Whether it's Scandi noir, police procedural, whodunnits, cosy crime or international thrillers, we've got you covered.
Crime & Thrillers Books
Pan Macmillan R is for Ricochet
Book SynopsisR is for Ricochet is the eighteenth in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton.Kinsey Millhone, employed by Nord Lafferty to drive his daughter home from her incarceration at the Californian Institute for Women, marvels at the simplicity of the task. But Reba Lafferty emerges feisty and rebellious, and Kinsey is soon fighting to prevent her charge from breaking the conditions of her parole. As she finds herself befriending the ex-gambler, ex-alcoholic and ex-con, Kinsey discovers that Reba had taken the fall for her boss, also her lover, when he conducted a highly-crafted money laundering scam. Alan Beckwith has so far escaped the clutches of the FBI. Now they believe he is laundering money for a Columbian drug cartel - they just need the proof. When Kinsey is asked by the police to persuade Reba to unveil crucial evidence guaranteed to put Beckwith behind bars, she doesn’t expect cooperation. But when she hears of shocking new informat
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Requiem
Book SynopsisA deadly trail . . . A fight for the truth
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The Winter Folly
Book SynopsisLulu Taylor moved around the world as a child before her family settled in the Oxfordshire countryside. She studied English Literature at university and had a successful career in publishing before becoming a writer herself her first novel, Heiresses, was nominated for the RNA Readers' Choice Award. Lulu has since written a succession of gothic, mysterious novels, including The Snow Angel, Her Frozen Heart and the bestselling The Winter Children. She is married and lives in Dorset with her husband and two children.Trade Review[This] engrossing romantic saga is a hugely enjoyable, escapist treat. * Daily Mirror *Another great read from Lulu Taylor, she offers up a great mystery involving the past and present for two women married into the same family, with plenty of atmosphere provided by the old house setting. * Chicklit Club *A cleverly written story that makes for intriguing reading. Effortlessly flowing from one generation to the next, it tells a story of love, pain and anguish that settles in a house for decades. * Handwritten Girl *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The Passenger
Book SynopsisEerie, and full of suspense, The Passenger is a supernatural thriller by F. R. Tallis, author of the Vienna Blood series.1941. A German submarine, U-330, patrols the stormy inhospitable waters of the North Atlantic. It is commanded by Siegfried Lorenz, a maverick naval officer who does not believe in the war he is bound by duty and honour to fight in. U-330 receives a triple-encoded message with instructions to collect two prisoners from a vessel located off the Icelandic coast and transport them to the base at Brest, and British submarine commander, Sutherland, and an Norwegian academic, Professor Bjørnar Grimstad, are taken on board. Contact between the prisoners and Lorenz has been forbidden, and it transpires that this special mission has been ordered by an unknown source, high up in the SS. It is rumoured that Grimstad is working on a secret weapon that could change the course of the war . . . Then, Sutherland goes rogue, and a series Trade ReviewWhat we have here is a proper scare-your-socks-off horror novel * Financial Times *For Tallis, the darker recesses of the mind hold monsters enough * New York Times Book Review *Elegant prose stylist Tallis evokes both the eerie loneliness of life aboard a submarine and the pernicious creep of paranormal forces * Kirkus Reviews *
£14.24
Pan Macmillan Invisible Sun
Book SynopsisIn this chillingly resonant dystopian adventure, two parallel versions of America are locked in conflict. Invisible Sun concludes Charles Stross’s Empire Games trilogy.Two twinned worlds are facing attack.The New American Commonwealth is caught in a deadly arms race with the USA, its rival in a parallel world. And the USA’s technology is decades ahead of the Commonwealth.Yet the Commonweath might self-combust first – its leader has just died, leaving a crippling power vacuum. Now, in a power grab by her oldest adversary, Minister Miriam Burgeson faces allegations of treason.But all factions soon confront a far greater danger.In their drive to explore other timelines, the high-tech USA awakened an alien threat. This force destroyed humanity on one version of Earth. And if the two superpowers don’t take action, it will do the same to them.Invisible Sun follows Empire Games andTrade ReviewStross’s ferociously imaginative world-building is on full display here . . . few other writers can match him for humour, creativity and sheer density of ideas -- SFX on Empire GamesSheer brilliance: when Stross is in this mood, nobody else comes close -- Kirkus starred review on Dark StateHigh-octane thriller action, mixed in with personal drama and some fantastically sympathetic characters -- Starburst on Dark StateMind-boggling, complex and truly brilliant -- Daily Mail on Empire GamesWhen intrigue, politics and suspense are so well executed, it doesn’t matter which realm, dimension or timeline the participants hail from. Add to that a sense of mischief, wit and humour and Charles Stross gives you the full package -- Chris Brookmyre on Empire GamesPlenty of fun -- Locus on Dark State
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Frog Music
Book SynopsisInspired by a true unsolved crime, Frog Music is a gripping historical novel by Emma Donoghue, author of the multi-million-copy bestseller Room.San Francisco, 1876: a stifling heat wave and smallpox epidemic have engulfed the City.Deep in the streets of Chinatown live three former stars of the Parisian circus: Blanche, now an exotic dancer at the House of Mirrors, her lover Arthur and his companion Ernest.When an eccentric outsider joins their little circle, secrets unravel, changing everything – and leaving one of them dead.A New York Times bestseller, Frog Music is a dark and compelling story of intrigue and murder.Trade Review‘Time and again, Emma Donoghue writes books that are unlike anything I have ever seen before.’ Ann Patchett‘Emma Donoghue is one of the great literary ventriloquists of our time. Her imagination is kaleidoscopic. She steps borders and boundaries with great ease and style. In her hands the centuries dissolve, and then they crystallize back again into powerful words on the page.’ Colum McCannEmma Donoghue follows her bestseller Room with Frog Music. Set during a smallpox epidemic in San Francisco in 1876 and based on a true story, a burlesque dancer sets out to bring her friend's murderer to justice. -- Hot Books of 2014 * Daily Express *
£7.59
Pan Macmillan Stay Dead
Book SynopsisStay Dead is the heartstopping sixth book in Jessie Keane's gritty Annie Carter series. Annie Carter finally believes that life is good.She and Max are back together and she has a new and uncomplicated life sunning herself in Barbados. It's what she's always dreamed of.Then she gets the news that her old friend Dolly Farrell is dead, and suddenly she finds herself back in London and hunting down a murderer with only one thing on her mind . . . revenge.But the hunter can so quickly become the hunted, and Annie has been keeping too many secrets. She's crossed and bettered a lot of people over the years, but this time the enemy is a lot closer to home and she may just have met her match . . .Trade ReviewGritty and powerful, Martina Cole fans will love this addictive novel * Closer *A cracking story -- Mandasue Heller
£8.54
Pan Macmillan Limitations
Book SynopsisThe compulsive legal thriller from Scott Turow.Trade ReviewScott Turow pioneered the modern legal thriller and, for literary panache, is still miles ahead of John Grisham… A typically ambitious Turovian cocktail of intellect and adrenaline * Daily Telegraph *I’ve long been a fan of Scott Turow’s complex and humane legal thrillers. Limitations is ingenious rather than complex but is also humane and thought-provoking * Observer *Scott Turow does legal thrillers better than anyone else, and writes with a wonderful precision and style that lifts Limitations far beyond the norm of the genre. Highly recommended * Irish Independent *Fascinating… has the same elegant style, the same skilled storytelling as Presumed Innocent and raises some thought-provoking issues * Sunday Telegraph *Turow sets up the story with consummate expertise. The characters are skilfully portrayed, the plotting is deft and the writing a cut above John Grisham’s * Sunday Times *
£11.78
Pan Macmillan The Reckoning
Book SynopsisThe Reckoning is a stunning, atmospheric crime novel teeming with twists and moving between the 1940s, the First and Second World Wars.The Second World War has ended, leaving a bruised and fragile peace. But this tranquillity is threatened when a shocking murder takes place in the Sussex countryside. Before long, police experts discover a link to another, earlier, killing hundreds of miles away . . .While Scotland Yard detective Billy Styles struggles to find a link between these two murders, a strange twist of fate brings former Detective Inspector John Madden into the investigations.As the victim count rises it becomes clear that to catch this serial killer Madden, Styles and young policewoman Detective-Constable Lily Poole must act quickly. But Madden remains haunted by the mysteries at the heart of the case. Why was his name in a letter the second target had been penning, just before he died? Could the real clue to these perplexing murders lie withTrade ReviewMemories of a terrible injustice come back to haunt John Madden, a retired police inspector who maintains a semidetached relationship with Scotland Yard. Though the story begins in the aftermath of World War II, it is an event from the earlier European conflict that sparks off a succession of murders. Madden gets involved when his name appears in a letter left by the first victim. It takes a rise in the body count for him to make the connection with a court martial in which he had defended, unsuccessfully, a soldier accused of desertion . . . Rennie Airth keeps us riveted with a plot rich in memorable characters and high on tension. * Daily Mail *Most crime novels offer a curious kind of escape, to places that jag the nerves and worry the mind. Their rides of suspense give a good thrill, but it's rarely a comfortable one. If it's cosy detection we're after, we usually look to the past . . . Rennie Airth, with his series of John Madden mysteries, provides a middle way, and one that in many ways feels altogether nobler . . . In his pursuit of the truth Madden is no charismatic crime-cracker or daring avenger of wrongs. Instead he is a compatriot of such understated sleuths as Susan Hill's artistic Simon Serrailler, or of Adam Dalgliesh, P.D. James's quietly insightful and intensely private gentleman detective. T although convincing, is rarely difficult to penetrate, and the killer's identity never seems designed to shock. Yet all of this matters less than it might, thanks to the potent redrawing of a time that we would do well to remember. The London Airth gives us is mightily damaged, but it still functions, much like the dispirited people who populate it. And that includes Madden and his quarry - the war has not properly ended for either of them, a truth they have each found a way of dealing with, albeit to markedly different ends. The Reckoning may leave nerves unshredded, but there's no cosy resolution. It perturbs far less through a murderer's riddle than through its retelling of a fundamentally broken past. Even as he read Agatha Christie, Dylan Thomas was well aware of 'the darkness in the weather of the eye'. A century on from the outbreak of war, Rennie Airth has provided a timely shake for any comfortably reclining shoulders. * Spectator *Compassion defines Airth's memorable novels, as much as any other aspect of his work . . . Like the previous books in this almost too beautifully written series, The Reckoning is about the comforts of redemption and forgiveness - and the impossibility of forgetting. * New York Times *Another John Madden mystery (I am a huge fan of these) and yet another atmospheric, beautifully set and terrifically written "old school" mystery from Rennie Airth . . . These novels have such a gentle, beautiful flow to them, putting you right into that time and place without effort, a time when the country was mending itself after a horrific war, rationing was still in place and things were difficult all round. There is a definite Christie style and ambience to these stories which for me makes them all the better, especially as I am a huge fan of those ageless tales. Plot development is always perfectly paced, the characters are all terrifically well drawn. Overall another fantastic read and I really can't wait for the next. * lizlovesbooks blog *The Reckoning has been carefully constructed to lull the reader into thinking they're in familiar territory. The well written, short sentences move the story along at a great pace, along with engaging characters, cracking dialogue and vivid descriptions that capture the feel of the time. Real life events from both World Wars are seamlessly woven into the narrative to powerful effect, inviting empathy for characters caught in the crossfire of war. As the thick fog of misdirection lifts the reader is left in no doubt of the real life crime that lies at the heart of this devastating novel. The desire for revenge can blind those who seek it, changing their behaviour until they unwittingly become their own worst nightmare. There are many reckonings within the pages of this novel, but there is one that is yet to come and it is long overdue. Some 'crimes' should be fully forgiven and the slate wiped clean in the light of new understanding . . . I loved it. The ending is incredibly powerful and sad. * Pam Reader blog *One of the great charms of this book is the evocation of the period. Older readers will remember their childhoods when it was perfectly possible for people of their parents' generation to have experienced both world wars. Details like coal fires, ration books and all-important public telephone boxes are all there. Readers for whom this is merely history will be drawn in by the brilliant description of a country ravaged by war, and slowly coming to terms with peace. This may be old school crime fiction, but it is far from cosy, and The Reckoning will grip readers from the first page to the last. * Crime Fiction Lover blog *
£15.19
Pan Macmillan The Street Orphans
Book SynopsisBorn the thirteenth child of fifteen to a middle-class mother and an East End barrow boy, Mary Wood's family were poor but rich in love. Mary raised four children and has numerous grandchildren, step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren. An avid reader, she first put pen to paper in 1989, and is now a full-time novelist. Her novels include The Breckton Novels, In Their Mother's Footsteps and Brighter Days Ahead.
£8.54
Pan Macmillan Terms of Endearment
Book SynopsisIn this acclaimed novel that inspired the Academy Award-winning film, Pulitzer Prize-winner Larry McMurtry created two unforgettable characters who won the hearts of readers and film-goers everywhere: Aurora Greenway and her daughter, Emma.Aurora is the kind of woman who makes the whole world orbit around her, including a string of devoted suitors. Widowed and overprotective of her daughter, Aurora adapts at her own pace until life sends two enormous challenges her way: Emma's hasty marriage and subsequent battle with cancer. Terms of Endearment is the story of an unforgettable mother and her feisty daughter and their struggle to find the courage and humour to live through life's hazards - and to love each other as never before.Trade ReviewVery special . . . very winning . . . it will make you laugh and cry * New York Times *A vivid and richly detailed novel about ourselves and those we love * New Republic *McMurtry at his best! He is one of the few male authors who can write convincingly from the woman's point of view * Newsday *McMurtry is one of our best, and Terms of Endearment is one of his finest * Los Angeles Times *
£999.99
Pan Macmillan End Game
Book SynopsisEnd Game is the fifth book in the thrilling Will Robie series by international number one bestselling author David Baldacci.Will Robie, highly trained assassin and the US government’s most indispensable asset, is called to London.An imminent terrorist attack threatens the Underground and with the US next in line, Robie is the perfect choice to stop it before it begins.He knows he has one chance to succeed. One chance to save London. One chance to make it safely home to find out what has happened to fellow agent Jessica Reel following their last deadly mission together.But Robie is about to learn that even if he succeeds, the worst is yet to come.The game has started. Now only he can end it . . .Trade ReviewOne of the world's biggest-selling thriller writers, Baldacci needs no introduction. Brilliant plotting, heart-grabbing action and characters to die for * Daily Mail *Robie and Reel are complex characters, and anything they do is a pleasure to follow . . . Baldacci knows how to get readers to turn the pages, and he's in top form here * Associated Press *
£17.09
Pan Macmillan Wrong Place
Book SynopsisWrong Place, the second brilliant novel from Michelle Davies, author of the critically acclaimed Gone Astray, sees Family Liaison Officer Maggie Neville investigating the brutal assaults of two women. Were they in the wrong place at the wrong time, or is something far more sinister at play?Trade ReviewA full-bodied police procedural thriller from start to finish - with a whirlwind plot and sensational sub stories, it's a real binge-read kind of book -- Stylist, Book Wars[A] stunningly accomplished debut . . . deserves to shoot to the top of the best-seller lists. I read it in a single sitting * Daily Mail *Right on the money when it comes to creepy, twisted plots * Claire Frost, Fabulous Magazine *I read it in one sitting * Erin Kelly *
£7.59
Pan Macmillan Run
Book SynopsisRun by Mandasue Heller is a gritty story of Manchester's criminal underworld.After being cheated on by her ex, Leanne Riley is trying her hardest to get her life back on track, which isn't easy without a job and living in a bedsit surrounded by a junkie and a mad woman.On a night out with her best friend she meets Jake, a face from her past who has changed beyond all recognition. Jake is charming, handsome and loaded, a far cry from the gawky teenager he used to be. Weary of men, Leanne isn't easy to please, but Jake tries his best to break through the wall she's built around herself.But good looks and money can hide a multitude of sins. Is that good-looking face just a mask? And what's more, what will it take to make it slip, and who will die in the process . . . ?'Heller doesn’t mince words, her gritty plots create a Manchester underworld to rival Martina Cole’s raw and rough East End' - PeTrade ReviewMandasue has played a real blinder with this fantastic novel -- Martina Cole on Forget Me NotCaptivating from first page to last -- Jeffery Deaver on Lost AngelThoroughly gripping * Guardian on Two-Faced *One of the bad girls of gritty crime, Heller has written a blinder * Daily Mirror *Heller doesn't mince words, her gritty plots create a Manchester underworld to rival Martina Cole's raw and rough East End * Evening Telegraph *A confident take on the serial murder genre * Irish News - Belfast *
£8.54
Pan Macmillan Brutal
Book SynopsisFrom the back streets of Manchester to the nightclubs and penthouses of the beautiful people, Mandasue Heller, author of the top ten bestseller Run, knows the world she writes. Born in Warrington, she moved to Manchester in the 1980s, where she found the inspiration for her novels. She spent ten years living in the infamous Hulme Crescents and was a professional singer for many years before turning her hand to writing.She has three children and three grandchildren, and still writes and records songs with her musician partner, Wingrove, between books.Trade ReviewA good read that is difficult to put down * Yorkshire Gazette *Heller doesn’t mince words, her gritty plots create a Manchester underworld to rival Martina Cole’s raw and rough East End * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *Praise for Forget Me Not: Mandasue has played a real blinder with this fantastic novel -- Martina ColePraise for Lost Angel: Captivating from first page to last -- Jeffery Deaver
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The End of Sunset Grove
Book SynopsisThe hilarious and poignant final instalment in Minna Lindgren's heart-warming Lavender Ladies trilogy.Trade ReviewThe Finnish Miss Marple * Independent *
£7.59
Pan Macmillan The Pyramid of Mud
Book SynopsisInspector Montalbano must unravel the mystery of a dead body discovered in a sewage tunnel in the twenty-second novel in Andrea Camilleri's critically acclaimed series.
£15.29
Canongate Books Augusta Hawke
Book SynopsisSometimes it''s safer not to know your neighbors'' secrets.Where are Niko and Zora Norman? Crime writer Augusta Hawke puts her sleuthing skills to the test to solve the mystery of her disappearing neighbors in the first entry in a new series.While Augusta Hawke is a successful author of eighteen crime novels, since her husband''s death she''s been living vicariously through her Jules Maigret-like detective Claude and his assistant Caroline. Then a handsome police detective appears investigating a real-life mystery.Where are her neighbors, the Normans? No one has a clue what''s happened - except Augusta. Although she isn''t nosy, spending all day staring out the windows for inspiration means she does notice things. Like the Normans arguing. And that they''ve been missing a week.Once the Normans'' car is found abandoned, Augusta senses material for a bestseller and calls on the investigatory skills she''s developed as a crime writer. But she soon uncovers long-hidden secrets and finds herself facing real-life dangers her characters never faced . . . ones she can''t write her way out of.
£19.94
Canongate Books A Game of Minds
Book SynopsisA missing girl. A dark secret. Dr Claire Roget is drawn into a deadly game to find the truth behind a young girl''s disappearance in this chilling mystery.It''s been six years since fourteen-year-old Marvel Trustrom went missing - six long years for Marvel''s seriously ill father, Tom Trustom, who''s desperate to know what happened to his daughter. DS Zed Willard has always believed that Jonah Kobi, a serial killer serving life for the murders of four other girls in the area, is responsible for Marvel''s disappearance - but with no evidence or witnesses, and Kobi denying any involvement, forensic psychiatrist Dr Claire Roget is Willard''s last hope. Can she persuade Kobi to reveal the truth and finally confess to Marvel''s murder? Claire is soon drawn into a battle of wits with a dangerous psychopath, as well as a world of dark secrets. Can she find out what really happened to Marvel and fulfil a father''s dying wish before it''s too late?
£21.84
Canongate Books The Company
Book SynopsisIn this hard-hitting standalone thriller from Sally Spencer, a crash survivor discovers dark family secrets as he tries to stay alive.Bristol, 1991. Crammed into a hire car, on their way to a vital appointment, five representatives of Conroy Enterprises are running very late. Rob Conroy, the black sheep of the family, is torn between spiteful amusement at his Uncle Tony''s irritation and anxiety for the future. If Conroy Enterprises fails, it will bring Rob''s own small publishing company down with it.But in the space of just two hours, everything changes. The car crashes, leaving Rob the only survivor. And almost simultaneously, Charles Conroy, the elderly family patriarch - who holds control of the company in his iron fist - dies of old age.As Rob and his few remaining relatives struggle to make sense of it all, one thing becomes painfully clear: the crash was not an accident. Which means, Rob soon realises, the intended victim might no
£21.84
Canongate Books Murder by Numbers
Book SynopsisAnd then there was one . . . can Donald Langham and Maria Dupré stop a killer who''s picking off victims one by one?December, 1956. Donald Langham''s wife Maria Dupré receives a chilling invitation to attend a death at the home of Maxwell Falwell Fenton in Essex. The once-prominent artist has a number of enemies, and has faded into obscurity since the war ended. Is the invitation to his own death or someone else''s?Arriving at Winterfield on a cold winter evening, Donald and Maria meet five strangers who have also received numbered invitations. They all had a reason to hate or fear Maxwell - including Maria, who reveals a secret from her own past. But is she telling the whole truth?The soiree produces a gruesome and dramatic twist, but it''s about to get much worse when someone starts picking off the six, one by one. Can Donald untangle lies, betrayal, and incredible revelations to identify the ki
£21.84
Canongate Books Death in a Blackout
Book SynopsisThe first in a brand-new WWII historical mystery series introduces WPC Billie Harkness - a female police officer who risks her life to protect the home front in the British coastal city of Hull.1940. Britain is at war. Rector''s daughter Wilhelmina Harkness longs to do her duty for her country, but when her strict mother forbids her to enlist, their bitter argument has devastating consequences.Unable to stay in the village she loves, Wilhelmina - reinventing herself as Billie - spends everything she has on a one-way ticket up north. Hull is a distant, dangerous city, but Billie is determined to leave her painful memories behind and start afresh, whatever the cost.The last thing Billie expects on her first evening in Hull, however, is to be caught in the city''s first air raid - or to stumble across the body of a young woman, suspiciously untouched by debris.If the air raid didn''t kill the glamorous stranger, what did? Billie is determin
£19.94
Canongate Books The Medici Murders
Book SynopsisThe first in a brand-new mystery series from the acclaimed author of The Killing and Devil''s Fjord.''Serious history buffs are in for a treat'' -Kirkus ReviewsVenice is a city full of secrets. For hundreds of years it has been the scene of scandal, intrigue and murderous rivalries. And it remains so today. 1548, Lorenzino de Medici, himself a murderer and a man few will miss, is assassinated by two hired killers. Today, Marmaduke Godolphin, British TV historian and a man even fewer will miss, is stabbed by a stiletto blade on the exact same spot, his body dropping into the canal. Can the story of the first murder explain the attack on Godolphin? The Carabinieri certainly think so. They recruit retired archivist Arnold Clover to unpick the mystery and to help solve the case. But the conspiracy against Godolphin runs deeper than anyone imagined.
£19.94
Canongate Books Murder on the Home Front
Book SynopsisDisrespect, disdain - and dead bodies! It''s all in a day''s work for WPC Billie Harkness, a pioneering female police officer protecting the home front in this gripping WWII British historical mystery.A fresh and different take on WWII stories with an appealing young heroine New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen on Death in a Blackout1940. It''s been a month since rector''s daughter Billie Harkness left her rural village to make a fresh start in the northern city of Hull. Now she has a new home and an exciting new job as one of only two female police constables in the whole city. But Hull still feels like a foreign country, and some people are less than impressed by the idea of a woman doing a ''man''s job''.Facing disrespect from her colleagues and suspicion from the public, Billie throws herself into her work. The tasks she''s assigned might be menial, but she''s determined to do her bit for the war effort. The
£13.29
Canongate Books A Reluctant Saint
Book SynopsisThe killing of a greyhound breeder and rumors of election fraud during the mayoral race in small-town West Texas has Chief of Police Josie Gray searching for answers.Fields''s excellent seventh Josie Gray mystery . . . does a masterly job evoking the dry, dusty Lone Star landscape- Publishers Weekly Starred ReviewMayoral elections are looming in Artemis. One of the candidates, Mike Striker, wants to build a racetrack while the incumbent mayor, Simon O''Kane, is strongly opposed. The proposal has divided the town: will it provide jobs and money, or will it bring crime and does it profit from animal cruelty?Tensions rise as a greyhound breeder has a number of her dogs stolen - she vows vengeance, only to soon be found dead herself. Meanwhile, fears of election fraud circulate. Is there truth behind the rumors of election rigging? Who stands to gain the most from the racetrack being built? Are animal rights activists taking mat
£19.94
Canongate Books Havana Highwire
Book SynopsisIntroducing hardboiled PI Henry Gore, in this pitch-black noir novel set in 1950s revolutionary Cuba.Darkly atmospheric writing, an action-packed plot, plenty of suspense, and a sometimes-hapless hero caught between saving his own life and doing the right thing drive this outstanding, packs-a-punch thriller- Booklist Starred ReviewWorld-weary American Henry Gore was born in the cold Midwest. But a lucky connection - and a hundred peso bribe - scores him a license to operate as a private investigator in Havana, a place where he can finally get warm. Soon, he''s trailing after cheating husbands to finance his permanent vacation in the land of sun, cigars and compliant señoritas. But when he snaps the wrong man''s photo at a fancy casino, he receives a fist in the face for his troubles - and a dark warning from the Mob. Private dicks are bad for business. If he carries on working, his license will be permanently revoked. Cap
£13.29
Canongate Books Scot in a Trap
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2023 ANTHONY AWARD FOR BEST HUMOROUS NOVELIn this darkly funny mystery Lexy Campbell''s first love turns up dead at the Last Ditch Motel on Thanksgiving . . . and she becomes the prime suspect!A mysterious object the size of a suitcase, all wrapped in bacon and smelling of syrup, can mean only one thing: Thanksgiving at the Last Ditch Motel. This year the motel residents are in extra-celebratory mood as the holiday brings a new arrival to the group - a bouncing baby girl. But as one life enters the Ditch, another leaves it. Menzies Lassiter has only just checked in. When resident counsellor Lexy Campbell tries to deliver his breakfast the next day, she finds him checked out. Permanently. Shocking enough if he was a stranger, but Lexy recognises that face. Menzies was her first love until he broke her heart many years ago. What''s he doing at the Last Ditch? What''s he doing dead? And how can Lexy escape the fact that
£19.94
Canongate Books Reflections of Deviance
Book SynopsisRich. Successful. Dead . . . The mysterious death of Marion Cane leads criminologist Will Traynor into a deeply challenging and disturbing new case.Marion Cane swapped a successful city career in New York and London for a quiet retirement in a wealthy village on the outskirts of Birmingham. So why was she found dead in her new home two years later?Marion''s death was thought to be due to natural causes, until an anonymous note leads Superintendent John Heritage of West Midlands Police to ask DCI Bernard Watts and PC Chloe Judd to make enquiries. But when they arrive in Newton Heights, one of the villagers mysteriously vanishes. Still reeling from his own devastating news, criminologist Will Traynor is brought in to assist the team with an increasingly complex and disturbing investigation. Can Traynor push his own demons aside to see through distorted versions of reality, dangerous secrets and dark lies in his pursuit of the truth?
£20.89
Canongate Books A House Divided
Book SynopsisStranded at a house party - when a murderer strikes!May 1861, Victorian England. When Matthew and Harriet Rowsley are invited to a house party at Clunston Park by Matthew''s cousin, Colonel Barrington Rowsley and his wife Lady Hortensia, Harriet is nervous - surely the aristocratic guests will snub her? After all, they are but mere servants in their eyes! Her fears are realized on their first evening when the only person who deigns to speak to her is the spiteful Grafin Weiser and confirmed when she commits a major faux pas at the cricket match the following day.But there''s no escape! The cricket match is abandoned due to a storm, and flooding leaves the house guests stranded. Things worsen when Grafin Weiser is found murdered and the finger is quickly pointed at Clara, an eleven-year-old maid, as the culprit. Convinced that she cannot be guilty, Harriet and Matthew agree to investigate.The aristocratic façade begins to crumble under their scru
£13.29
Canongate Books Prime Directive
Book SynopsisLieutenant Amanda Bostick is ordered to investigate why scientists on a distant outpost on the planet of Lorian are being murdered with no alarm raised. In the past ninety days, sixteen colonists have been murdered, and nobody thought to report it until now?When a number of scientists are mysteriously killed on an insignificant scientific outpost on the planet of Loria and no alarm is raised, Commander Rickets of the Galactic Space Arm (GSA) is angered that no one can explain why. Rickets orders Lieutenant Amanda Bostick along with two armed Guardians, Sergeant Hamoud and Corporal Nasim, to investigate.All three have faced setbacks in their careers and time is against them: the GSA is demanding answers within ten days. But they have no idea what to expect as there are few reports on the planet. Why are the scientists being killed? Is there more to the mission than first appears? Are the sentient Lorians who inhabit the planet mor
£22.79
Canongate Books A Dreadful Destiny
Book SynopsisAn unwelcome proposal of marriage has far-reaching repercussions in this skilfully plotted historical mystery.April, CE 194. The tensions in the civil-war-torn Empire have come to Glevum now. Libertus''s patron, Marcus Septimus, has received a letter from Druscilla Livia, a widowed cousin of his wife, seeking his protection. She has received an offer of marriage from a powerful Roman Senator, Hortius Valens, a man of cruel and unusual tastes, and she is in no position to refuse. She has run away . . . with Hortius in hot pursuit. This puts Marcus in a dangerous dilemma. If he accepts Druscilla as his ward and prevents the wedding, he offends not only her prospective groom, but also the Provincial Governor to whom Hortius is related. But if he returns Druscilla to the Senator, he offends another of her kinswomen - the Empress herself. Once again, Marcus turns to Libertus for help. But Libertus has worries of his own. His wife Gwellia h
£21.84
Canongate Books MurderInLaw
Book SynopsisWhile Ellie''s away, murder will play . . . Is the death of Ellie''s son-in-law really the result of a burglary gone wrong?Ellie''s absence abroad is disastrous for her daughter, Diana - when her husband is attacked by intruders and left for dead one night, it falls to Ellie''s next-door neighbour, Susan, to reluctantly pick up the pieces and take in Diana''s children.Is Evan''s death really the result of a burglary gone wrong? Joining forces with her aunt, police officer Lesley Millard, Susan discovers that Diana lied to the police about her movements on the night of the murder, and soon finds herself grappling with betrayal, shady business dealings and her own distrust of Diana as she attempts to solve a chilling conundrum: could Ellie''s daughter be a cold-blooded killer?
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Canongate Books Antiques Carry On
Book SynopsisLook out London - eccentric antiques dealer Vivian Borne and her daughter Brandy are bringing their own brand of mayhem and mischief to the British capital, in the fifteenth installment of the award-winning Trash ''n'' Treasures cozy mystery series.Vivian Borne - true-crime author, antiques dealer and ex-sheriff of Serenity, Iowa - is looking forward to meeting her new editor in London. Flying first class, rooms at the Savoy . . . Her long-suffering co-author, daughter Brandy, worries the trip will bankrupt them both, but the alternative - Mother travelling alone - is unthinkable. Brandy''s almost tempted to make her fiancé, Tony - Serenity''s Chief of Police - call Scotland Yard and warn them Vivian''s coming.But even Brandy doesn''t predict their vacation will end in murder . . . or that she and Mother will be unceremoniously ejected from the country, with an order to leave things well alone.Vivian and Brandy need a case to write about, and Mo
£21.84
Canongate Books Dark Queen Wary
Book SynopsisWith an imposter prince claiming he is Henry Tudor, Margaret Beaufort must play the game of kings very carefully in this richly-imagined medieval mystery.Uneasy lies the head which wears the crown1472. Edward IV reigns triumphant over England and his rivals, the Lancastrians. But he is uneasy, for one true claimant remains: the young Henry Tudor, son of Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond. Henry''s continued existence worries Edward, so he hatches a plan to bring a cuckoo into the nest - an imposter prince is presented to Margaret Beaufort as her son.Margaret is no fool and knows she must play this game of kings carefully . . . When she is invited to George Neville''s beautiful home ''The Moor'' to help investigate some mysterious and gruesome murders she knows dark forces are at play. Whispers of a shadowy figure called Achitophel hang over the house''s occupants, like the impenetrable mist that descended on the battle of Barn
£20.89
Canongate Books Murder Most Treasonable
Book SynopsisSpies, secrets and suspicious circumstances: Friar-sleuth Brother Athelstan races against time to solve impossible crimes and uncover a traitor in this gripping historical mystery set in medieval London.London. March, 1382. Deep in the shadows, a clandestine organization known as the Secret Chancery operates under the sinister leadership of John of Gaunt''s Master of Secrets. When two clerks from this covert group meet their demise in suspicious circumstances, friar-sleuth Brother Athelstan is urgently summoned to unravel the truth behind their deaths.A puzzling question lies at the heart of the investigation: how did the killer manage to navigate a labyrinth of locked doors, leaving no trace behind? As Brother Athelstan delves deeper into the mystery, a terrifying threat also emerges: the possibility of treason. King Richard''s spies in France are also dying, almost as if someone''s discovered exactly who they are . . .Brother Athelstan
£999.99
Canongate Books The Sign of the Gallows
Book SynopsisA dead man at a crossroads. A secret message. A ring with a warning about death . . . Printer''s apprentice Lucy Campion is caught up in a strange and puzzling murder case in this twisty historical mystery set in seventeenth-century London.London, 1667. On her way to a new market to peddle her True Accounts and Strange News, printer''s apprentice Lucy Campion quickly regrets her decision to take the northwestern road. Dark and desolate, the path leads her to the crossroads - and to the old hanging tree. She doesn''t believe in ghosts, but she''s not sure ghosts don''t believe in her.But before she even reaches the crossroads, she''s knocked off her feet by two men in a hurry. What were they running from? To her dismay, she soon discovers for herself: there, dangling from the tree, is the body of a man.Did he commit self-murder, or is there something darker afoot? The more Lucy learns, the more determined she is to unc
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Canongate Books A Sense for Murder
Book SynopsisChef Sally Solari has - to her own bewilderment - built a reputation as a talented sleuth who keeps tripping over dead bodies. But getting mixed up in the curious case of a cookbook killer threatens to be the final chapter in not just her investigating career . . . but her life. It''s the height of the tourist season in Santa Cruz, California, and Sally Solari has her hands full, both juggling crowds of hungry diners at her French-Polynesian restaurant Gauguin, as well as appeasing her father, who''s distressed at the number of homeless people camped out in front of Solari''s, the family''s Italian seafood restaurant out on the historic fisherman''s wharf.Nevertheless, when Sally gets the opportunity to volunteer at a farm-to-table dinner taking place at the hip new restaurant and culinary bookshop Pages and Plums, she seizes the chance. Not only is it a fundraiser for an organization aiding the homeless and seniors, but up for auction at the event is a
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Canongate Books Low Pastures
Book SynopsisA well-dressed corpse found shot in the sand and gravel wharf sparks trouble for Detective Chief Superintendent Colin Harpur and his unpredictable boss, Assistant Chief Constable Iles.A must-read for devotees of British procedurals - Booklist Starred ReviewThe man is found dead in the local dockyard, shot from behind. Colin Harpur, examining the impeccably dressed corpse on his hands and knees, predicts the execution spells imminent trouble - and not just the unexpected arrival of his spiteful, brilliant boss, ACC Iles, at the two a.m. slaughter scene.Iles''s progressive attitude towards the local drugs trade has kept gang warfare off the streets, but now it seems jealous outsiders may be coveting the safe, ordered community he has so brilliantly created. Coveting, too, the local property - for instance, drug lord Ralph Ember''s luxurious mansion, Low Pastures, home to his unparalleled collection of china and porcelain.Harp
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Canongate Books Murder in the Cloister
Book SynopsisChristine de Pizan is in danger when she is sent to the Priory of Poissy to catch the killer of a young nun in this vividly imagined historical mystery set in fourteenth-century France.Paris, 1399. Scribe Christine de Pizan is sent to the Priory of Poissy by the palace to copy a manuscript for the prioress. But the prioress already has many copyists, and Christine senses that something is amiss.Her suspicions are confirmed when the prioress reveals that one of the sisters has been found murdered in the cloister. Fearing for the welfare of the king''s young daughter who resides at the abbey, she is eager for Christine to find out who killed the young nun - and why.As Christine investigates, she uncovers dark mischief and closely guarded secrets, but can she unmask a killer?
£22.79
Canongate Books Buried Memories
Book SynopsisReturning to the small town where he crash-landed in 1963, Ishmael Jones is in search of answers. But his investigation is de-railed by a brutal murder. I think something very bad and very dangerous has come to your little town, Inspector . . .As long-buried memories from his hidden past begin to resurface, Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny feel compelled to return to the small country town where Ishmael crash-landed in 1963; the place where his memories began.Norton Hedley is no ordinary town. Apparitions, sudden disappearances, sightings of unusual beasts: for centuries, the place has been plagued by a series of inexplicable events. Ishmael''s first task is to track down local author Vincent Smith, the one man he believes may have some answers. Ishmael and Penny aren''t the only ones seeking the mysterious Mr Smith. When their search unearths a newly-dead body in the local mortuary - a body that''s definitely not supposed to
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Canongate Books Golden Cargoes
Book SynopsisThe queen''s half-sister, Ursula Stannard, returns to solve another Tudor mystery in this page-turning tale of suspicious riches, murder and hidden treasures - can she find the golden cargoes?May 1589. Being the queen''s half-sister and occasional secret agent, can take its toll, which is why Ursula Stannard is looking forward to the simple pleasure of attending the wedding of her tenant''s daughter. But on arrival, Arabella the bride-to-be is refusing to marry her intended.Ursula tries to reason with Arabella on behalf of her mother, Joan Mercer, but she senses all is not well with her betrothed, or within the Mercer household. The family have gold and jewels beyond their means, and Ursula suspects they may not have gained such riches legally.When the strangled corpse of local herbalist and suspected witch is found, and Ursula learns through her connections at Court that English vessels are being plundered by a trio of mys
£13.29
Canongate Books Lights Down
Book SynopsisLights Down . . . when debts owed must be paid in blood.Actress Enora Andressen is facing the perfect storm. Her favourite French director, Remy Despret, has lost his touch and is keeping dangerous company. Her agent, Rosa, has been seduced by a kiss-and-tell novel of doubtful provenance. While H, sicker by the day at home at Flixcombe Manor, is battling both Long Covid and something far darker.Devoting herself to H, Enora needs good news, and it arrives in the shape of a fascinating Remy idea based on Flixcombe''s role during the Second World War. But the tonic soon turns sour when Enora is drawn into the project, with chilling consequences.
£13.29
Canongate Books A Quiet Teacher
Book SynopsisA teacher trying to hide in the shadows finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation in this compelling and fresh read from a new unique, contemporary voice.Greg Abimbola is a language teacher at the prestigious Calderhill Academy in Pittsburgh. Only that''s not his real name . . . or the only secret he''s hiding.When the murder of a wealthy parent on school premises shines an unwanted spotlight on Calderhill Academy, Greg is determined to avoid attention. That is until the closest person to a true friend Greg has is arrested for the murder. To prove her innocence, Greg will reluctantly emerge from the shadows. But doing so will put him in danger. His past is determined to find him . . . and his past is full of bad things.
£19.94
Canongate Books Spirits and Smoke
Book SynopsisDeadly drinks, vicious gangsters, missing money . . . Reluctant sleuth Maddie Pastore is back with a bang, in the second Mystic''s Accomplice historical mystery set in 1920s Chicago.Miley''s storytelling skills do justice to her clever, gutsy, and endearing protagonist. This is a real treat for readers who love stories set in the Roaring ''20s- Publishers Weekly Starred Review December, 1924. Young widow Maddie Pastore feels fortunate to be employed by the well-meaning but fraudulent medium Carlotta Romany. Investigating Carlotta''s clients isn''t work she''s proud of, but she''s proud of how well she does it. Maddie''s talents, however, draw them unwelcome attention: sharp-eyed Officer O''Rourke from the Chicago Police. He doesn''t believe in spiritualism - but in a city packed with mobsters, con artists and criminals, he''ll take any help he can get. It''s not long before Maddie has a case to bring him. Why did tee
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Canongate Books Antiques Foe
Book SynopsisEccentric antiques dealer and amateur sleuth Vivian Borne finds herself in jail - again! - when a podcast star is found dead in her hotel room in this new Trash ''n'' Treasures cozy mystery - one of the funniest cozy series going (Ellery Queen Magazine)When popular podcaster Nicole Chatterton wants an interview for Killers Caught, true-crime author Vivian Borne is overjoyed. Finally, some recognition for the sleuthing skills the septuagenarian antiques dealer and her daughter Brandy have demonstrated, solving countless crimes in their small hometown of Serenity, Iowa!Dolled up and dressed to the nines, Vivian figures the interview is going swimmingly . . . until Nicole turns the tables, accusing the mother/daughter duo of committing the very crimes they solved. Shocked and affronted - and with a spiteful tirade captured by the cameras - Vivian breaks off the interview, ejecting the rude podcaster from the premises of the Trash ''n'' Treasu
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Canongate Books The Doomsday Show
Book SynopsisIn this action-packed environmental thriller from the internationally bestselling author of Final Theory, a good-hearted climate activist must stop terrorists from assassinating the worst fossil-fuel tycoons.Five climate criminals. One assassination plot. One man caught in the middle.It''s Climate Emergency Week in New York City. Thousands of environmentalists are protesting against the ongoing destruction of the planet. Also here are the five fossil-fuel tycoons and reactionary politicians who were labeled ''The Worst Climate Criminals'' by Max Mirsky, former editor of the Journal of Climatology. When Number Five on the list mysteriously dies as Max confronts him, quickly followed by Number Four, Max becomes the FBI''s prime suspect. Things then go from bad to worse when his daughter is kidnapped. Max can''t sit back and wait for the FBI to solve the case. He must rescue his daughter and discover who the real assassins are
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Canongate Books Murder at the Jubilee Rally
Book SynopsisChief of Police Samuel Craddock faces a race against time to solve a perplexing murder at a motorcycle rally before the event comes to an end.With the annual Jubilee Motorcycle Rally approaching, Jarrett Creek residents are divided. Some despise the rowdy, unsavory behaviour of the bikers, but they bring welcome money to local merchants. What''s to be done?At a town meeting to find a solution, temperatures flare as Amber Johnson and Lily Deverell - family women on opposing sides of the debate - throw accusations at each other. Attempting to appease both camps, Chief of Police Samuel Craddock enacts a curfew to dissuade late-night revellers.Nevertheless, trouble strikes. With the rally in full swing, Amber is found murdered at the event. Why did Amber leave her home that night? What secrets was she hiding from her family? Craddock quickly faces more challenges as he offers to take in his rebellious teenaged niece, Hailey, whose parents a
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Canongate Books The Deadly Weed
Book SynopsisThe Reverend Mother''s investigative skills are called into action when a local tobacco factory burns down and fingers are pointed at one of her ex pupils... 1920s. Cork, Ireland. Early one morning the Reverend Mother receives news of a deadly fire at the local cigarette factory, a place where she''d been so proud that some of her pupils had been given a steady job. In a city full of poverty, unemployment and political unrest, these ex pupils of hers had surely been blessed with such prospects. Now, though, she is worried . . . What happened at the cigarette factory and why are there rumours circulating that one of her ''girls'' was responsible? Inspector Patrick Cashman is under pressure to quickly find the cause of the fire - and identify a suspect - to placate the visiting Lord Mayor and Commissioner and secure his hopes of promotion. Patrick turns to his friend, the journalist and law student Eileen MacSweeney, for help, along with the ever i
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