Political / legal thriller

Book SynopsisCandide is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism (or simply "optimism") by his mentor, Professor Pangloss. Voltaire describes the abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide''s slow, painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes with Candide, if not rejecting optimism outright, advocating a deeply practical precept, "we must cultivate our garden", in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, "all is for the best" in the "best of all possible worlds."As expected by Voltaire, Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. Immediately after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned because it contained religious blasphemy, political sedition and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté. However, with its sharp wit and insightful portrayal of the human condition, the novel has since inspired many later authors and artists to mimic and adapt it. Today, Candide is recognized as Voltaire''s magnum opus and is often listed as part of the Western canon; it is among the most frequently taught works of French literature. The British poet and literary critic Martin Seymour-Smith listed Candide as one of the 100 most influential books ever written.This case laminate collector''s edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket. 

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Book SynopsisAgent Evan Ryder returns in The Quantum Solution, the gripping new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Eric Van Lustbader. EVAN RYDER: A SINGULAR HERO FOR OUR TIME. Evan Ryder is an extraordinary intelligence field agent now working for the security arm of Parachute, a private company and the world's leader in the application of quantum technology. In the past, Ryder has done lethal battle in the modern global wars of power politics, extremist ideology, corrosive disinformation, and outrageous greed. But now she finds herself in a battle arena whose dangers, while less obvious, are greater than anything the world has seen before – the present and future war of weaponized quantum technology. When an elite Russian scientist and the American Secretary of Defense die, at the same time but half a world apart, of inexplicable sudden catastrophic brain damage, the world's intelligence services realize that the quantum war has truly begun. Ryder and her long-time partner, Ben Butler, must discover who the true combatants are, and who are the good guys and the bad – but at the potential cost of their own lives. Reviewers on the Evan Ryder books: 'Evan Ryder is a keeper!' David Baldacci 'A master at the top of a very dangerous game.' Gayle Lynds 'Action and suspense blended to perfection by a master.' Lee ChildTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE EVAN RYDER THRILLERS: 'Evan Ryder is a keeper!' David Baldacci. Evan Ryder [is] deep undercover and as complex as she is exciting. You're about to read a master at the top of a very dangerous game' -- Gayle Lynds

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Book SynopsisEastbourne as you have never seen it, and would never wish to. Henry Wagstaff lives in the flat above his first-floor neighbours. They meet every Friday afternoon to play Scrabble. The initial impression of their lives in Eastbourne on the south coast of England is one of contentment, over a crucial period for the nation between the 24th of June 2016, the day after Britain voted to leave the European Union, and the 29th of March 2019, by which day it should have left and did not. But their shared and combined lives are in parallel with a world of dystopia, under the yoke of foreign and religious domination, during which a long past overseas work experience returns to haunt Henry. The time sequence is the same but now it identifies as taking place between the months of Ramadan 1437 and Rajab 1440. Throughout both time sequences the threesome continues to play Scrabble once a week. Letter Boxes Are Red is the story of their parallel lives.

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Book SynopsisThe Third Ben Schroeder Novel 1965. The British Establishment is reeling after a series of defections and acts of treachery by high- ranking intelligence officers. When Francis Hollander, an American academic, accuses Sir James Digby QC, a baronet and leader of the Bar, of being a Soviet spy, Digby retains Ben Schroeder and his head of Chambers to represent him. At first, it seems to be a simple case of libel, but as evidence starts to emerge of Digby's association with the Cambridge spies, and as MI6 becomes involved, Ben can no longer be sure that he can save Digby from prosecution and ruin. To obtain vital evidence, Ben will have to put his career at risk. But will it be enough?Trade ReviewAn intelligent amalgam of spy story and legal drama -- Marcel Berlins * Times *a story that captures the zeitgeist of a turbulent time in British history -- Peter Murphy * Publishers Weekly *A gripping, enjoyable and informative read...Promoting Crime Fiction loves Peter Murphy's And is there Honey Still for Tea? -- Jo Hesslewood * Promoting Crime Fiction *The ability of an author to create living characters is always dependent on his knowledge of what they would do and say in any given circumstances - a talent that Peter Murphy possesses in abundance...Arnold Taylor loves And Is There Honey Still for Tea? -- Arnold Taylor * Crime Review UK *Murphy's clever legal thriller revels in the chicanery of the English law courts of the period -- Barry Forshaw * The Independent *

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Book SynopsisApril 1971. When DI Webb and DS Raymond respond to a 999 call at Harpur Mews in Bloomsbury, a horrific scene awaits them. Susan Lang is lying on the ground, bleeding to death. Her husband Henry is sitting nearby, holding a large, blood-stained knife. In shock, Henry claims to have no memory of the events that led to his wife's death, leaving his barrister, Ben Schroeder, little with which to defend a potential murder charge. Unbeknownst to his strict Baptist wife, Deborah, Justice Rainer has a secret life as a gambler. In his desperation for money to fund his habit, he has already raided his own and Deborah's resources, and now he has crossed another line - one from which there is no return. To his horror, as the trial of Henry Lang starts, Rainer discovers a sinister connection between the trial and his gambling debts which could cause his world to unravel. In a rare case in which the judge is in greater peril than the defendant on trial, both Lang and Rainer have called down the storm on their own heads. Their lives are on the line, and time is running out.Trade ReviewI enjoyed this book - the twists and turns in the plot were really good, and the story was well put together. I would definitely choose another book by this author -- Julie Hosford * Netgalley *In the pages of this novel, notorious historical figures like Lord Lucan rub shoulders with the complex characters of Murphy's fictional legal world: the clients and lawyers, the police and expert witnesses, and above all of them, the judge. There is time, too, to discuss the subtleties of psychology and the ethics of legal privilege, in a story in which the patient workings of justice compete with the gathering storm of a bloody tragedy -- Paul Magrath, BarristerWhat an interesting idea for a plot - this blurb had me hooked from the second I saw the press release! How great that the judge in a murder trial is almost as criminal as those he presides over in his courtroom!? * Emma The Little Book Worm *The writing is competent and confident -- Gill Chedgey * NudgeBooks.com *

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Book Synopsis1 July 1969. The Investiture of the new Prince of Wales. When Arianwen Hughes is arrested driving with a home-made bomb near Caernarfon Castle, her case seems hopeless. Her brother Caradog, her husband Trevor, and their friend Dafydd are implicated in the plot, the evidence against them damning. Ben Schroeder's reputation as a barrister is riding high after the cases of Billy Cottage (A Matter for the Jury) and Sir James Digby (And is there Honey Still for Tea?). But defending Arianwen will be his greatest challenge yet. Trevor may hold the only key to her defence, but he is nowhere to be found. . .Trade Review'A thought-provoking, intriguing unmasking of court room sparring and Welsh nationalism in this novel set in the 1960's' -- Liz Robinson * Lovereading *'After swapping his gavel for a pen, a former crown court judge has published the fourth book in his popular legal saga' -- Sophie Day * The Hunts Post *'The story illustrates and discusses effectively questions of nationalism and national identity. It is to the author's credit that this fiction sometimes reads and feels like a dramatic re-telling of a real event' -- Jim Beaman * Crime Review *'Books to Look Forward to from No Exit Press and Oldcastle Books' -- Ayo Onatande'All the details of barristerial life, the rules of ethics and evidence, the social attitudes and the courtroom procedure appropriate for the late 1960s period setting are pitch perfect ... the book raises very contemporary questions about the roots of radicalism, the motivations for terrorism and the conduct of the security services in combatting it' -- Barrister

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Book SynopsisFor fans of John Harvey's Charlie Resnick series and Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, The Harbour Master is a fast-paced detective investigation set in the evocative locale of Amsterdam. Henk van der Pol is a 30 year term policeman, a few months off retirement. When he finds a woman's body in Amsterdam Harbour, his detective instincts take over, even though it's not his jurisdiction. Warned off investigating the case, Henk soon realises he can trust nobody, as his search for the killer leads to the involvement of senior police officers, government corruption in the highest places, Hungarian people traffickers, and a deadly threat to his own family. . .Trade Reviewa debut novelist of rare skill -- Barry Forshaw * The Financial Times *A splendid debut by an English writer who has immersed himself in Amsterdam's dark and sinister port area -- Marcel Berlins * The Times *Compelling and fast-moving -- Geoffrey Wansell * Daily Mail *The Henning Mankell of Amsterdam -- Bill Rogers, Author of The Pick, The Spade and The CrowA splendid setting in what promises to be the start of a great new series -- Ragnar Jonasson, author of the international bestselling Dark Iceland series

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Book SynopsisTWO MEN... ONE MISSION... TO KILL THE MAN WITH THE IRON HEART Based on true events, this gripping historical thriller is the culmination of Howard Linskey's fifteen-year fascination with the attempted assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the architect of the Holocaust. With a plot that echoes The Day of the Jackal and The Eagle Has Landed, Hunting the Hangman is a thrilling tale of courage, resilience and betrayal. The story reads like a classic World War Two thriller and is the subject of two big-budget Hollywood films that coincide with the anniversary of Operation Anthropoid. In 1942 two men, trained by the British SOE, parachuted back into their native Czechoslovakia with one sole objective: to kill the man ruling their homeland. Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik risked everything for their country. Their attempt on Reinhard Heydrich's life was one of the single most dramatic events of the Second World War, and had horrific consequences for thousands of innocent people.2017 marks the 75th anniversary of the attack on Heydrich, a man so evil even fellow SS officers referred to him as the 'Blond Beast'. In Prague, he was known as the Hangman. Hitler, who dubbed him 'The Man with the Iron Heart', considered Heydrich his heir, and entrusted him with the implementation of the 'Final Solution' to the Jewish 'problem': the systematic murder of eleven million people. 2017 marks the 75th anniversary of the attack on Heydrich, a man so evil even fellow SS officers referred to him as the 'Blond Beast'. In Prague, he was known as the Hangman. Hitler, who dubbed him 'The Man with the Iron Heart', considered Heydrich his heir, and entrusted him with the implementation of the 'Final Solution' to the Jewish 'problem': the systematic murder of eleven million people.Trade ReviewA cracking read -- Robert Ryan, bestselling author of Early One Morning Linksey has delivered a superior historical thriller...He is already a rising star of British crime fiction. Hunting the Hangman will do his reputation no harm whatsoever -- RoughJustice * Crime Fiction Lover *One of the single most dramatic events of the Second World War, Linskey makes the mission of Jan Kubis and Joseph Gabcik impossible to put down -- Steve Craggs * The Northern Echo *

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Book SynopsisBelfast, 1993: Jackie Shaw is a young tearaway running with paramilitaries in Belfast. He treads a fine line keeping psychotic hard-man Rab Simpson in check while sleeping with gang leader Billy Tyrie's beautiful wife on the side. When a bomb claims nine lives, he is given the role of getaway driver in a planned reprisal killing, a key role in a major operation. But Jackie may not be who he seems ...Twenty years later, Jackie returns to the city for his father's funeral after disappearing in mysterious circumstances. He wants to mourn then leave, but when figures from his past emerge, he is left with no choice but to revisit his violent former life. The first in the Jackie Shaw series, RAVENHILL is a stunning debut novel from a brilliant new voice in crime fiction.

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