Search results for ""Amazon Publishing""

When a woman's body is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, investigators discover shocking secrets in her past. First in the disturbing, chillingly atmospheric, addictive new Forbidden Iceland series. **WINNER of the Storytel Award for Best Crime Novel 2020** **WINNER of the Blackbird Award for Best Icelandic Crime Novel** **SHORTLISTED for the Amazon Publishing Readers Award for Best Independent Voice** **SHORTLISTED for the Amazon Publishing Readers Award for Best Debut Novel** **LONGLISTED for the CWA New Blood Dagger** 'Eva Bjoerg AEgisdottir's accomplished first novel is not only a full-fat mystery, but also a chilling demonstration of how monsters are made' The Times 'Fans of Nordic Noir will love this moving debut from Icelander Eva Bjoerg AEgisdottir's. It's subtle, nuanced, with a sympathetic central character and the possibilities of great stories to come' Ann Cleeves 'An exciting and harrowing tale from one of Iceland's rising stars' Ragnar Jonasson _________________ When a body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she's no stranger to the area. Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her collegues Saevar and Hoerdur, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman's past that continues to reverberate in the present day ... But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople's shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice ... before it's too late. For fans of Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Ruth Rendell, P D James, Sarah Hilary and Camilla Lackberg _________________ 'Elma leaves Reykjavik CID for a job with the police in her hometown of Akranes, deeming it "every bit as quiet as it appeared to be" - until the discovery of a murdered woman starts to unravel a thread of long-buried crimes hidden deep in the community. Elma is a fantastic heroine' Sunday Times 'We're used to Icelandic writers lowering the temperature - in more ways than one - and AEgisdottir proves to be adept at this chilly art as any of her confreres (and consoeurs). Elma is a memorably complex character, and Victoria Cribb's translation is (as usual) non-pareil' Financial Times 'A deserted lighthouse and a murdered woman set the scene for this haunting and compelling mystery where the dark secrets of a small town are shockingly exposed. As chilling and atmospheric as an Icelandic winter' Lisa Gray, author of Thin Air 'The setting in Iceland is fascinating, the descriptions creating a vivid picture of the reality of living in a small town. The Creak on the Stairs is a captivating tale with plenty of tension and a plot to really get your teeth into' LoveReading 'At each stage, AEgisdottir is not giving us information but asking things of us. She's getting us to think through the implications: what if it's him, what if it's her, what would it mean? We're involved, we've got skin in the game and we can't ask for more as readers' Cafe Thinking

Read more less

Shortlisted for Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers' Awards Longlisted for the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize THRILLER OF THE YEAR in GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH AND DAILY EXPRESS 'Totally addictive. Like Fight Club, only darker' S.J. Watson 'I loved this book. Dark and at times almost comical, a great blend of crime thriller and the darkest imaginable domestic noir' Sarah Pinborough Dark, deviant and disturbing domestic noir ... one of the most entrancing, sophisticated and page-turning psychological thrillers of the year... _________________ One crossed wire, three dead bodies and six bottles of bleach... Seth Beauman can't sleep. He stays up late, calling strangers from his phonebook, hoping to make a connection, while his wife, Maeve, sleeps upstairs. A crossed wire finds a suicidal Hadley Serf on the phone to Seth, thinking she is talking to The Samaritans. But a seemingly harmless, late-night hobby turns into something more for Seth and for Hadley, and soon their late-night talks are turning into day-time meet-ups. And then this dysfunctional love story turns into something altogether darker, when Seth brings Hadley home... And someone is watching... Dark, sexy, dangerous and wildly readable, Good Samaritans marks the scorching return of one of crime fiction's most exceptional voices. _________________ 'So dark, so cool' Lisa Howells, Heat Magazine 'Will Carver's invigoratingly nasty novel ... is a bleak vision of life: not the whole truth of it, thank god, but true enough to impart to the reader the thrill of genuine discomfort, presented with the chilly conviction of Simenon's most unflinching romans dues and just as horribly addictive' Jake Kerridge, The Telegraph 'Carver weaves these strands together for an unsettling but compelling mixture of the banal, the horrific and, at times, the near-comic, wrong-footing the reader at every turn' Laura Wilson, Guardian 'Must Read!' Daily Express 'Beautiful, gripping and disturbing in equal measure, a postcard from the razor's edge of the connected world we live in' Kevin Wignall 'Possibly the most interesting and original writer in the crime-fiction genre, and I've loved his books for years. Good Samaritans is his best to date - dark, slick, gripping, and impossible to put down. You'll be sucked in from the first page' Luca Veste 'Oh My God, Good Samaritans is amazing. I'm a little in love with your writing Will Carver' Helen FitzGerald, Author of The Cry

Read more less

Three generations of women from the Skelfs family take over the family funeral home and PI businesses in the first book of a taut, gripping page-turning and darkly funny new series. ***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year*** ***Shortlisted for the Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Awards*** ‘An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones’ Herald Scotland ‘Gripping and blackly humorous’ Observer ‘I was addicted from the first page; gripping, gritty and darkly funny as hell’ Erin Kelly ‘A Dark Matter showcases a writer at the peak of his powers, except that with every book, Doug Johnstone just gets better’ Val McDermid _________________ Meet the Skelfs: well-known Edinburgh family, proprietors of a long-established funeral-home business, and private investigators… When patriarch Jim dies, it’s left to his wife Dorothy, daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah to take charge of both businesses, kicking off an unexpected series of events. Dorothy discovers mysterious payments to another woman, suggesting that Jim wasn’t the husband she thought he was. Hannah’s best friend Mel has vanished from university, and the simple adultery case that Jenny takes on leads to something stranger and far darker than any of them could have imagined. As the women struggle to come to terms with their grief, and the demands of the business threaten to overwhelm them, secrets from the past emerge, which change everything… A compelling, tense and shocking thriller and a darkly funny and warm portrait of a family in turmoil, A Dark Matter introduces a cast of unforgettable characters, marking the start of an addictive new series. _________________ ‘A fiendish mystery that is also deeply moving and laced with suitably dark humour … set to be one of the books of the year’ Mark Billingham 'Emotionally complex, richly layered and darkly funny. An addictive blend of Case Histories and Six Feet Under’ Chris Brookmyre ‘This dark but touching thriller makes for a thoroughly enjoyable slice of Edinburgh noir’ Mary Paulson-Ellis ‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief, as the three tough but tender main characters pick up the pieces and carry on: more, please’ Guardian ‘A tense ride … strong, believable characters’ Kerry Hudson, Big Issue ‘They are all wonderful characters: flawed, funny, brave — and well set up for a series. I wouldn’t call him cosy, but there’s warmth to Johnstone’s writing’ Sunday Times

Read more less

The discovery of a human foot in an Edinburgh park, the inexplicable circumstances of a dying woman, and the missing daughter of Jenny’s violent ex-husband present the Skelf women with their most challenging – and deadly – cases yet… Book THREE in the addictive The Skelfs series! ‘Simply stunning. Tense, funny and deeply moving’ Mark Billingham ‘If you loved Iain Banks, you’ll devour the Skelfs series’ Erin Kelly ‘Nobody portrays modern Edinburgh better than Doug Johnstone. The Great Silence speaks volumes about the power of story’ Val McDermid ______________ Keeping on top of the family funeral directors’ and private-investigation businesses is no easy task for the Skelf women, and when matriarch Dorothy discovers a human foot while walking the dog, a perplexing case presents itself … with potentially deadly results. Daughter Jenny and grand-daughter Hannah have their hands full too: The mysterious circumstances of a dying woman lead them into an unexpected family drama, Hannah's new astrophysicist colleague claims he's receiving messages from outer space, and the Skelfs' teenaged lodger has yet another devastating experience. Nothing is clear as the women are immersed ever deeper in their most challenging cases yet. But when the daughter of Jenny’s violent and fugitive ex-husband goes missing without trace and a wild animal is spotted roaming Edinburgh's parks, real danger presents itself, and all three Skelfs are in peril. Taut, dark, warmly funny and unafraid to ask big questions – of us all – The Great Silence is the much-anticipated third instalment in the addictive, unforgettable Skelfs series, and the stakes are higher than ever. ______________ ‘This is their third outing and the stories get better each time … Told with a wry humour and affection, the novel underlines just how accomplished Johnstone has become’ Daily Mail ‘The power of this book lies in the warm personalities and dark humour of the Skelfs, and by the end readers will be just as interested in their relationships with each other as the mysteries they are trying to solve’ Scotsman ‘Remarkable’ Sunday Times Crime Club STAR PICK ‘Keeps you hungry from page to page. A crime reader can’t ask anything more’ The Sun ‘Mysteries aplenty … a poignant reflection on grief and the potential for healing that lies within us all. A proper treat’ Mary Paulson-Ellis ‘A thrilling, atmospheric book, set in the dark streets of Edinburgh. That great city really came alive for me in this gripping tale. Move over Ian Rankin, Doug Johnstone is coming through!’ Kate Rhodes ‘An unstoppable, thrilling, bullet train of a book that cleverly weaves in family and intrigue, and has real emotional impact. I totally loved it’ Helen Fields ‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief ... more, please’ Guardian ‘Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave’ Sunday Times ‘Exceptional … a must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists’ Publishers Weekly The Skelfs series has been: ***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year*** ***Longlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year*** ***Shortlisted for Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Thriller of the Year***

Read more less

A faked death, an obsessive stalker, an old man claiming he’s being abused by the ghost of his late wife, and a devastating spectre from the past. The Skelfs are back in another explosive thriller, and this time things are more than personal… ‘A new outing for the Skelfs deserves dancing in the streets of Edinburgh' Val McDermid ‘Tense, funny and deeply moving’ Mark Billingham ‘A total delight to be returned to the dark, funny, compulsive world of the Skelfs … Johnstone never fails to entertain whilst packing a serious emotional punch. Brilliant!’ Gytha Lodge_________________________________________ Death is just the beginning… The Skelf women live in the shadow of death every day, running the family funeral directors and private investigator business in Edinburgh. But now their own grief interwines with that of their clients, as they are left reeling by shocking past events. A fist-fight by an open grave leads Dorothy to investigate the possibility of a faked death, while a young woman’s obsession with Hannah threatens her relationship with Indy and puts them both in mortal danger. An elderly man claims he’s being abused by the ghost of his late wife, while ghosts of another kind come back to haunt Jenny from the grave … pushing her to breaking point. As the Skelfs struggle with increasingly unnerving cases and chilling danger lurks close to home, it becomes clear that grief, in all its forms, can be deadly… _________________________________________ ‘The Skelfs keep getting better and better. Compelling and compassionate characters, with a dash of physics and philosophy thrown in’ Ambrose Parry ‘Expertly written, with poise, insight and compassion … How wonderful to be immersed once more in the world of the Skelfs, three generations of indomitable women who light up Edinburgh's literary pantheon’ Mary Paulson-Ellis ’If you loved Iain Banks, you’ll devour the Skelfs series’ Erin Kelly ‘Dynamic and poignant … Johnstone balances the cosmos, music, death and life, and wraps it all in a compelling mystery’ Marni Graff ‘It’s difficult to come away from Black Hearts without feeling inspired, uplifted and in a way spiritually laundered’ Café Thinking ‘Just when you thought you couldn’t love the Skelfs more, Doug Johnstone finds a way to turn up the heat’ Live & Deadly Praise for The Skelfs series***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year*** ***Longlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year*** ***Shortlisted for Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Thriller of the Year*** ‘An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones’ Herald Scotland ‘Gripping and blackly humorous’ Observer ‘A tense ride strong, believable characters’ Kerry Hudson, Big Issue ‘The power of this book, though, lies in the warm personalities and dark humour of the Skelfs, and by the end readers will be just as interested in their relationships with each other as the mysteries they are trying to solve’ Scotsman ‘Remarkable’ Sunday Times ‘Keeps you hungry from page to page. A crime reader can’t ask anything more’ The Sun ‘A thrilling, atmospheric book, set in the dark streets of Edinburgh. Move over Ian Rankin, Doug Johnstone is coming through!’ Kate Rhodes ‘An unstoppable, thrilling, bullet train of a book that cleverly weaves in family and intrigue, and has real emotional impact. I totally loved it’ Helen Fields ‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief ... more, please’ Guardian ‘Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave’ Sunday Times ‘Exceptional … a must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists’ Publishers Weekly

Read more less