling series.

    2 in stock

    £8.54

  • The Dirty South: Private Investigator Charlie

    Hodder & Stoughton The Dirty South: Private Investigator Charlie

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisEVIL TAKES MANY FORMS.PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR CHARLIE PARKER HUNTS THEM ALL.It is 1997, and a serial killer is on the loose in Burdon County, Arkansas. But no one wants to admit it, not in the Dirty South.In an Arkansas jail cell sits a former NYPD detective, stricken by grief. Charlie Parker is mourning the death of his wife and child, and searching in vain for their killer. He cares only for his own lost family.But that is about to change . . .From the number one Sunday Times and multi-million-copy bestselling author John Connolly comes the most compelling and unsettling thriller yet - witness the making of Charlie Parker.The Charlie Parker novels can be read and enjoyed in any order. The Dirty South is the eighteenth book in this globally bestselling series.Trade ReviewA finely written thriller haunted by a powerful sense of the struggle between good and evil * Daily Mail *Anyone who enjoys the exploits of the former New York Detective-turned-private-investigator Charlie Parker will be thrilled by this prequel to his stories . . . Beautifully told, this underlines the sheer brilliance of the character of Parker * Daily Mail *A beautifully measured novel that is equal parts gripping mystery and an unsentimental meditation on grief, probably the best crime novel you will read this year * The Irish Times *This is a story populated with richly described characters, be they honorable or slimy, as well as rich descriptions and dialogue. Fast-moving, witty dialogue helps speed this well-plotted yarn to a dramatic conclusion. A most satisfying read for crime buffs. * Kirkus Reviews *Intelligent and subtle . . . Connolly is writing at the top of his game * Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) *There's no denying this one is a hell of a tale: dark, haunting, and beautifully told . . . For fans of the Parker series, the book is required reading * Booklist *It is a dark and wondrous tale . . . an indispensable addition to the Parker canon for Connolly's longtime readers and a terrific introduction for those who have yet to discover his dark prose magic * Book Reporter *Mr Connolly's slam-bang thriller is studded with memorable characters and boasts cliffhangers within cliffhangers * Wall Street Journal *A story populated with richly described characters, be they honorable or slimy, as well as rich descriptions and dialogue. Fast-moving, witty dialogue helps speed this well-plotted yarn to a dramatic conclusion * Kirkus Reviews *Mr. Connolly's slam-bang thriller is studded with memorable characters and boasts cliffhangers within cliffhangers * Wall Street Journal *'The master of the supernaturally charged thriller [takes] Charlie Parker back to near the start of his story . . . it serves to remind long time admirers of what it was that they loved about the character in the first place . . . Have a care if you are new to the series though, as you'll be clearing your schedule for the rest of the Parker novels once this excellent thriller piques your curiosity' * Hot Press *A finely written thriller haunted by a powerful sense of the struggle between good and evil * Daily Mail *

    4 in stock

    £8.99

  • The Wrong Goodbye

    Quercus Publishing The Wrong Goodbye

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA classic slice of Japanese hard-boiled noir paying homage to the master of the genre: Raymond ChandlerThe Wrong Goodbye pits homicide detective Eiji Futamura against a shady Chinese business empire and U.S. military intelligence in the docklands of recession Japan. After the frozen corpse of immigrant barman Tran Binh Long washes up in midsummer near Yokosuka U.S. Navy Base, Futamura meets a strange customer from Tran's bar. Vietnam vet pilot Billy Lou Bonney talks Futamura into hauling three suitcases of "goods" to Yokota US Air Base late at night and flies off leaving a dead woman behind. Thereby implicated in a murder suspect's escape and relieved from active duty, Futamura takes on hack work for the beautiful concert violinist Aileen Hsu, a "boat people" orphan whose Japanese adoption mother has mysteriously gone missing. And now a phone call from a bestselling yakuza author, a one-time black marketeer in Saigon, hints at inside information on "former Vietcong mole" Tran and his "old sidekick" Billy Lou, both of whom crossed a triad tycoon who is buying up huge tracts of Mekong Delta marshland for a massive development scheme. As the loose strands flashback to Vietnam, the string of official lies and mysterious allegiances build into a dark picture of the U.S.-Japan postwar alliance. Translated from the Japanese by Alfred BirnbaumTrade ReviewYahagi offers a Japanese Philip Marlowe chasing deadly fallout from the Vietnam War. Proof Brits and Americans have no monopoly on great crime fiction. -- David Hewson * author of The Garden of Angels *Toshihiko Yahagi gives us Japan's answer to Philip Marlowe in the form of the heavy drinking lone wolf Eiji Futamura, who finds himself embroiled in a case that pits loyalty and personal friendship against power and political corruption. Shady things are going on in post-war Kanagawa, but nothing can stop Futamura getting to the bottom of it all, no matter the cost. A suspenseful, intriguing read. -- Nick Bradley * author of The Cat and the City *The Wrong Goodbye is a hard-boiled treasure, a Chandleresque elegy to a time of shady deals, femme fatales, and of course, murder. These are tropes with which mystery readers will undoubtedly be familiar. Yet this novel is also a beguiling peephole into a Japanese society that readers will perhaps not know so well; a world of US airbases, black markets, and corrupt ploys. While Toshihiko Yahagi may not be the heavyweight in the Anglophone world that he is in Japan, he very much deserves to be. Simply put, The Wrong Goodbye is a siren song of poetic noir. -- Nicolas Obregon * author of Blue Light Yokohama *

    2 in stock

    £17.09

  • The Wrong Goodbye

    Quercus Publishing The Wrong Goodbye

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA classic slice of Japanese hard-boiled noir paying homage to the master of the genre: Raymond ChandlerThe Wrong Goodbye pits homicide detective Eiji Futamura against a shady Chinese business empire and U.S. military intelligence in the docklands of recession Japan. After the frozen corpse of immigrant barman Tran Binh Long washes up in midsummer near Yokosuka U.S. Navy Base, Futamura meets a strange customer from Tran's bar. Vietnam vet pilot Billy Lou Bonney talks Futamura into hauling three suitcases of "goods" to Yokota US Air Base late at night and flies off leaving a dead woman behind. Thereby implicated in a murder suspect's escape and relieved from active duty, Futamura takes on hack work for the beautiful concert violinist Aileen Hsu, a "boat people" orphan whose Japanese adoption mother has mysteriously gone missing. And now a phone call from a bestselling yakuza author, a one-time black marketeer in Saigon, hints at inside information on "former Vietcong mole" Tran and his "old sidekick" Billy Lou, both of whom crossed a triad tycoon who is buying up huge tracts of Mekong Delta marshland for a massive development scheme. As the loose strands flashback to Vietnam, the string of official lies and mysterious allegiances build into a dark picture of the U.S.-Japan postwar alliance. Translated from the Japanese by Alfred BirnbaumTrade ReviewYahagi offers a Japanese Philip Marlowe chasing deadly fallout from the Vietnam War. Proof Brits and Americans have no monopoly on great crime fiction. -- David Hewson * author of The Garden of Angels *Toshihiko Yahagi gives us Japan's answer to Philip Marlowe in the form of the heavy drinking lone wolf Eiji Futamura, who finds himself embroiled in a case that pits loyalty and personal friendship against power and political corruption. Shady things are going on in post-war Kanagawa, but nothing can stop Futamura getting to the bottom of it all, no matter the cost. A suspenseful, intriguing read. -- Nick Bradley * author of The Cat and the City *The Wrong Goodbye is a hard-boiled treasure, a Chandleresque elegy to a time of shady deals, femme fatales, and of course, murder. These are tropes with which mystery readers will undoubtedly be familiar. Yet this novel is also a beguiling peephole into a Japanese society that readers will perhaps not know so well; a world of US airbases, black markets, and corrupt ploys. While Toshihiko Yahagi may not be the heavyweight in the Anglophone world that he is in Japan, he very much deserves to be. Simply put, The Wrong Goodbye is a siren song of poetic noir. -- Nicolas Obregon * author of Blue Light Yokohama *

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • Whitethroat: the third novel in the Essex-based

    Quercus Publishing Whitethroat: the third novel in the Essex-based

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe third book in the DI Nicholas Lowry series, for fans of Peter James and Stuart Macbride.It's November 1983 in Essex and there are reasons to be cheerful. Uptown Girl is sitting pretty at the top of the charts, Risky Business is raking it in at the box office, and there are now four channels on the telly. However, social tensions are beginning to bubble beneath the surface: Mrs Thatcher has embarked on her second controversial term, and the situation in Northern Ireland is ever-escalating.Yet in the garrison town of Colchester, it's another deadly standoff that is hogging the headlines. The body of a nineteen-year-old Lance Corporal has been discovered on the local High Street, the result of what appears to be a bizarre, chivalrous duel. It seems he was the victim of a doomed army love triangle. As such, the military police are wishing to keep the matter confined within military ranks.This is all just fine, as far as Colchester CID is concerned. They have enough on their plate as is: with DI Nick Lowry in a tailspin following the breakdown of his marriage, WPC Jane Gabriel exasperated by the male-favoured system, Detective Daniel Kenton relying on substance abuse to quieten his demons from his last case; and their boss, DCS Sparks, shortly to become a first-time father at 55.However, it is not long before the blood from the duel runs into civilian police affairs, and the trail presents CID with a local rogues' gallery. A savvy entrepreneur. A wayward skinhead. A member of the landed gentry. And a shadowy Mauritian travel agent with a chilling reputation. Soon, they will discover, a real estate deal, a racist, and the town's Robin Hood pub hold the key to the killing...Trade ReviewWhitethroat is an intricate picture of provincial Britain in the 80s - Thatcher, Northern Ireland, racial tensions, drugs, skinheads. It's also a portrait of Colchester - an army-run garrison town of feuding squaddies and their secrets. Policing all that, & digging up past crimes thought long forgotten, is an explosive mix -- Paul FrenchWhitethroat is bleak, downbeat and mesmerising; a subtle, compassionate and beautifully written novel that is something of an elegy to a way of policing - and living - that is gone for ever. -- FullyBooked2017With a satisfyingly labyrinthine plot, Whitethroat is a story of males in crisis: young soldiers plagued by the memories of Derry firebombs; businessmen with scores to settle; police officers trying to self-medicate for work-induced trauma. Then there's Lowry himself, lonely and adrift after the breakup of his marriage. It's downbeat and beautifully written * Guardian *Brilliant characters that ooze with all the excesses of the age * Scottish Sun *

    1 in stock

    £9.89

  • Young Beasts at Play

    Quercus Publishing Young Beasts at Play

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis"A superior police procedural" Mark Sanderson, The Times Crime Club"Northern Italy's answer to Inspector Montalbano" Alessandro BariccoSeptember 2008. Commissario Arcadipane arrives at the scene of a macabre discovery: the bones of twelve men and women buried in the countryside near Torino.By the next morning, a task force specialising in mass graves from WWII is already in place. But something doesn't feel right: one of the femurs shows signs of an operation that couldn't have taken place before the seventies.Suspecting a cover-up, Arcadipane launches his own investigation, enlisting his old mentor, Corso Bramard, long retired, and Isa, a young officer still haunted by the unexplained death of her father.These mismatched allies ­- one at last at peace, one jaded to the point of breakdown and one under a permanent disciplinary cloud ­- will unveil a cruel political conspiracy that someone wants covered up for the second time.Translated from the Italian by Silvester MazzarellaTrade ReviewLongo is unique, a literary jewel! -- Andreas Wallenthin * WDR 5 (Germany) *Northern Italy's answer to Inspector Montalbano. -- Alessandro BariccoOne of his country's most important authors. -- Philipp Haibach * Rolling Stone (Germany) *One of the most exciting Italian writers. * FAZ (Germany) *A superior police procedural -- Mark Sanderson * The Times Crime Club *

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • Killing Moon

    Vintage Publishing Killing Moon

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisTHIS KILLER WILL GET INSIDE YOUR HEAD... 'A 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight' LEE CHILD*A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR****When a body is found in the forest, the police make a horrifying discovery: her scalp has been removed and sewn back on. But they have no idea why.With a second woman reported missing, detectives fear their worst nightmare has come true.A serial killer is stalking the streets of Oslo.With time running out to find the woman, former detective Harry Hole is called in to think like a murderer thinks... and to track down this killer before they strike again.But Harry has ulterior motives for wanting to solve this case and, if he fails, there could be more than one life at risk.***'Nesbo deploys all the key ingredients of a cracking good thriller... effortless' Guardian'The undisputed king of Scandinavian crime fiction' The Times‘Unbearably tense’ Sunday Times***Killing Moon is the 13th novel in the Harry Hole series, although each title reads as a standalone.*OVER 55 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE*Killing Moon appeared in the Sunday Times top 10 bestseller list on 04.06.2023Trade ReviewNot just an unbearably tense thriller but another of Nesbo's studies in love and loneliness... there are few greater crime writers * The Times, Crime Book of the Month *Nesbo deserves to be crowned the king of all crime thriller writers * Sunday Express *Nesbo deploys all the key ingredients of a cracking good thriller...the ticking clock, the tension expertly ratcheted ever upwards, the changing scenery, the constantly shifting goalposts and the effortless, triumphant outpacing of the reader's ability to guess what's going to happen * Guardian *The undisputed king of Scandinavian crime fiction * The Times *Jo Nesbø is one of today's most interesting thriller writers, and Harry Hole is an all-time great character - for me, a 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight. * Lee Child *

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • Stray Bullets: Sunshine & Roses Volume 2

    Image Comics Stray Bullets: Sunshine & Roses Volume 2

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhat would you do for love? How far would you go for revenge? “SUNSHINE & ROSES” tells the story of a boy and a girl: how they fell in love and hatched a scheme to blow up the Baltimore underworld. There is no crime book remotely like STRAY BULLETS and with “SUNSHINE & ROSES”, the uncompromising, Eisner Award-winning team of DAVID AND MARIA LAPHAM craft a heist story like you never seen.Collects STRAY BULLETS: SUNSHINE & ROSES #9-16

    10 in stock

    £16.19

  • Witchblade Volume 2: Good Intentions

    Image Comics Witchblade Volume 2: Good Intentions

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis“GOOD INTENTIONS”Breaking a demon’s stranglehold on New York City was only the beginning for Alex and Team Witchblade—now somebody much worse than a demon wants the Artifact, and they’ll do anything to get it.Collects issues 7-12.

    2 in stock

    £13.49

  • Stray Bullets: Sunshine & Roses Volume 4

    Image Comics Stray Bullets: Sunshine & Roses Volume 4

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisSteal the money and drugs—check. Get gone—check. It was supposed to be all over. These were supposed to be the good times--the days of sunshine and roses. So why don't they feel that way? Why does life suddenly feel more horrifying than ever....Sunshine and Roses tells the story of a boy and a girl, how they fell in love, and hatched a scheme to blow up the Baltimore underworld. There is no crime book remotely like STRAY BULLETS and with Sunshine & Roses, the uncompromising, EISNER AWARD WINNING team of DAVID AND MARIA LAPHAM craft a heist story like you never seen.Collects STRAY BULLETS: SUNSHINE & ROSES #25-32

    10 in stock

    £16.19

  • La Mano del Destino

    Image Comics La Mano del Destino

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisLA MANO del DESTINO tells the tale of a once-champion Luchador – who, after being betrayed by his friends and unmasked in the ring, agrees to a Faustian bargain with a mysterious promoter. He gains a new power and the identity of La Mano del Destino in order to exact revenge upon his betrayers. Set in a swanky, 1960s Mexico where Lucha Libre is intrinsically woven into all aspects of society and the most important events that happen within this world, this tale winds its way through the machinations and motivations of all types who inhabit this unique setting. Can La Mano del Destino get his revenge while remaining the champion he knows himself to be? - Get the complete arc here to find out!Mesoamerican myth, Silver-Age storytelling, and high-flying Lucha Libre action converge to tell this epic story of vengeance and destiny!Collects LA MANO del DESTINO issues #1-6

    1 in stock

    £19.54

  • Newburn, Volume 1

    Image Comics Newburn, Volume 1

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisBook Riot "12 Best Graphic Novels and Comics of 2022" List Easton Newburn is a private detective without loyalties, investigating conflicts between rival crime factions. With his assistant Emily, Newburn follows murderers, arsonists, and corrupt officials--while trying to stay out of their crosshairs. This new series from Eisner winner CHIP ZDARSKY (DAREDEVIL, SEX CRIMINALS) and rising star JACOB PHILLIPS (THAT TEXAS BLOOD) follows Newburn as he does jobs for every criminal organization in New York City, collecting enemies along the way. Collects NEWBURN #1-8.Trade Review“ZDARSKY’s comedic and dramatic chops continue to shine resplendently, and PHILLIPS’ art helps articulate the world wonderfully. Fans of noir and procedures, you’re gonna wanna make sure this one is on your pull list.” —Black Nerd Problems“ZDARSKY and PHILLIPS are doing some of their best work.” —Monkeys Fighting Robots“If you’re looking for a new crime story, make sure to add this to your pull list.” —Multiversity Comics

    10 in stock

    £13.49

  • Sunset Empire

    Little, Brown & Company Sunset Empire

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisDecember, 1959: The Korean War rages on.Protesting the bloody conflict, a Korean-American man by the name of William Yang suddenly blows himself up in the middle of a Los Angeles department store just before Christmas, which leads the U.S. government to reopen the internment camps used during World War II. President Joseph McCarthy's America has never been more on edge, paranoid, and above all, dangerous.Several weeks later, a woman hires Morris Baker, now working as a private investigator, to track down her missing husband - Henry Kissinger - who may have a shadowy connection to Yang's purported terrorist attack. The ensuing investigation for the missing State Department consultant working for Vice President Richard Nixon sends Baker on another thrilling adventure of deceit, intrigue, sex, murder, and conspiracy where the safety of the entire world may hang in the balance.

    5 in stock

    £20.90

  • Soho Angel

    Amazon Publishing Soho Angel

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn infamous cold case: two missing, presumed dead. Can Kenny Gabriel chase down the truth? Rock star Castor Greaves and his model girlfriend vanished twenty years ago after an infamous gig in Soho. According to urban myth they’re still alive—holed up somewhere by the Golden Road, a fabled music-industry `disappearing’ service—so when PI Kenny Gabriel is hired to solve the notorious case, he knows he’ll need to watch his back… But Kenny’s life is in danger already: a brain tumour is messing with his mind, and he may well have nothing to lose. Stalking the seedy clubs and backstreets of Soho, he makes a gruesome discovery that turns his missing-person case into a murder hunt. When his enquiries earn him a death threat from the Golden Road, he feels he’s close to cracking the biggest case of his career…if he can just dodge the hitmen and health scares long enough to see it through. With the clock ticking in more ways than one, can Kenny untangle two decades of cover-ups and lies in the underbelly of Soho before he loses either his grip on reality—or his life?

    1 in stock

    £8.99

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