Would you kill to write a bestseller? Well Adrian Slater says that he's prepared to do just that – and announces the fact in a creative writing class. Lecturer Dudley Grose is convinced that Slater is a psychopath and means what he says. But the Dean of the university doesn't believe him and neither do the cops. But when a student on the course vanishes and her bathroom is awash with blood, the police wonder if Slater has actually carried out his threat, and if the book he's writing contains the evidence that will put him away.

The Bestseller

Hugh Everton was intent on nothing more than quietly drinking in the second-rate hotel he found himself in on England's south coast - and then in walked his old flame Lucy and her new husband and ex-Judge, Gregory Bath. Entreated by Lucy to join her party for an evening back at the Bath residence, Hugh is powerless to resist, but when the night ends with the judge's inexplicable murder he is pitched back into a world of chaos and crime - a world he had tried to escape for good. First published in 1952, The Widow of Bath offers intricate puzzles, international intrigue, and a richly evoked portrait of post-war Britain, all delivered with Bennett's signature brand of witty and elegant prose.

British Library Crime Classics

The Widow of Bath

With Peaceful Repose Cemetery, Drew Slocombe is determined to revolutionise the entire death industry. Unfortunately, Drew's gravedigger has just discovered that their cemetery has one too many corpses when the body of an elderly woman is found. The police seem to think that the body is that of a vagrant, but for Drew things don't add up. The mystery deepens when Genevieve Slater turns up at Drew's door. As a man looking to escape both money worries and marriage problems, Genevieve proves impossible to resist.

Grave Concerns

Christmas: a time for family and festivity. Unless you're in Adder's Fork, home of the Essex Witch Museum, where it's a time for ghostly spirits and demonic visits. In these twelve short stories, menacing ghosts and supernatural terrors haunt Rosie Strange and Sam Stone, as well as characters past and present from beyond the Essex Witch Museum. Featuring stories from The Strange Casebook as well as original short stories.

Essex Witch Museum

The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas

Eleven-year-old Tippy Chan lives in a small town in a quiet part of the world - where her Uncle Pike escaped from the first chance he got as a teenager. Now Pike is back with his new boyfriend Devon to look after Tippy while her mum's on a cruise. Tippy's in love with her uncle's old Nancy Drew books and is desperate to solve a real mystery. When her teacher's body is found beside Riverstone's only traffic light, Tippy's moment has arrived. She and her minders form the Nancys, a secret amateur detective club - though their adventure quickly morphs into something more dangerous. Regardless of their own safety, and despite the constant distraction of questionable fashion choices in the town that style forgot, the Nancys know only they can stop the killer from striking again.

Nancy

The Nancys

A woman's dismembered corpse is discovered in a quarry, and police quickly link the victim back to their chief suspect: her husband, Doctor Ibraham Aziz. His wife had been planning to leave him, so his guilt isn't in doubt as far as local law enforcement is concerned. Barrister Arthur Skelton is asked to represent the accused, and though all believe the case to be hopeless, Skelton suspects there may be more to the victim's death. Aided by his loyal clerk Edgar and his roaming cousins, Alan and Norah, Skelton soon finds himself embroiled in an investigation not only concerning this world but the one beyond. Can he convince a jury of Aziz's innocence before the judge dons his black cap?

Skelton

Skelton's Guide to Suitcase Murders

Gemma's business is on the brink of collapse, and there's a real chance that she and her husband could lose everything they've worked so hard for. So when a stranger offers financial help, Gemma ignores the red flags and accepts out of desperation. The condition? Just companionship – that's all the stranger wants. Surely a small price to pay to get her life back? But when things seem too good to be true, it's often because they are – and soon Gemma finds herself being dragged so far into a twisted, dangerous world that she might never surface again…

When He Finds You

Serial killers never retire. They just go on hiatus. The urge to kill is always there, bubbling below the surface. Billy and Charlie thought their killing days were behind them. They used to be prolific life-takers, but old age finally caught up with them. Now they are ending their days in a dismal nursing home in Blackpool, with only their memories to keep them going. Memories of murder and mutilation. But when Archie turns up at the home, everything changes. Archie is a breath of fresh air and he puts new life into Billy and Charlie - and before long they realise that it's time to start killing again.

Killing Time

Not all terrorists are driven by religion or politics. Dan "Spider" Shepherd and his SAS team are on the trail of a terrorist whose motives are much more personal. Sabit Kusen wants revenge and doesn't care how many innocents he kills along the way. Shepherd and his team hunt their quarry around the world – from Athens to Paris to Zurich to Singapore and on to Sydney, but the elusive Kusen is always one step ahead of them. Can Shepherd catch Sabit Kusen before he carries out his most audacious attack? And does he have what it takes to pull the trigger to end the fanatic's reign of terror?

Spider Shepherd

Moving Targets

Soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret lead a group of the King's finest commissioners into the war-torn lands of Yorkshire to settle land claims and compile the Domesday Book. One island of wealth and luxury remains in Yorkshire: the castle of merchant Aubrey Maminot. There the commissioners learn of two great terrors: the rogue Olaf Evil Child, a hero of the poor and conquered Saxon people, and the ravenous lions Aubrey Maminot keeps as pets. The lions make a feast of an anonymous young man who tries to sneak into the castle, and Gervase Bret begins to wonder why someone would commit such an act of suicide.

Domesday

The Lions of the North

Torna John Verdon, l'autor del best-seller mundial de Sé el que estàs pensant, amb un nou cas en què l'exdetectiu Dave Gurney arriscarà fins i tot la pròpia vida per posar fi a les macabres ambicions d'un perillós assassí com cap al qual s'hagi enfrontat mai. L'Angus Russell, un poderós home milionari, apareix mort a la seva mansió de Harrow Hill amb un tall a la gola. Les empremtes dactilars i l'ADN trobats a l'escena del crim assenyalen com a culpable en Billy Tate, un extravagant habitant del poble relacionat amb temes de bruixeria i amb una coneguda rancúnia contra la víctima. Però hi ha un problema. Després de caure d'una teulada, en Tate va ser declarat mort la vigília de l'assassinat d'en Russell. Quan la policia revisa el dipòsit on es troba el cos d'en Tate dins d'un taüt precintat, descobreix que, a més que el cadàver ha desaparegut, el taüt no estava trencat per dintre, sinó per la part exterior. De seguida es desferma un circ mediàtic, amb titulars que proclamen: home mort caminant, l'assassí de l'infern, l'assassinat de zombis. El poble sencer entra en pànic: comencen a córrer tota mena de teories de conspiració, comença una literal cacera de bruixes i, per tirar més llenya al foc, un apocalíptic predicador amant de les armes encoratja els seus seguidors a una batalla contra Satanàs. Mentre en Dave Gurney s'endinsa en la realitat de Harrow Hill, les víctimes mortals augmenten ràpidament. En Gurney descobreix una xarxa de relacions malaltisses, ressentiments aferrissats i amargues lluites de poder. Cada capa d'enganys que descobreix el porta a una altra. Però finalment en Gurney descobrirà l'estranya veritat al cor dels assassinats, una veritat tan esfereïdora com els titulars amb què es va trobar a l'inici de la investigació. John Verdon va treballar en diverses agències publicitàries a Manhattan com a director creatiu fins que, com el seu protagonista, es va traslladar a viure al nord de l'estat de Nova York en un entorn rural. Sé lo que estás pensando (Roca 2010), la seva primera novel·la, va ser un èxit mundial. El 2011 va publicar No abras los ojos, que també va ser un èxit de crítica i vendes, a la qual va seguir Deja en paz al diablo, No confíes en Peter Pan, Controlaré tus sueños y Arderás en la tormenta. La sèrie, protagonitzada pel carismàtic detectiu retirat David Gurney, és ja un referent del gènere negre i criminal. Amb El ángel negro / L'àngel negre (Roca 2020), Verdon repta novament al lector amb un nou desafiament, una trama plena de girs i un final sorprenent.

L'àngel negre

Després de la pandèmia de la COVID-19, el terrorisme islàmic observa a distància l'auto-aniquilació econòmica i social de la decadent i odiada societat occidental. Enmig del desastre, una petita nació sense estat reneix de les seves cendres, es reinventa i aprofita la crisi per canviar el model de país. L'èxit la situa al capdavant dels països més pròspers d'Europa, però al mateix temps la converteix en objectiu prioritari del gihadisme. Aquesta situació compromesa obliga la presidenta de la Generalitat a fer nous plantejaments que provocaran la sobtada i imprevisible dimissió de la sotsinspectora Mimí Vidal del cos de Mossos d'Esquadra, el 19 de novembre de 2021. «Ningú no va entendre perquè la Mimí havia plegat dels Mossos d'un dia per l'altre i s'havia tancat a casa. Els seus, però, ho van respectar. L'Enric va voler creure, encara que ella no n'hi digués res, que era per complir millor el desig que tots dos compartien de ser pares, desig que una feina tan arriscada li impedia d'assumir amb responsabilitat. La Sandra va dir-se que si la seva amiga de l'ànima no li volia aclarir, ella no li reclamaria cap explicació, que per això era la millor pels segles dels segles. La Rosa... la Rosa va començar a patir des del primer moment de saber-ho; la seva filla no podia haver deixat la que era la feina de la seva vida sense més ni més. La Mimí, a casa, llegia, amagava els llibres que llegia i es connectava a la xarxa». Encertar els motius ocults pels quals una persona decideix seguir els dictats més foscos de l'ànima humana i prendre el camí de la destrucció de la societat on viu no és a l'abast de ningú, ni dels més experts, ni dels més intuïtius, ni dels més empàtics. Per això la Mimí, amb la seva peculiar autoestima oscil·lant, pensa sovint que aquesta vegada la seva missió és impossible. Aquesta novel·la continua la saga sobre la Mimí Vidal, que es va iniciar amb Les cadenes subtils l'any 2016 i va seguir amb El silenci de Vallbona l'any 2017.

La llum de l'impostor

Dos terribles fets, sense cap connexió òbvia, sacsegen Fjällbacka fins al moll de l’os. Troben un fotògraf famós brutalment assassinat en una sala d’exposicions. Henning Bauer, el premi Nobel de literatura, cau víctima d’un atac violent a la petita illa on es troba escrivint la desena entrega de la seva coneguda saga de llibres. Mentre Patrik Hedström i els seus col·legues de la comissaria no semblen avançar en cap dels casos, Erica Falck investiga l’assassinat d’una dona transsexual a Estocolm que va tenir lloc durant la dècada dels anys vuitanta. A poc a poc, l’Erica s’adona que els fils del passat estan connectats amb el temps present, i que els vells pecats deixen un llarg rastre darrere seu.

El niu del cucut

Una trama irresistible, uns personatges fascinants: Camilla Läckberg deixa ben clar que és la gran dama de la novel·la sueca de misteri. Lagent Patrik Hedström es disposa a gaudir del seu permís de paternitat per cuidar la Maja, que acaba de fer un any. Mentrestant, lErica Falck comença a escriure un nou llibre, tot i que no es pot treure del cap el misteriós bagul que va trobar a les golfes. A dins, els diaris de joventut de la seva mare i una medalla amb una esvàstica embolicada en un jersei de nadó tacat de sang. Què té a veure tot això amb la mort violenta dun vell historiador de Fjällbacka, Erik Frankel, expert en nazisme i amenaçat per grups dextrema dreta? En Patrik no es podrà quedar a casa... Un assassinat? Aleshores, no tan sols thas endut la Maja al lloc on ha aparegut un cadàver, sinó que, a més a més, era un assassinat.

Empremtes que mai s'esborren

Una trama magnètica i intel·ligent amb la qual Fred Vargas demostra, un cop més, per què se la considera una de les millors autores de novel·la policíaca del panorama internacional. Poc després que el comissari Adamsberg hagi tornat a París, havent tancat un cas a la Bretanya, la policia de Rennes li demana ajuda per resoldre un crim que sembla que té relació amb una fosca llegenda local: el fantasma d’un comte anomenat «el Coix», la pota de fusta del qual continua ressonant pels passadissos del castell de Combourg. L’Adamsberg es desplaça amb el seu equip a la zona, on s’ha trobat el cadàver d’un veí després que el sinistre caminar del Coix se sentís de nit pels carrers de Louviec.

Sobre la llosa

The wonderful new novel from the much loved author of Girl with a Pearl Earring and Falling Angels. Flames and funerals, circus feats and seduction, neighbours and nakedness: Tracy Chevalier's new novel ‘Burning Bright’ sparkles with drama. London 1792. The Kellaways move from familiar rural Dorset to the tumult of a cramped, unforgiving city. They are leaving behind a terrible loss, a blow that only a completely new life may soften. Against the backdrop of a city jittery over the increasingly bloody French Revolution, a surprising bond forms between Jem, the youngest Kellaway boy, and streetwise Londoner Maggie Butterfield. Their friendship takes a dramatic turn when they become entangled in the life of their neighbour, the printer, poet and radical, William Blake. He is a guiding spirit as Jem and Maggie navigate the unpredictable, exhilarating passage from innocence to experience. Their journey inspires one of Blake's most entrancing works. Georgian London is recreated as vividly in Burning Bright as 17th-century Delft was in Tracy Chevalier's bestselling masterpiece, Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Burning Bright

Judi Westerholme is happy living in secluded Candlebark, growing her own food, bothering no one – until the cops come knocking. Informed that her estranged brother Andy has been murdered, she assumes it's connected to his long-term drug addiction. But when she returns home, Judi is shocked to discover that Andy had been clean for years, and had a wife – now missing – and a two-year-old child, Mia. Andy seems to have been leading an ordinary life. But if he had turned things around for himself, why was he killed in a drug-deal shooting? And where is his wife? Desperate to know what really happened, Judi sets out to uncover the truth, even though it means confronting her own traumatic past. But she's not the only one looking for answers, and soon her life and that of little Mia's are under threat…

Judi Westerholme

Trust Me, I'm Dead

Ten years ago, Andrea Hayes was the best master bombmaker in the business. Young, beautiful and deadly, she was the favourite of her Irish republican masters. Then it all went wrong. Five children were killed, when disruption was all that was intended. It all became too much, and she turned away from her trade… Now, a new Andrea Hayes lives a safe suburban life, with her loving husband and young daughter. Safe in the knowledge that her past is another country. But then her daughter is kidnapped and the past has come knocking.

The Bombmaker

The "Chinaman" understood death. Jungle-skilled, silent and lethal, he had killed for the Viet Cong and then for the Americans. He had watched helpless when his two eldest daughters had been raped and killed by Thai pirates. Now all that was behind him. Quiet, hard-working and unassuming, he was building up his South London take-away business. Until the day his wife and youngest daughter were murdered by an IRA bomb. Then he began to ask the authorities who were the men responsible, what was being done – and was turned away, fobbed off, treated as a nuisance. Which was when the Chinaman, denied justice, decided on revenge…and went back to war.

The Chinaman

Jane Ferguson suffers from horrific nightmares which she claims not to be able to explain. And when her traumatised six-year-old daughter finds Jane dead, hanging by the neck in the hallway of the family's seaside home, it is assumed she took her own life. But routine police enquiries reveal evidence indicating that Jane has been murdered, and her businessman husband Felix, commodore of the local yacht club, becomes the chief suspect. Called in to launch a major inquiry, Detective Inspector David Vogel discovers that nothing connected with Jane Ferguson's death is as it seems. Gradually, he uncovers a deeply disturbing story involving a succession of shocking family secrets stretching back over three decades.

David Vogel

Dreams of Fear

On their first day of training with the Metropolitan Police, new recruits Jamie, Bunny and Tina are asked to join a team of undercover detectives, a secret unit involved in the long-term penetration of criminal gangs. Their target? One of the world's biggest drug dealers: Den Donovan, alias "Tango One". To close in on their quarry, the three must go back into the outside world and become criminals themselves. But someone within the Met is pursuing an alternative agenda. Someone who has deliberately put their lives on the line…

Tango One

On top investment bank Bloomfield Weiss's training programme in New York, Chris and Lenka had become part of a close-knit gang of ambitious trainees. But then one of the gang died during a drunken boat-trip, and the rest were left to cover up the truth. Ten years later a helpless Chris watches Lenka die in a Prague street. With his friend and business partner dead, Chris not only has to fight to keep his company afloat in the face of nervous investors, but must also discover who is behind Lenka's murder. Then others are killed, and it looks like Chris could be next. It seems that their shared past might contain an even more sinister secret than Chris had thought.

Power and Money

The Predator

The Odyssey (/ˈɒdəsi/;[1] Greek: Ὀδύσσεια Odýsseia, pronounced [o.dýs.sej.ja] in Classical Attic) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second oldest extant work of Western literature, the Iliad being the oldest. Scholars believe it was composed near the end of the 8th century BC, somewhere in Ionia, the Greek coastal region of Anatolia. The poem mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus (known as Ulysses in Roman myths) and his journey home after the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War.[3] In his absence, it is assumed he has died, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors, the Mnesteres (Greek: Μνηστῆρες) or Proci, who compete for Penelope's hand in marriage. It continues to be read in the Homeric Greek and translated into modern languages around the world. Many scholars believe that the original poem was composed in an oral tradition by an aoidos (epic poet/singer), perhaps a rhapsode (professional performer), and was more likely intended to be heard than read.[2] The details of the ancient oral performance, and the story's conversion to a written work inspire continual debate among scholars. The Odyssey was written in a poetic dialect of Greek—a literary amalgam of Aeolic Greek, Ionic Greek, and other Ancient Greek dialects—and comprises 12,110 lines of dactylic hexameter.[4][5] Among the most noteworthy elements of the text are its non-linear plot, and the influence on events of choices made by women and serfs, besides the actions of fighting men. In the English language as well as many others, the word odyssey has come to refer to an epic voyage. The Odyssey has a lost sequel, the Telegony, which was not written by Homer. It was usually attributed in antiquity to Cinaethon of Sparta. In one source, the Telegony was said to have been stolen from Musaeus by Eugamon or Eugammon of Cyrene .

The Odyssey

When his most celebrated case is suddenly reopened, Detective Chief Inspector Jejeune's long-buried secrets threaten to come to light. Meanwhile, his girlfriend, Lindy, faces an unseen threat of her own, one which Jejeune may not be able to protect her from. Between fending off inquiries from the internal review and an open murder case to solve, more than ever Jejeune will have to rely on the help of the stalwart Sergeant Danny Maik. But Maik is learning things on his own that have caused him to question his DCI's actions, both past and present. In the current case, and in the former one, the facts seem clear enough. But often the most insidious lies hide behind the most honest-seeming truths.

Birder Murder Mystery

Tiding of Magpies, A

Return to a world of crystal armour, savage wilderness, and corrupt dynasties in book two of The Deathless series from Gemmell award-winning author Peter Newman. THE REBEL For years, Vasin Sapphire has been waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Now, as other Deathless families come under constant assault from the monsters that roam the Wild, that time has come. THE RUTHLESS In the floating castle of Rochant Sapphire, loyal subjects await the ceremony to return their ruler to his rightful place. But the child raised to give up his body to Lord Rochant is no ordinary servant. Strange and savage, he will stop at nothing to escape his gilded prison. AND THE RETURNED… Far below, another child yearns to see the human world. Raised by a creature of the Wild, he knows their secrets better than any other. As he enters into the struggle between the Deathless houses, he may be the key to protecting their power or destroying it completely. THE WILD HAS BEGUN TO RISE

The Deathless Trilogy

The Ruthless

The Cornish village of St Petroc is the sort of place where people come to hide. Tom Killgannon is one such person. An ex-undercover cop, Tom is in the Witness Protection Programme and St Petroc offers him a chance to live a safe and quiet life. Until he meets Lila. Lila is a 17-year-old runaway. When she breaks into Tom's house she takes more than just his money. His wallet holds everything about his new identity. He also knows that Lila is in danger from the travellers' commune she's been living at. But to find her he risks not only giving away his location to the gangs he's in hiding from, but also becoming a target for whoever is hunting Lila.

Old Religion, The

The electrifying WWII bestseller from the master of the game. On the 30th April 1945, Russian radar reported a light aircraft leaving the vicinity of the Tiergarten in Berlin. But who was on board, and where was the plane going? Berlin was in ruins as the Russians moved relentlessly towards the concrete bunker where the Nazi adminstration had been destroyed. But one man, Reichsleiter Martin Bormann, Adolf Hitler’s secretary and eminence grise had a daring plan to escape. Far away to the south–west , at Schloss Arlberg above the River Inn, five prisoners of war were contemplating their fate. Would they be murdered by their captors or liberated by the Russians? Unbeknown to them Bormann has his own plans. They are about to become part of a mystery that has fascinated the world for over sixty years. What exactly did happen to Bormann and his prisoners?

The Valhalla Exchange

Sherlock Holmes, the world's "only unofficial consulting detective", was first introduced to readers in A Study in Scarlet published by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887. It was with the publication of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, however, that the master sleuth grew tremendously in popularity, later to become one of the most beloved literary characters of all time. In this book series, the short stories comprising The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes have been amusingly illustrated using only Lego® brand minifigures and bricks. The illustrations recreate, through custom designed Lego models, the composition of the black and white drawings by Sidney Paget that accompanied the original publication of these adventures appearing in The Strand Magazine from July 1891 to June 1892. Paget's iconic illustrations are largely responsible for the popular image of Sherlock Holmes, including his deerstalker cap and Inverness cape, details never mentioned in the writings of Conan Doyle. This uniquely illustrated collection, which features some of the most famous and enjoyable cases investigated by Sherlock Holmes and his devoted friend and biographer Dr. John H. Watson, including A Sandal in Bohemia and The Red-Headed League, is sure to delight Lego enthusiasts, as well as fans of the Great Detective, both old and new. A CASE OF IDENTITY: Miss Mary Sutherland, a woman with a substantial income, visits Sherlock Holmes to request his assistance regarding the mysterious disappearance of her fiancé, Hosmer Angel, from the carriage that was conveying him to their wedding. Holmes effortlessly deduces what has really happened from his residence on Baker Street, but chooses not to inform his client as he fears she will not believe him.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Re-Imagined

A Case of Identity

Children are killing themselves across the State of Tennessee. Is it a horrible coincidence, or are dark forces at work? When Jack Nightingale learns that there is a mysterious list of children who are at risk, he takes the case, spurred on by the fact that he knows one of the names and that makes it personal. His investigation brings him up against a demon from Hell who is being used on a mission of revenge. But if Nightingale is to save the children, and his own soul, he'll need help from an old adversary.

Jack Nightingale

Tennessee Night

After Special Agent Adam Whitfield’s ex-wife is nearly killed when she stops an abduction, the serial killer that Adam’s been hunting turns his focus on Charlotte Murray for getting in his way. Now, as the Night Stalker closes in, Adam has two missions: bring the murderer to justice and save Charlotte—because failure isn’t an option.

FBI: Special Crimes Unit

Night Stalker

Mataura is a small town in rural New Zealand where, apart from the odd tractor theft, nothing very interesting happens. But when the body of a young mother is found washed up on the banks of the Mataura River, the small rural community is rocked by her tragic suicide. All is not what it seems, however. Sam Shephard, sole-charge police constable in the town, soon discovers the death was no suicide and has to face the realisation that there is a killer in town. To complicate the situation, the murdered woman was the wife of Sam's former lover. When Sam finds herself on the list of suspects and suspended from duty, she must cast aside her personal feelings and take matters into her own hands. She has to find the murderer...and clear her name.

Sam Shephard

Overkill

An unputdownable thriller set in the dark underbelly of Europe, perfect for fans of I AM PILGRIM. Into the darkness they fall… Tarifa, Spain. A man’s body washes up on the beach. No-one seems to care. Patrick Cornwall is a highly acclaimed investigative journalist. His latest project: to uncover the plight of migrants trying to start new lives in Europe, and expose the corruption that runs to the highest levels of society. Patrick’s wife, Ally, is used to Patrick being out of contact. But she’s just discovered she’s pregnant, and she must track him down. Unable to reach him and starting to worry, she flies across the ocean to get answers. Still unable to find him, Ally delves into the secrets Patrick was determined to expose, and is drawn into an ever-deadlier web. Because in the dark underbelly of Europe, where lives are cheap, the perpetrators will stop at nothing to keep their sins hidden, and their victims forgotten…

The Forgotten Dead

Having landed a small part in a new West End play, The Habit of Faith, Charles Paris is dismayed to discover that his good fortune has been orchestrated by his bête noire, the now-famous screen actor Justin Grover. But why has Grover become involved in this relatively obscure production – and why has he roped in Charles to star? From the outset the production is fraught with difficulties – and matters become even more complicated when a body is discovered at the foot of the dressing room stairs. Did they fall – or were they pushed? As one of the last people to have seen the victim alive, Charles Paris is drawn into the ensuing investigation.

Charles Paris

A Deadly Habit

The Canterville Ghost is a short story by Oscar Wilde. A modern American family moves into an English stately home - Canterville Chase. It turns out to be a traditionally drafty and very haunted English mansion, complete with the ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville - blood-stains, clanking chains and all. In this castle the crusty old ghost has a tough time convincing the family he exists and cannot even succeed in frightening them. This is extremely frustrating of course to him and as the protagonist of the story, the ghost takes matters (and non-matters) into his hands to deal with the upstart and irreverent new tenants. The Canterville Ghost, was the first of Wilde's stories to be published and appeared in two parts in The Court and Society Review, in February and March 1887. E-Book, ePUB, length 11,700 words, average reading time 1 hour. Unabridged full version. Also available as audiobook read by James K. White, running time 1 hour, 9 min.

The Canterville Ghost

Though Northanger Abbey is one of Jane Austen's earliest novels, it was not published until after her death--well after she'd established her reputation with works such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility. Of all her novels, this one is the most explicitly literary in that it is primarily concerned with books and with readers. In it, Austen skewers the novelistic excesses of her day made popular in such 18th-century Gothic potboilers as Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho. Decrepit castles, locked rooms, mysterious chests, cryptic notes, and tyrannical fathers all figure into Northanger Abbey, but with a decidedly satirical twist. Consider Austen's introduction of her heroine: we are told on the very first page that "no one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be an heroine." The author goes on to explain that Miss Morland's father is a clergyman with "a considerable independence, besides two good livings--and he was not in the least addicted to locking up his daughters." Furthermore, her mother does not die giving birth to her, and Catherine herself, far from engaging in "the more heroic enjoyments of infancy, nursing a dormouse, feeding a canary-bird, or watering a rose-bush" vastly prefers playing cricket with her brothers to any girlish pastimes. Catherine grows up to be a passably pretty girl and is invited to spend a few weeks in Bath with a family friend. While there she meets Henry Tilney and his sister Eleanor, who invite her to visit their family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Austen amuses herself and us as Catherine, a great reader of Gothic romances, allows her imagination to run wild, finding dreadful portents in the most wonderfully prosaic events. But Austen is after something more than mere parody; she uses her rapier wit to mock not only the essential silliness of "horrid" novels, but to expose the even more horrid workings of polite society, for nothing Catherine imagines could possibly rival the hypocrisy she experiences at the hands of her supposed friends. In many respects Northanger Abbey is the most lighthearted of Jane Austen's novels, yet at its core is a serious, unsentimental commentary on love and marriage, 19th-century British style

Northanger Abbey

When the body of a herdsman is discovered in a farm building, Detective Sergeant Den Cooper is more than happy to cast local farmer Gordon Hillcock in the role of chief suspect. After all, it is a well-known fact that there was no love lost between Gordon and the victim. And besides, Den has a little grudge of his own – Gordon is currently dating his ex-fiancée Lilah. However, Den did not plan on Lilah's determination to protect her new lover…

A Death to Record

Action and blood-thirsty suspense from the master of the game. Simon Vaughan knows what it's like to fight a dirty war, he's had first-hand experience in Korea. Now he languishes in a Greek jail. When it comes to firearms and gun-running nobody does it better, but those days are behind him, until the British army propose a deal. His freedom for his help against the IRA in Belfast. He doesn't haven't any choice, if he wants his freedom back he'll have to conquer a new battlegroung…

The Savage Day

Newly estranged from his girlfriend, Lindy Hey, Inspector Domenic Jejeune returns to Southern Ontario, where he receives news that his brother, Damian, has gone missing in Wood Buffalo National Park while conducting research on Whooping Cranes. Domenic immediately heads out to try to find him. Back in the UK, Jejeune's plan to protect Lindy has failed, and she has been kidnapped by his old foe, Ray Hayes. Jejeune's trusty sergeant, Danny Maik, tracks down Lindy, but there is far more to the situation than he anticipated. With Lindy in imminent danger, Maik is forced into a desperate rescue attempt. Will either of them survive? And if so, can they find their way back to each other?

Dance of Cranes, A

Strange things are going on in Black Dog Wood, near the village of Nasely. There are rumours that it's become a popular dogging spot, and there have been alleged sightings of a werewolf-like monster. And then someone discovers a blindfolded skeleton, bizarrely buried standing up…When the secretary of a prestigious girl's boarding school is found murdered, all of the evidence points to the local MP. His only chance to avoid prosecution for a crime that he claims he didn't commit is to hire ex-homicide detective Frank Shunter. Meanwhile, the identity of the blindfolded skeleton may reveal a startling truth about the fate of murder-mystery writer Agnes Crabbe's long lost novel, Wallowing In The Mire…

The Diabolical Club

The published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada during the Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890s. Strong sled dogs were in demand, and that’s how Buck the St Bernard cross Scotch Shepherd ended up in the wilds of Alaska.

The Call of the Wild

When Meagan was five years old, her mother was viciously attacked and murdered. Now an adult, she herself is the victim of an abusive relationship. She’s desperate to escape but doesn’t have the courage to leave. So when Meagan meets Oliver, a decent guy who is on the rebound after a failed relationship, the two strike up a connection. But when Meagan confesses that her husband is abusive, it leads Oliver down a dark and dangerous path. Just how far would you go to protect someone? Oliver is about to find out and be pushed to his very limits…

Apartment 6

Lady Somers is the first woman to head up the Ministry of Defence. She also has something to hide. Catesby's job is to uncover her story and bury it forever. His quest leads him through the sex scandals of London in the Swinging Sixties and then on to Moscow where a shocking message changes everything. His next mission is a desperate hunt through the wartorn jungles of Southeast Asia, where he finally makes a heartbreaking discovery that is as personal as it is political. This captivating novel is set in a world of distorted reflections where nothing or no one is what they seem to be.

Catesby

The Whitehall Mandarin

Praise for Iain Levison: "The real deal . . . bracing, hilarious and dead on."-- The New York Times Book Review "Witty, deft, well-conceived writing that combines sharp satire with real suspense."-- Kirkus Reviews "Levison writes tight, punchy prose, with deadpan humor and savvy."-- The Wall Street Journal Philip Dixon is down on his luck. An escape from a lucrative but botched bank robbery lands him bleeding and on the verge of collapse in a college town in New Hampshire. How can he find a place to hide out in this innocent setting? Peering into the window of the nearest house, he sees a glimmer of hope: a man in his mid-thirties, obviously some kind of academic, is rolling around on the living room floor with an attractive high-school student. Professor Elias White is then blackmailed into harboring a dangerous fugitive, as Dixon--with a cool quarter-million in his bag and dreams of Canada in his head--gets ready for the last phase of his escape. But the last phase is always the hardest. Attractive and persistent FBI agent Denise Lupo is on his trail. As for Elias White, his surprising transition from respected academic to willing accomplice poses a ruthless threat that Dixon would be foolish to underestimate. "...Funny and acerbic, and crackles with raw energy."-- The Sunday Times (UK) Iain Levison was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1963. Since moving to the United States, he has worked as a fisherman, carpenter, and cook, and he has detailed his woes of wage slavery in A Working Stiff's Manifesto. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Dog Eats Dog

Time and again called one of Poe’s most brutal horror short stories, "Berenice" employs themes similar to Poe’s previous works: death of a beautiful woman, premature burial, and mental disorder. Though some autobiographical elements can be felt, the story still remains one of horror and obsession. The dark and brooding atmosphere, together with the almost-maniacal obsession of the main character with his cousin, creates a story that is definitely not for the faint-hearted! Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet, author, and literary critic. Most famous for his poetry, short stories, and tales of the supernatural, mysterious, and macabre, he is also regarded as the inventor of the detective genre and a contributor to the emergence of science fiction, dark romanticism, and weird fiction. His most famous works include "The Raven" (1945), "The Black Cat" (1943), and "The Gold-Bug" (1843).

Horror Classics

Berenice

SOCO Maya Barton is called to a canal where a heavily decomposed male body has been discovered. A bank card belonging to Trevor Dawlish is found in the cadaver's pocket, and the name matches that of a missing person. All seems straightforward - until Trevor's wife phones the police to say that Trevor has returned home, leaving Maya and the team wondering who the unknown male is. When it's revealed that the male was dead before he entered the water, Maya finds herself with a murder on her hands. But when another body is discovered, the case becomes further complicated. The hope is that facial reconstruction of the first victim will help solve the mystery - but it may lead Maya and her team down an even darker path.

Maya Barton

Shattered Bones

McNulty's Meats, one of Stonebridge's oldest businesses, is about to be taken over in a lucrative deal that would make brothers Ron and Kevin very rich men indeed. Unfortunately for them, local activist Tyler Love has other ideas. Convinced that the deal would be bad for the town, he burns the business to the ground and inadvertently kills himself in the process. As least, that's what the police think. Tyler's mum disagrees and pleads with amateur sleuths Adam and Colin to investigate. Although, going up against the psychopathic McNulty brothers, a rival businessman, a group of hippies, and a girlfriend with secrets of her own might not be such a good idea. . .Someone has something to hide, and will go to great lengths to keep that secret buried.

Stonebridge Mystery

Meat is Murder

October 1604. Plague has hit London, and the theatres are closed. But the capital's loss is Plymouth's gain, when a London theatre troupe, the Company, arrive on their 'Plague Tour'. Country physician Gabriel Taverner is bewitched and unnerved by the Company's sexually charged staging of OTHELLO. But when Gabriel's friend tells him of a dangerous, whispered conversation overheard during a brief break, he is relieved the Company will soon be on their way. Then one of the actors collapses, and Gabriel finds himself caught in a waking nightmare, where nothing is as it appears. Death is stalking the Company - but how can Gabriel hope to catch a cold-blooded killer, if he can't even trust the evidence of his own eyes?

Gabriel Taverner

Magic in the Weave

In 1944, in the outer-Melbourne suburb of Nunawading, the brutal deaths of a family herald the return of a long-forgotten cult. A man named Anthony Prescott has declared himself the Messiah, and has promised his followers immortality. There are those who believe him - and who are ready to kill in his name. Inspector Titus Lambert of the Melbourne Homicide unit, whose detectives are over-stretched, requests the discreet assistance of Helen Lord and Joe Sable: once members of his unit, now private inquiry agents. The investigation is more perilous than any of them realise, and will have tragic consequences.

The Holiday Murders Series

The Orchard Murders

The Stonebridge Regatta is looming. The town's annual face-off against neighbouring Meadowfield is usually a weekend filled with sunshine, laughter and camaraderie. This year is different. A week before the race, the body of Stonebridge team captain Matthew Henderson is found dead in the water. The police file his passing as a tragic accident however, his grieving widow disagrees and suspects foul play is involved. She enlists the help of Adam and Colin, the town's amateur (self-proclaimed) private detectives to unearth the truth. Did Matthew simply slip and fall into the water, or is there more to his death below the surface?

Dead in the Water

‘Chilling… You won't be able to stop turning the pages!’ Shari Lapena, Sunday Times bestselling author ‘One of the best books I have read this year!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ You trusted him with your secret…and then he vanished.When Wren Greenwood meets a good-looking stranger from a dating app, she expects a casual fling – but they connect immediately. Adam Harper is her perfect match. She falls for him. She confides in him. And then he disappears… his profiles deleted, his phone disconnected, his Manhattan apartment emptied. First, Wren blames herself. Then she hears about the other girls – girls who fell in love with Adam, and are now missing. Wren needs answers, but as she follows the breadcrumb trail Adam left behind, it leads back to her own dark past. Suddenly, she’s no longer sure if she’s predator or prey. She only knows one thing: whatever it takes, she’ll be the last girl he ever ghosts… This unforgettable thriller will keep you hooked until the very final twist. Perfect for fans of Harriet Tyce’s Blood Orange and A.J. Finn’s The Woman in the Window. Readers LOVE Last Girl Ghosted! ‘WOW, what a read!… I couldn't put it down. ’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I flew through this – you just can’t put it down. Lots of delicious twists.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘It grabbed me from the get go… A must read… Highly recommend!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book kept me riveted to my seat… I heartily recommend this book to anyone who loves a good suspense novel.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘[Lisa Unger] has knocked this one out of the park! Psychological suspense… at its finest.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant and compelling… I read straight through the night, couldn't put the novel down till I turned the last page…’ Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Box ‘Lisa Unger is our most inventive suspense author… Clear your calendar and lock the doors. You will not be able to stop reading.’ J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of Her Dark Lies

Last Girl Ghosted

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Crime, Thrillers & Mystery

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