Historical crime and mysteries

Book Synopsis"You shall never have a penny of my money. Leave me alone or I will shoot you dead!"1924. After six months in Hollywood, young British widow Emma Blackstone has come to love her new employer, glamourous movie-star Kitty Flint - even if her late husband''s sister is one of the worst actresses she''s ever seen. Looking after Kitty and her three adorable Pekinese dogs isn''t work Emma dreamed of, but Kitty rescued her when she was all alone in the world. Now, the worst thing academically-minded Emma has to worry about is the shocking historical inaccuracies of the films Kitty stars in.Until, that is, Rex Festraw - Kitty''s first husband, to whom she may or may not still be married - turns up dead in her dressing room, a threatening letter seemingly from Kitty in his pocket.Emma''s certain her flighty but kind-hearted sister-in-law has been framed. But who by? And why? From spiteful rivals to jealous boyfriends, the suspects are numerous. But as Emma investigates, she begins to untangle a deadly plot - and there''s something Kitty''s not telling her . . .This gripping first in a brand-new series from NYT-bestselling author Barbara Hambly brings the sights and sounds of Hollywood to life and is a perfect pick for fans of female-fronted historical mysteries set in the roaring twenties.

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Book SynopsisMurder always sells. But when a series of dark and puzzling crimes takes place in seventeenth-century London, will printer''s apprentice Lucy Campion be publishing the news - or starring in it?London, 1667. Printer''s apprentice Lucy Campion is unsettled when, on a frozen December morning after church, an elderly woman dressed in mourning clothes whispers an ominous warning in her ear.Lucy sternly tells herself it''s nonsense, but then her much-loved former master, Magistrate Hargrave, is viciously attacked with a brass hourglass during a break-in. But what exactly was the intruder searching for? And why did they first stop to steal a piece of Cook''s lamb and lentil pie?The puzzling case is just the start of a series of dark, bizarre crimes. Lucy''s determined to uncover the truth and see that justice is done. But someone is equally determined to stop her - whatever it takes.This page-turning historical mystery set in Renaissance London is a great choice for readers who like their heroines lively, their mysteries twisty and their historical settings brimming with authenticity.

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Book SynopsisThe arrival of an unexpected guest means trouble ahead for the residents of Thorncroft House in this deftly-plotted Victorian mystery. On a freezing winter''s night, with the household in mourning following the death of the dowager Lady Croft, the residents of Thorncroft House are roused from their beds by the arrival of an unexpected visitor. Although Lady Stanton seems reluctant to explain the reasons for her visit, housekeeper Harriet Rowsley would never turn a stranger from the door; she offers Lady Stanton and her servants all the hospitality at her disposal, however secretive and arrogant the new guest might be.But tensions arise over the following days, with both visitors and servants trapped indoors by the snow, and Lady Stanton proving a difficult and demanding guest. The situation worsens on the discovery of the body of a young housemaid lying crumpled at the foot of the stairs. A tragic accident . or something more sinister?Who exactly is Lady Stanton, and why has she come to Thorncroft? Has her arrival anything to do with the housemaid''s death? As the household remains trapped and tensions escalate, Harriet and her husband Matthew are forced to face the fact that they may be harbouring a murderer in their midst .

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Book SynopsisFrom the Number One bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes. Delve into a gaslit London, where Jack the Ripper is making headlines, but another, much more dangerous, madman is on the loose. When a rotting torso is discovered in the vault of New Scotland Yard, it doesn't take Dr Thomas Bond, Police Surgeon, long to realise that there is a second killer at work in the city where, only a few days before, Jack the Ripper brutally murdered two women in one night. This is the hand of a colder killer, one who lacks Jack's emotion. As more headless and limbless torsos find their way into the Thames Dr Bond becomes obsessed with finding the killer. As his investigations lead him into an unholy alliance, he starts to wonderIs it a man who has brought mayhem to the streets of London, or a monster?'A compulsively readable story that starts as a conventional murder mystery and morphs, by degrees, into a horrifying supernatural thriller' Guardian.Trade ReviewA compulsively readable story that starts as a conventional murder mystery and morphs, by degrees, into a horrifying supernatural thriller * Guardian *A huge amount of horrible fun * Big Issue *In this chilling exploration of madness and evil, Pinborough excels at summoning up the bleak spirit of Victorian London's mean streets and those forced to fight for survival there * Publisher's Weekly *The grim atmosphere of fear and spiritual malaise afflicting London is evoked well * SFX Magazine *A taut historical crime/horror that grasps you from the first page and holds you inexorably. If you enjoy John Connolly's blend of the supernatural and crime, then don't miss this! * Sci-Fi Bulletin *This is deliciously inventive stuff, delivered with the narrative nous and sense of atmosphere that lifts Mayhem above the raft of many similar novels * Crime Time *The supernatural element adds atmosphere in the way Conan Doyle used the spectral beast in The Hound of the Baskervilles. A novel, by the way, in whose company this excellent book belongs * Crime Fiction Lovers *Fantastic without caveat . . . wholly absorbing Victorian horror with just enough of the ordinary about it to set the extraordinary off * Tor.com *A very well-crafted chiller ... Pinborough successfully manoeuvres her story away from well-worn territory for a highly entertaining blend of crime procedural and Gothic horror * SciFi Now *A bloody cracking thriller that sucks you in and spits you back out! * So Many Books, So Little Time *A brilliant supernatural horror novel, served by a sense of delicacy and understatement. Her handling of the period is superb * Spooky Reads *When writing a murder mystery/thriller, there is a fine line that one has to tread. Fortunately, Mayhem treads that fine line well * Starburst *With breathless pacing, sinister suspense, and plenty of shocking twists, this is a perfect read for historical fiction and true-crime fans * Off the Shelf *Bloody brilliant! * Stephen king on Behind Her Eyes *

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of BEHIND HER EYES. 'Few writers blend mystery and the supernatural as well as Sarah Pinborough, but there are none who do it better. Quite, quite brilliant' John Connolly Dr Thomas Bond is back, but this time the trial of murders leads straight to his front door. Dr Thomas Bond, Police Surgeon, is still recovering from the events of the previous year when Jack the Ripper haunted the streets of London - and a more malign enemy hid in his shadow. Bond and the others who worked on the gruesome case are still stalked by its legacies, both psychological and tangible. But now the bodies of children are being pulled from the Thames...and Bond is about to become inextricably linked with an uncanny, undying enemy.Trade ReviewMurder is a more than satisfying follow up ... and provides the whole story with a deeper and richer conclusion * British Fantasy Society *Much grittier and scarier than its predecessor, Murder will take you to a very dark place. A wonderfully creepy experience * Upcoming4me *Historical fiction at its best as well as one of the better mystery novels that is likely to be published this year * Examiner.com *Quality writing ... Very highly recommended * Mass Movement Magazine *The succinct, efficient and yet multi-layered writing style works very well . . . Those looking for both visceral and psychological horror will enjoy this gore-soaked offering * Starburst *Murder has all the elements I expected from Sarah Pinborough, excellent writing, mystery and a dark undertone that haunts the story throughout * From First Page to Last *A novel which stands alongside the best of this sort of genre blending from Michael Marshall Smith or John Connolly . . . A blend of the supernatural, horror, crime and psychological profiling which makes you care about the characters before turning their lives inside out. 9/10 * Sci-Fi Bulletin *It's extremely rare that I read an entire book in one sitting but I just couldn't put Murder down ... Sarah Pinborough has once again proven why she has earned a place on my extremely short list of favourite authors * Eloquent Page *The characterisation is spot on ... You can almost feel the fog seeping into your clothes as you turn the page . . . Meticulously researched, well written and totally engrossing * Horror Hothouse *A compulsively readable story that starts as a conventional murder mystery and morphs, by degrees, into a horrifying supernatural thriller * Guardian on Mayhem *

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Book SynopsisSeptember 1799. William Pitt is attempting to force through anti-slavery legislation, but many have a vested interest in preventing this change and would go to dangerous lengths to stop it. Meanwhile, Tom Pascoe of the river police is grieving for the woman he loved and looking for solace at the bottom of a bottle. Tom's drinking has made him increasingly belligerent and unpredictable, so when he is called to investigate a body found in the Thames - that of an MP and a close associate of William Pitt - there's doubt whether he's up to the task. But Tom must pull himself together, or be dragged under; Pitt's life is in his hands.

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Book SynopsisBavaria, Germany, 1947. At the end of the war, Afra Zauner returns to her parents' cottage on the edge of Mauther Forest. Unmarried, and pregnant. As she struggles to raise her child, her father's shame, her mother's fury and the loud whispers of the neighbours begin to weigh upon her. She doesn't believe in her sin. But everyone else does. And someone brings judgement down upon her. Many years later, Hermann Müller is throwing a drunk out of his tavern. A traveller, who won't stop ranting about a murder left unsolved, about police who never investigated. Out of curiousity, the file is reopened. And in the cold light of hindsight, a chilling realisation creeps upon the community. No-one ever atoned for Afra's death. But her story is waiting to be told. Andrea Maria Schenkel returns to the form of her groundbreaking The Murder Farm, narrating through suspects, victims and investigators to lead the reader to their own awful understanding.Trade Review'A superior slice of German noir. Andrea Maria Schenkel is the supreme exponent of German neo-realism ... Examines the German conscience, as if searching for the psyche behind the Nazi monstrosities ... Allows us to penetrate the intense and horrific emotional reactions of the witnesses - including the murderer ... Schenkel can be considered as a deeply serious writer. Though her books are short, the impact they achieve undoubtedly merit this status' Independent. * Independent *'Packs a lingering punch ... Schenkel - and the wonderful Anthea Bell, in her lucid, unobtrusive translation - is setting out to do something different. The Dark Meadow, in its evocative descriptions of postwar life in a German village, in its lack of sentimentality, pathos or melodrama, is a bleakly real portrait of injustice, poverty and hopelessness. Murder most foul, and shown here in all its pointless, meaningless cruelty' Alison Flood, Observer Thriller of the Month. * Observer *

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Book SynopsisWelcome to Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England . . . The year is 1926 and Sarah Grey has landed herself an unlikely new job: personal assistant to Harry Price, London's most infamous ghost hunter. Equal parts brilliant and neurotic, Harry has devoted his life to exposing the truth behind England's many 'false hauntings', and never has he left a case unsolved. So when Harry and Sarah are invited to Borley, they're sure this case will be just like any other. But when night falls and still no artifice can be found, the ghost hunters are forced to confront an uncomfortable possibility: the ghost of Borley Rectory may be real . . .'Deliciously creepy' Herald'Another brilliant, all-absorbing tale from Neil Spring' 5* reader review'Prepare to be pleasantly scared' Metro'Chilling and tense' 5* reader reviewNOW A MAJOR ITV DRAMA STARRING RAFE SPALLTrade ReviewA deft, spooky psychological drama based on a true story * Daily Mail *Surprising, serpentine and clever * Sunday Times *A gloriously spooky tale, perfect for dark Autumn nights * Netmums *Prepare to be pleasantly scared * Metro *Genuinely spine chilling . . . an excellent blending of fact and fiction * Light Magazine *I was gripped by the supernatural menace and the gradual revelation of mysteries and secrets * Fortean Times *'Surprising, serpentine and clever' Sunday Times. * Sunday Times *Close the curtains, pull up a chair, open a book - and prepare to be pleasantly scared * Metro *A deft, spooky psychological drama based on a true story * Daily Mail *I was gripped by the supernatural menace and the gradual revelation of mysteries and secrets * Fortean Times *Genuinely spine chilling . . . an excellent blending of fact and fiction * Light Magazine *A gloriously spooky tale, perfect for dark Autumn nights * Netmums.com *

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Book SynopsisIt''s the year 1900. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson receive an urgent commission from the Prince Regnant of Bulgaria to come to Sofia. The Codex Zographensis, the most ancient and most sacred manuscript in the Old Bulgarian language has been stolen. Its disappearance could lead to the outbreak of war between Russia, Austro-Hungary and the Ottomans, three ageing empires disintegrating like great suns on every side of the Balkans. What follows is an extraordinary story of duplicity, murder, vampires and greed for vast estates in Bulgaria and Hungary, with the fate of millions in Sherlock Holmes'' hands.

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Book SynopsisWhat if two had perished at Reichenbach Falls? One simple, disastrous error throws Sherlock Holmes from his intended Hiatus into a tortuous journey of sorrow and remorse. Far from home, broken in body and spirit, the haunted detective fights to survive the single most tragic failure of his career - a fight he cannot win alone. With old and new companions beside him, and a threat as deadly as Moriarty in pursuit, Holmes must find a way to live on without his greatest friend, while saving the rest of his beloved adopted family from a similar fate.

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Book SynopsisNothing that is secret can remain secret forever. But is it possible that some crimes are better left undiscovered? Join Holmes and Watson as they travel from London to storm-wracked Bedfordshire, where the Great Detective finds himself uncovering the grisly truth concerning a half-century old murder.

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Book SynopsisThe Dean of a Swiss university persuades Sherlock Holmes to investigate the background of a would-be lecturer. To Dr. Watson it seems a very humdrum commission - but who is the mysterious ''Lieserl''? How does her existence threaten the ambitions of the technical assistant level III in Room 86 at the Federal Patents Office in Berne by the name of Albert Einstein? The assignment plunges Holmes and Watson into unfathomable Serbia to solve one of the intractable mysteries of the 20th Century. In Tim Symonds'' previous detective novels, Sherlock Holmes and the Dead Boer At Scotney Castle and Sherlock Holmes And The Case Of The Bulgarian Codex the author based pivotal historic facts and a principal character on real life. So too in this new mystery.

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Book Synopsis"Mr. Holmes is an amateur, Hopkins." Lestrade was smiling around the stem of his pipe as he spoke. Hopkins could hear it. "Not a man who works well in teams, he. He still trusts Dr. Watson not to lie to him...and Dr. Watson''s pulled some whoppers to save his skinny neck in the past." Lestrade was still smiling. "Not that that''s not the most interesting thing about those fellows. I could tell you some stories about them, Stanley...oh, I could tell you stories...''". Meet Sherlock Holmes through the eyes of his fellow lodger once again... and meet both through the eyes of the Yard - especially those who saw them the most: Inspectors Lestrade, Gregson, and Bradstreet. From Montague Street to a supposedly straightforward case of smuggling in Cornwall, Scotland Yard saw more than the disconcerting and dazzling private detective: it also saw an admirable and steadfast British soldier who shared their need for justice. Doctor John Watson may call himself unremarkable, but the Yard would disagree...

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Book SynopsisIn 2015, The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories burst upon the scene, featuring over sixty new traditional Sherlock Holmes adventures, all set within the correct time period, and written by many of today''s leading Sherlockian authors from around the world. This first anthology, spread over three huge volumes, was the largest collection of its kind ever assembled in one place. Response was immediately and overwhelmingly positive, and there were soon calls for additional volumes. The result is this new collection, the next in an ongoing series, featuring twenty-two more Holmes investigations. Since his first appearance in print in 1887, the popularity of Sherlock Holmes has only increased. Although originally chronicled in just sixty exploits, the number of additional Holmes tales discovered since then is literally in the tens of thousands. Along with those original narratives published by Dr. Watson''s first literary agent, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, countless other people have managed to find their way to Watson''s Tin Dispatch Box in order to reveal more exciting cases featuring the Great Detective. These accounts stretch from one of Holmes''s earliest cases, later recounted to Watson as they sit by the fire in the Baker Street sitting room, to an adventure just before Holmes''s retirement that affects both the ancient history and the very future of England. These and all the other excellent tales contained in this volume represent some of the finest new Holmesian storytelling to be found, and honor the man described by Watson as "the best and wisest . . . whom I have ever known." All royalties from this collection are being donated by the writers for the benefit of the preservation of Undershaw, one of the former homes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The "Part IV: 2016 Annual" features contributions by: Derrick Belanger, Deanna Baran, Daniel D. Victor, Mark Mower, Craig Janacek, Jayantika Ganguly, Denis O. Smith, Matthew Booth, J.R. Campbell, Bonnie MacBird, Arthur Hall, Bob Byrne, Andrew Lane, Roger Johnson, Hugh Ashton, David Stuart Davies, Vincent W. Wright, Daniel McGachey, Nicholas Utechin, Jeremy Holstein, David Marcum, and Marcia Wilson, as well as a poem by Andrea Mantin Levy, and forewords by David Marcum, Steven Rothman, Richard Doyle, Steve Emecz, and Melissa Farnham.

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Book SynopsisThis is not the story you think it is. These are not the characters you think they are. This is not the book you are expecting.London 1888. Angels inhabit every public building, and vampires and werewolves walk the streets with human beings in a well-regulated truce. A utopia, except for one thing: Angels can Fall, and that Fall is like a nuclear bomb in both the physical and metaphysical worlds.Dr J. H. Doyle returns to London having been wounded in Afghanistan by a Fallen, and finds himself lodging in Baker Street with the enigmatic angel Crow. But living with a rogue angel is not so easy; the pair find themselves drawn into the supernatural and criminal worlds of London, from a man kidnapped by a vampire nest to Jack the Ripper's horrific murders.Besides Doyle's nightmares, there is the lingering worry that Crow might Fall...Trade Review"A new Katherine Addison book is a cause for celebration. Break out the champagne, this one's a treat!" -- Ellen Klages, author of Passing Strange, winner of the British Fantasy Award and World Fantasy Award"Each book Addison writes is a highly-polished and gorgeously set gem. The Angel of Crows is no exception." -- Fran Wilde, Nebula-winning, Hugo and World Fantasy Nominated author of Updraft and The Fire Opal Mechanism“What a delightful reimagining of the detectives of Baker Street and the London they inhabit. This tale takes flight in ways that are dark and rich and wholly unexpected. Quite simply, I loved it.” – JOHN SCALZI“The Angel of the Crows is an entertaining ride–a compelling fantasy mystery set in an alternate but startlingly familiar Victorian London. You’ve been here before–not.” – Tim Powers

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Book SynopsisLies and double-crosses, secret police and explosions, a carriage chase, a mattress stuffed with cash and a one-eyed master of disguise…In 1907, the revolutionary Joseph Djugashvili – who would later take the name Joseph Stalin – met with an old friend, a clerk at the Tiflis branch of the State Bank of the Russian Empire, for a glass of milk. Over talk of national pride, the spirit of the new century and Djugashvili’s poetry, they agreed the beginnings of a plan. With the aid of the Outfit, Djugashvili’s hardened crew of “expropriators,” they would pull off the biggest, bloodiest and most daring robbery in Georgia’s history, and ruthlessly change the direction of the Bolshevik revolution forever...Trade Review"A well-written and cleverly imagined crime thriller with a knife-sharp edge." -- Crime Review on The Bad Neighbour * Crime Review *"Exciting, gritty, and dramatic, this book has it all." -- Telegraph & Argus * Telegraph & Argus *"A deceptively-written thriller that captures the mood of modern society." -- SFBook on The Bad Neighbour * SFBook *"A compelling, dark, and gritty book." -- Audio Killed the Bookmark on The Bad Neighbour * Audio Killed the Bookmark *"An absolutely ripping novel; rollicking, thrilling, twisty; in short, one of the best heist novels I’ve read this decade, without qualification." -- Kit Power'David Tallerman brings one of the Twentieth Century's lesser-known incidents - masterminded by one of its greatest monsters - vividly to life.' -- Dave Hutchinson

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Book SynopsisGeorge Mann's Newbury & Hobbes steampunk mystery series concludes in this thrilling final volume as our Victorian special agent heroes discover a grand plot to that threatens the state of the world. The time has finally come. Queen Victoria has given the order for her agents to move against the Secret Service - to eliminate the fledgling organisation with extreme prejudice. Caught in the middle of the conflict, Newbury, Veronica and Bainbridge are forced to face up to the truth: that the Queen no longer represents the best interests of the Empire. Now rogue and in league with the Queen's enemies, they must enact the "Albion Initiative": a desperate plan to break Prince Edward out of Bedlam and install him on the throne in the Queen's stead. But with the Queen's executioner and his army on their trail, as well as a possible traitor in their midst, can they do enough to stop the malign tyrant from destroying everything they once swore to protect? With everything falling apart around them, Newbury and Veronica must uncover the macabre truth behind the crown, and in doing so, unravel the very foundations of the Empire.

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Book SynopsisA mysterious schooner runs aground in an English harbor. Its cargo is fifty boxes of earth; its only living passenger, a black dog. The captain's body is lashed to the wheel - lifeless, drained of blood. Soon, a rash of bizarre nocturnal crimes terrifies London. It can only be the work of Count Dracula, and only one man can save the city: the world's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes.Trade Review"The marriage with Bram Stoker's gothic fantasy takes place so smoothly and convincingly that one wonders why the connection was not made before." (Sunday Times)"

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Book Synopsis1913. The clouds of war are gathering and Europe is in turmoil. A body is discovered on the shore below Beachy Head, just a mile from Sherlock Holmes' retirement cottage. Suicide, or murder? As Holmes and Watson investigate, they uncover a conspiracy with shocking ramifications: men who welcome the idea of a world war are seeking divine aid to make it a reality.Trade Review"Very intense." - Geek Dad "A must-read." - Booklist "A completely enjoyable romp and a perfect vacation read." - Pop Mythology

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Book SynopsisLondon, 1926: Henry Twist's heavily pregnant wife leaves home to meet a friend. On the way, she is hit by a bus and killed, though miraculously the baby survives. Henry is left with nothing but his new daughter - a single father in a world without single fathers. He hurries the baby home, terrified that she'll be taken from him. Racked with guilt and fear, he stays away from prying eyes, walking her through the streets at night, under cover of darkness. But one evening, a strange man steps out of the shadows and addresses Henry by name. The man says that he has lost his memory, but that his name is Jack. Henry is both afraid of and drawn to Jack, and the more time they spend together, the more Henry sees that this man has echoes of his dead wife. His mannerisms, some things he says ... And so Henry wonders, has his wife returned to him? Has he conjured Jack himself from thin air? Or is he in the grip of a sophisticated con man? Who really sent him? Set in a postwar London where the Bright Young Things dance into dawn at garden parties hosted by generous old Monty, The Haunting of Henry Twist is a novel about the limits and potential of love and of grief. It is about the lengths we will go to hold on to what is precious to us, what we will forgive of those we love, and what we will sacrifice for the sake of our own happiness.Trade ReviewPraise for Rebecca F. John: 'These stories come from a deep, soul-like place of vitality, warmth and beauty... a prodigious writer of great intelligence and talent -- Roshi FernandoRebecca F John's prose is vivid, sparkling with intelligent observation. -- Sarla Langdon * Swansea Bay *With great sensitivity and against the rich backdrop of 1920s London, Rebecca F. John draws us into the intimacy of a tight circle of friends reeling after the unexpected death of the ebullient Ruby Twist. The book explores how, in an attempt to find solace, grief makes us vulnerable and allows for the contemplation of previously inconceivable possibilities. There are mysteries at the heart of this novel that are wonderfully compelling, while the psychologies of individual characters are so beautifully drawn - always very human even if not always admirable - that by the book's end I felt haunted by their departure. Quiet, moving, and guaranteed to leave an impression, The Haunting of Henry Twist is a tender, charming gem of a book -- Clare Wigfall

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Book Synopsis'Just brilliant.' DONAL RYAN 'An exceptionally good book.' C. J. SANSOM1816 was the year without a summer. A rare climatic event has brought frost to July, and a lingering fog casts a pall over a Dublin stirred by zealotry and civil unrest, torn between evangelical and rationalist dogma.Amid the disquiet, a young nursemaid in a pious household conceals a pregnancy and then murders her newborn. Rumours swirl about the identity of the child’s father, but before an inquest can be held, the maid is found dead. When Abigail Lawless, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Dublin's coroner, by chance discovers a message from the maid’s seducer, she is drawn into a world of hidden meanings and deceit.An only child, Abigail has been raised amid the books and instruments of her father’s grim profession. Pushing against the restrictions society places on a girl her age, she pursues an increasingly dangerous investigation. As she leads us through dissection rooms and dead houses, Gothic churches and elegant ballrooms, a sinister figure watches from the shadows - an individual she believes has already killed twice, and is waiting to kill again... Determined, resourceful and intuitive, Abigail Lawless emerges as a memorable young sleuth operating at the dawn of forensic science.Trade ReviewWhat a story he tells and what a voice he uses to tell it: Abigail Lawless is a joy. This is the kind of writing that pushes you gently into a different world then holds you there until the last sentence. Just brilliant.An exceptionally good book . . . Abigail is a marvellous character, who half-inhabits a Jane Austen-like world of balls and fine clothes, yet whose real interest and talent is in science, especially forensic science . . . [she] speculates ceaselessly, and that and her humanity are what makes her such a rich and satisfying character.The Coroner's Daughter starts with the best first sentence I have read in an age . . . Abigail is a wonderful heroine; fascinated by the macabre, scientifically minded and spiked with wit. Historical fiction is awash with amateur sleuths following ye olde clues but this sparkling crime novel breathes life into the genre. * THE TIMES *The Coroner's Daughter is that rare thing, a beautifully-crafted novel that is also gripping and powerful. It’s superb.The plot is intriguing and the father-daughter relationship honest and delightful, but it is Abigail – one of the most attractive heroines in a long time – who carries the day. * DAILY MAIL *

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Book SynopsisFresh, funny crime series for fans of Jasper Fforde and M.C. Beaton. 'Delightful and original... A series that could well become a cult' DAILY MAIL. 125 Gower Street, 1882. Queen Victoria may sit on the throne and Robert Peel's bobbies walk the street, but London is still haunted by the spectre of Spring-heeled Jack. The demons of vice and poverty rule the capital: ruffian gangs, pickpockets, prostitutes and vagrants clog the streets with their iniquity. But in one particular Gower Street residence – home to the famous personal investigator Sidney Grice – order presides. Until, that is, the arrival of his ward March Middleton and the vicious Whitechapel murder that follows hard on her heels... Set between the refined buildings of Victorian Bloomsbury and the stinking streets of London's East End, The Mangle Street Murders is for those who like their crime original, atmospheric, and very, very funny. Praise for THE MANGLE STREET MURDERS: 'Funny, fresh and sharply plotted... Starring a detective duo to rival Holmes and Watson' GOODREADS. 'Kasasian's sparkling debut introduces a memorable new detective duo' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. 'Grice and Middleton promise to become a positive treat' DAILY MAIL. Read the whole series: THE MANGLE STREET MURDERS THE CURSE OF THE HOUSE OF FOSKETT. DEATH DESCENDS ON SATURN VILLA. THE SECRETS OF GASLIGHT LANE. DARK DAWN OVER STEEP HOUSE.Trade ReviewOne of the most delightful and original new novels of the year, this is the first in a series that could well become a cult. Grice and Middleton promise to become a positive treat. Catch them now * Daily Mail *Kasasian's sparkling debut introduces a memorable new detective duo * Publishers Weekly *Funny, fresh and sharply plotted... starring a detective duo to rival Holmes and Watson' * Goodreads *

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Book SynopsisIf you want to write a murder mystery, you have to do some research... In a luxury flat in Monaco, John Houston's supermodel wife lies in bed, a bullet in her skull. Houston is the world's most successful novelist, the playboy head of a literary empire that produces far more books than he could ever actually write. Now the man who has invented hundreds of best-selling killings is wanted for a real murder and on the run from the police, his life transformed into something out of one of his books. And in London, the ghostwriter who is really behind those books has some questions for him too...Trade ReviewA quirky Hitchcockian fable that pokes savage fun at publishers, the book trade and the business of authorship * Spectator *This clever thriller is packed with sardonic one-liners and ribald humour * Sunday Mirror *'A quirky Hitchcockian fable that pokes savage fun at publishers, the book trade and the business of authorship' Andrew Taylor, Spectator Books of the Year. * Spectator *'This clever thriller is packed with sardonic one-liners and ribald humour' Sunday Mirror. * Sunday Mirror *

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Book SynopsisAn apartment on the rue Morgue turned into a charnel house; the corpse of a shopgirl dragged from the Seine; a high-stakes game of political blackmail-three mysteries that have enthralled the whole of Paris, and baffled the city's police. The brilliant Chevalier Auguste Dupin investigates - can he find the solution where so many others before him have failed? These three stories from the pen of Edgar Allan Poe are some of the most influential ever written, widely praised and credited with inventing the detective genre. This edition contains: 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', 'The Mystery of Marie Rogêt' and 'The Purloined Letter'.Trade Review"A perfect winter evening read... 5/5 stars." — New Books Magazine"Each [of Poe's detective stories] is a root from which a whole literature has developed... Where was the detective story until Poe breathed the breath of life into it?" -- Arthur Conan Doyle "He wasn't just a mystery/suspense writer. He was the first." -- Stephen King "What a strange, though enormously talented writer, that Edgar Poe!" -- Fyodor Dostoevsky

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Book SynopsisIt has been twenty years since Polly Burton last saw the Teahouse Detective, but one foggy afternoon she stumbles into a Fleet Street café and chances upon the cantankerous sleuth again. The years have not softened his manner, nor dulled his appetite for unravelling the most tortuous of conspiracies, shedding light on mysteries that have confounded the finest minds of the police. How did Prince Orsoff disappear from his railway carriage in-between stations? How could the Ingres masterpiece be seen in two places at once? And what is the truth behind the story of the blood-stained tunic that exonerated its owner? From the comfort of his seat by the fire, the Teahouse Detective sets his brilliant mind to work once more.Trade Review"The first and greatest armchair detective." -- Ellery Queen"A literary tour-de-force." -- E.F. Beiler"Simple but effective... cleverly contrived." -- Daily Mail"One of the only rivals to Sherlock Holmes who can stand comparison... Will delight fans of cosy crime and the golden heyday of British crime writing." -- New Books Magazine"I just wanted to snuggle up in a blanket and read these mysteries, trying to guess the end... I can't recommend them enough." -- Umut Reviews

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Book Synopsis1930s Leningrad. As a mood of fear cloaks the city, Investigator Vasily Zaitsev is called on to investigate a series of bizarre and seemingly motiveless murders. In each case, the victim is curiously dressed and posed in extravagantly arranged settings. At the same time, one by one precious old master paintings are going missing from the Hermitage collection. As Zaitsev sets about his investigations, he meets with suspicion at practically every turn, and potential witnesses are reluctant to provide information. Soon Zaitsev himself comes under suspicion from the Soviet secret police. The embittered detective must battle increasingly complex political machinations in his dogged quest to uncover the truth.Trade Review“The miseries of the 1930s are vividly rendered in Punishment of a Hunter for an unsettling and gripping achievement.” --Crime Reads“Outstanding... Yakovleva perfectly balances evoking the terror of living in a police state with her whodunit plotline. Fans of Martin Cruz Smith’s Arkady Renko will hope to see much more of Zaitsev.” --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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Book SynopsisPraise for Punishment of A Hunter: 'The most successful retro-detective since Akunin' Literratura 'Gritty and gripping' Will Ryan 'It will pull you in and leave you breathless' Chris Lloyd 'Yulia Yokovleva's thrilling debut was a bestseller in her native Russia. It's not difficult to see why' The Times, Best New Crime Fiction ________________ On the eve of Stalin's deadly great purge, a rider and his horse mysteriously collapse in the middle of a race in Leningrad. Weary detective Zaitsev, still reeling from his last brush with the Party, is dispatched to the soviet state cavalry school near Ukraine to investigate. There he witnesses the horror of the man-made Holodomor Famine as he struggles to penetrate the murky, secretive world of the school. Why has this murder attracted so much attention from Soviet officials? Zaitsev needs to answer this question and solve the case before the increasingly paranoid authorities turn their attention to him...Trade Review"Dark humor undercuts despair and sardonic wit compensates for failure... Yakovleva captures the futility of living and working in such a blighted society, picking up the torch from Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series”. — The New York Times"Yakovleva's previous novel was an international hit. The follow-up suggests her investigator may become something of a Russian Montalbano." --The Times (UK)“Brilliantly realised… devilishly cunning.” --SHOTS “Offers a brilliant interplay of Communist manipulation, Soviet terror, Tsarist survivals, military rifts and kulak opposition... A superb read, with some unexpected turns right at the end.” --Crime Book of the Month, The Critic

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Book SynopsisAlfred Hitchcock meets Indiana Jones in this acclaimed, globe-trotting historical mystery about a wayward Jewish kid drawn into a sinister plot“Impressive. . . Enthralling. . . Goldin brings a long-lost era to life in vivid, evocative detail”  — Financial Times“A rip-roaring adventure. . . A zip-along plot, packed full of political machinations, strange deaths and ruinous romance”  — Daily MailThis entertaining historical mystery is the exciting debut novel from London-based musician and screenwriter A.E. Goldin. Thrillingly paced and with an enchanting historical setting, it launches a thrilling new series with an unforgettable hero, and provides all the nostalgic reading pleasure of classic Sherlock Holmes.-London, 1854. 21-year-old Ben Canaan attracts trouble wherever he goes. His father wants him to be a good Jewish son, working for the family business on Whitechapel Road, but Ben and his friends, the 'Good-for-Nothings', just want adventure.Then the chance discovery of an enigmatic letter and a photograph of a beautiful woman bring Ben an adventure more dangerous than anything he’d imagined. Suddenly he is thrown into the heart of a mystery that takes him away from everything he has known and all the way to Constantinople, the jewel of an empire and the centre of a world on the brink of war.Ben’s only clue is 3 words: ‘The White Death’. Now he must find what links a string of grisly murders, following a trail through kingmaking and conspiracy, poison and high politics, bloodshed and betrayal. In a city of deadly secrets, no one is safe – and one wrong step could cost Ben his life.

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Book Synopsis'The perfect sleuth for the Jazz Age' Crimereads 'With his highbrow manner and his parade of encyclopaedic learning, Philo Vance is not only a detective; he is a god out of the machine' New York Times 'Probably the most asinine character in detective fiction' Raymond Chandler __________ In one of the most well-known classic American puzzle mysteries, amateur detective Philo Vance must solve a baffling series of murders based on nursery rhymes A series of gruesome murders has left the glittering world of Jazz Age Manhattan in shock. With every new victim, the perpetrator sends a taunting note to the press, simply signed 'The Bishop'. New York's District Attorney turns to the only man who can crack the case: the dapper and brilliant detective Philo Vance. With his razor-sharp intellect and impeccable style, Vance sets out to track down the killer before more lives are lost, and soon uncovers a dark pattern to the murders. As the investigation takes him from the mansions of the city's elite to the seedy underworld of speakeasies and jazz clubs, Vance must use all his wits to stay one step ahead of The Bishop. Will he be able to solve the case in time, or risk becoming the killer's next victim?Trade Review'The perfect sleuth for the Jazz Age' - CrimeReads'Mr. Van Dine's amateur detective is the most gentlemanly, and probably the most scholarly snooper in literature' - Chicago Daily Tribune'The Philo Vance novels were well-crafted puzzlers that captivated readers' - Mystery Scene'With his highbrow manner and his parade of encyclopedic learning, Philo Vance is not only a detective; he is a god out of the machine' - New York Times'Probably the most asinine character in detective fiction' - Raymond Chandler

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Book SynopsisIt is 1870. When amateur archaeologist Adam Carver and his loyal but obdurate retainer Quint are visited in their lodgings in London's Doughty Street by an attractive young woman, their landlady is not pleased. The visitor's arrival pitches Carver and Quint headlong into an elaborate mystery which comes to centre on the existence (or not) of a lost text in Ancient Greek, one that may reveal the whereabouts of the treasure hoard of Philip II of Macedonia.Two deaths soon ensue as master and manservant follow what clues they can grasp in the roughest and most genteel parts of the teeming metropolis, with the whiff of cordite and blackmail never far from their nostrils. The scene shifts to Athens and the wilder fastness of a Greece gripped by political unrest as Carver and Quint join forces with Adam's former Cambridge tutor in an attempt to track down the elusive text. But nothing is quite what it seems, and no one involved is prepared for the final, shocking denouement amidst the extraordinary hilltop monasteries of Meteora...Trade ReviewA richly textured, thoroughly relishable helping of ripe Victoriana -- Phil Baker * The Sunday Times *It's entertaining stuff - knowing, but never too knowing - and Rennison's love of Victorian slang reflects a broader linguistic flair * Guardian *It's got the lot: mystery, murder, theft, blackmail, infamy, treachery, bandits, a beautiful maiden, heroes, villains, romance and adventure in bucket loads -- Sarah Broadhurst * Bookseller *Bristles with an energy and inventiveness that positively leap off the page... Readers may well be looking to spend more time in the company of Carver and Quint -- Barry Forshaw, Crimetime.co.ukA wonderfully researched, deftly written tale of deering-do * Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the gripping medieval mystery series featuring Hugh of Singleton. Hugh of Singleton, fourth son of a minor knight, has been educated as a clerk, usually a prelude to taking holy orders. However, feeling no certain calling despite a lively faith, he turns to the profession of surgeon, training in Paris and then hanging out his sign in Oxford. In "The Unquiet Bones," Hugh is asked by a local lord to track down the killer of a young woman. She is identified as the impetuous missing daughter of a local blacksmith, and her young man, whom she had provoked very publicly, is in due course arrested and sentenced at the Oxford assizes. With graphic medical procedures, misdirection, and droll medieval wit, this tale will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Readers have praised this book as "absolutely loved," "realistic," and "the best medieval mystery I've read in a while." Don't miss out on the chance to delve into this world of ambition, romantic distractions, and underlying Christian compassion. Don't miss out on this thrilling read and join the many others eagerly awaiting the next instalment!Trade Review`Incredibly realistic… multiple murders solved with panache. You will enjoy this excellent excursion into the past!’ -- Dr Paul L. Maier, author, A Skeleton in God’s Closet

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Book Synopsis"Fans of medieval mysteries will revel in Starr's lively blending of intriguing suspense and telling historical detail." - Library Journal It is the autumn of 1367. Master Hugh is enjoying the peaceful life of Bampton, when a badly beaten man is found under the porch of St. Andrew's Chapel. The dying man is a chapman - a traveling merchant. Before he is buried in the chapel grounds, an ancient, corroded coin is found in the man's mouth. Master Hugh's quest for the chapman's assailants, and his search for the origin of the coin, makes steady progress - but there are men of wealth and power who wish to halt his search, and an old nemesis, Sir Simon Trillowe, is in league with them. But Master Hugh, and his assistant, the groom Arthur, are determined to uncover the thieves and murderers, and the source of the chapman's coin. They do, but not before they become involved with a kidnapped maiden, a tyrannical abbot, and a suffering monk - who needs Master Hugh's surgical skills and in return provides clues which assist Hugh in solving the mystery of the tainted coin.

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Book Synopsis"Mel Starr has done it again. This latest episode in the saga of Hugh de Singleton, medieval surgeon and detective, is another jewel in the author's crown. Each of these stand-alone dramas are tales of the highest order. The epoch and the region are portrayed with flawless beauty. His writing is superb. And the stories themselves are captivating. Highly recommended." - Davis Bunn, bestselling author Another brilliant slice of medieval crime fiction. Thomas atte Bridge, a man no one likes, is found hanging from a tree near Cow-leys Corner. All assume he has taken his own life, but Master Hugh and Kate find evidence that this may not be so. Many of the town had been harmed by Thomas, and Hugh is not eager to send one of them to the gallows. Then he discovers that the priest John Kellet, atte Bridge's partner in crime in A CORPSE AT ST. ANDREW'S CHAPEL, was covertly in Bampton at the time atte Bridge died. Master Hugh is convinced that Kellet has murdered atte Bridge ' one rogue slaughtering another. He sets out for Exeter, where Kellet now works. But there he discovers that the priest is an emaciated skeleton of a man, who mourns the folly of his past life. Hugh must return to Bampton and discover which of his friends has murdered his enemy... 'Mel Starr has given us another layered, compelling mystery, strong with abundant, telling details of everyday medieval life. This is a series well worth the reading.' - Margaret Frazer, author of the Dame Frevisse medieval mysteries

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Book SynopsisExperience the captivating world of medieval Bampton, Oxfordshire with Hugh de Singleton, surgeon and bailiff of Bampton Castle, as he faces his most dangerous case yet. Master John Wyclif, known for his sharp tongue and wit, is at a loss when his books are stolen. Hugh must recover the books before it's too late, and he sets his sights on the clever and charming Kate to aid in the search. However, their adversaries are not to be underestimated, and a poor scholar is found dead in the river with ties to the stolen books. Will Hugh and Kate be able to solve the mystery before more lives are lost? Join them on their thrilling quest for the truth in the latest installment of the Hugh de Singleton series. "Hugh de Singleton has come to Oxford seeking a wife. He finds treachery and murder. A Trail of Ink is a beautifully written medieval mystery set in 14th century Oxford. Mel Starr writes with the flowing language, startling detail and understated humor of one who has mastered his period and his craft." - Donna Fletcher Crow, author of A Very Private Grave

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Book Synopsis'Hugh de Singleton is a delight... the well-crafted plot, the excellent period detail and the flashes of humour.' Donna Fletcher Crow, author of The Monastery Murders "My life would have been more tranquil in the days after Martinmas had I not seen the crows. Whatever it was that the crows had found lay in the dappled shadow of the bare limbs of the oak, so I was nearly upon the thing before I recognized what the crows were feasting upon. The corpse wore black." Master Hugh is making his way towards Oxford when he discovers the young Benedictine - a fresh body, barefoot - not half a mile from the nearby abbey. The abbey's novice master confirms the boy's identity: John, one of three novices. But he had gone missing four days previously, and his corpse is fresh. There has been plague in the area, but this was not the cause of death: the lad has been stabbed in the back. To Hugh's sinking heart, the abbot has a commission for him... A new and disturbing puzzle for the medieval surgeon-turned-sleuth.Trade Review“Hugh de Singleton is a delight… the well-crafted plot, the excellent period detail and the flashes of humour.” -- Donna Fletcher Crow, author of The Monastery Murders“Dances along, taking you with it all the way… exciting mystery, delightful historical detail – a tale well told. I loved it.” -- Penelope Wilcock, author of The Hawk and the Dove trilogy

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