Crime and / or mystery fiction

Book SynopsisCommissario Guido Brunetti returns with a gripping and powerful case about the murkiness of power and a test of loyalties'Perfectly crafted . . . this only proves what a truly great writer [Leon] has become' Mark Sanderson, The Times'One of the most subtle and exquisite detective series ever' Washington PostWhen two teenage gangs are arrested after clashing violently in one of Venice's campi, the son of a local hero is implicated. But when Commissario Guido Brunetti is asked by a wealthy foreigner to vet this man, Monforte, for a job, he discovers that Monforte might not be such a hero after all. This seeming contradiction, and a brutal attack on one of Brunetti's colleagues by a possible gang member, concentrate Brunetti's attentions. Soon, he discovers the sordid hypocrisy surrounding Monforte's past, culminating in a fiery meeting of two gangs and a final opportunity for redemption. A Refiner's Fire is Donna Leon at her very best: an elegant, sophisticated storyteller whose indelible characters become richer with each book, and who constantly interrogates the ambiguity between moral and legal justice.

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Book SynopsisThe first novel in the bestselling Karen Pirie seriesThe award-winning Number One bestseller and Queen of crime fiction Val McDermid carves out a stunning psychological thriller. The past is behind them, but what's still to come will tear them apartFrom the creators of Line of Duty and Bodyguard, KAREN PIRIE is now on ITV, starring Lauren Lyle (Outlander)Some things just won't let go.The past, for instance.That night in the cemetery.The girl's body in the snow.On a freezing Fife morning four drunken students stumble upon the body of a woman in the snow. Rosie has been raped, stabbed and left for dead in an ancient Pictish cemetery. And the only suspects are the four young men now stained with her blood.Twenty-five years later the police mount a cold case' review of Rosie's unsolved murder and the four are still suspects. But when two of them die in suspicious circumstances, it seems that someone is pursuing their own brand of justice. For the remaining two there is only one way to avoiTrade ReviewPraise for The Distant Echo: ‘A classic … McDermid pulls out all the stops. Impeccable’ Guardian ‘A few more sly, old-fashioned whodunits like this and she’ll join the sturdy ranks of the queens of crime, on course to become Dame Val or Baroness McDermid’ Sunday Times ‘She has created some of the most appealing figures in current crime fiction. Val McDermid has used the crime genre to write a novel that, above everything else, celebrates life and loyalty’ TLS ‘A real page-turner and another McDermid triumph’ Observer ‘A powerful story of murder and revenge … an exciting page-turner’ Sunday Telegraph Praise for Val McDermid: ‘The queen of crime’ Independent 'No one rivals Val McDermid’s skill at writing truly terrifying thrillers’ Good Housekeeping ‘The real mistress of psychological gripping thrillers' Daily Express 'McDermid's capacity to enter the warped mind of a deviant criminal is shiveringly convincing' The Times ‘Val McDermid is undoubtedly the queen of British crime’ Observer 'McDermid’s expertly juggled plotlines and masterful handling of pace and tension tick all the best boxes’ Guardian ‘The queen of crime is still at the top of her game’ Independent ‘One of today’s most accomplished crime writers’ Literary Review ‘Her writing is never less than excellent’ Crime Time

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Book SynopsisMeet DI HILLARY GREENE, a policewoman struggling to save her career and catch criminals. Mattie Jones is found brutally stabbed to death in her palatial home. Hillary Greene is called in to investigate the murder of this wealthy woman. Who wanted her dead and why? Hillary discovers that Mattie's snobby attitude had made her many enemies. Mattie was also going through a messy divorce and had a secret lover. Meanwhile, in a terrifying turn of events, police officers are being gunned down outside their stations. A sniper is on the loose. Who will come under attack next? Can Hillary cope with the enemies within, a complex case, and the whole force under attack?

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Book SynopsisOxford private investigator Zoë Boehm struggles with the after-effects of her violent past as she hunts for a killer - or has she become the hunted?

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Book SynopsisThirty days off-grid. No contact with the outside world. No way to call for help. Could you survive #TheNothingMonth? A gripping crime thriller from an exciting debut author.

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Book SynopsisTHE ADDICTIVE No.1 BESTSELLER AND INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENONOVER 20 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDETHE BOOK THAT DEFINES PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERWho are you?What have we done to each other?These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy''s friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn''t true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren''t made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what really did happen to Nick''s beautiful wife?''Flynn is a brilliantly accomplished psychological crime writer and this latest book is so dark, so twisted and so utterly compelling that it actually messes with your mind'' DAILY MAIL''A near-masterpiece. Flynn is an extraordinary writer who, Trade ReviewFlynn, an extraordinarily good writer, plays her readers with the finesse and delicacy of an expert angler. She wields her unreliable narrators to stunning effect, baffling, disturbing and delighting in turn, practically guaranteeing an immediate reread once her terrifying, wonderful conclusion is reached... an early contender for thriller of the year, and an absolute must-read. -- Alison Flood * THE OBSERVER *These voices are wonderfully authentic, to the point where the reader becomes a gawker at the full-spectrum of marital dysfunction. Excellent. -- John O'Connor * THE GUARDIAN *Gone Girl is superbly constructed, ingeniously paced and absolutely terrifying... a Five-star suspense mystery. -- AN Wilson * READERS' DIGEST *in this riveting noirish thriller and intense dissection of a marriage, nothing is as it seems. * WOMAN AND HOME *Flynn keeps the accelerator firmly to the floor, ratcheting up the tension with wildly unexpected plot twists, contradictory stories and the tantalising feeling that nothing is as it seems. Deviously good. * MARIE CLAIRE *Read it and stay single. * FINANCIAL TIMES *funny, cunning thriller... the tale takes some stomach-churning turns, right to its chilling conclusion * PSYCHOLOGIES *A chilling, stylish read about another unknowable woman * ELLE *Flynn has created a gripping tale and a page-turner. * LITERARY REVIEW *Immensely dark and deeply intelligent, Gone Girl is a book about how well one person can truly know another * METRO *Flynn is a brilliantly accomplished psychological crime writer and this latest book is so dark, so twisted and so utterly compelling that it actually messes with your mind -- Carla McKay * DAILY MAIL *You think you're reading a good, conventional thriller and then it grows into a fascinating portrait of one averagely mismatched relationship...Nothing's as it seems - Flynn is a fabulous plotter, and a very sharp observer of modern life in the aftermath of the credit crunch -- Kate Saunders * THE TIMES *Flynn's portrait of a woman trying to please an impossible husband is subtly drawn, but there are hints that all is not as it seems. One version of events hides another in a novel that cleverly manipulates the reader -- Joan Smith * SUNDAY TIMES *definitely a contender for thriller of the year... Flynn is, without a doubt, at the front of the pack of American thriller writers. -- Doug Johnstone * THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *In what is so much more than a straightforward crime novel (with a mid-story twist so shocking you'll drop the book), Flynn unpicks the minutiae of the couple's personalities and relationship * EASY LIVING *A chilling tale of a hip, New York couple's failing marriage: smart, suspenseful and brilliantly written, Gone Girl is a class act * THE INDEPENDENT *a terrifically intelligent thriller with a gasp-inducing twist * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *she skillfully manages to sustain tension and uncertainty to the end, as well as presenting a beautiful portrait of marriage disintegration -- Marcel Berlins * THE TIMES *This is Flynn's third novel and she's more than found her voice, creating taut, thrilling, deeply intense narratives about characters very much on the edge -- Henry Sutton * DAILY MIRROR *a near-masterpiece. Flynn is an extraordinary writer who, with every sentence, makes words do things that other writers merely dream of" -- Sophie Hannah * SUNDAY EXPRESS *Ms Flynn's latest novel of psychological suspense will confound anyone trying to keep up with her quicksilver mind and diabolical rules of play * INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE *Just about everyone I meet, and everyone on Twitter, is telling me it's brilliant, so I can't wait to see what the fuss is all about. -- S.J Watson * SUNDAY EXPRESS *Gripping thriller: Nick's wife, Amy, is missing and he's a suspect. The story is told by Nick, then Amy, but who's telling the truth? * ESSENTIALS *A brilliant switchback ride, you'll beg others to read it so you can discuss it with them -- John Williams * IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY *Gone Girl confirms that Gillian Flynn is the smartest new crime writer for years. -- John Williams * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Toxic marriage simmers in this thriller with a gasp-inducing twist. * GRAZIA *The set-up is simple: girl goes missing, husband looks increasingly suspect. But there's much more going on beneath the surface of this fiendishly clever thriller" * VOGUE *Single-handedly defines a genre of Media Gothic -- Brooke Magnanti * TATLER *Exhilarating and creepy, it has sent me rushing off to her other novels. -- Tracey Thorn * NEW STATESMAN *a brilliant, darkly comic tale -- Laura Wilson * THE GUARDIAN *One of the most popular thrillers of the year is also one of the smartest... Flynn's book cleverly outpaces its neo-noir trappings and consistently surprises the reader. * FINANCIAL TIMES *A completely gripping account of a dysfunctional (is there any other sort?) marriage. -- Rachel Johnson * METRO *Read Gone Girl: The Thriller of 2012... Flynn relentlessly plays with her reader, dangling hints and hushing up truths through two narrators who become more and more unreliable as the plot unravels. -- Jessica Whiteley * STYLIST *A stunning psychological thriller to send a chill through the heart of every married couple... Read it now, it is that good. -- Geoffrey Wansell * DAILY MAIL *An utterly gripping thriller * EMERALD STREET *Gone Girl should be the big poolside read this year. Fresh out om paperback, it's a page-turning abduction mystery with an awful lot of twists. * MAIL ON SUNDAY *A tautly written thriller about the unravelling of a marriage that is deservedly topping the bestseller charts. * THE OBSERVER *The story of a husband searching for his vanished wife has everything - psychological acuity, humour, an unflagging pace and more twists than you could hope for in your most serpentine dreams...a sumptuous, satisfying read. * STYLIST *The story-telling is incredibly compelling, with the cunning opening mystery soon turning down unpredictable routes, while the characters are superbly believable. No wonder it's the book that everyone seems to be reading. -- Boyd Hilton * HEAT MAGAZINE *If you haven't yet caught up with this word-of-mouth bestseller - about a woman's mysterious disappearance and the secrets she and her husband are keeping - get hold of it soon. It really does live up to the hype. * WOMAN MAGAZINE *I'm currently reading Gone Girl, a brilliant novel about how we never quite know the people we fall in love with. It's one of those novels that you discuss endlessly with your closest friends. * Sharleen Spiteri, lead singer in Texas *This thriller is the must-read of the year. * THE SUN *(GONE GIRL) turned the rules of your average psychological thriller inside-out...it's breathtaking * THE TIMES *

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Book SynopsisThe gripping Sunday Times bestseller that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page''Bravo! How to Disappear is undoubtedly her best yet. Gripping and emotional - a cracking read'' Clare Mackintosh ''A relentless drumroll of suspense . . . ranks among the best psychological-suspense thrillers of recent years'' A. J. Finn You can run, you can hide, but can you disappear for good?Lauren''s daughter Zara witnessed a terrible crime. But speaking up comes with a price, and when Zara''s identity is revealed online, it puts a target on her back.The only choice is to disappear.To keep Zara safe, Lauren will give up everything and everyone she loves, even her husband.There will be no goodbyes. Their pasts will be rewritten. New names, new home, new lives.The rules are strict for a reason. They are being hunted. One mistake - a text, an Instagram like - could Trade ReviewBravo! How to Disappear is undoubtedly her best yet. Gripping and emotional - a cracking read. -- Clare MackintoshA clever and original thriller with a brilliant ending. Beautifully written and emotional as well as tense and unpredictable, I couldn't put it down. -- Claire DouglasTotally addictive: clever, convincing and ingeniously plotted with twists that repeatedly pulled the rug from under my feet. But more than that, How to Disappear is peopled with characters so real and relatable you feel you could reach out and touch them. Any crime writer can keep you turning the pages - but few can make you care this much. -- Erin KellySome thrillers stage a few moments of high anxiety (at best); more thrillers simply sprinkle jitters here and there, like piano ditties peppered lightly with minor chords. But How to Disappear is a relentless drumroll of suspense, a knife-edge novel in which - at any moment, with any word, in the spaces between words - the characters can drop into danger as though falling through a trapdoor. They aren't safe for even an instant . . . and neither is the reader who cares about them (and who couldn't?). Gillian McAllister's rattling, deeply satisfying book ranks among the best psychological-suspense thrillers of recent years, but you'll be reminded too of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty, Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere. Bloody hell, this is a good one. -- A. J. FinnIf Jodi Picoult wrote psychological thrillers, they would look like this. A compulsive read with a jaw-dropping twist, I read it in a day -- Rosamund LuptonTense, twisty and perfectly paced, How To Disappear is a compelling portrait of a family under unbearable pressure - where one false step invites disaster into all their lives -- T. M. LoganGillian McAllister has done it again. How to Disappear is a captivating story with unforgettable characters. This is one you can't put down and you won't soon forget -- Samantha DowningI couldn't look away from this intricate and spellbinding exploration of the devastating ripples that spread from a terrible crime. The desperate and dangerous slippery slope that one family finds themselves on is as gut punching as it is believable. Whip smart and wonderfully written. -- Holly SeddonThis intricately plotted drama is a masterclass in taut, twisty but beautiful writing * Sun *A clever, compulsive, cat-and-mouse family thriller that made my heart race. Never ever, would I want to go into a witness protection programme after this. Absolutely brilliant -- Jane CorryHigh tension, believable characters and a terrific plot. A truly riveting read -- Lesley KaraA totally gripping and heart-wrenching story that leaves you breathless. Her best book yet, and that's saying something -- Jane FallonAt its core, this tense page-turner is a deeply original love story, and its characters are so warm and real that they stole my heart. I was absolutely gripped by Lauren, Aidan and Zara's story - rarely have I read a novel so fast. -- Beth O'LearyTense and brilliant. If anyone's found expired with a copy of it lying next to them, it'll be because they flat-out forgot to breathe. This is her best book yet -- Jill MansellMy goodness, it's brilliant. The ending blew me away! A superb, tense and thrilling ride. I admit I stayed up far too late to finish it, but it was so worth it -- Melanie GoldingIf you read one book this year, make it this one -- Adam CroftI read How to Disappear with my heart in my mouth. Beautiful, layered, suffocating, with an impossible love story at its heart. -- Lia LouisAnother brilliant psychological thriller from Gillian McAllister * Hello! *Utterly compelling, addictive and gripping; the best psychological thriller I've read this year -- Lucy ClarkeI was blown away. Being forced to consider the reality of life under witness protection, of family members having to make impossible, brutal choices, was heartbreaking. I think it will resonate with many people. It's an outstanding and utterly gripping novel that deserves to be a bestseller -- Emma CurtisA highly original novel about witness protection that is tense and compelling with a great ending. Her best yet! -- Mark EdwardsIntense, utterly believable and at times shocking, it will make you see the world - even one in confinement - through new eyes * WI Life *This book explores just how brutal witness protection can be, and the choices people involved must make * Woman's Own *This intricately plotted drama is a masterclass in taut, twisty but beautiful writing * Fabulous *A rollercoaster that will leave you gasping and turning the pages for more * Refinery29 *The author's best book yet * Prima *Included in 'The Hottest Summer Reads' * Cosmopolitan *Included in 'Book Club' * Woman's Weekly *Praise for Gillian McAllister * - *I read it in a breathless day and a half. I loved every pageAs tense as a piano string * Sunday Times *An exceptional debutAn exceptional thriller with a thumping, emotional heart * Heat *Addictive, clever, twisty * Sun *I loved this gripping and thought-provoking readIngeniously constructed, with real flesh-and-blood characters and cliff-hanging suspenseTense, compelling, with a clever grand reveal * Daily Mail *One of the best courtroom dramas I've ever readKept me glued to every page * Good Housekeeping *Gripping, cleverly-constructed, and heart-wrenching. Truly originalIntelligent. Compulsive. Heart-wrenching. UnforgettableBrilliantly writtenA thrilling mystery with a strong emotional heart * Woman & Home *McAllister ratchets up the tension to excellent effect in this addictive page-turner * Connaught Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisEllen Curtis is about to have her own life thrown into chaos in this third light-hearted decluttering mystery!Brett layers the old-fashioned puzzle with deep psychological insights . . . Not to be missed Booklist Starred ReviewDeclutterer Ellen Curtis has been working to bring order into the life of Cedric Waites, a recluse in his eighties who hasn''t left his house or let anyone inside it since his wife died. On one of her regular visits, Ellen finds the old man dead.Sad but, given his age, perhaps not unexpected. Nothing to get worked up about . . . until the police raise the suspicion that Cedric might have been poisoned! The cause seems be something he ate, and as Ellen cleared away the old man''s food containers, she is under suspicion. As is Dodge, who works for Ellen and has unhelpfully done a runner . . .Meanwhile, a rival declutterer is out to sabotage Ellen''s reputable business, her two grown-up children are back home and in crisis, and she has a potential love interest. Ellen''s life has taken on a chaotic turn of its own! Can she uncover the killer and bring order back to her own life?

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Book SynopsisThe new cosy crime novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author. NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES starring Samantha Bond, Jo Martin, and Cara Horgan. Season 3 coming in 2026!Step aboard for another sparkling Marlow Murder Club yarn The best thing since Jerome K Jerome!' Orlando Murrin, author of Knife Skills for Beginners* * * *Verity Beresford is worried about her husband. Oliver didn't come home last night so of course Verity goes straight to Judith Potts, Marlow's resident amateur sleuth, for help. Oliver, founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, had hired The Marlow Belle, a private pleasure cruiser, for an exclusive party with the MADS committee but no one remembers seeing him disembark. And then Oliver's body washes up on the Thames with two bullet holes in him it's time for the Marlow Murder Club to leap into action.Oliver was a rather complicated chap and he wasn't short of enemies. Judith, Suzie, and Becks are convinced they'll crack the case in no time. But things are not as they seem in the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, and the gang will need to keep their wits about them, otherwise a killer may sail away scot-free * * * *Praise for Robert ThorogoodCosy crime at its best' Crime Monthly ''A light-hearted romp with gallons of humour, mystery and brilliant sleuthing'' The SunFull of unexpected twists and turns we will be enjoying the mysteries of Robert Thorogood for many years to come'' Daily Mail''Fiendishly clever and funny, with delightful and original characters. I loved it!'' Roz WatkinsThrilling and heartfelt, gripping and wonderfully humorous an absolute joy from first page to last'' Chris Whitaker

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Book SynopsisLife is never, ever dull in Agatha Raisin''s sleepy Cotswolds village!Agatha Raisin''s private detective agency is working flat out on a series of burglaries which take a violent turn when a friend of Agatha''s is murdered during a raid on his antiques shop. Although determined to nail the villains, Agatha still makes time to help Sir Charles Fraith prepare to stage a massive, hugely glamorous event in the grounds of his ancestral home, Barfield House.When Agatha begins to receive death threats and narrowly avoids being abducted by kidnappers, she takes advantage of a previously arranged trip to Majorca to lie low for a while. There she meets her partner, former police officer John Glass, who is now working as a dance instructor on a cruise liner. Their relationship founders over John''s apparent closeness to his stage dance partner, Louise. Putting her love life on hold, Agatha heads home, having worked out who has been threatening her life.Can Agatha tra

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Book SynopsisA young woman found murdered A scandal in the makingTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisSome scars never heal . . . An addictive thriller from the author of the mega bestseller GONE GIRL.Trade ReviewTo say this is a terrific debut novel is really too mild ... [it is] a relentlessly creepy family saga. I found myself dreading the last thirty pages or so, but was helpless to stop turning them. Then, after the lights were out, the story just stayed there in my head, coiled and hissing, like a snake in a cave * Stephen King *This is a stylish thriller about housewives who don't recognise their own desperations, while the reader recognises with fascinated clarity the nastiness and vacuity of life in an updated Stepford * Literary Review *It is a stunningly accomplished evocation of the oppressiveness of small-town life and is just as assured in depicting the gradually revealed psychological disorder that links Camille to both the killer and victims * Sunday Times *Compulsively disturbing and ... exciting * Time Out *[A] striking first novel ... a relentlessly dark tale, with some very disturbing characters, Camille among then, and it makes a powerful impact * Sunday Telegraph *A stylish and compelling debut. A real winner * Harlan Coben *If you love Martha O'Connor look out for Gillian Flynn's debut, Sharp Objects ... a gothic fairytale-gone-bad * Company *The horror creeps up slowly, with Flynn misdirecting the reader until the shocking, dreadful and memorable double ending * Publisher's Weekly *Six years before she became famous for Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn's first book wowed the critics.. it's a dark, unsettling read that fills you with doubt and keeps you second-guessing the whole way through" * ESSENTIALS *

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Book SynopsisBy the author of The Handmaid''s TaleNow a major NETFLIX seriesSometimes I whisper it over to myself: Murderess. Murderess. It rustles, like a taffeta skirt along the floor.'' Grace Marks. Female fiend? Femme fatale? Or weak and unwilling victim? Around the true story of one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of the 1840s, Margaret Atwood has created an extraordinarily potent tale of sexuality, cruelty and mystery.''Brilliant... Atwood''s prose is searching. So intimate it seems to be written on the skin'' Hilary Mantel''The outstanding novelist of our age'' Sunday Times''A sensuous, perplexing book, at once sinister and dignified, grubby and gorgeous, panoramic yet specific...I don''t think I have ever been so thrilled'' Julie Myerson, Independent on SundayTrade ReviewA sensuous, perplexing book, at once sinister and dignified, grubby and gorgeous, panoramic yet specific...I don't think I have ever been so thrilled...This, surely is as far as a novel can go -- Julie Myerson * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *A sensuous, perplexing book, at once sinister and dignified, grubby and gorgeous, panoramic yet specific...I don't think I have ever been so thrilled...This, surely is as far as a novel can go -- Julie Myerson * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Brilliant...Atwood's prose is searching. So intimate it seems to be written on the skin -- Hilary MantelBrilliant...Atwood's prose is searching. So intimate it seems to be written on the skin -- Hilary MantelMargaret Atwood is to be congratulated -- Anita Brookner * SPECTATOR *Margaret Atwood is to be congratulated -- Anita Brookner * SPECTATOR *The outstanding novelist of our age -- Peter Kemp * SUNDAY TIMES *The outstanding novelist of our age -- Peter Kemp * SUNDAY TIMES *

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Book SynopsisPeter James is a UK No.1 bestselling author, best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, now a hit ITV drama starring John Simm as the troubled Brighton copper.Much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern day policing, he has won over 40 awards for his work including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger. In 2024, it was announced that he is the creator of Her Majesty Queen Camilla's favourite fictional detective.To date, Peter has written an impressive total of 20 Sunday Times No. 1s, sold over 21 million copies worldwide and been translated into 38 languages. His books are also often adapted for the stage, with his six stage shows grossing over 17 million at the box office the most recent being Wish You Were Dead.

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Book SynopsisThe first book in the phenomenally successful Thursday Next series, from Number One bestselling author Jasper Fforde. ''Always ridiculous, often hilarious ... blink and you miss a vital narrative leap. There are shades of Douglas Adams, Lewis Carroll, ''Clockwork Orange'' and ''1984''. And that''s just for starters'' - Time OutMeet Thursday Next, literary detective without equal, fear or boyfriend.There is another 1985, where London''s criminal gangs have moved into the lucrative literary market, and Thursday Next is on the trail of the new crime wave''s MR Big.Acheron Hades has been kidnapping certain characters from works of fiction and holding them to ransom. Jane Eyre is gone. Missing.Thursday sets out to find a way into the book to repair the damage. But solving crimes against literature isn''t easy when you also have to find time to halt the Crimean War, persuade the man you love to marry you, and figure out who really wrote Shakespeare''s plays.Perhaps today just isn''t going to be Thursday''s day. Join her on a truly breathtaking adventure, and find out for yourself. Fiction will never be the same again ...Trade ReviewIt's 1985 in England, at least on the calendar; the Crimean War is in its hundred-and-thirty-first year; time travel is nothing new; Japanese tourists slip in and out of Victorian novels; and the literary branch of the special police, led gamely by the beguiling Thursday Next, are pursuing Acheron Hades, who has stolen the manuscript of "Martin Chuzzlewit" and set his sights on kidnapping the character Jane Eyre, a theft that could have disastrous consequences for Brontë lovers who like their story straight. This rambunctious caper could be taken as a warning about what might happen if society considered literature really important-like, say, energy futures or accounting. * The New Yorker *"Neatly delivers alternate history, Monty Pythonesque comedy skits, Grand Guignol supervillains, thwarted lovers, po-mo intertextuality, political commentary, time travel, vampires, absent-minded inventors, a hard-boiled narrator, and lots, lots more. . . . Suspend your disbelief, find a quiet corner and just surrender to the storytelling voice of the unstoppable, ever-resourceful Thursday Next." * The Washington Post *"Fforde's imaginative novel will satiate readers looking for a Harry Potter-esque tale. . . . The Eyre Affair's literary wonderland recalls Douglas Adams's Hitchhikers series, the works of Lewis Carroll and Woody Allen's The Kugelmass Episode." * USA Today *[Thursday Next is] part Bridget Jones, part Nancy Drew, and part Dirty Harry. -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *Delightfully clever . . . Filled with clever wordplay, literary allusion and bibliowit, The Eyre Affair combines elements of Monty Python, Harry Potter, Stephen Hawking and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but its quirky charm is all its own * Wall Street Journal *Jasper Fforde's first novel, The Eyre Affair, is a spirited sendup of genre fiction-it's part hardboiled mystery, part time-machine caper-that features a sassy, well-read 'Special Operative in literary detection' named Thursday Next, who will put you more in mind of Bridget Jones than Miss Marple. Fforde delivers almost every sentence with a sly wink, and he's got an easy way with wordplay, trivia, and inside jokes. . . . Fforde's verve is rarely less than infectious * The New York Times Book Review *What Fforde is pulling is a variation on the classic Monty Python gambit: the incongruous juxtaposition og low comedy and high erudition - this scam has not been pulled off with such off-hand finesse and manic verve since the Pythons shut up shop. 'The Eyre Affair' is a silly book for smart people: postmodernism played as raw, howling farce * Independent *It is always a privilege to watch the birth of a cult, and Hodder has just cut the umbilical cord. Always ridiculous, often hilarious ... blink and you miss a vital narrative leap. There are shades of Douglas Adams, Lewis Carroll, 'Clockwork Orange' and '1984'. And that's just for starters * Time Out *Ingenious - I'll watch Jasper Fforde nervously * Terry Pratchett *Surely a cult in the making * Marie Clare *

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Book SynopsisNow with a stunning new cover look, Stephen King''s spectacular suspense about how literature shapes a life - for good, for bad, for ever.1978: Morris Bellamy is a reader so obsessed by America''s iconic author John Rothstein that he is prepared to kill for a trove of notebooks containing at least one more unpublished novel.2009: Pete Saubers, a boy whose father was brutally injured by a stolen Mercedes, discovers a buried trunk containing cash and Rothstein''s notebooks.2014: After thirty-five years in prison, Morris is up for parole. And he''s hell-bent on recovering his treasure.Now it''s up to retired detective Bill Hodges - running an investigative company called Finders Keepers with Holly Gibney - to rescue Pete from an ever-more deranged and vengeful MorrisTrade ReviewKing has the popular novelist's gifts in spades - a flawless sense of pace, an ear for dialogue, an eye for the telling detail, a no-mess-no-fuss approach to characterisation * Spectator *King has the popular novelist's gifts in spades - a flawless sense of pace, an ear for dialogue, an eye for the telling detail, a no-mess-no-fuss approach to characterisation * Spectator *An almost constant build of momentum, growing in pace and tension until it finally explodes... manages to thrill with every page * Guardian *An almost constant build of momentum, growing in pace and tension until it finally explodes... manages to thrill with every page * Guardian *A classic cat-and-mouse tale, this is King at his rip-roaring best * Mail on Sunday *A classic cat-and-mouse tale, this is King at his rip-roaring best * Mail on Sunday *Fantastic...In part a love letter to literature, this is vintage King - jaw droppingly brutal but full of heart and humanity. Roll on the last in the trilogy * Sunday Mirror *Fantastic...In part a love letter to literature, this is vintage King - jaw droppingly brutal but full of heart and humanity. Roll on the last in the trilogy * Sunday Mirror *A remarkable display of storytelling. * Sunday Times *A remarkable display of storytelling. * Sunday Times *It's expertly plotted, a series of pieces falling into place with almost audible satisfaction as the author burns towards his suitably horrific climax. * Observer *It's expertly plotted, a series of pieces falling into place with almost audible satisfaction as the author burns towards his suitably horrific climax. * Observer *This novel is slick, seamlessly crafted, shockingly gory and packed with suspense * The Times *This novel is slick, seamlessly crafted, shockingly gory and packed with suspense * The Times *MR MERCEDES was a terrific thriller, and now there's a sequel. I squeak with glee. * Independent *MR MERCEDES was a terrific thriller, and now there's a sequel. I squeak with glee. * Independent *FINDERS KEEPERS is a first-rate crime thriller, but it's also to King's credit that, more than 40 years into his career, he continues to experiment, and his talent, curiosity, and generous, humane spirit show no signs of flagging. * Irish Independent *FINDERS KEEPERS is a first-rate crime thriller, but it's also to King's credit that, more than 40 years into his career, he continues to experiment, and his talent, curiosity, and generous, humane spirit show no signs of flagging. * Irish Independent *Unlike John Rothstein it seems Stephen King is determined to publish everything he can write. If books such as the effortlessly exciting FINDERS KEEPERS are the result, we should all be grateful. * Glasgow Herald *Unlike John Rothstein it seems Stephen King is determined to publish everything he can write. If books such as the effortlessly exciting FINDERS KEEPERS are the result, we should all be grateful. * Glasgow Herald *Praise for MR MERCEDES:'I challenge you not to read this book in one breathless sitting * Guardian *Stephen King might just be America's greatest living novelist . . . THE BEST THRILLER OF THE YEAR . . . Recommended to crime buffs and King fans alike. * Sunday Express *A very remarkable and singular writer. He can catch dialogue, throw away an observation or mint a simile, sometimes, brilliantly . . . Storytelling is everything - and by golly does he know how to carry the reader. * Observer *Expect page-turning suspense, jaw-dropping twists and all the addictive brilliance of a classic Stephen King. * FHM *Deserves to be ranked alongside King's masterpieces * Daily Mail *A thrilling cat-and-mouse game * Irish Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisHow far would you go for someone you love?Alison has an excellent relationship with her eighteen-year-old daughter. Lola is a hardworking, straight-A student, bound for university. They tell each other everything. Or so she thought.Lola has a secret: she's been sneaking off to meet her much older boyfriend, Brendan. He's everything she ever dreamed of enigmatic, cool and absolutely irresistible.That's what Alison thought too, when she first met Brendan years ago, at university. Before he ruined her life.Alison is all too familiar with what Brendan is capable of. And she knows she has to protect Lola. She''ll do whatever it takes to keep Brendan away from her daughter, but that's just the beginning of her nightmareAn unputdownable psychological thriller. Perfect for fans of Gillian McAllister and Lisa Jewell.

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Book SynopsisDelivers with both style and substance. . . Claire McGowan is one of my favourite authors and this is a truly first-class read.Louise CandlishShe believed her serial-killer ex was innocent, but now history is repeating itself. What does she really remember?Writer Karen Walker knows more than most about murderers. Her first love went on to become The Bagman, a notorious serial killer now locked away for life in a maximum-security prison. Karen has spent her life running from the weight of having loved him, defended him and, ultimately, leading the police to his door. But now, ten years later, just as she's about to publish her account of his crimes, a young woman is abducted in horribly familiar circumstances. It can't be The Bagmancan it? He's safely behind bars, thanks to her. But she has to know for sure. Returning to the hometown she thought she'd left for good, Karen is drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the man she's never escaped. If there's any chance of saving the kidnapped girl, she'll have to face up to what really happened back then, once and for all

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Book SynopsisA young woman is found brutally murdered outside a Lake District church. Can Kelly put the puzzle pieces together before the danger comes closer to home?

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Book Synopsis

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

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

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

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

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Book Synopsis* A highly original 'detective' novel with unique setting and characters, this is the first of four 'Botswana' titles are both beautiful and charming.Trade ReviewAmong the greatest comfort-reads of all time * Sunday Times *The Miss Marple of Botswana * New York Times Book Review *A rare pleasure * Daily Telegraph *A publishing phenomenon * Guardian *I haven't read anything with such alloyed pleasure for a long time * Sunday Telegraph *Immersing yourself in Precious Ramotswe's life seems to slow your heart rate while sharpening your senses * Scotsman *Hugely enjoyable * Sunday Times *A small slice of heaven * Scotsman *A unique setting and range of characters... the vivid descriptions of Botswana means it becomes, in essence, another character... A lovely read with a gentle pace that will transport you to a whole other world * Independent *Precious Ramotswe is so kind, wise and good, and Alexander McCall Smith such a charming and elegant writer... you could read 300 pages of her simply stirring a pumpkin stew and gazing out benevolently at the sandy road in front of her Botswana porch and feel happy -- 20 Best Books to Boost Your Brain and Mood * The Times *Full of warmth, fun, heat and dust * Daily Mail *One of the most memorable heroines in any modern fiction * Newsweek *

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