Crime & Thrillers Books

Book SynopsisA powerful novel from master storyteller Jackie French The soldiers she saved called her the Angel of Waterloo. The husband she loved and lost called her Hen. The patients she treated in secret called her Auntie Love. She was Henrietta Bartlett, a surgeon's daughter, a survivor of the Napoleonic Wars. But now the battlefield is just a blood-soaked memory, and Hen dreams of peace, a home, and a society that allows women to practise medicine. On the other side of the world, the newly founded colony of New South Wales seems a paradise. But Europe's wars cast long shadows ... From bestselling author Jackie French comes the story of one woman's journey from the hell of Waterloo to colonial Australia, where she can forge her own dreams in a land of many nations. PRAISE FOR JACKIE FRENCH'a master storyteller ... [she] gives women a rich, strong, and brutally honest voice'- Better Reading'Heartwarming, heartbreaking and hard to put down' - Australian Women's Weekly on If Blood Shou

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Book SynopsisAn armchair travelers delightPublishers WeeklyOne dead art collector and a gallery of suspects. This romantic weekend just turned deadlyTranslator Rick Montoya is looking forward to a quiet weekend away with his girlfriend, Betta, an art fraud investigator for the Italian Culture Ministry. Their destination: the beautiful village of Urbino, home to Renaissance masters Rafael and the lesser-known Piero della Francesca. While Betta does have official business to attend tonamely, collecting a priceless Piero drawing from a wealthy Spanish collector on the ministry''s behalfshe asks Rick to join her in case she needs an interpreter, but with other, less-official intentions in mind.When the Spaniard is found murdered and the drawing stolen, Betta must shift back into art cop mode, and Rick''s official services are required after all. As they set out to discover the identity of the killer and the whereabouts of the stolen sketch, they are drawn from Urbino''s cobbled streets tTrade Review"It's a win-win for all involved, including the reader." - Kirkus Reviews"An armchair traveler's delight." - Publishers Weekly"Vivid, often lyrical descriptions of Italian towns with their architecture, food, and wine bring the setting to life. Art history and the portrayal and meaning of individual works of art are seamlessly incorporated." - Booklist

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Book SynopsisTamara Berry is the author of the Eleanor Wilde cozy mystery series and, as Lucy Gilmore, the Forever Home contemporary romance series. Also a freelance writer and editor, she has a bachelor's degree in English Literature and a serious penchant for Nancy Drew novels. She lives in Bigfoot country (aka Eastern Washington) with her family and their menagerie. Find her online at www.tamaraberry.com.

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Book SynopsisFrom the instant New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell comes a dazzling new thriller.June, 1975.The Taylor family shatters in a single night when two teenage siblings are found dead in their own home. The only surviving sibling, Vincent, never shakes the whispers and accusations that he was the one who killed them. Decades later, the legend only grows as his career as a horror writer skyrockets.Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is the only child of Vincent Taylor. Now on the brink of financial ruin, she's offered a job to ghostwrite her father's last book. What she doesn''t know, though, is that this project is another one of his lies. Because it's not another horror novel he wants her to write.After fifty years of silence, Vincent Taylor is finally ready to talk about what really happened that night in 1975.

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

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Book SynopsisA stunning Dr. Watson thriller from the bestselling author of Dead Man’s Land, The Dead Can Wait, and A Study in Murder.Autumn, 1917. London is not the city that Dr. John Watson and Sherlock Holmes once knew. Terror has come from the sky and Londoners are scurrying underground in fear. Then tragedy strikes Watson. An old friend, Nurse Jennings, is on a medical boat that’s torpedoed—with no survivors. And his concert-going companion, Sir Gilbert Hardy, is kidnapped. Then comes the gruesome ransom demand, for Sir Gilbert and four others, which will involve terrible mutilation unless the demands are met. Help comes from an unlikely source when Watson finds himself face-to-face with his old ruthless adversary, the “She Wolf” Miss Pillbody. She makes him an offer he can’t refuse and so an unlikely partnership is formed—a detective duo which will eventually uncover a shocking case of murder and find Watson

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Book SynopsisA golden summer, in the idyllic landscape of the Lake District. But below the surface of the sunlit water, the temperature is freezing, and the drownings beginTrade Review‘An authentic and exciting story. The perfect summer read’ -- Clare Mackintosh, author of the bestselling I LET YOU GO‘If you love the Lakes, a good thriller or, better yet, both, you need to read this book’ -- Female First on The Night Book‘A taut psychological thriller set amidst the beauty of the Lakes… Not to be missed’ * Cumbria Life *

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Legacy, now a major BBC Film, comes a brilliant new novel for fans of le Carre, Graham Greene and Charles Cumming. During a time of political disruption and rising anti-nuclear sentiment, MI5 discovers that an extremist fringe group, Action Against Austerity, appears to have links to an established political party while planning sabotage using something or someone called Deep Blue.  Banned from investigating British political parties, the head of MI5 seeks advice from Charles Thoroughgood, his opposite number in MI6.   Agreeing to help unofficially with the case, Charles must delve deep into his own past, to an unresolved Cold War case linked to his private life.  Using the past as key to the present, he soon finds himself in a race against time to prevent a plot which is politically nuclear …   Authoritative and packed with in-depth knowledge, Deep Blue is a gripping new spy thrillerTrade Review"This is a story that shows us how the nastiest regimes are composed of real people. Judd has taken some unlikely ingredients...and, brilliantly, fashioned them into a touching, poignant story." * Daily Telegraph (UK) *"A haunting tribute to a near-forgotten figure... Judd has complete command of the subtleties of character, ambition and emotional ambiguity in extreme circumstances-- an unusual and intelligent treatment of the Third Reich." * Evening Standard (Book of the Year) *"Judd's engrossing tale, rooted in actuality, teases out the mixed responses that can exist between, and within, people." * Sunday Times UK (Book of the Year) *"A fascinating and imaginative exploration of a seminal episode of 20th-century history." * Irish Examiner *"Fascinating...if one of the hallmarks of a good novel is that the characters do not remain static but are subtly transformed by events, then this is a very good novel indeed." * Sunday Telegraph (UK) *"A highly accomplished novel [with an] intricate and superbly crafted plot. In a small compass, Judd manages to bring home the reality of the war with remarkable vividness. There is not a spare word here. If you start, you'll finish." * The Spectator *“Alan Judd has written a quite superb account about a vital point in world history, touched by all those issues common to us all: love, sex, doubt, courage, weakness and loyalty. What does a good man do when he finds that he is sworn to do evil? The Kaiser's Last Kiss is an extraordinarily fine book, rich in wisdom, and blessed with sparkling historical erudition." * The Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis 'Gregory is an experienced storyteller and doesn’t let you down. Tidelands is a gripping and intelligent portrait of a woman fighting to survive in a hostile world' THE TIMESTHE BRAND NEW SERIES FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR  England 1648. A dangerous time for a woman to be different . . . Midsummer’s Eve, 1648, and England is in the grip of civil war between renegade King and rebellious Parliament.  The struggle reaches every corner of the kingdom, even to the remote Tidelands – the marshy landscape of the south coast.  Alinor, a descendant of wise women, crushed by poverty and superstition, waits in the graveyard under the full moon for a ghost who will declare her free from her abusive husband.  Instead she meets James, a young man on the run, and shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marsh, not knowing that sh

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Book SynopsisThe gripping new novel from Dagger-Award-Winning author Danuta Kot, perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Tana French and Denise Mina.

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Book Synopsis'Intense, insightful and impossible to put down' CAZ FREAR When you go looking for a new start, make sure you don't find a nightmare instead.  The Kane family, Lorcan, Naiyana and their young son, relocate from Perth to Kallayee, an abandoned mining town in the Great Victoria Desert to start over again, free from their chequered past.    The town seems like the perfect getaway: Peaceful. Quiet. Remote. Somewhere they won’t be found.     But life in Kallayee isn’t quite as straightforward as they hope. There are noises in the earth, mysterious shadows and tracks in the dust, as if the town is coming back to life.    But the family won’t leave. No one can talk sense into them.   And now, no one can talk to them at all.  They’ve simply vanished.    Now it's up to Detective

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Book SynopsisLucas Davenport pursues a prolific serial killer who has gone undetected for years in this nail-biter by internationally bestselling author John Sandford At first, Clayton Deese seems like your run-of-the-mill criminal – a gun for hire that keeps the boss from the cops. But after he skips bail following a job gone wrong, the U.S. Marshals see that he could be the key to the whole operation’s undoing. As marshals begin the search of Deese’s place, they find something far darker than they ever expected. There are countless graves lining the back of the house, trophies from a score of killings. Deese may have seemed small-time but the evidence says otherwise – they are dealing with a frenzied and prolific serial killer.Now Lucas Davenport must find him – after all, that’s what he does best. But Deese is ruthless, has an endless network of allies and – as Davenport will come to find – he is also f

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Book Synopsis***Don't miss THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, the next edge-of-your-seat Hayley Chill thriller – available to pre-order now.*** A CONSPIRACY TO KILL THE PRESIDENTAND ONE WOMAN’S FIGHT TO STOP IT  'Full of twists, this one will keep you hooked to the very end' JAMES SWALLOW   'One of the most surprising double-reverse plot twists I have seen in some time' NEW YORK TIMES  ‘Trust no one’   The warning is loud and clear. Shortly after uttering it, the White House Chief of Staff is found dead in his home. It’s ruled as a heart attack. Only his intern, former soldier Hayley Chill, knows something is not right.   Starting her own investigation, Hayley uncovers a secret organisation buried in the furthest reaches of government.  THE

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Book SynopsisPRE-ORDER THE BIG EMPTY, THE NEW ROBERT CRAIS NOVEL, COMING JANUARY 2025! ‘Another grand slam for the master storyteller’ DAVID BALDACCI ‘A modern master of crime fiction’ GREGG HURWITZ 'Robert Crais is a legend who deserves his place alongside Chandler, Hammett & Himes as a true master of the crime and mystery genre' STEVE CAVANAGHTHE CITY OF ANGELS Adele Schumacher isn’t a typical worried mum. When she hires Elvis to find her missing son, a controversial podcaster named Josh Shoe, she brings a bag filled with cash, paranoid tales of government conspiracies, and a squad of mysterious bodyguards. Finding Josh should be simple, but Elvis quickly learns he isn’t alone in the hunt – a team of deadly strangers are determined to find Josh first.THE CITY OF LIES With dangerous secrets lurking behind every lead, Elvis n

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Book SynopsisTHRILLERS THAT RACE FROM THE VERY FIRST PAGE . . .'Felix Francis' novels gallop along splendidly' Jilly Cooper‘From winning post to top of the bestseller lists’ Sunday Times An old friend in need, a dangerous conspiracy – a new case for Sid Halley… Sid Halley, former British jump racing champion and private detective, is not having a good time. His wife Marina has decided she needs some time out of their marriage to think about the future and Sid is devastated. But then Gary Bremner, an ex-jockey trainer, calls him to ask for his help – he is being threatened by someone in the racing world and he needs a friend he can trust. However, the very next morning, Gary’s stable yard is torched, horses killed, and Gary has disappeared. Determined to uncover the truth and to help his friend, Sid starts to investigate. He soon finds himself

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Book SynopsisThey took her identity - they wanted her life - but they couldn't take her spirit. Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubTrade ReviewAnthony Gilbert shared with other successful crime writers a combination of writing talent and clever plotting skills necessary to make it in detective fiction's Golden Age ... Along with Agatha Christie [he] had a talent to deceive * mysteryfile.com *No author is more skilled at making a good story seem brilliant * SUNDAY EXPRESS *If there is one author whose books need to be widely available, it is Gilbert * Inkquilletc.blogspot *Unquestionably a most intelligent author. Gifts of ingenuity, style and character drawing * SUNDAY TIMES *

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Cambridge Blue comes the fifth crime thriller featuring DC Gary Goodhew.Trade ReviewAnother absolute roller coaster of a novel by the delightful Alison Bruce. 10/10. * Bury Free Press *

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Book SynopsisJust when Hamish most needs him - the dentist turns up dead...In Scotland, where thrift and a ''nice set of dentures'' are generally admired, dental surgeon Dr Frederick Gilchrist''s cheap rates and penchant for pulling teeth have gained him a clientele. However, wiser Highlanders (like Hamish Macbeth) opt to steer clear of this reputed womanizer''s all-too-busy hands. Only jaw-throbbing agony drives Hamish to Gilchrist''s surgery, but what he finds is the dentist''s dead body - putting several angry husbands in the frame for murder...Trade ReviewA gem of a book, a gem of a plot, a gem of a hero. * Booklist *Splendid fun. * New York Times Book Review *The much-love Hamish Macbeth series . . . a beguiling blend of wry humour and sharp observations about rural life. * Good Book Guide *

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Book Synopsis''Olsen will have you on the edge of your seat'' Lee ChildNotorious serial killer Brenda Nevins has cajoled, seduced, blackmailed, and left a trail of bodies all across Washington State. Now, after a daring prison escape, she is free to carry out her ultimate act of revenge. The targets: forensic pathologist Birdy Waterman and sheriff''s detective Kendall Stark. The pawn: a television psychic hungry for fame, ratings, and blood. There''s only one way to stop a killer as brutal, brilliant, and twisted as this: beat her at her own game . . . Praise for Gregg Olsen''Wickedly clever... twisted'' Lisa Gardner''Dark and addictive'' Jordan Dane''Searing and brilliant'' Ann Rule ''Olsen is a top notch writer'' Michael Connelly ''Olsen brings complex mystery and crackling authenticity to bear on a cold case police procedural . . . his bizarre, many-layered mystery will keep

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Book SynopsisNortheast Mississippi is hill country, rugged and notorious for outlaws since the Civil War, where killings are as commonplace as they were in the Old West. To Quinn Colson, just back from a tour of Afghanistan, it''s home. But home has changed. Quinn returns to a place overrun by corruption. His uncle, the county sheriff, is dead - officially it was suicide, but others whisper murder. In the days that follow, it will be up to Colson, now an Army Ranger, to discover the truth - not only about his uncle, but also about his family, friends, hometown and himself. But once the truth is uncovered, there is no turning back.Trade ReviewI have always been impressed with (jealous of) how easy Ace Atkins makes it look. The Ranger is by far his best work...I hope Quinn Colson and Lillie Virgil stick around for a good long time, -- Michael ConnellyThis exciting thriller leaves you looking forward to the ranger's return. * Sunday Telegraph *Atkins is one of the finest crime and thriller writers working today, admired by none other than Elmore Leonard and Michael Connelly, and this, his ninth thriller, proves his talent...Superbly told, in whip-crack prose that echoes Leonard, you never want it to end. * Daily Mail *Atkins can run rings around most of the names in the crime field. -- Elmore LeonardAtkins has written a bunch of great thrillers, but this one sets up a series that should push him to the top of the bestseller list. -- John Sandford

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Book SynopsisAn isolated spot in the Cornish countryside is no safe haven when a determined foe is out for blood...Having worked for an international charity in her days before retiring to Cornwall, Eleanor Trewynn is asked by the Commonwealth Relations Office to assist in secret negotiations about to take place in a hotel just outside Tintagel. Meanwhile her niece DS Megan Pencarrow, as well as investigating the disappearance of Port Mabyn solicitor Alan Freeth, is sent to help provide security for the conference. So is her bete noire, DS Ken Faraday of the Yard. They have to escort to Tintagel two African students, refugees from Ian Smith''s Southern Rhodesia. Everyone arrives at the hotel in a raging storm, as do two sinister Londoners who have followed Megan from Launceston. Who are they and why have they turned up in the depths of rural Cornwall? Are they spying for Smith? And what is their connection with the missing solicitor? The answers set the sc

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Book SynopsisAbduction, intrigue and death - it''s just not cricket! Phryne Fisher has plans for her Sydney sojourn - a few days at the Test match, a little sightseeing and the Artist''s Ball with an up-and-coming young modernist. But these plans begin to go awry when Phryne''s maid discovers her thoroughly respectable sister has left her family for the murky nightlife of the city''s seamier side. And Phryne is definitely not the woman to say no when two delightful and handsome men come to her on bended knees, begging for her help in finding their friend innocent of theft. All in all, Phryne''s plans for a simple day or two of pleasure watching young men in white are postponed for good!Trade ReviewFrom beginning to end, Greenwood infuses her series with evocative settings, multidimensional characters and satisfying mysteries. * Booklist *Phryne Fisher is gutsy and adventurous, and also well endowed with plenty of grey matter. She has it over Robicheaux and Poirot because she’s drop-dead gorgeous. * West Australian *Greenwood's strength lies in her ability to create characters that are wholly satisfying: the bad guys are bad, and the good guys are great * Vogue *

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Book SynopsisA cold case waits to be solved . . . and a killer waits in the wings.Amy was seven years old when her father was arrested for murder. His subsequent trial and conviction scarred her childhood and cast a shadow over her life until, twenty-two years later, new evidence suggests he was innocent and Amy sets out to clear his name. But Amy is not the only person troubled by the past. DC Gary Goodhew is haunted by the day his grandfather was murdered and is still searching for answers, determined to uncover the truth about his grandfather''s death and find his killer.But, right now, someone is about to die. Someone who has secrets and who once kept quiet but is now living on borrowed time. Someone who will be murdered because disturbing the past has woken a killer.Trade ReviewA superb writer -- Steve MosbyBruce is doing for Cambridge what Colin Dexter did for Oxford with Inspector Morse * Daily Mail *Menacing and insidious -- R J ElloryAlison Bruce has created an unusual and interesting main character -- Marcel Berlins * The Times *The tension is ratcheted up to the bitter end! -- Cath StaincliffeAn exciting debut from a very promising new talent -- Paul Johnston

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Book SynopsisLady Georgiana Rannoch won''t deny that being thirty-fifth in line for the British throne has its advantages. Unfortunately, money isn''t one of them. And sometimes making ends meet requires her to investigate a little royal wrongdoing.While my beau Darcy is off on a mysterious mission, I am once again caught between my high birth and empty purse. I am therefore relieved to receive a new assignment from the Queen - especially one that includes lodging. The King''s youngest son, George, is to wed Princess Marina of Greece, and I shall be her companion at the supposedly haunted Kensington Palace.My duties are simple: help Marina acclimate to English life, show her the best of London and, above all, dispel any rumours about George''s libertine history. Perhaps that last bit isn''t so simple.George is known for his many affairs with women as well as men - including the great songwriter Noel Coward. But things truly get complicated when I searTrade ReviewBrilliant...Part love story, part social commentary, part fun and part downright terrifying. And completely riveting...This book is perfectIt's the perfect fix between seasons for Downton Abbey addictsA feisty new heroine to delight a legion of Anglophile readersWhimsical...Bowen successfully melds a whodunit with comedy as few contemporary writers can - Publishers Weekly[A] charming, delightfully fresh series...fans of historical cozies who like Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series will snap this up - Library Journal

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Book SynopsisNumber 13 in the bestselling Agatha Raisin murder mystery seriesTrade Review'The detective novels of M C Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status.' -- Anne Robinson The Times Agatha is like Miss Marple with a drinking problem, a pack-a-day habit and major man lust. In fact, I think she could be living my dream life. Entertainment Weekly

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Book SynopsisBehind every great detective there''s a woman who''s an even greater crime solver!The artist''s model never even showed up to Neville Grant''s house - nor was expected, according to the cranky Mr Grant. But with all of his ranting and raving, it was hard getting a straight answer. Then, one of Grant''s houseguests suddenly dies right before their eyes - and it was no accident! Now, Mrs Jeffries has to work double-time to find the missing model and the killer. And she''ll have to get her whole staff involved - before someone else becomes the next still life...Trade ReviewIt's murder most English all the way! - The Literary Times

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Book SynopsisHow well do you know the man you love? A woman''s body is washed up on the rocks by the castle ruins in St Andrews with evidence of strangulation, and no ID. Two days into the case, a call from another woman claiming to be the victim''s friend could be DCI Andy Gilchrist''s first solid lead. But when she fails to turn up for an interview, Gilchrist fears the worst. The next day, they find her battered body. Gilchrist''s focus centres on his prime suspect, a local handyman with a reputation of being a ladies'' man, who seems to have no history beyond three years, the length of time he''s been living in the East Neuk. But before Gilchrist can bring him in for questioning, he vanishes. Would you trust the man you love with your life? If you do, he might just take it. Praise for T.F. Muir:''Rebus did it for Edinburgh. Laidlaw did it for Glasgow. Gilchrist might just be the bloke to put St Andrews on the crime fiction map'' Daily RecordTrade ReviewDCI Gilchrist is a thoughtful, believable character, leading a well-rounded team. Muir knows what he's about . . . A truly gripping read, with all the makings of a classic series -- Mick Herron, winner of the 2013 CWA Gold Dagger AwardDCI Gilchrist is a thoughtful, believable character, leading a well-rounded team. Muir knows what he's about . . . A truly gripping read, with all the makings of a classic series -- Mick Herron, winner of the 2013 CWA Gold Dagger AwardRebus did it for Edinburgh. Laidlaw did it for Glasgow. Gilchrist might just be the bloke to put St Andrews on the crime fiction map * Daily Record *A bright new recruit to the swelling army of Scots crime writers -- Quintin JardineGripping and grisly, with plenty of twists and turns that race along with black humour -- Craig RobertsonGilchrist is intriguing, bleak and vulnerable . . . if I were living in St Andrews I'd sleep with the lights on -- Anna SmithSt Andrews is a hotbed of murder, keeping DCI Andy Gilchrist busy in this tartan noir series. Gripping! * Evening Telegraph *Gripping! * Peterborough Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''A compelling storyteller, with a striking talent for historical reconstruction'' Mary BeardA.D. 165: The empire of Rome has reached its pinnacle. Pax Roma reigns from Britannia to Egypt, from Gaul to Greece. Emperor Marcus Aurelius oversees a golden age and the ancient Pinarius family of artisans embellish the greatest city on Earth with gilded statues and towering marble monuments. But history does not stand still. The years to come bring wars, plagues, fires, and famines. The best emperors in history are succeeded by some of the worst. Barbarians descend, eventually appearing before the gates of Rome itself. Chaos engulfs the empire.Through it all, the Pinarius family endures, thanks in no small part to the fascinum, a protective talisman older than Rome itself, handed down through countless generations.But on the fringes of society, a band of troublesome cultists disseminate dangerous and seditious ideas. They call themselv

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Book SynopsisNot bored to death but murder most foul . . . Celebrated author John Heppel is known in Lochdubh as a self-important bore, prone to belittling the scribblings of the locals in his creative writing class. So when he''s found dead, his mouth oozing ink, it seems a fitting fate.But for PC Hamish Macbeth the murder is more than a disruption to idyllic village life - especially when the media arrive, trailing in their wake DCI Heather Meikle, a maneater with a taste for bachelor police constables. Hamish must rekindle an old flame to escape her clutches and pull out all the stops to find the killer . . .Praise for M.C. Beaton ''The detective novels of M. C. Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status'' Anne Robinson, The Times''The books are a delight: clever, intricate, sardonic and amazingly true to the real Highlands'' Kerry Greenwood''It''s always a special treat to return to Lochdubh'' Trade ReviewGreat stuff, as usual. * Booklist *Once again M C Beaton has concocted an amusing brew of mystery and romance that will keep her fans turning the pages. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisAmazing news is spreading like wildfire across the Scottish countryside: the most famous of all Highland bachelors, police sergeant Hamish Macbeth, is planning to marry at last! Everyone in the village of Lochdubh adores Josie McSween, Hamish''s newest constable and blushing bride-to-be. While locals think she is quite a catch, Hamish has a severe case of pre-nuptial jitters... after all, if it wasn''t for the recent murder of a beautiful woman in a neighbouring village there wouldn''t be a wedding in the first place.For it was a mysterious Valentine''s Day card - delivered to the victim before her death - which initially drew Hamish and Josie together in the investigation. And now, as they work side by side, they soon discover that the woman''s list of admirers was endless - confirming Hamish''s suspicion that love can be deaf, blind... and deadly!

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Book SynopsisEccentric Annabeth Gentry pretty much keeps to herself. Besides her recent inheritance - and the attention her bloodhound gets for digging up the body of a murdered thief - her life is in fact, rather dull. So why does she think that someone is trying to kill her? That''s what Mrs. Jeffries and her staff have to find out. What they discover is a dead body next door, and three attempts on Annabeth''s life. It sounds like there''s a jealous dog in their midst. Mrs. Jeffries will have to sniff out some clues before the plot thickens . . .Praise for the Mrs Jeffries Mysteries:''It''s murder most English all the way!'' The Literary Times ''Fascinating murder mystery . . . wit and style . . . a winning series. Mrs. Jeffries is the Miss Marple of Victorian Mystery'' The Paperback ForumTrade ReviewIt's murder most English all the way! * The Literary Times *Fascinating murder mystery . . . wit and style . . . a winning series. Mrs. Jeffries is the Miss Marple of Victorian Mystery * The Paperback Forum *

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Book Synopsis''Jed Walker is right there in Reacher''s rear-view mirror.'' Lee Child, international bestselling author.Jed Walker is the man you want watching your back.A sinister group - code-named Zodiac - has launched devastating global attacks. Twelve targets across the world, twelve code-named missions.Operating distinct sleeper cells, they are the ultimate terrorist organisation, watching and waiting for a precise attack to activate the next group. It is a frightening and deadly efficient way to stay one step ahead. And cause the most chaos. For ex-CIA operative Jed Walker, chaos is his profession. On the outer, burned by his former agency, he is determined to clear his name. Stopping Zodiac is the only way. Desperate to catch the killers and find the mastermind, he can''t afford to lose the next lead, but that means that sometimes the terrorists have to win.Ultimately, it all comes down to Walker: he''s the only one who can breakTrade ReviewWalker's so hard he's got muscles in his spit * West Australian *An absolute must-read for fans of Clancy, Ludlum et al * Bookseller and Publisher on Patriot Act *Phelan has mastered the art of action-packed international espionage fiction. Fans of Clancy, Ludlum, Deighton, etc will find themselves quickly sucked in * The Age on Red Ice *Melbourne-based author James Phelan continues to redefine the often stale and cliche ridden political thriller genre ... The genre is in safe hands - Phelan proves again that intelligent thriller is not necessarily an oxymoron * Bookseller & Publisher on Blood Oil *Vivid and suspenseful ... If you like espionage novels with plenty of grunt you can't go past it * SMH *Melbournian Phelan gives British thriller writer Lee Child a run for his money * Weekend West *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2021 McILVANNEY AWARDIAN RANKIN''S CHOICE FOR BOTH BEST MYSTERY BOOK OF 2021 (PBS), AND BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR (NEW STATESMAN)''Russell writes a pacy, ever-twisting mystery that will keep you turning the pages.'' - Ian Rankin''When it comes to Gothic crime, Craig Russell is peerless. Absolutely stunning.'' - M W CravenFrom international bestselling author Craig Russell comes a modern Gothic masterpiece.Edward Hyde has a strange gift - or a curse - he keeps secret from all but his physician. He experiences two realities, one real, the other a dreamworld state brought on by a neurological condition.When murders in Victorian Edinburgh echo the ancient Celtic threefold death ritual, Captain Edward Hyde hunts for those responsible. In the process he becomes entangled in a web of Celticist occultism and dark scheming by powerful figures. The answers are there to be found,

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Book Synopsis''Just the thing to chase the blues away'' M. C. BeatonAll''s fair in love . . . and antiques wars!Things are going well for Kat Stanford; not only is her antiques business thriving, she''s also got a new date: Piers Carew, Viscount Chawley, who owns the estate next to Honeychurch Hall. Unfortunately, Kate has a rival. Impossibly beautiful Cassandra Bowden-Forbes is also in town, conducting valuations at the same fairs as Kat - and she makes no secret of the fact she''s got her eye on Piers . . .And then things start to go wrong: Kat finds herself at the scene of not one but two mysterious deaths, and local tongues are wagging - is it coincidence, or murder? As Kat''s fortunes nosedive it becomes clear that unless she can solve these unexplained deaths then she may just be the victim of the next accident . . .Praise for Hannah Dennison''Will delight fans and new readers alike'' People

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Book Synopsis''I was seduced from John Grey''s first scene'' Ann CleevesJohn Grey is visited at his London office by Thomas Cade, a shipbuilder, who tells Grey he has evidence that Samuel Pepys is taking substantial bribes in his position at the Naval Office. Grey sends him on his way, telling him he has little chance against such a powerful man as Pepys - and then the following morning Cade''s stabbed body is found in the grounds of Lincoln''s InnLater that day Grey meets up with his benefactor Lord Arlington who tells him the king himself wants Grey to investigate corruption in the Naval Office - and it occurs to Grey that by dismissing Cade to his death, he has now lost his best witness and informant. He begins his investigation by questioning the dead man''s wife - who it transpires was having an affair with Pepys... as were a great many other ladies. And as the investigation becomes increasingly hampered while the Court closes ra

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Book Synopsis''An absolute must-read for fans of Clancy, Ludlum et al'' Bookseller & Publisher.An international crisis. An ex-navy hero. Time''s running out.It''s hard to bury a past. Lachlan Fox is about to discover it''s ever harder to dig it back up.While most of the world''s intelligence resources have been tied up in Afghanistan and Iraq, the President of Chechnya has been making plans -- and the clock is ticking.A world away, disillusioned ex-navy operative Lachlan Fox is on a diving trip with his best friend. From the moment they lift a mysterious metallic object off the sea floor, the two men set in motion a chain of events that will drag them into the corrupt world of international politics and arms races.From East Timor to Grozny, Washington to New York and Venice to Iran, Lachlan Fox is forced into an adrenaline-fuelled quest to save his friend, himself . . . and the world. ''A rollicking post-Cold War terrorism

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Book SynopsisThe devastating Phryne Fisher is under fire again in her seventeenth mystery.Melbourne, 1929. The year starts off for glamorous private investigator Phryne Fisher with a rather trying heat wave and more mysteries than you could prod a parasol at. Simultaneously investigating the apparent suicide death of a man on St Kilda beach and trying to find a lost, illegimate child who could be heir to a wealthy old woman''s fortune, Phryne needs all her wits about her, particularly when she has to tangle with a group of thoroughly unpleasant Bright Young Things.But Phryne Fisher is a force of nature, and takes in her elegant stride what might make others quail, including terrifying séances, ghosts, Kif smokers, the threat of human sacrifices, dubious spirit guides and maps to buried pirate treasure ...

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Book SynopsisTraveling at high speed in her beloved Hispano-Suiza accompanied by her maid and trusted companion Dot, her two adoptive daughters Jane and Ruth, and their dog Molly, The Hon. Miss Phryne Fisher is off to Queenscliff. She''d promised everyone a nice holiday by the sea with absolutely no murders, but when they arrive at their rented accommodation that doesn''t seem likely at all.An empty house, a gang of teenage louts, a fisherboy saved, and the mystery of a missing butler and his wife seem to lead inexorably toward a hunt for buried treasure by the sea. But what information might the curious Surrealists be able to contribute? Phryne knows to what depths people will sink for greed, but with a glass of champagne in one hand and a pearl-handled Beretta in the other, no one is getting past her.

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Book Synopsis''An irresistible concoction of crime and culture'' Daily MailA game of blackmail and betrayal is played among the backstreets and canals of Venice . . .Carnevale is in full swing, the streets and waterways of Venice are crowded with masked revellers and Nathan Sutherland''s birthday is about to be ruined.A night at the opera at La Fenice is always a memorable experience - and this time it will be so for all the wrong reasons as the curtain call is interrupted by a fatal stabbing. But why is the dead man carrying one of Nathan''s business cards in his wallet?The mystery of the murdered stranger takes Nathan on the trail of a lost opera by Monteverdi. But what begins as a harmless treasure hunt leads to ruthless criminals asking the highest of prices for the lost score... and then a second body is found in the sanctuary of Venice''s English church.The quest for the lost manuscript will bring NTrade ReviewAn irresistible concoction of crime and culture * Daily Mail *Sinister and shimmering, The Venetian Game is as haunting and darkly elegant as Venice itself -- L.S. Hilton, bestselling author of Maestra ...a playful novel, recounted by a witty and engaging narrator ... as Venetian as a painting by Bellini (or a glass of Bellini). Oh, and it's also an unputdownable thriller -- Gregory Dowling on The Venetian Game A crime book for people with sophisticated tastes: Venice, opera, renaissance art, good food and wine... I enjoyed all that and more * The Crime Warp *It is no surprise to find that Philip Gwynne Jones lives in Venice... art and architecture interweave into a story that builds to an almost surreal climax * Daily Mail on The Venetian Game *The Venetian setting is vividly described and Gwynne Jones's good, fluent writing makes for easy reading -- Jessica Mann * Literary Review *a civilized, knowledgeable, charming antidote to the darker reaches of the genre, full of entertaining descriptions of the city... Lovely. Makes you want to book a flight to Venice straight away -- N J Cooper, Bookoxygen.com...he puts not one foot wrong with his topography and knowledge... Add a satisfyingly (but not gratuitously) surprising and action-packed ending and you have a book that I can wholeheartedly recommend -- Jeff Cotton * Fictional Cities on The Venetian Game *A crime story that positively thrives among the shadowy streets and canals of Venice... Gorgeous escapism with stacks of atmosphere and double-cross -- Sue Price * Saga magazine *This entertaining thriller makes good use of its watery setting, introducing readers to a rougher Venice, hidden behind the familiar facade of gondoliers and frescoes * Morning Star on The Venetian Game *...a quite excellent book... Philip is entirely knowledgable about the buildings and art of the city. It forms a perfect background to a very well worked thriller * TripFiction.com *The interactions and the locations are the strength . . . and the travelling around full of sights and sparkle . . . one damn smooth and very fine Venetian read * Fictional Cities *

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Book Synopsis''A riveting story of deception and corruption'' Daily Mail''A must for all Italy lovers'' David HewsonEven the most beautiful city on earth has a dark side . . .It is November 2nd, 2017. All Souls Day. On the Day of the Dead, the citizens of Venice make their way to the cemetery island of San Michele to pay their respects to the departed. When an empty coffin is unearthed in the English section of the graveyard, a day of quiet reflection for Nathan Sutherland becomes a journey into the dark past of a noble Venetian family.A British journalist, investigating the events of forty years previously, disappears. A young tourist - with an unhealthy interest in Venice''s abandoned islands - is found drowned in the icy lagoon.A terrible secret is about to be brought to light, and a deadly reckoning awaits on Venice''s Isle of the Dead.Praise for Philip Gwynne Jones''I dTrade ReviewA riveting story of deception and corruption . . . A chilling image of Venice in the winter shutdown is softened by Italian home cooking and copious intakes of prosecco * Daily Mail *Praise for Phillip Gwynne Jones:An unputdownable thriller -- Gregory DowlingClever and great fun * The Times *Pure pleasure * Literary Review *Superb - always gripping, beautifully constructed and vivid -- Stephen GloverGwynne Jones' entertaining take on his beloved Venice is as delightful as a Spritz by the Rialto - a must for all Italy lovers -- David HewsonAn irresistible concoction of crime and culture * Daily Mail *Sinister and shimmering . . . as haunting and darkly elegant as Venice itself -- L. S. HiltonThe Venetian setting is vividly described * Literary Review *

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Book Synopsis1940. A woman lands on the Scottish coast from a German flying boat and goes to ground, hunted by British Intelligence.Suspended from the Irish police for reasons he won''t explain, Detective Inspector Stefan Gillespie is working on his father''s farm in Wicklow. One day he vanishes, leaving no sign of where he is heading - or why. Even in rural Ireland, rumours of assassination and Nazi spies fill the air, leaving Stefan''s father to wonder whether he is in terrible danger.Meanwhile in London, Stefan is undercover, working in a pub: The Bedford Arms in Camden. Run by an alcoholic, bankrupt landlord, it''s a wartime refuge for the Irish in London. And while the city shakes under the Blitz, Stefan falls into a romance with Vera Kennedy, an Irishwoman who has her own dark secrets to hide.But behind closed doors, a different war is being fought, and Stefan has more work than pulling pints on his hands. The Bedford Arms hides some unexpected dangers. The drunken lanTrade ReviewHaving already brought 1930s Dublin and Danzig vividly to life in his outstanding debut The City of Shadows, Russell does the same for New York in a sequel that's even better. The unique complexity of Ireland's divided loyalties and enmities on the eve of the Second World War is explored with unusual clarity and intelligence, and there are plenty of thrills and spills tooComplex but compelling ... utterly vivid and convincing ... Michael Russell's style is a pleasure: easy, fluent, clear, always calm and never over-heated. The result is an exciting comfort read, which sounds like a paradox but isn'tPart thriller and part historical novel, this is a blinder of a read!A great insight into a turbulent time in Dublin and Ireland, in a challenging-to-your-heartbeat kind of way

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Book SynopsisThe second outing in a gritty, fast-paced, stylish detective noir series set in post-war Glasgow, from the Scottish Raymond Chandler

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Book Synopsis''Another gripping page-turner, add Nightshade to your reading list now.'' Edinburgh Evening News''Vivid, pungent and perilous'' CHRIS BROOKMYRE on Beloved Poison''Evocative...brilliant plotting'' REBECCA GRIFFITHS on Beloved Poison''A dark gripping atmospheric thriller'' Dundee Courier on NightshadeA gripping and darkly atmospheric thriller set in Victorian London, perfect for fans of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, The Strangers Diaries and The Silent Companions.London, 1851. Restless and bored after a long hot summer, apothecary and poison expert Jem Flockhart decides to redesign her physic garden. But plans are thrown into confusion when a man''s skeleton is unearthed from beneath the deadly nightshade, a smaller, child-like skeleton curled at its feet. The body bears evidence of knife wounds to its

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Book Synopsis''Animal lovers will delight'' Ann Granger''A real treat . . . I loved it. Cats, dogs, murder and a credible and relatable heroine'' Barbara Nadel''This debut promises to build up into a popular series'' Daily MailClarice Beech has two passions in life: animal rescue and Detective Inspector Rick Beech. She is devoted to the first but she and Rick have been separated for the past six months - life without him is hard.Clarice shares her other love, for contemporary ceramics, with the charming Lady Vita Fayrepoynt. When Vita''s adopted three-legged ginger cat Walter disappears from Weatherby Hall Clarice is called in to find him. Walter, snug in an old barn, is quite well. But his discovery ends with Clarice in hospital, and Rose Miller, late of the Old Vicarage in the morgue. There is nothing natural about Rose''s death...Putting their differences aside, Clarice and Rick are drawn together to try to understandTrade ReviewIdeal holiday reading . . . I took a liking to Clarice the moment I knew she adopted feral kittens . . . I do hope Kate High will write more books about Clarice and Rick . . . animal lovers will delight in them -- Ann Granger, author of the Mitchell & Markby and the Campbell & Carter mysteriesA real treat. Cosy but not cosy, I loved it. Cats, dogs, murder, a credible and relatable heroine and a landscape that is new to me -- Barbara Nadel, author of the Inspector Ikmen mysteries

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Book Synopsis''Dripping with authenticity. Packed full of characters you genuinely care about . . . I didn''t read the last few chapters, I devoured them. An absolute triumph'' M. W. CRAVEN_____________________Three can keep a secret. If two of you are dead... Two women are snatched off the streets of London in one weekend.DI Charlie George and his team get to work. The lives of these young women - one of them a mother - are on the line, and the clock is ticking.When they catch a lucky break from a CCTV camera, Charlie is sure they have their man. And that''s when he gets his first surprise. Because nothing about this case is simple and not everyone is quite what they seem.Charlie''s job is to find the missing women and get to the truth. But some people would rather the truth stays hidden - even when the bodies start to pile up..._____________________

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Book Synopsis ''Quirky and colourful'' Times Crime Club''The village life, the (mostly awful) food, the appalling hooch and, above all, the loveable eccentricity of Olga, make this a novel to treasure'' A. N. Wilson''This intriguing but charming murder mystery is packed with psychological depth and wonderfully-drawn characters'' Eleanor RayLiterary fame beckons for Olga Pushkin, Railway Engineer (Second Class), when her self-help manual for hard-working women is published at last. In the meantime, however, Olga still has a household to support, a hedgehog to feed, and railway tracks to maintain from her tiny Siberian village of Roslazny, which has just become the target for Russian Railways budget cuts. Worse still, her beloved sergeant of police, Vassily Marushkin, has reunited with his long-lost wife Rozalina. And soon Rozalina is forcing Vassily to consider moving away...Matters aren''t helped when Olga''s scheming su

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Book Synopsis''Dazzling'' The Guardian on Borderlands''A clever web of intrigue that deepens and darkens as it twists'' Peter James on Gallows Lane''Some of the very best crime fiction being written today'' Lee Child on Bad Blood________Detective Sergeant Lucy Black is visiting her father, a patient in a secure unit in Gransha Hospital on the banks of the River Foyle. He''s been hurt badly in an altercation with another patient, and Lucy is shocked to discover him chained to the bed for safety. But she barely has time to take it all in, before an orderly raises the alarm - a body has been spotted floating in the river below...The body of an elderly man in a grey suit is hauled ashore: he is cold dead. He has been dead for several days. In fact a closer examination reveals that he has already been embalmed. A full scale investigation is launched -

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