Crime Chronicle

Her mother says she was murdered. Everyone else thinks it was suicide. Who do you believe? A fast-paced and explosive new thriller for fans of Anatomy of a Scandal and Showtrial.

A young woman is dead.

A very wealthy client needs a favour. You're newly qualified as a lawyer and this could be your big break, so you jump at the chance.

The case is about to be closed.

All you have to do is talk to a family, ask them to sign some papers. How difficult could it be? Their daughter was found dead at a beauty spot on the outskirts of London in what you're told was a tragic suicide.

Only you can uncover what really happened.

But the truth is never that simple. And this case could cost you your life...

Readers love The Simple Truth!

? ? ? ? ? 'A rollercoaster thriller.'

? ? ? ? ? 'I loved reading this pacy thriller.'

? ? ? ? ? 'Fast paced and exciting.'

? ? ? ? ? 'What a read! A fantastic whodunnit which will keep you guessing.'

? ? ? ? ? 'What a fantastic read - I could not put it down.'

? ? ? ? ? 'Awesome. I loved it.'

'Headland veers into the gothic realm that is visited by the best Australian fiction that dares to go somewhere dark and unfathomable . . . It's a cracker.' - Sydney Morning Herald

The small beachside town of Gloster is on the edge of disaster. After constant rain, floodwaters are rising fast. Detective Constable Craig Watson, exiled to Gloster from Sydney, is a young man with a damaged past and an uncertain future.

Constables Ellie Cameron and Larissa Brookes are young women struggling to show their worth as police officers under a misogynistic sergeant.

The drowning town holds a secret that someone is prepared to murder for, and as the floodwaters cut Gloster off from the world the three young police officers begin to understand that it's not just them left stranded. Somewhere out there in the floodwaters is a killer. And he needs them dead.

Taut, compelling and visceral, John Byrnes' Headland announces a major new voice in Australian crime fiction.

'Following in the footsteps of Jane Harper and Chris Hammer . . . Byrnes does a fantastic job of turning the relentless downpour into a constant threat. This thriller is a pacy and compelling debut.' - Books+Publishing

'This has all the ingredients of a classic rural noir, but dialled up to 11 . . . all the elements come together for a final, thrilling, climax, as resolution and redemption are delivered . . . a page-turner' - Newcastle Herald

'[Headland] takes readers on a dark and captivating journey . . .blends realistic action scenes and bleak character moments with a clever mystery.

With this impressive debut, Byrnes has set himself up as an exciting and distinctive new Australian crime fiction talent who has a very bright future. Headland is an outstanding read and is highly recommended.' -Canberra Weekly

'a propulsive, lean and gritty crime thriller from a distinct new voice in Australian crime writing . . .

Crisp and economical prose means Headlandwon't gather much dust on your nightstand. It's relentlessly paced, and no-holds-barred.' Simon McDonald, Diary of a Bookseller

THE SUNDAY TIMES bestseller, as seen on BBC 2's BETWEEN THE COVERS

A WATERSTONES THRILLER BOOK OF THE MONTH 
*WINNER
* OF THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2024 
*WINNER
* OF THE CRIME WRITERS' ASSOCIATION ILP JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER 2024 

AND NOMINATED FOR TWO OTHER MAJOR AWARDS

Capital Crime Book of the Year 2023

Crimefest Specsavers Best Debut Crime Novel 

‘I devoured this in one sitting’ Rob Rinder, as featured on BBC 2’s Between the Covers ‘Terrifyingly timely and provocative' Val McDermid 'The most original crime novel you'll read this year' Clare Mackintosh 

In the UK, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds.

Just gone. Vanished. In the blink of an eye. 

DCS Kat Frank knows all about loss. A widowed single mother, Kat is a cop who trusts her instincts. Picked to lead a pilot programme that has her paired with AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock, Kat's instincts come up against Lock's logic. But when the two missing person's cold cases they are reviewing suddenly become active, Lock is the only one who can help Kat when the case gets personal. 

AI versus human experience. 

Logic versus instinct.

With lives on the line can the pair work together before someone else becomes another statistic? 

In the Blink of an Eye is a dazzling debut from an exciting new voice and asks us what we think it means to be human. 

'Just brilliant!' Lisa Jewell 

'Has to be a strong contender for crime debut of the year - sharp, perceptive writing and a brilliant new take on the detective duo' T. M. Logan

'Everything you could hope for in a thriller: heartbreaking, intelligent, deftly plotted and so original' Fiona Cummins

'Jo Callaghan makes her entry into the crowded police procedural genre with a fresh take on the buddy-buddy cop trope . . . Provocative and compelling' Vaseem Khan 

'The kind of fresh and fearless debut I just adore. Wildly original, heartfelt, funny, and properly thrilling. Take a bow, Jo Callaghan' Chris Whitaker

WINNER OF THE CWA DAGGER FOR CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION

---

""A gem of a book,

easily the best I've read this year. A contemporary police procedural

with a literary edge. I was rooting for the flawed, but deeply

compassionate Melchor Marin from the first page to the last. Highly

recommended"" M W Craven

Two dead at the Adell house . . .

But nothing in the duty officer's report can prepare Melchor Marin for what he finds. A wealthy couple tortured to death in an almost ritualistic manner. The little town of Gandesa in the backwater region of Terra

Alta, Catalonia, is suddenly at the eye of a media storm.

Melchor is no stranger to notoriety. He was sent to Terra Alta to lie low after foiling a terrorist attack. And, before

that, he was jailed for his role as driver for a Colombian drug cartel, his decision to join the police inspired by a

desire to avenge his mother's murder and a copy of Les Miserables from the prison library.

Gradually, the leads in the Adell case dry up, and Melchor is ordered to back off. He doesn't, willing to sacrifice his reputation and career in a ruthless pursuit of the truth. But dusk is already falling on the darkest night of his life.

Translated from the Spanish by Anne McLean

The Sleeping and The Dead is a tense psychological thriller from Ann Cleeves, author and creator of the three astounding TV series: Shetland, Vera and The Long Call.

Detective Peter Porteous is called to Cranwell Lake where the body of a teenager has been discovered. After trawling through the missing persons files, he comes to the conclusion that the corpse is Michael Grey, an enigmatic and secretive young man who was reported missing by his foster parents in 1972.

The news report that a body has been found leaves prison officer Hannah Morton in shock. Michael had been her boyfriend, and she had been with him the night he disappeared. And now the discovery is bringing back dreaded and long buried memories from her past . . .

Burial of Ghosts is a page-turning standalone novel from Ann Cleeves, author and creator of the three astounding TV series: Shetland, Vera and The Long Call.

Abandoned as a baby, twenty-five-year-old Lizzie Bartholomew spent her childhood moving between foster homes and has had more than her fair share of troubles.

Now a holiday in Morocco seems to be the perfect escape. Especially when she meets Philip, a fellow tourist. After a brief affair, Lizzie returns to England, only to find a solicitor's letter waiting for her.

Philip Samson has died and in his will, has left Lizzie a gift of £15,000. But there are conditions attached to this unexpected legacy that will soon force Lizzie to confront terrifying secrets from her past life . . .

Shortlisted for the 2023 ACWA Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction

Shortlisted for the 2023 Davitt Award

‘It isn’t strangers you need to worry about here. Blood lines run deep and in unexpected places. Every victim, every accused, we’ll know. The past runs alongside us all the time. Some days it spills into the open.’

In the wild, coastal town of Merritt, Alex Tillerson and her mother make a shocking find on the beach. The police claim it’s an accidental death but there are whispers of murder and that it is not the first. 

Bella Greggs was found dead at the bottom of a ravine but drowned in salt water. Maxine McFarlane was pulled from the ocean but with no water in her lungs. Black feathers were found with both bodies but what do they mean?

As Alex fights for answers to honour the dead, and to discover why her mother fled town as a teenager, good people keep looking the other way, memories become unreliable and secrets threaten to reveal the past.

Alex discovers the truth never dies but it can kill…

Praise for When We Fall:

'A vivid, twisting story that keeps you guessing to the end. This is top-shelf Australian crime.' – Mark Brandi, author of Wimmera and The Others

‘Atmospheric and absorbing, When We Fall is an absolute page-turner.’ – Sara Foster, author of The Hush

'A suspenseful, rattling thriller with an ending that will have you gnawing your fingernails to the bone.' – Fiona Hardy, Readings

‘A wonderful storyteller. The combination of art, death and small town secrets makes for a sinister, complex tale that I could not put down. I’ve loved all of Aoife’s books but I think this is the best yet.’ – Sarah Bailey, author of The Housemate

 

 

A classic crime novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, ‘The King of Detective Story Writers’, featuring Inspector French, coming soon to television.

When Morrison first heard of old Stott’s idea to purchase an ocean liner and run her as a tourist ship in sheltered waters off the British Isles, he was most enthusiastic. In fact, he accepted a job on board. But when he discovered the true purpose of Stott’s floating paradise, Morrison’s delight turned to foreboding. And when murder struck the vessel, he wasn’t alone. A certain Inspector from Scotland Yard had been travelling incognito, almost as if a nasty spot of trouble had been expected…

Seventy-five-year-old Ethel Crestwater isn't a threat to anyone. Until a murderer targets her government agent boarding house

Everybody has something to hide

At 75-years-old, Ethel Fiona Crestwater is used to being underestimated. She looks like someone's grandma, though she's never married or had children; petite and a bit frail, she's not a threat to anyone. Or is she...? Ethel runs a boarding house for government agents, and when someone murders one of her boarders, she springs into action-much to the surprise of her distant cousin Jesse, who has recently come to stay with her while he attends university. As he watches her photograph the crime scene, conceal evidence, and speed-dial the Secret Service Director, Jesse realizes that there's much more to Ethel than appearances suggest.

But when Jesse is assaulted and the gym bag full of cash Ethel had hidden is stolen from the basement, the pair decides it's time to launch their own unofficial investigation. With no one to trust but each other, these double-first-cousins-twice-removed form an unlikely bond, and learn that the only thing truly worth risking your life for is family.

A call for help from a former colleague leads Maine game warden investigator Mike Bowditch and his girlfriend Stacey Stevens on a sea kayaking trip to a research station far off the coast. Stacey spent summers interning on the island, a sanctuary for endangered seabirds, and they are shocked by the atmosphere of tension they encounter when they come ashore. The biologists are being threatened and stalked by a mysterious boatman who they suspect is trespassing on the refuge late at night.

And now the sanctuary's enigmatic founder, whose mind has been slowly unraveling, has gone missing.

Camped on an islet for the night, Mike and Stacey waken to the sound of a gunshot. When they return to the refuge at dawn, their darkest fears are confirmed: two of the three researchers have been brutally murdered and the third has disappeared, along with the island skiff. Mike's quest to find the missing man leads to a nearby island owned by a world-renowned photographer and his equally brilliant wife. The inhabitants of this private kingdom quickly close ranks, and Mike increasingly comes to believe that someone in the village knows more about the killings than they dare admit.

With no one to trust and miles from shore, Mike Bowditch must stop a ruthless murderer determined to make sure a terrifying secret never sees the light of day.

SHE TOOK CONTROL OF HIS COMPUTER. NOW HE'S LOST CONTROL OF HIS LIFE . . .

Someone is always watching

James Fitzpatrick is a high-profile lawyer at a successful City firm. He's married to Bella. She's beautiful and clever, a teacher at a prestigious private school.

They have the perfect lives.

But then, one night, James loses a file for a multi-million pound deal he's working on and in desperation contacts the company's IT helpdesk.

A woman named Charlotte answers his call, setting in motion a series of events set to shatter James' and Bella's lives.

In the weeks after, James is accused of more mistakes at work, ones he doesn't remember making and can't explain. Meanwhile Bella finds herself the target of vicious rumours at school - and no one seems willing to believe her side of the story.

Everything started with that one phone call.

Who is the woman at the other side of the computer screen? And why do Bella and James suddenly find their privileged existence in peril?

PRAISE FOR SHANE DUNPHY

'A dark, chilling and fantastic read' Patricia Gibney

'An edge-of-your-seat thriller' Andrea Carter

From internationally bestselling author Katrine Engberg, the series that is a ""gripping addition to the Scandinavian crime fiction pantheon"" (Oprah Daily) comes to a stunning conclusion as Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner rush to untangle a long-simmering mystery before a brutal killer strikes again.

Jeppe Korner, on leave from the police force and nursing a broken heart, has taken refuge on the island of Bornholm for the winter. Also on the island is Esther de Laurenti, a writer working on a biography on a female anthropologist with a mysterious past and coming to terms with her own crushing sense of loneliness in the wake of a dear friend's death. When Jeppe lends a helping hand at the island's local sawmill, he begins to realize that the island may not be the peaceful refuge it appears to be.

Back in Copenhagen, Anette Werner is tasked with leading the investigation into a severed corpse discovered on a downtown playground. As she follows the strange trail of clues, they all seem to lead back to Bornholm. With an innocent offer to check out a lead, Jeppe unwittingly finds himself in the crosshairs of a sinister mystery rooted in the past, forcing him to team up with Anette and Esther to unravel the island's secrets before it's too late.

With her signature ""unforgettable characters and brilliant plot twists"" (Kathy Reichs, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Katrine Engberg weaves a satisfying and white-knuckled finale to her Korner and Werner series that is a modern classic of Scandinavian noir.

*The brand new thriller from Lucy Foley – THE MIDNIGHT FEAST – is available to buy now
*
*The No.1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller
*

Discover the electric thriller from the No.1, million-copy bestseller, Lucy Foley

There was a murder here last night.

Who holds the key to the mystery of apartment three?‘Dazzling’ The Times

‘Up-all-night reading’ Erin Kelly

‘Gloriously twisty’ Ruth Ware

‘Combines edge-of-your-seat tension with out-and-out Parisian chic’ Adele Parks

In a beautiful old apartment block, deep in the backstreets of Paris, secrets are stirring behind every resident’s door.

The lonely wife

The party animal

The curtain-twitcher

The secret lover

The watchful caretaker

The unwanted guest

One resident is missing. Only the killer holds the key to the mystery…

What readers are saying about The Paris Apartment:

‘One to devour entirely in one delicious sitting. Stupendous’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Twisty and mysterious and surprising’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Had me gripped right from the beginning’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Has “book of the year” written all over it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A page-turner with an amazing setting’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A fabulously tense and mysterious read!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Paris Apartment was a New York Times No.1 bestseller for w/e 06/03/2022

The Guest List was a Sunday Times No.1 bestseller for w/c 14/09/2022

The Guest List was the Goodreads Choice Awards winner for Crime & Mystery 2020

No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world.

For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that's exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he's got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin's shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she's starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her-and he's still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there.

The only people who know they exist are a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper's old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn't show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred-and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch's growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. After a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding-or finally face the sins of his past.

Vividly atmospheric and masterfully tense, These Silent Woods is a poignant story of survival, sacrifice, and how far a father will go when faced with losing it all.

*THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

---

'Three sparkling Grisham stories for the price of one . . . Appealing entertainment' IRISH INDEPENDENT

'These three novellas in a single volume show Grisham at his masterful best, exquisite evocations of the law though far from complimentary about lawyers . . . A minor masterpiece' DAILY MAIL

Three thrilling stories of the law from the master of the legal thriller.

Homecoming takes us back to Ford County, the fictional setting of many of John Grisham's unforgettable stories. Jake Brigance is back, but he's not in the courtroom. He's called upon to help an old friend, Mack Stafford, a former lawyer in Clanton who three years earlier became a local legend when he stole some money from his clients, divorced his wife, filed for bankruptcy, and left his family in the middle of the night, never to be heard from again. Until now. Now Mack is back and he's leaning on his old pals, Jake and Harry Rex, to help him return. His homecoming does not go as planned.

In Strawberry Moon, we meet Cody Wallace, a young death row inmate only three hours away from execution. His lawyers can't save him, the courts slam the door, and the Governor says no to a last minute request for clemency. As the clock ticks down, Cody has only one final request.

The Sparring Partners are the Malloy brothers, Kirk and Rusty, two successful young lawyers who inherited a once prosperous firm when its founder, their father, was sent to prison. Kirk and Rusty loathe one another, and speak to each other only when necessary. As the firm disintegrates, the fiasco falls into the lap of Diantha Bradshaw, the only person the partners trust. Can she save the Malloys, or does she take a stand for the first time and try to save herself?

350+ million copies, 45 languages, 10 blockbuster films:

NO ONE WRITES DRAMA LIKE JOHN GRISHAM

Open the safe deposit box. Inside you will find research material for a true crime book. You must read the documents, then make a decision. Will you destroy them? Or will you take them to the police?

Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult-like group who were convinced one of their member's babies was the anti-Christ, and they had a divine mission to kill it - until the baby's mother, Holly, came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than go to prison, and Holly - and the baby - disappeared into the care system.

Nearly two decades later, true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed - if Amanda can find them, it will be the true-crime scoop of the year, and will save her flagging career. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and is also on the baby's trail.

As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong, and the truth is something much darker and stranger than they'd ever imagined.

This story is far from over - and it won't have a happy ending.

Movie-making can be murder.

The project Final Draft, a psychological horror, being filmed at a house deep in a forest, miles from anywhere in the wintry wilds of West Cork.

The lead Former soap-star Adele Rafferty has stepped in to replace the original actress at the very last minute. She can't help but hope that this opportunity will be her big break - and she knows she was lucky to get it, after what happened the last time she was on a set.

The problem Something isn't quite right about Final Draft. When the strange goings-on in the script start to happen on set too, Adele begins to fear that the real horror lies off the page...

'Blair Witch meets Fleabag - I laughed out loud then couldn't switch the light off! A horror about a horror film, set on a set, this is a gem of the genre, delivered with pure mastery.' - Janice Hallet

SHORTLISTED FOR BEST CRIME FICTION IN THE 2023 NED KELLY AWARDS

Men get away with murder all the time. Now it's our turn ...

Naomi started grief counselling prepared to run for cover as soon as her therapist, Mia, pulled out a crystal or tried to align her chakras.

When Mia suggests that she join a support group, Naomi is sceptical: how could she begin to describe what it felt like to lose her sister, Jo? How could she possibly share her loss and rage to a room full of people? How could she express her helplessness that Jo's killer walks free on a suspended sentence?

And how could she share her deepest desire to see Jo's killer dead by her hand?

In the group sessions, Naomi finds that her experiences and her anger are shared between the other members: Gabrielle, Brooke, Katy, Olivia and Amy. Under the enigmatic leadership of Mia, a plan begins to take shape.

I'll kill yours if you kill mine ...

'A love letter to Hitchcock and Highsmith, fuelled by women's rage. Once you start you won't be able to stop.' Hayley Scrivenor

'An intense, page-turning psychological thriller that ... grips the reader with two-handed fury. Perfect for fans of Patricia Highsmith, Candice Fox and Jacqueline Bublitz, Seven Sisters will have you questioning your idea of justice and how far you would go to help others -- including taking an eye for an eye.' Books + Publishing

'A cracking thriller that I could not put down for a second ... This is a chilling, compelling, and completely addictive descent down the rabbit hole.' Dinuka McKenzie

'Compelling reading! Seven Sisters is the ultimate fightback novel.' Vikki Petraitis

'[This] taut, morally ambiguous thriller ... measures out a precise cocktail of parable and revenge fantasy' Sydney Morning Herald

'THRILLING' Paula Hawkins

'COMPULSIVE' The Times

'SEARING' Brit Bennett

'DEVASTATING' Observer

'UNFORGETTABLE' Ashley Audrain

'BRILLIANT' Chris Whitaker

---

Ansel Packer is scheduled to die in twelve hours. But this is not his story.

Ansel doesn't want to die; he wants to be celebrated, understood. Yet now he awaits the same fate he forced on those girls, years ago.

This is the story of the women who survive.

As the clock ticks down, three women - a mother, a sister, a detective - reckon with the choices that culminate in tragedy, the impact on those in its wake, and the possibility of redemption.

WINNER OF THE MWA EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL 2023

An incredible new thriller you won’t want to put down!

A shocking murder… It’s a case unlike anything detective Mina Dabiri has seen before. A woman trapped inside a magician’s box, with swords pierced through. But this time, it’s not a magic trick. It’s murder.

A case which twists and turns… Knowing she has a terrifying killer on her hands, Mina enlists the help of celebrity mentalist, Vincent Walder. Only he can give her an insight into the secret world of magic and illusions.

A ticking clock to stop a serial killer… Mina and Vincent soon discover that the murder victim has the roman numeral III engraved on her leg. The killer is counting down. There are going to be three more murders. And time is running out to stop them.

The SAS are used to deaths during combat - it goes with the turf.

But when one of their own is said to have committed suicide in Thailand, red flags are raised.

Pete Green wasn't the sort of soldier who would ever take his own life - and no one is more sure of that than his twin brother, Davie.

Davie is determined to fly to the Land Of Smiles to find out what really happened to his twin brother. But if he is going to find out the truth he'll need help - the sort of help only SAS Sergeant Matt Standing can provide.

But soon after they arrive they come under attack, leaving Standing to investigate on his own. There are clearly people who want to shut down all enquiries and Standing knows he will have to use all his SAS jungle skills to survive. This will be the toughest of assignments but nothing will come between him and the truth ...

* LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER

---

THE WESTERN FRONT, JULY 1918. Gregor Reinhardt is a young lieutenant in a stormtrooper battalion on the Western Front when one of his subordinates is accused of murdering a group of officers, and then subsequently trying to take his own life. Not wanting to believe his friend could have done what he is accused of, Reinhardt begins to investigate. He starts to uncover the outline of a conspiracy at the heart of the German army, a conspiracy aimed at ending the war on the terms of those who have a vested interest in a future for Germany that resembles her past.

The investigation takes him from the devastated front lines of the war, to the rarefied heights of society in Berlin, and into the hospitals that treat those men who have been shattered by the stress and strain of the war. Along the way, Reinhardt comes to an awakening of the man he might be. A man freed of dogma, whose eyes have been painfully opened to the corruption and callousness all around him. A man to whom calls to duty, to devotion to the Fatherland and to the Kaiser, ring increasingly hollow...

Winner of the 2021 Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction, The Second Son takes readers on a exhilarating ride on the mean streets of Western Sydney

Duty always has a price.

When Ivan Novak is shot dead putting out his garbage bins in Sydney's west, his family wants revenge, especially his father Milan, a notorious crime boss. It's a job for the second son, Ivan's younger brother Johnny.

But Johnny loves his wife Amy and their son Sasha. And she's about to deliver her ultimatum- either the three of them escape this wave of killing or she'll leave, taking Sasha.

Torn between loyalty to his family and love for his wife, Johnny plans the heist of a lifetime and takes a huge risk. Is he prepared to pay the price? And what choice will Amy make?

The Second Son is a brilliant action-packed crime debut that creates a world where honour is everything, violence is its own language, and love means breaking all the rules.

The fourth novel in Anne Perry's breathtakingly tense and exciting spy thriller series, featuring British

secret agent Elena Standish, who will need every ounce of her strength and ingenuity to survive what lies ahead...

It is the summer of 1934 when MI6 receives intelligence that two German scientists have made a breakthrough in germ warfare. British agent Elena Standish must return to Berlin to prevent unimaginable horror and, with the help of her trusted friend, Jacob Ritter, embark upon a mission fraught with fear and uncertainty.

Meanwhile, her grandfather's old adversary Johann Paulus has risen to power as an adviser to Hitler.

By his side is his loyal supporter Hans Beckendorff, who is married to Elena's childhood friend.

But when Hans witnesses the bloodshed and atrocities of the Night of the Long Knives, he is torn between ambition and the realisation that he must protect his family from harm.

The number-one bestselling thriller from the award-winning author of THE WRONG WOMAN and THE LAST GUESTS

There's no doubt about it: Pomare is a master of the carefully constructed, impeccably paced psycho-thriller' THE AUSTRALIAN Psychologist Margot Scott has a picture-perfect life: a nice house in the suburbs, a husband, two children and a successful career. On a warm spring morning, Margot approaches one of her clients on a busy train platform. He is looking down at his phone, with his duffel bag in hand. As the train approaches, she slams into his back and he falls in front of the front carriage as it hurtles down the tracks. Margot's clients don't always tell the truth, but now one lie could cost her the ultimate price: her family and freedom.

INCLUDES AN EXTRACT OF THE LAST GUESTS

*Molly the maid returns in THE MAID'S SECRET – available to pre-order now
*

---

Get swept away by the million-copy bestseller …
*THE NO.1 NEW YORK TIMES & SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER
*WINNER OF THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST MYSTERY/THRILLER
*WINNER OF THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION
*A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME PICK

‘An escapist pleasure’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘An instantly gripping whodunnit’ STYLIST ‘Smart, riveting, and deliciously refreshing ’ LISA JEWELL

It begins like any other day for Molly Gray, silently dusting her way through the luxury rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel.

But when she enters suite 401 and discovers an infamous guest dead in his bed, a very messy mystery begins to unfold. And Molly’s at the heart of it – because if anyone can uncover the secrets beneath the surface, the fingerprints amongst the filth – it’s the maid . . .

Everyone’s getting swept away by The Maid:

‘Excellent and totally entertaining . . . the most interesting (and endearing) main character in a long time’ STEPHEN KING

‘This is phenomenal thriller. Maid or murderer or victim? Find out in the book’ READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Gripping, deftly written, and led by a truly unforgettable protagonist in Molly. I'm recommending it to everyone I know' EMMA STONEX

‘I loved everything about this book’ READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I didn’t think I could love a character any more than I loved Eleanor Oliphant but along comes Molly the Maid. God, I love her’ READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fresh, fiendish and darkly beguiling. The Maid is so thrillingly original, and clever, and joyous. I just adored every page’ CHRIS WHITAKER

‘Felt like a modern day homage to Agatha Christie’ READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Lots of twists and turns and highly gripping’ READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Sunday Times No.4 bestseller for w/c 24/01/2022

A New York Times No.1 bestseller for w/c 31/01/2022

The Sunday Times bestselling series is back with a gripping new thriller that pits homicide detective Eve Dallas against a conspiracy of exploitation and evil...

Mina Rose Cabot, age thirteen, disappeared walking home from soccer practice in Devon, Pennsylvania.

Eight months later her body is found in Battery Park, New York, speared through the chest by a three-inch piece of wood.

Lt. Eve Dallas knows that whoever took Mina is responsible for her death. But who took her and where has Mina been for eight long months...?

The #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a gripping new thriller that pits homicide detective Eve Dallas against a conspiracy of exploitation and evil...

New York, 2061: The place called the Pleasure Academy is a living nightmare where abducted girls are trapped, trained for a life of abject service while their souls are slowly but surely destroyed. Dorian, a thirteen-year-old runaway who'd been imprisoned there, might never have made it out if not for her fellow inmate Mina, who'd hatched the escape plan. Mina was the more daring of the two--but they'd been equally desperate.

Unfortunately, they didn't get away fast enough. Now Dorian is injured, terrified, and wandering the streets of New York, and Mina lies dead near the waterfront while Lt. Eve Dallas looks over the scene.

Mina's expensive, elegant clothes and beauty products convince Dallas that she was being groomed, literally and figuratively, for sex trafficking--and that whoever is investing in this high-overhead operation expects windfall profits. Her billionaire husband, Roarke, may be able to help, considering his ties to the city's ultra-rich. But Roarke is also worried about the effect this case is having on Dallas, as it brings a rage to the surface she can barely control. No matter what, she must keep her head clear--because above all, she is desperate for justice and to take down those who prey on and torment the innocent.

My best friend wore her name, Esther, like a queen wearing her crown at a jaunty angle. We were twelve years old when she went missing.

On a sweltering Friday afternoon in Durton, best friends Ronnie and Esther leave school together. Esther never makes it home.

Ronnie's going to find her, she has a plan. Lewis will help. Their friend can't be gone, Ronnie won't believe it.

Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels can believe it. She has seen what people are capable of. She knows more than anyone how, in a moment of weakness, a person can be driven to do something they never thought possible.

Lewis can believe it too. But he can't reveal what he saw that afternoon at the creek without exposing his own secret.

Five days later, Esther's buried body is discovered.

Character-rich and propulsive, with a breathtakingly original use of voice and revolving points of view, Dirt Town delves under the surface, where no one can hide. With emotional depth and sensitivity, this stunning debut shows us how much each person matters in a community that is at once falling apart and coming together.

Esther will always be a Dirt Town child, as we are its children, still.

WINNER OF THE ABIA GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 WINNER OF THE 2023 CWA ILP JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER AWARD WINNER OF THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FOR LGBTQ+ MYSTERY 2023 WINNER OF THE DAVITT AWARDS DEBUT CRIME BOOK 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 MARGARET AND COLIN RODERICK LITERARY AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2023 FOR DEBUT FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA THE MATT RICHELL AWARD FOR NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE DAVITT AWARDS ADULT CRIME NOVEL 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE DANGER AWARD FOR FICTION 2023 FINALIST FOR THE 2023 ITW THRILLER AWARDS FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL

Praise for Dirt Town:

'Dirt Town is a remarkable debut, Hayley Scrivenor masterful in her deft handling of the tensions underpinning a small, regional town, and the complex characters that populate it. You will not be able to put it down.' Hannah Kent

'I loved this. What wonderful writing. Scarily good! . . . Masterful. Australian crime has a new star. The characters of Dirt Town are rich, raw and beautifully realised. One of the crime books of the year. Intelligent, nuanced and compassionate.' Chris Hammer

'A heart-wrenching mystery, Hayley Scrivenor's remarkable sense of place brings Dirt Town to life.' Jane Harper

'Beautifully written, compassionate, with an entirely credible but heart-breaking ending. A stunning debut.' Ann Cleeves

'What does Sara Nowak know?'

This is the last question priest Jurgen Stiller is asked before he is executed by ex-terrorist Faust. Then the killer begins the hunt for Sara Nowak.

Sara is fully occupied by the ongoing chaos in her personal life and she has no idea that she is being targeted until she is fired upon in her own home. The trail leads back to West Germany and a string of small, radical cells of terrorist fanatics. What was Operation Wahasha? Who is hiding behind the codename Faust? Sara Nowak has little to go on and meantime Faust is getting ever closer...

Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this chilling locked-room thriller

---

What could be more restful, more restorative, than a weekend getaway with family and friends? Hannah’s loving and generous tech-mogul brother found the listing for the secluded dream house online. It’s his birthday gift to Hannah and includes their spouses and another couple. The six friends need this trip with good food, good company and lots of R & R, far from the chatter and pressures of modern life.

But the idyllic weekend is about to turn into a nightmare. A deadly storm is brewing. The rental host seems just a little too present. The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history. And the friends have their own complicated past, with secrets that run blood deep. How well does Hannah know her brother, her own husband? Can she trust her best friend? And who is the new boyfriend, crashing their party? Meanwhile, someone is determined to ruin the weekend, looking to exact a payback for deeds long buried. Who is the stranger among them?

Murder at Mount Ephraim is the ninth book in Julie Wassmer's popular crime series - now a major Acorn TV drama, Whitstable Pearl, starring Kerry Godliman as private detective and restaurateur, Pearl Nolan

'While Oxford had Morse, Whitstable, famous for its oysters, has Pearl' Daily Mail

---

Pearl Nolan receives a wedding invitation from an old school friend. Journalist Amy has chosen somewhere very special for the wedding ceremony - the historic Kent manor house of Mount Ephraim - and the invite includes a pre-nuptial stay for Pearl and other guests at this venue.

Nestled in an 800-acre estate, and surrounded by beautiful gardens and a lake, Pearl sees this break as a chance to leave crime behind, along with her own detective agency and her restaurant, The Whitstable Pearl.

Accepting the invitation, Pearl looks forward to meeting the happy couple's friends and family, as well as Amy's fiance, Guy, a handsome and successful adventurer who appears to be Mr Perfect. She also has time to reflect on her own engagement to Canterbury CID detective, DCI Mike McGuire...

But before any wedding bells sound, murder strikes - and Pearl and McGuire are thrust together again - as partners in crime.

Praise for Julie Wassmer's Whitstable Pearl Mysteries...

'One of the best episodes in Wassmer's longrunning Whitstable saga' Daily Mail

'As light as a Mary Berry Victoria sponge, this Middle-England romp is packed with vivid characters' Myles McWeeney, Irish Independent

'All of the thrills without any of the gore' The Sun

'This is a quality title...a very entertaining read' The Puzzle Doctor

'A wonderful way to explore Whitstable . . . if you love cosy mysteries, then get acquainted with Pearl (and her mum and her cats!) and enjoy a trip to Whitstable through the eyes of this very convincing author' Trip Fiction

'Proves she's mistress of her craft' John McGhie, author of White Highlands

'Good, solid whodunits, without gruesome details or gratuitous violence, Murder on Sea may be just your cup of tea' Bec Stafford

Praise for the TV series...

'Scandi noir meets the English seaside in Whitstable Pearl, a murder mystery series based on Julie Wassmer's novels...' Drama Quarterly

'...explores all the murder and debauchery in the seemingly perfect English seaside town of Whitstable...' Washington Post

'...you never know what might turn up, either on the menu or alongside an oyster boat.' Wall Street Journal

'A rising star of Australian crime fiction ' SUNDAY TIMES

'S. R. White is the real deal.' CHRIS HAMMER, author of SCRUBLANDS

---

One outback town. Two puzzling murders. Fifty suspects.

In Unamurra, a drought-scarred, one-pub town deep in the outback, two men are savagely murdered a month apart - their bodies elaborately arranged like angels.

With no witnesses, no obvious motives and no apparent connections between the killings, how can lone police officer Detective Dana Russo - flown in from hundreds of kilometres away - possibly solve such a baffling, brutal case?

Met with silence and suspicion from locals who live by their own set of rules, Dana must take over a stalled investigation with only a week to make progress.

But with a murderer hiding in plain sight, and the parched days rapidly passing, Dana is determined to uncover the shocking secrets of this forgotten town - a place where anyone could be a killer.

A gripping and vividly atmospheric story from the international bestseller, this is a searing story perfect for fans of Jane Harper, Chris Hammer and Garry Disher.

Praise for S. R. White:

'A taut, beautifully observed slow-burner with an explosive finish' Peter May

'Original, compelling and highly recommended' Chris Hammer

'A fascinating case' SUNDAY TIMES

'It draws you in - and rewards with a truly powerful ending' HEAT

'This slow-burn novel catches light' THE SUN

'The story takes place over less than 48 hours but the pace is slow-burn, relying on considerable psychological depth...the denouement hits like a knockout punch WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN

'A dark and compulsive read' WOMAN & HOME

An attack on the host of a fancy tea party sends Theodosia Browning looking for answers in the latest entry in the New York Times bestselling series.

An attack on the host of a fancy tea party sends Theodosia Browning looking for answers in the latest entry in the New York Times bestselling series.

Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are catering a Victorian Christmas party at a swanky mansion in downtown Charleston. Drucilla Heyward, the hostess, is one of the wealthiest women in town.

As the champagne flows and the tea steeps, Drucilla is so pleased with the reception by her partygoers that she reveals her secret plan to Theodosia. The Grande Dame has brought the cream of Charleston society together to reveal that she is planning to give her wealth away to various charitable organizations. However, before she can make the announcement, Theodosia finds her crumpled unconscious in the hallway. It looks like the excitement has gotten to the elderly woman--except that there is a syringe sticking out of her neck.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

In the new installment of beloved author Maya Corrigan's Five-Ingredient Mystery series, join Val Deniston and her grandfather at the Maryland Mystery Fan Fest in the bake-off of the century that makes ""killing competition"" take on a whole new meaning...

In the new installment of beloved author Maya Corrigan's Five-Ingredient Mystery series, join Val Deniston and her grandfather at the Maryland Mystery Fan Fest in the bake-off of the century that makes ""killing competition"" take on a whole new meaning...

When the Deadly Desserts bake-off lives up to its name, Val and Granddad turn up the heat on a killer . . .

The Maryland Mystery Fan Fest sounds like exactly the fun getaway cafe manager Val Deniston and her grandfather could use. Granddad will even compete in a dessert competition in which contestants assume the roles of cooks to famous fictional sleuths. Playing Nero Wolfe's gourmet cook Fritz is an exciting challenge for Granddad. A restaurant manager is playing Lord Peter Wimsey's valet and cook Bunter. But Granddad is steamed to learn who will be playing Sherlock Holmes's landlady, Mrs. Hudson-his nemesis Cynthia Sweet, who he believes ripped off his five-ingredient theme from his column ""Codger Cook"" to use in her own recipe column.

Apparently, he isn't the only one who has a beef with his not-so-sweet competitor. When she's found dead in her room with the teakettle whistling, it's up to Val and her grandfather to sort through the festival goers to find out who was most definitely not a fan of Cynthia Sweet . . .

When a wedding turns into a crime scene, young vintner Parker Valentine investigates the full-bodied problem in this captivating Colorado-set cozy mystery.

When a wedding turns into a crime scene, young vintner Parker Valentine investigates the full-bodied problem in this captivating Colorado-set cozy mystery.

It's June in Boulder, Colorado, and wedding season is in full swing. Parker Valentine is excited to attend the wedding of her cousin, Emma, where in addition to celebrating the happy couple, she'll also be providing wine for the reception. But when the fussy wedding planner is found dead midway through the ceremony, Parker knows that to get the weekend back on track, she'll need to unveil a murderer.

Unfortunately, there's no shortage of high tension and hot tempers during a wedding, so Parker has a long list of potential suspects. Even worse, her entire family has fixated on the state of Parker's relationship with her boyfriend, Reid. If Parker can manage to impress her relatives with her wine skills and dodge unwanted pointed personal questions, solving a murder will be the icing on the cake.

""Like a modern-day Agatha Christie bestowed with a hefty dollop of Jane Austen.""-Laura Childs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Jane Austen meets reality TV and murder in this quirky cozy mystery-the first in a new series!

Phaedra Brighton is perfectly content with her life of lecturing college students, gossiping with her best friends, and dreaming of Mr. Darcy. As a young, respected (if somewhat peculiar) English professor, her expertise lies in all things Jane Austen-but she knows that the closest she'll ever get to being a real-life Elizabeth Bennet is in her dreams.

When Who Wants to Marry Mr. Darcy, a new reality TV show, starts filming at her best friend Charlene's estate, Phaedra is intrigued. And when the producer asks her to lend her Austenian knowledge as a consultant on the show, she's over the moon. But on the first day of filming, when Charlene's new husband is found electrocuted and Charlene herself is accused of the crime, Phaedra comes crashing back to reality.

With murder on the syllabus and her best friend in dire straits, there's no Mr. Darcy around to help Phaedra-she'll have to get to the bottom of this mystery herself.

Rome, the very end of December. The Field of Mars is packed with monuments, none more beautiful than Domitian's new Odeon and Stadium. But the area has been overtaken by ugly events: elaborately staged murders. Someone bears a spectacular grudge against the theatrical community, and intends to get revenge in the most spectacular way possible. The killer's method is to re-enact bloody scenes from the gruesome side of popular theatre, where characters in plays really die on stage.

A figure from the past wants Flavia Albia's father to investigate, but Falco is out of Rome for the holidays. Albia seizes the commission.

And begins to regret doing so almost immediately. 'The undertaker did it!' the first victim croaks before expiring. This seems to make no sense, because surely people are already dead when they go to their funeral?

Though there is a serial killer at large, the authorities would prefer a cover-up but Albia is driven to discover what is going on. How much blood must be shed before the mania ends? And could her own family be on the list for a frightful stage death?

Praise for Lindsey Davis and the Flavia Albia series

'It positively crackles with knowledge of the city and its people, mixed with social comment, ingenious and bloody plots and sharp observational skills leavened by more than a smattering of genuine and sometimes earthy humour' Crime Review

'Lighthearted, witty and effortlessly clever, just like its wonderful heroine, this is a window into ancient Rome, and a tonic and a joy to read' The Observer

'For a totally exhilarating romp through Ancient Rome, Lindsey Davis' latest Flavia Alba novel won't be beaten and offers an immersive experience of a vibrant world full of real, recognisable characters' Shotsmag

'In this witty novel by the mistress of Roman crime, the reader is transported behind the scenes of a Triumph into a fascinating world of actors, costumiers and animal trainers, all united in their hatred of the murdered man' Sunday Express Magazine

London, 1943.

Across the city prominent figures in science and the military are bursting into flame and being incinerated. Convinced that the Germans have deployed a new terror weapon, a desperate government turns to the one man who can track down the source of this dreadful menace - Sherlock Holmes.

The quest for a solution drives Holmes into an uneasy alliance with the country's most brilliant scientific genius, Professor James Moriarty. Only Holmes knows that, behind his facade of respectability, Moriarty is the mastermind behind a vast criminal empire. As they pursue the trail of incendiary murders, Holmes is quite sure that the professor is playing a double game and that there lies ahead a duel to the death which they cannot both survive.

A tribute to the classic Universal Pictures Sherlock Holmes film series starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.

A fascinating record of how London and Londoners were shaped by nearly 700 years of public executions.

More frequent in London than in any other city or town in Britain, these morbid spectacles often attracted tens of thousands of onlookers at locations across the capital and were a major part of Londoners' lives for centuries. From Smithfield to Kennington, Tyburn to Newgate Prison, public executions became embedded in London’s landscape and people’s lives. Even today, hints of this dark chapter in London’s history can still be seen across the city.

Featuring the lives and legacies of those who died or who witnessed public executions first hand from 1196 to 1868, this book tells the rarely told and often tragic human stories behind these events. It includes a range of fascinating objects, paintings and documents, many from the Museum of London’s collections, such as the vest said to have been worn by King Charles I when he was executed, portraits of ‘celebrity criminals’, and last letters of the condemned.

From the sites of execution to the thriving ‘gallows’ economy, the book reveals the role that Londoners played as both spectators and participants in this most public demonstration of state power over the life and death of its citizens.

'A master-class in bringing history to life, in all its creepy, twisted glory' - Karen Kilgariff, co-host of My Favorite Murder podcast

Rulloff was a brilliant yet utterly amoral murderer - some have called him a 'Victorian-era Hannibal Lecter' - whose crimes spanned decades, but by 1871 he was captured, chained in a cell - a psychopath holding court while curious 19th-century 'mindhunters' got to work.

From alienists (early psychiatrists who tried to analyse the source of his madness) to neurologists (who wanted to dissect his brain) to phrenologists (who analysed the bumps on his head to determine his character), each one thought he held the key to understanding the essential question: is evil born or made?

Expanding on her hit podcast, Tenfold More Wicked, acclaimed crime historian Kate Winkler Dawson draws on hundreds of source materials and never-before-shared historical documents to present one of the first glimpses into the mind of a serial killer - a century before the term was coined - through the scientists whose work would come to influence criminal justice for decades to come.