Crime Chronicle
APRIL 2018 • Selected Titles • Printable Version
Crime Chronicle - Modern Crime
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The Temptation of Forgiveness (#27 Brunetti)
Donna Leon
$29.99
Paperback • 320 pages
When important information is leaked from inside the Venetian Questura, Commissario Guido Brunetti is entrusted with the task of uncovering which of his colleagues is responsible. But before Brunetti can begin his investigation, he is surprised by the appearance in his office of a friend of his wife's, who is fearful that her son is using drugs. A few weeks later, Tullio Gasparini, the woman's husband, is found unconscious with a serious head injury at the foot of a bridge, and Brunetti is drawn to pursue a possible connection to the boy's behaviour. But the truth is not straightforward.
Following various contradictory leads, Brunetti navigates his way through a world of mysterious informants, underground deals and secret longstanding scam networks, all the while growing ever more impressed by the intuition of his fellow Commissario, Claudia Griffoni, and by the endless resourcefulness of Signorina Elettra, Vice-Questore Patta's secretary and gate-keeper.
With Gasparini's condition showing no signs of improvement, and his investigations leading nowhere, Brunetti is steadied by the embrace of his own family and by his passion for the classics. He turns to Sophocles's Antigone in an attempt to understand the true purpose of justice, and, in its light, he is forced to consider the terrible consequences to which the actions of a tender heart can lead.
Following various contradictory leads, Brunetti navigates his way through a world of mysterious informants, underground deals and secret longstanding scam networks, all the while growing ever more impressed by the intuition of his fellow Commissario, Claudia Griffoni, and by the endless resourcefulness of Signorina Elettra, Vice-Questore Patta's secretary and gate-keeper.
With Gasparini's condition showing no signs of improvement, and his investigations leading nowhere, Brunetti is steadied by the embrace of his own family and by his passion for the classics. He turns to Sophocles's Antigone in an attempt to understand the true purpose of justice, and, in its light, he is forced to consider the terrible consequences to which the actions of a tender heart can lead.
Greeks Bearing Gifts (#13 Bernie Gunther)
Philip Kerr
$32.99
Paperback • 464 pages
1957, Munich. Bernie Gunther's latest move in a long string of varied careers sees him working for an insurance company. It makes a kind of sense: both cops and insurance companies have a vested interest in figuring out when people are lying to them, and Bernie has a lifetime of experience to call on.
Sent to Athens to investigate a claim from a fellow German for a ship that has sunk, Bernie takes an instant dislike to the claimant. When he discovers the ship in question once belonged to a Greek Jew deported to Auschwitz, he is convinced the sinking was no accident but an avenging arson attack. Then the claimant is found dead, shot through both eyes. It's a win for Bernie's employers at least: no one to pay out to even if the claim is genuine. But who is behind the murder, and why?
Strong-armed into helping the Greek police with their investigation, Bernie is once again drawn inexorably back to the dark history of the Second World War, and the deportation of the Jews of Salonika - now Thessaloniki. As Europe seems ready to move on to a more united future with Germany as a partner rather than an enemy, at least one person in Greece is ready neither to forgive nor forget. And, deep down, Bernie thinks they may have a point.
Sent to Athens to investigate a claim from a fellow German for a ship that has sunk, Bernie takes an instant dislike to the claimant. When he discovers the ship in question once belonged to a Greek Jew deported to Auschwitz, he is convinced the sinking was no accident but an avenging arson attack. Then the claimant is found dead, shot through both eyes. It's a win for Bernie's employers at least: no one to pay out to even if the claim is genuine. But who is behind the murder, and why?
Strong-armed into helping the Greek police with their investigation, Bernie is once again drawn inexorably back to the dark history of the Second World War, and the deportation of the Jews of Salonika - now Thessaloniki. As Europe seems ready to move on to a more united future with Germany as a partner rather than an enemy, at least one person in Greece is ready neither to forgive nor forget. And, deep down, Bernie thinks they may have a point.
To Die But Once (#14 Maisie Dobbs)
Jacqueline Winspear
$29.99
Paperback • 352 pages
Spring 1940. With Britons facing what has become known as the Bore War - nothing much seems to have happened yet - Maisie Dobbs is asked to investigate the disappearance of a local lad, a young apprentice craftsman working on a hush-hush government contract. As Maisie's inquiry reveals a possible link to the London underworld, so the country is bracing for a possible enemy invasion amid news of the British expeditionary force stranded along the French coast. And another mother is worried about a missing son - but this time the boy in question is one beloved by Maisie.
Macbeth
Jo Nesbo
$32.99
Paperback • 512 pages
He's the best cop they've got.
When a drug bust turns into a bloodbath it's up to Inspector Macbeth and his team to clean up the mess.
He's also an ex-drug addict with a troubled past.
He's rewarded for his success. Power. Money. Respect. They're all within reach.
But a man like him won't get to the top.
Plagued by hallucinations and paranoia, Macbeth starts to unravel. He's convinced he won't get what is rightfully his.
Unless he kills for it.
When a drug bust turns into a bloodbath it's up to Inspector Macbeth and his team to clean up the mess.
He's also an ex-drug addict with a troubled past.
He's rewarded for his success. Power. Money. Respect. They're all within reach.
But a man like him won't get to the top.
Plagued by hallucinations and paranoia, Macbeth starts to unravel. He's convinced he won't get what is rightfully his.
Unless he kills for it.
The Darkness (#1 Hidden Iceland)
Ragnar Jonasson
$32.99
Paperback • 352 pages
The body of a young Russian woman washes up on an Icelandic shore. After a cursory investigation, the death is declared a suicide and the case is quietly closed.
Over a year later Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir of the Reykjavik police is forced into early retirement. She dreads the loneliness, and the memories of her dark past that threaten to come back to haunt her. But before she leaves she is given two weeks to solve a single cold case of her choice.
She knows which one: the Russian woman whose hope for asylum ended on the dark, cold shore of an unfamiliar country. Soon Hulda discovers that another young woman vanished at the same time, and that no one is telling her the whole story. Even her colleagues in the police seem determined to put the brakes on her investigation. Meanwhile the clock is ticking.
Hulda will find the killer, even if it means putting her own life in danger.
Spanning the icy streets of Reykjavik, the Icelandic highlands and cold, isolated fjords, The Darkness is an atmospheric thriller fromone of the most exciting names in Nordic Noir.
Over a year later Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir of the Reykjavik police is forced into early retirement. She dreads the loneliness, and the memories of her dark past that threaten to come back to haunt her. But before she leaves she is given two weeks to solve a single cold case of her choice.
She knows which one: the Russian woman whose hope for asylum ended on the dark, cold shore of an unfamiliar country. Soon Hulda discovers that another young woman vanished at the same time, and that no one is telling her the whole story. Even her colleagues in the police seem determined to put the brakes on her investigation. Meanwhile the clock is ticking.
Hulda will find the killer, even if it means putting her own life in danger.
Spanning the icy streets of Reykjavik, the Icelandic highlands and cold, isolated fjords, The Darkness is an atmospheric thriller fromone of the most exciting names in Nordic Noir.
Panic Room
Robert Goddard
$32.99
Paperback • 384 pages
Sometimes the danger is on the inside . . .
High on a Cornish cliff sits a vast uninhabited mansion. Uninhabited except for Blake, a young woman of dubious background, secretive and alone, currently acting as housesitter.
The house has a panic room. Cunningly concealed, steel lined, impregnable - and apparently closed from within. Even Blake doesn't know it's there. She's too busy being on the run from life, from a story she thinks she's escaped.
But her remote existence is going to be invaded when people come looking for the house's owner, missing rogue pharma entrepreneur, Jack Harkness. Suddenly the whole world wants to know where his money has gone. Soon people are going to come knocking on the door, people with motives and secrets of their own, who will be asking Blake the sort of questions she can't - or won't - want to answer.
And will the panic room ever give up its secrets?
PANIC ROOM is Robert Goddard at his nerve-shredding best. A sliver of a mystery kicks off a juggernaut of a thriller. Layers of secrets, half truths and lies must be peeled back to reveal what really lies within.
High on a Cornish cliff sits a vast uninhabited mansion. Uninhabited except for Blake, a young woman of dubious background, secretive and alone, currently acting as housesitter.
The house has a panic room. Cunningly concealed, steel lined, impregnable - and apparently closed from within. Even Blake doesn't know it's there. She's too busy being on the run from life, from a story she thinks she's escaped.
But her remote existence is going to be invaded when people come looking for the house's owner, missing rogue pharma entrepreneur, Jack Harkness. Suddenly the whole world wants to know where his money has gone. Soon people are going to come knocking on the door, people with motives and secrets of their own, who will be asking Blake the sort of questions she can't - or won't - want to answer.
And will the panic room ever give up its secrets?
PANIC ROOM is Robert Goddard at his nerve-shredding best. A sliver of a mystery kicks off a juggernaut of a thriller. Layers of secrets, half truths and lies must be peeled back to reveal what really lies within.
Old Bones (#19 Bill Slider)
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
$29.95
Paperback • 256 pages
DCI Bill Slider tackles the coldest of cold cases in this absorbing mystery.
A young couple discover human remains buried in the garden of their new house: could this be the resting place of 14-year-old Amanda Knight, who disappeared from the same garden two decades before, and was never seen again?
The problem comes almost as a relief to DCI Slider, still suffering from the fallout of his previous case. He is not popular with the Powers That Be, and his immediate boss, Detective Superintendent Porson, reckons that at least this little puzzle will keep Slider out of trouble. After all, with a murder twenty years in the past, this is the coldest of cold cases. Most of the suspects and principal players are now dead too, and all passion is long spent Or is it?
A young couple discover human remains buried in the garden of their new house: could this be the resting place of 14-year-old Amanda Knight, who disappeared from the same garden two decades before, and was never seen again?
The problem comes almost as a relief to DCI Slider, still suffering from the fallout of his previous case. He is not popular with the Powers That Be, and his immediate boss, Detective Superintendent Porson, reckons that at least this little puzzle will keep Slider out of trouble. After all, with a murder twenty years in the past, this is the coldest of cold cases. Most of the suspects and principal players are now dead too, and all passion is long spent Or is it?
The Mitford Murders
Jessica Fellowes
$19.99
Paperback • 432 pages
Lose yourself in the sumptuous first novel in a new series of Golden Age mysteries set amid the lives of the glamorous Mitford sisters.
It's 1919, and Louisa Cannon dreams of escaping her life of poverty in London, and most of all her oppressive and dangerous uncle.
Louisa's salvation is a position within the Mitford household at Asthall Manor, in the Oxfordshire countryside. There she will become nurserymaid, chaperone and confidante to the Mitford sisters, especially sixteen-year-old Nancy - an acerbic, bright young woman in love with stories.
But when a nurse - Florence Nightingale Shore, goddaughter of her famous namesake - is killed on a train in broad daylight, Nancy and amateur sleuth Louisa find that in postwar England, everyone has something to hide...
Written by Jessica Fellowes, author of the number one-bestselling Downton Abbey books, The Mitford Murders is the perfect new obsession for fans of Daisy Goodwin, Anthony Howoritz and Agatha Christie - and is based on a real unsolved crime.
It's 1919, and Louisa Cannon dreams of escaping her life of poverty in London, and most of all her oppressive and dangerous uncle.
Louisa's salvation is a position within the Mitford household at Asthall Manor, in the Oxfordshire countryside. There she will become nurserymaid, chaperone and confidante to the Mitford sisters, especially sixteen-year-old Nancy - an acerbic, bright young woman in love with stories.
But when a nurse - Florence Nightingale Shore, goddaughter of her famous namesake - is killed on a train in broad daylight, Nancy and amateur sleuth Louisa find that in postwar England, everyone has something to hide...
Written by Jessica Fellowes, author of the number one-bestselling Downton Abbey books, The Mitford Murders is the perfect new obsession for fans of Daisy Goodwin, Anthony Howoritz and Agatha Christie - and is based on a real unsolved crime.
Only the Dead Can Tell (#15 Lorimer)
Alex Gray
$29.99
Paperback • 400 pages
When Dorothy Guildford is found stabbed to death in her leafy suburban home, all signs point to the husband. But forensic pathologist Doctor Rosie Fergusson is convinced there's more to this case than meets the eye.
While searching for evidence that will put Peter Guildford behind bars for good, DC Kirsty Wilson and the CID team unearth a link with a human-trafficking operation that Detective Superintendent William Lorimer has been investigating for months. But before they can interrogate Peter further, he is brutally attacked in prison.
Lorimer and Kirsty team up to find out as much as they can about Peter, the attack and how it all connects to the mysterious 'Max' who it seems is at the centre of the trafficking ring. But the stakes get higher still when a young Slovakian woman and one of MIT's undercover agents are kidnapped by the very man they seek...
While searching for evidence that will put Peter Guildford behind bars for good, DC Kirsty Wilson and the CID team unearth a link with a human-trafficking operation that Detective Superintendent William Lorimer has been investigating for months. But before they can interrogate Peter further, he is brutally attacked in prison.
Lorimer and Kirsty team up to find out as much as they can about Peter, the attack and how it all connects to the mysterious 'Max' who it seems is at the centre of the trafficking ring. But the stakes get higher still when a young Slovakian woman and one of MIT's undercover agents are kidnapped by the very man they seek...
The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye (#5 Millennium)
David Lagercrantz , George Goulding
$14.99
Paperback • 448 pages
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO LIVES ON.
Lisbeth Salander is an unstoppable force:
Sentenced to two months in Flodberga women's prison for saving a young boy's life by any means necessary, Salander refuses to say anything in her own defence. She has more important things on her mind.
Mikael Blomkvist makes the long trip to visit every week - and receives a lead to follow for his pains. For him, it looks to be an important expose for Millennium. For her, it could unlock the facts of her childhood.
Even from a corrupt prison system run largely by the inmates, Salander will stand up for what she believes in, whatever the cost. And she will seek the truth that is somehow connected with her childhood memory, of a woman with a blazing birthmark on her neck - that looked as if it had been burned by a dragon's fire...
The tension, power and unstoppable force of The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye are inspired by Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, as Salander and Blomkvist continue the fight for justice that has thrilled millions of readers across the world.
Translated from the Swedish by George Goulding.
Lisbeth Salander is an unstoppable force:
Sentenced to two months in Flodberga women's prison for saving a young boy's life by any means necessary, Salander refuses to say anything in her own defence. She has more important things on her mind.
Mikael Blomkvist makes the long trip to visit every week - and receives a lead to follow for his pains. For him, it looks to be an important expose for Millennium. For her, it could unlock the facts of her childhood.
Even from a corrupt prison system run largely by the inmates, Salander will stand up for what she believes in, whatever the cost. And she will seek the truth that is somehow connected with her childhood memory, of a woman with a blazing birthmark on her neck - that looked as if it had been burned by a dragon's fire...
The tension, power and unstoppable force of The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye are inspired by Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, as Salander and Blomkvist continue the fight for justice that has thrilled millions of readers across the world.
Translated from the Swedish by George Goulding.
The Woman in the Woods (#16 Charlie Parker)
John Connolly
$32.99
Paperback • 384 pages
The new thrilling instalment of John Connolly's popular Charlie Parker series.
It is spring, and the semi-preserved body of a young Jewish woman is discovered buried in the Maine woods. It is clear that she gave birth shortly before her death.
But there is no sign of a baby.
Private detective Charlie Parker is engaged by the lawyer Moxie Castin to shadow the police investigation and find the infant, but Parker is not the only searcher. Someone else is following the trail left by the woman, someone with an interest in more than a missing child, someone prepared to leave bodies in his wake.
And in a house by the woods, a toy telephone begins to ring.
For a young boy is about to receive a call from a dead woman . . .
It is spring, and the semi-preserved body of a young Jewish woman is discovered buried in the Maine woods. It is clear that she gave birth shortly before her death.
But there is no sign of a baby.
Private detective Charlie Parker is engaged by the lawyer Moxie Castin to shadow the police investigation and find the infant, but Parker is not the only searcher. Someone else is following the trail left by the woman, someone with an interest in more than a missing child, someone prepared to leave bodies in his wake.
And in a house by the woods, a toy telephone begins to ring.
For a young boy is about to receive a call from a dead woman . . .
In the Shadow of Agatha Christie: Classic Crime Fiction by Forgotten Female Writers: 1850-1917
Leslie S. Klinger
$36.95
Hardback • 356 pages
Agatha Christie is undoubtedly the world's best-selling mystery author, hailed as the Queen of Crime , with worldwide sales in the billions. Christie burst onto the literary scene in 1920, with The Mysterious Affair at Styles; her last novel was published in 1976, a career longer than even Conan Doyle's forty-year span.
The truth is that it was due to the success of writers like Anna Katherine Green in America; L. T. Meade, C. L. Pirkis, the Baroness Orczy and Elizabeth Corbett in England; and Mary Fortune in Australia that the doors were finally opened for women crime-writers. Authors who followed them, such as Patricia Wentworth, Dorothy Sayers and, of course, Agatha Christie would not have thrived without the bold, fearless work of their predecessors-and the genre would be much poorer for their absence. So while Agatha Christie may still reign supreme, it is important to remember that she did not ascend that throne except on the shoulders of the women who came before her-and inspired her-and who are now removed from her shadow once and for all by this superb new anthology by Leslie S. Klinger.
The truth is that it was due to the success of writers like Anna Katherine Green in America; L. T. Meade, C. L. Pirkis, the Baroness Orczy and Elizabeth Corbett in England; and Mary Fortune in Australia that the doors were finally opened for women crime-writers. Authors who followed them, such as Patricia Wentworth, Dorothy Sayers and, of course, Agatha Christie would not have thrived without the bold, fearless work of their predecessors-and the genre would be much poorer for their absence. So while Agatha Christie may still reign supreme, it is important to remember that she did not ascend that throne except on the shoulders of the women who came before her-and inspired her-and who are now removed from her shadow once and for all by this superb new anthology by Leslie S. Klinger.
The Painted Queen (#20 Amelia Peabody)
Elizabeth Peters , Joan Hess
$22.99
Paperback • 352 pages
Egypt, 1912. Amelia Peabody and her dashing archaeologist husband, Radcliffe Emerson, are once again in danger as they search for a priceless, stolen bust of legendary Queen Nefertiti...
Arriving in Cairo for another thrilling excavation season, Amelia is relaxing in her elegant hotel suite when a man with knife protruding from his back staggers into her chamber and utters a single word -'Murder' - before collapsing on the floor, dead. It soon becomes apparent that someone has saved Amelia from a would-be assassin - someone who is keeping a careful eye on the intrepid archaeologist. And there can be only one answer: the brilliant master of disguise, Sethos.
For Amelia, this excavation season will prove to be unforgettable; one where a brilliant criminal will offer his final challenge... and perhaps be unmasked at last.
Arriving in Cairo for another thrilling excavation season, Amelia is relaxing in her elegant hotel suite when a man with knife protruding from his back staggers into her chamber and utters a single word -'Murder' - before collapsing on the floor, dead. It soon becomes apparent that someone has saved Amelia from a would-be assassin - someone who is keeping a careful eye on the intrepid archaeologist. And there can be only one answer: the brilliant master of disguise, Sethos.
For Amelia, this excavation season will prove to be unforgettable; one where a brilliant criminal will offer his final challenge... and perhaps be unmasked at last.
The Devil's Caress
June Wright
$22.95
Paperback • 224 pages
The fourth in Dark Passage's reissue series of crime mysteries by June Wright, The Devil's Caress (originally published in 1952) is an atmospheric psychological thriller set on the wild southern coast of the Mornington Peninsula, outside Melbourne. Young medico Marsh Mowbray is invited to spend the weekend at the country home of her revered mentor, Dr. Kate Waring. But as storms rage outside, the house on the cliff's edge seethes with hatred and tension, and two suspicious deaths quickly follow. Doubt is the Devil's caress , one of the characters tells Marsh, as her resolute efforts to get to the bottom of the killings force her to question everyone's motives, even those of Dr. Kate. This is a classic country house mystery with shades of Agatha Christie, but with the psychological edge of Daphne du Maurier.
Mine
Susi Fox
$32.99
Paperback • 384 pages
You wake up alone after an emergency caesarean, desperate to see your child. And when you are shown the small infant in the nursery, a terrible thought takes root- this baby is not your baby.
No one believes you. Not the nurses, your father or even your own husband. They say you're confused and delusional. Dangerous.
But you're a doctor - you know how easily mistakes can be made. It's up to you to find your real child, your miracle baby, before it's too late.
With everyone against you, is it safe to trust your instincts? Or are memories from your past clouding your judgement? This can't all be in your head... can it?
No one believes you. Not the nurses, your father or even your own husband. They say you're confused and delusional. Dangerous.
But you're a doctor - you know how easily mistakes can be made. It's up to you to find your real child, your miracle baby, before it's too late.
With everyone against you, is it safe to trust your instincts? Or are memories from your past clouding your judgement? This can't all be in your head... can it?
The Dark Lake
Sarah Bailey
$14.99
Paperback • 440 pages
A hot summer. A shocking murder. A town of secrets, waiting to explode. A brooding, suspenseful and explosive debut that will grip you from the first page to the last.
There were a few minutes when I was alone with her in the autopsy room. I felt wild. Absent. Before I could stop myself I was leaning close to her, telling her everything. The words draining out of me as she lay there. Her long damp hair hanging off the back of the steel table. Glassy eyes fixed blindly on the ceiling. She was still so beautiful, even in death.
Our secrets circled madly around the bright white room that morning. Rocking back and forth on my heels as I stood next to her, I knew how far in I was again, how comprehensively her death could undo me. I looked at Rosalind Ryan properly for the last time before breathing deeply, readying myself, letting her pull me back into her world, and I sank down, further and further, until I was completely, utterly under.
A beautiful young teacher has been murdered, her body found in the lake, strewn with red roses. Local policewoman Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock pushes to be assigned to the case, concealing the fact that she knew the murdered woman in high school years before.
But that's not all Gemma's trying to hide. As the investigation digs deeper into the victim's past, other secrets threaten to come to light, secrets that were supposed to remain buried. The lake holds the key to solving the murder, but it also has the power to drag Gemma down into its dark depths.
The Dark Lake is an addictive crime thriller, a mesmerising account of one woman's descent into deceit and madness, and a stunning debut that is already causing a stir around the world.
There were a few minutes when I was alone with her in the autopsy room. I felt wild. Absent. Before I could stop myself I was leaning close to her, telling her everything. The words draining out of me as she lay there. Her long damp hair hanging off the back of the steel table. Glassy eyes fixed blindly on the ceiling. She was still so beautiful, even in death.
Our secrets circled madly around the bright white room that morning. Rocking back and forth on my heels as I stood next to her, I knew how far in I was again, how comprehensively her death could undo me. I looked at Rosalind Ryan properly for the last time before breathing deeply, readying myself, letting her pull me back into her world, and I sank down, further and further, until I was completely, utterly under.
A beautiful young teacher has been murdered, her body found in the lake, strewn with red roses. Local policewoman Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock pushes to be assigned to the case, concealing the fact that she knew the murdered woman in high school years before.
But that's not all Gemma's trying to hide. As the investigation digs deeper into the victim's past, other secrets threaten to come to light, secrets that were supposed to remain buried. The lake holds the key to solving the murder, but it also has the power to drag Gemma down into its dark depths.
The Dark Lake is an addictive crime thriller, a mesmerising account of one woman's descent into deceit and madness, and a stunning debut that is already causing a stir around the world.
In Deep Water (#2 Cat Connolly)
Sam Blake
$19.99
Paperback • 416 pages
Good intentions can be deadly...
Cat Connolly is back at work. Struggling to adjust to the physical and mental scars, her workload once again becomes personal when her best friend Sarah Jane, daughter of a Pulitzer-winning American journalist, goes missing.
Her father is uncontactable, but her mother reports that he'd believed Sarah Jane was investigating something dangerous - yet the only records Cathy can find suggest that Sarah Jane was just involved in a seemingly innocent children's project.
Sarah Jane was last seen leaving her workplace - a popular Dublin restaurant - but seems not to have made it home.
And then a body turns up, and Cathy fears they have failed to save her friend. But when it transpires that the dead woman is not Sarah Jane, she realises that this case is only just getting started...
In the world of missing persons, every second counts, but with the clock ticking can Cathy find Sarah Jane before it's too late?
Cat Connolly is back at work. Struggling to adjust to the physical and mental scars, her workload once again becomes personal when her best friend Sarah Jane, daughter of a Pulitzer-winning American journalist, goes missing.
Her father is uncontactable, but her mother reports that he'd believed Sarah Jane was investigating something dangerous - yet the only records Cathy can find suggest that Sarah Jane was just involved in a seemingly innocent children's project.
Sarah Jane was last seen leaving her workplace - a popular Dublin restaurant - but seems not to have made it home.
And then a body turns up, and Cathy fears they have failed to save her friend. But when it transpires that the dead woman is not Sarah Jane, she realises that this case is only just getting started...
In the world of missing persons, every second counts, but with the clock ticking can Cathy find Sarah Jane before it's too late?
The Craftsman
Sharon Bolton
$29.99
Paperback • 432 pages
Devoted father or merciless killer? His secrets are buried with him.
Florence Lovelady's career was made when she convicted coffin-maker Larry Glassbrook of a series of child murders 30 years ago. Like something from our worst nightmares the victims were buried...
ALIVE.
Larry confessed to the crimes; it was an open and shut case. But now he's dead, and events from the past start to repeat themselves.
Did she get it wrong all those years ago? Or is there something much darker at play?
Florence Lovelady's career was made when she convicted coffin-maker Larry Glassbrook of a series of child murders 30 years ago. Like something from our worst nightmares the victims were buried...
ALIVE.
Larry confessed to the crimes; it was an open and shut case. But now he's dead, and events from the past start to repeat themselves.
Did she get it wrong all those years ago? Or is there something much darker at play?
Murder by the Book (#1 Langham and Dupre)
Eric Brown
$29.95
Paperback • 224 pages
London, 1955. When crime writer Donald Langham's literary agent asks for his help in sorting out 'a delicate matter', little does Langham realize what he's getting himself into. For a nasty case of blackmail leads inexorably to murder as London's literary establishment is rocked by a series of increasingly bizarre deaths. With three members of the London Crime Writers' Association coming to sudden and violent ends, what at first appeared to be a series of suicides looks suspiciously like murder - and there seems to be something horribly familiar about the various methods of despatch. With the help of his literary agent's assistant, the delectable Maria Dupre, Langham finds himself drawing on the skills of his fictional detective hero as he hunts a ruthless and fiendishly clever killer - a killer with old scores to settle.
Weeping Waters
Karin Brynard
$27.99
Paperback • 512 pages
Inspector Albertus Beeslaar is a traumatized cop who has abandoned tough city policing and a broken relationship in Johannesburg for a backwater post on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. But his dream of rural peace is soon shattered by the repeated attacks of a brutally efficient crime syndicate, as he struggles to train and connect with rookie local cops, Ghaap and Pyl, who resent his brusqueness and his old-school ways.
A beautiful and eccentric artist and her four-year-old adopted daughter are murdered on a local farm, and angry white farmers point to her enigmatic Bushman farm manager as a key suspect. Along with Ghaap and Pyl, Beeslaar is plunged into the intrigue and racial tensions of the community and finds that violence knows no geographical or ethnic boundaries.
Weeping Waters marks the beginning of a great new series with a striking new setting, a strong ensemble cast of characters and suspenseful storylines.
A beautiful and eccentric artist and her four-year-old adopted daughter are murdered on a local farm, and angry white farmers point to her enigmatic Bushman farm manager as a key suspect. Along with Ghaap and Pyl, Beeslaar is plunged into the intrigue and racial tensions of the community and finds that violence knows no geographical or ethnic boundaries.
Weeping Waters marks the beginning of a great new series with a striking new setting, a strong ensemble cast of characters and suspenseful storylines.
Dark Water (#3 Erika Foster)
Robert Bryndza
$24.99
Paperback
Beneath the water the body sank rapidly. She would lie still and undisturbed for many years but above her on dry land, the nightmare was just beginning.
When Detective Erika Foster receives a tip off that key evidence for a major narcotics case was stashed in a disused quarry on the outskirts of London, she orders for it to be searched. From the thick sludge the drugs are recovered, but so is the skeleton of a young child.
The remains are quickly identified as eleven-year-old Jessica Collins. The missing girl who made headline news when she vanished twenty-six years ago.
As Erika tries to piece together new evidence with the old, she discovers a family harbouring secrets, a detective plagued by her failure to find Jessica, and the mysterious death of a man living by the quarry.
Is the suspect someone close to home? Someone doesn't want this case solved. And they'll do anything to stop Erika from finding the truth.
When Detective Erika Foster receives a tip off that key evidence for a major narcotics case was stashed in a disused quarry on the outskirts of London, she orders for it to be searched. From the thick sludge the drugs are recovered, but so is the skeleton of a young child.
The remains are quickly identified as eleven-year-old Jessica Collins. The missing girl who made headline news when she vanished twenty-six years ago.
As Erika tries to piece together new evidence with the old, she discovers a family harbouring secrets, a detective plagued by her failure to find Jessica, and the mysterious death of a man living by the quarry.
Is the suspect someone close to home? Someone doesn't want this case solved. And they'll do anything to stop Erika from finding the truth.
Time is a Killer
Michel Bussi
$29.99
Paperback • 464 pages
It is summer 1989 and fifteen-year-old Clotilde is on holiday with her parents in Corsica. On a twisty mountain road, their car comes off at a curve and plunges into a ravine. Only Clotilde survives.
Twenty-seven years later, she returns to Corsica with her husband and their sulky teenage daughter. Clotilde wants the trip to do two things - to help exorcise her past, and to build a bridge between her and her daughter. But in the very place where she spent that summer all those years ago, she receives a letter. From her mother. As if she were still alive.
As fragments of memory come back, Clotilde begins to question the past. And yet it all seems impossible - she saw the corpses of her mother, her father, her brother. She has lived with their ghosts. But then who sent this letter - and why?
Twenty-seven years later, she returns to Corsica with her husband and their sulky teenage daughter. Clotilde wants the trip to do two things - to help exorcise her past, and to build a bridge between her and her daughter. But in the very place where she spent that summer all those years ago, she receives a letter. From her mother. As if she were still alive.
As fragments of memory come back, Clotilde begins to question the past. And yet it all seems impossible - she saw the corpses of her mother, her father, her brother. She has lived with their ghosts. But then who sent this letter - and why?
I've Got My Eyes On You
Mary Higgins Clark
$32.99
Paperback
After a party when her parents are away, eighteen-year-old Kerry Dowling is found fully dressed at the bottom of the family pool.
The immediate suspect is her boyfriend who had a bitter argument with her at the party. Then there is a twenty-year-old neighbor who was angry because she didn’t invite him to the party.
Or is there someone else who has not yet been seen on the radar?
Kerry’s older sister Aline, a twenty-eight-year-old guidance counselor, is determined to assist the Prosecutor's Office in learning the truth. She does not realize that now she is putting her own life in danger...
The immediate suspect is her boyfriend who had a bitter argument with her at the party. Then there is a twenty-year-old neighbor who was angry because she didn’t invite him to the party.
Or is there someone else who has not yet been seen on the radar?
Kerry’s older sister Aline, a twenty-eight-year-old guidance counselor, is determined to assist the Prosecutor's Office in learning the truth. She does not realize that now she is putting her own life in danger...
The Eight Mountains
Paolo Cognetti , Erica Segre , Simon Carnell
$29.99
Paperback • 272 pages
The international sensation about two young Italian boys from different backgrounds who meet in the mountains every summer, and the men they grow to become.
Pietro, a lonely city boy, spends his childhood summers in a secluded valley in the Alps. Bruno, the cowherd son of a local stonemason, knows the mountains intimately. Together they spend many summers exploring the mountains' meadows and peaks, discovering the similarities and differences in their lives. As time passes, the two boys come to find the true meaning of friendship and camaraderie even as their paths diverge, Bruno's in the mountains and Pietro's in cities across the globe.
A modern Italian masterpiece, The Eight Mountains is a lyrical coming-of-age story spanning three decades; a novel about the power of male friendships and a meditation on loyalty, being in nature, and finding one's place in the world.
Pietro, a lonely city boy, spends his childhood summers in a secluded valley in the Alps. Bruno, the cowherd son of a local stonemason, knows the mountains intimately. Together they spend many summers exploring the mountains' meadows and peaks, discovering the similarities and differences in their lives. As time passes, the two boys come to find the true meaning of friendship and camaraderie even as their paths diverge, Bruno's in the mountains and Pietro's in cities across the globe.
A modern Italian masterpiece, The Eight Mountains is a lyrical coming-of-age story spanning three decades; a novel about the power of male friendships and a meditation on loyalty, being in nature, and finding one's place in the world.
Hangman (#2 Fawkes & Baxter)
Daniel Cole
$29.99
Paperback • 384 pages
The new thriller from the bestselling author of Ragdoll A detective with no one to trust A killer with nothing to lose 18 months after the 'Ragdoll' murders, a body is found hanging from Brooklyn Bridge, the word 'BAIT' carved into the chest.
In London a copycat killer strikes, branded with the word 'PUPPET', forcing DCI Emily Baxter into an uneasy partnership with the detectives on the case, Special Agents Rouche and Curtis.
Each time they trace a suspect, the killer is one step ahead. With the body count rising on both sides of the Atlantic, can they learn to trust each other and identify who is holding the strings before it is too late?
In London a copycat killer strikes, branded with the word 'PUPPET', forcing DCI Emily Baxter into an uneasy partnership with the detectives on the case, Special Agents Rouche and Curtis.
Each time they trace a suspect, the killer is one step ahead. With the body count rising on both sides of the Atlantic, can they learn to trust each other and identify who is holding the strings before it is too late?
The Cutthroat (#10 Isaac Bell)
Clive Cussler , Justin Scott
$19.99
Paperback • 480 pages
Private Detective Isaac Bell crosses some of America's harshest terrain in pursuit of the most twisted killer yet, in the latest action-packed historical blockbuster from Sunday Times bestseller Clive Cussler.
Women are being brutally murdered all over America . . . it's going to take an extraordinary mind to uncover the truth before it's too late.
The year is 1911. Chief Investigator Isaac Bell of the Van Dorn Detective Agency has had many extraordinary cases before. But none quite like this.
Hired to find a young woman named Anna Pape who ran away from home to become an actress, Bell gets a shock when her murdered body turns up instead. Vowing to bring the killer to justice, he begins a manhunt which leads him into increasingly more alarming territory. Anna Pape was not alone in her fate - petite young blonde women like Anna are being murdered in cities across America.
And the pattern goes beyond the physical resemblance of the victims - there are disturbing familiarities about the killings themselves that send a chill through even a man as experienced with evil as Bell. If he is right about his fears, then he is on the trail of one of the greatest monsters of his time.
Women are being brutally murdered all over America . . . it's going to take an extraordinary mind to uncover the truth before it's too late.
The year is 1911. Chief Investigator Isaac Bell of the Van Dorn Detective Agency has had many extraordinary cases before. But none quite like this.
Hired to find a young woman named Anna Pape who ran away from home to become an actress, Bell gets a shock when her murdered body turns up instead. Vowing to bring the killer to justice, he begins a manhunt which leads him into increasingly more alarming territory. Anna Pape was not alone in her fate - petite young blonde women like Anna are being murdered in cities across America.
And the pattern goes beyond the physical resemblance of the victims - there are disturbing familiarities about the killings themselves that send a chill through even a man as experienced with evil as Bell. If he is right about his fears, then he is on the trail of one of the greatest monsters of his time.
The Cutting Edge (#14 Lincoln Rhyme)
Jeffery Deaver
$29.99
Paperback • 368 pages
Number one bestselling author and ultimate thriller writer Jeffery Deaver returns with a new Lincoln Rhyme investigation.
Rhyme and Amelia Sachs' latest case: catching a terrifying killer targeting couples...
The happiest time of their lives - will be their last.
William and Anna went to collect her engagement ring.
1.5 carat, almost flawless.
But the Promisor had other ideas for their future...
Their murder - and that of the diamond cutter they were visiting - is only the first of a series of macabre attacks. Someone is targeting couples just as they start their lives together. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, newly married themselves, are on the hunt.
But the killer is hunting down any witnesses who can help them. He has promised one thing: to destroy. Rhyme and Sachs will have to use all their own skills and determination to break his vow.
Rhyme and Amelia Sachs' latest case: catching a terrifying killer targeting couples...
The happiest time of their lives - will be their last.
William and Anna went to collect her engagement ring.
1.5 carat, almost flawless.
But the Promisor had other ideas for their future...
Their murder - and that of the diamond cutter they were visiting - is only the first of a series of macabre attacks. Someone is targeting couples just as they start their lives together. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, newly married themselves, are on the hunt.
But the killer is hunting down any witnesses who can help them. He has promised one thing: to destroy. Rhyme and Sachs will have to use all their own skills and determination to break his vow.
The Burial Hour (#13 Lincoln Rhyme)
Jeffery Deaver
$19.99
Paperback • 496 pages
When a man is snatched from a New York street in broad daylight, the only clue is a miniature noose left on the pavement.
By the time criminal forensic scientist Lincoln Rhyme is involved, a video of the missing man is already online, his dying breaths set to a grisly music by someone calling himself The Composer.
Rhyme and fellow investigator Amelia Sachs must follow The Composer across the globe as he continues his horrifying creation, kidnapping further victims to add their last breaths to his piece.
But with Rhyme and Sachs in a whole new world with its own rules, how can they possibly guess what danger they're in when the music finally stops?
By the time criminal forensic scientist Lincoln Rhyme is involved, a video of the missing man is already online, his dying breaths set to a grisly music by someone calling himself The Composer.
Rhyme and fellow investigator Amelia Sachs must follow The Composer across the globe as he continues his horrifying creation, kidnapping further victims to add their last breaths to his piece.
But with Rhyme and Sachs in a whole new world with its own rules, how can they possibly guess what danger they're in when the music finally stops?
The French Girl
Lexie Elliott
$29.99
Paperback • 304 pages
We all have our secrets...
They were six university students from Oxford - friends and sometimes more than friends - spending an idyllic week together in a French farmhouse. It was supposed to be the perfect summer getaway ... until they met Severine, the girl next door.
For Kate Channing, Severine was an unwelcome presence, her inscrutable beauty undermining the close-knit group's loyalties amid the already simmering tensions. And after a huge altercation on the last night of the holiday, Kate knew nothing would ever be the same. There are some things you can't forgive. And there are some people you can't forget ... like Severine, who was never seen again.
Now, a decade later, the case is reopened when Severine's body is found in the well behind the farmhouse. Questioned along with her friends, Kate stands to lose everything she's worked so hard to achieve as suspicion mounts around her. Desperate to resolve her own shifting memories and fearful she will be forever bound to the woman whose presence still haunts her, Kate finds herself buried under layers of deception with no one to set her free ...
They were six university students from Oxford - friends and sometimes more than friends - spending an idyllic week together in a French farmhouse. It was supposed to be the perfect summer getaway ... until they met Severine, the girl next door.
For Kate Channing, Severine was an unwelcome presence, her inscrutable beauty undermining the close-knit group's loyalties amid the already simmering tensions. And after a huge altercation on the last night of the holiday, Kate knew nothing would ever be the same. There are some things you can't forgive. And there are some people you can't forget ... like Severine, who was never seen again.
Now, a decade later, the case is reopened when Severine's body is found in the well behind the farmhouse. Questioned along with her friends, Kate stands to lose everything she's worked so hard to achieve as suspicion mounts around her. Desperate to resolve her own shifting memories and fearful she will be forever bound to the woman whose presence still haunts her, Kate finds herself buried under layers of deception with no one to set her free ...
Blind Defence (#2 Benson)
John Fairfax
$29.99
Paperback • 336 pages
'An all-action court drama' Sunday Times on Summary Justice She was found hanging in a dingy London bedsit with a blood orange in her mouth. Diane Heybridge, a young woman without a past or much of a future, has captured in death the compassion denied her in life.
For the prosecution, this seeming suicide is nothing more than a bungled killing and a disgusted public looks to Court 2 of the Old Bailey for justice. Her callous, jilted partner Brent Stainsby stands accused of her murder and he's turned to the maverick legal team William Benson and Tess de Vere to defend him.
However, as the trial unfolds it soon becomes clear that there is far more to Diane Heybridge than meets the eye. She wasn't the weak and downtrodden victim now being presented to the jury. She was capable of a sophisticated form of vengeance. By the same token, Brent Stainsby isn't who he seems to be either. He's hiding a motive for murder unknown to the police and may well be playing a deadly game of poker with the judicial process. What began as a simple trial rapidly turns into a complex search for the truth beyond the confines of the courtroom...
For the prosecution, this seeming suicide is nothing more than a bungled killing and a disgusted public looks to Court 2 of the Old Bailey for justice. Her callous, jilted partner Brent Stainsby stands accused of her murder and he's turned to the maverick legal team William Benson and Tess de Vere to defend him.
However, as the trial unfolds it soon becomes clear that there is far more to Diane Heybridge than meets the eye. She wasn't the weak and downtrodden victim now being presented to the jury. She was capable of a sophisticated form of vengeance. By the same token, Brent Stainsby isn't who he seems to be either. He's hiding a motive for murder unknown to the police and may well be playing a deadly game of poker with the judicial process. What began as a simple trial rapidly turns into a complex search for the truth beyond the confines of the courtroom...
The Switch
Joseph Finder
$19.99
Paperback • 384 pages
One of the Guardian 's Best Crime Books and Thrillers of 2017
Michael Tanner is heading home from a business trip when he picks up the wrong laptop at airport security. The computer he takes home belongs to US senator Susan Robbins, and it contains top secret files that should never have been on there in the first place. With her career in politics on the line, Senator Robbins is determined to get her laptop back, whatever the cost... Tanner is now a hunted man. But with the government against him, who can he trust to help him?
Michael Tanner is heading home from a business trip when he picks up the wrong laptop at airport security. The computer he takes home belongs to US senator Susan Robbins, and it contains top secret files that should never have been on there in the first place. With her career in politics on the line, Senator Robbins is determined to get her laptop back, whatever the cost... Tanner is now a hunted man. But with the government against him, who can he trust to help him?
Billion Dollar Bill
Brad Franklin
$32.99
Paperback
Jace Callaghan has got it made. Between dating hot copper Sabina 'the Bod' Bodanski and a top gig working for casino legend Kevin Honan, life is pretty sweet. Until well-known entrepreneur and conman William Sorley, aka Billion Dollar Bill, disappears off Manly Beach presumed taken by a shark.
Billion Dollar Bill has conveniently gone missing owing millions of dollars, not to mention the small matter of an entire stud of racehorses vanishing into thin air.
Billion Dollar Bill has conveniently gone missing owing millions of dollars, not to mention the small matter of an entire stud of racehorses vanishing into thin air.
The Wolf
Alex Grecian
$32.99
Paperback
When State Trooper Skottie Foster moves back home to rural Kansas, she's hoping for a new start. But then a chance encounter on a snowy highway changes everything.
Travis Roan is a Nazi hunter, and he needs her help. Roan suspects this isolated region is home to infamous World War Two villain Rudolph Bormann.
As they encounter immediate resistance from the deeply suspicious community, it soon becomes clear that Bormann's new life in America is every bit as sinister as his awful past.
But neither Roan nor Foster imagines how dangerous - and how personal - their task will become...
Travis Roan is a Nazi hunter, and he needs her help. Roan suspects this isolated region is home to infamous World War Two villain Rudolph Bormann.
As they encounter immediate resistance from the deeply suspicious community, it soon becomes clear that Bormann's new life in America is every bit as sinister as his awful past.
But neither Roan nor Foster imagines how dangerous - and how personal - their task will become...
The Lost
Mari Hannah
$19.99
Paperback • 416 pages
'He was her child. The only one she'd ever have. It would kill her to learn that he was missing.'
Alex arrives home from holiday to find that her ten-year-old son Daniel has disappeared.
It's the first case together for Northumbria CID officers David Stone and Frankie Oliver.
Stone has returned to his roots with fifteen years' experience in the Met, whereas Oliver is local, a third generation copper with a lot to prove, and a secret that's holding her back.
But as the investigation unfolds, they realise the family's betrayal goes deeper than anyone suspected. This isn't just a missing persons case. Stone and Oliver are hunting a killer.
Alex arrives home from holiday to find that her ten-year-old son Daniel has disappeared.
It's the first case together for Northumbria CID officers David Stone and Frankie Oliver.
Stone has returned to his roots with fifteen years' experience in the Met, whereas Oliver is local, a third generation copper with a lot to prove, and a secret that's holding her back.
But as the investigation unfolds, they realise the family's betrayal goes deeper than anyone suspected. This isn't just a missing persons case. Stone and Oliver are hunting a killer.
The Hush
John Hart
$24.99
Paperback
It's been ten years since the events that changed Johnny Merrimon's life and rocked his hometown to the core. Since then, Johnny has fought to maintain his privacy, but books have been written of his exploits; he has fans, groupies. Living alone in the wilderness beyond town, Johnny's only connection to normal life is his old friend, Jack. They're not boys anymore, but the bonds remain. What they shared. What they lost.
But Jack sees danger in the wild places Johnny calls home; he senses darkness and hunger, an intractable intent. Johnny will discuss none of it, but there are the things he knows, the things he can do. A lesser friend might accept such abilities as a gift, but Jack has felt what moves in the swamp: the cold of it, the unspeakable fear.
Building on the world first seen in The Last Child, The Hush is more than an exploration of friendship, persistence and forgotten power. It takes the reader to unexpected places, and reminds us all why John Hart, after five consecutive New York Times bestsellers, still warrants comparison to such luminaries as Pat Conroy, Cormac McCarthy, and Scott Turow.
But Jack sees danger in the wild places Johnny calls home; he senses darkness and hunger, an intractable intent. Johnny will discuss none of it, but there are the things he knows, the things he can do. A lesser friend might accept such abilities as a gift, but Jack has felt what moves in the swamp: the cold of it, the unspeakable fear.
Building on the world first seen in The Last Child, The Hush is more than an exploration of friendship, persistence and forgotten power. It takes the reader to unexpected places, and reminds us all why John Hart, after five consecutive New York Times bestsellers, still warrants comparison to such luminaries as Pat Conroy, Cormac McCarthy, and Scott Turow.
Paper Ghosts
Julia Heaberlin
$32.99
Paperback
Carl Louis Feldman is an old man who was once a celebrated photographer.
That was before he was tried for the murder of a young woman and acquitted.
Before his admission to a care home for dementia.
Now his daughter has come to see him, to take him on a trip.
Only she's not his daughter and, if she has her way, he's not coming back...
Because Carl's past has finally caught up with him. The young woman driving the car is convinced her passenger is guilty, and that he's killed other young women. Including her sister Rachel.
Now they're following the trail of his photographs, his clues, his alleged crimes. To see if he remembers any of it. Confesses to any of it. To discover what really happened to Rachel.
Has Carl truly forgotten what he did or is he just pretending? Perhaps he's guilty of nothing and she's the liar.
Either way in driving him into the Texan wilderness she's taking a terrible risk.
For if Carl really is a serial killer, she's alone in the most dangerous place of all...
That was before he was tried for the murder of a young woman and acquitted.
Before his admission to a care home for dementia.
Now his daughter has come to see him, to take him on a trip.
Only she's not his daughter and, if she has her way, he's not coming back...
Because Carl's past has finally caught up with him. The young woman driving the car is convinced her passenger is guilty, and that he's killed other young women. Including her sister Rachel.
Now they're following the trail of his photographs, his clues, his alleged crimes. To see if he remembers any of it. Confesses to any of it. To discover what really happened to Rachel.
Has Carl truly forgotten what he did or is he just pretending? Perhaps he's guilty of nothing and she's the liar.
Either way in driving him into the Texan wilderness she's taking a terrible risk.
For if Carl really is a serial killer, she's alone in the most dangerous place of all...
The Primrose Pursuit
Suzette A. Hill
$19.99
Paperback • 320 pages
Primrose Oughterard, an eccentric artist living in East Sussex, has recently taken custody of her dead brother's cat and dog, Maurice and Bouncer. The brother - the Revd Francis Oughterard - has had the misfortune to murder one of his parishioners, and (aided and abetted by his pets and sister) had devoted much of his time to concealing the crime and escaping the gallows (which he did). Following his heroic death rescuing another parishioner from impalement on a gargoyle, his sister feels duty-bound to take responsibility for the two animals. The arrangement results in a number of questionable entanglements including the usual mishaps of murder, foiled intentions, concealment of evidence - plus a peculiar manoeuvre on the cliff at Beachy Head.
Ultima
L. S. Hilton
$29.99
Paperback
The shockingly audacious conclusion to the international bestselling phenomenon that began with Maestra.
If you can't beat them - kill them.
Glamorous international art dealer Elizabeth Teerlinc knows a thing or two about fakes. After all, she is one herself.
Her real identity, Judith Rashleigh, is buried under a layer of lies. Not to mention the corpses of the men foolish enough to get in her way.
But now, caught in the murderous crossfire between a Russian Mafia boss and a corrupt Italian police detective, Judith is forced to create an even more daring work of art - a fake masterpiece she must take to the world famous auction house where she used to be a lowly assistant and sell for $150 million.
For Judith the prospect of putting one over her loathsome former employer and the world's art establishment is almost as thrilling as the extreme sex she's addicted to
- especially when the price of failure is a bullet in the back of the head.
But exposing her new identity to the glare of the spotlight puts her at risk of an even greater danger. Like a beautiful painting stripped of its layers of varnish, something altogether different could be revealed.
A truth about her past even Judith might find shocking.
If you can't beat them - kill them.
Glamorous international art dealer Elizabeth Teerlinc knows a thing or two about fakes. After all, she is one herself.
Her real identity, Judith Rashleigh, is buried under a layer of lies. Not to mention the corpses of the men foolish enough to get in her way.
But now, caught in the murderous crossfire between a Russian Mafia boss and a corrupt Italian police detective, Judith is forced to create an even more daring work of art - a fake masterpiece she must take to the world famous auction house where she used to be a lowly assistant and sell for $150 million.
For Judith the prospect of putting one over her loathsome former employer and the world's art establishment is almost as thrilling as the extreme sex she's addicted to
- especially when the price of failure is a bullet in the back of the head.
But exposing her new identity to the glare of the spotlight puts her at risk of an even greater danger. Like a beautiful painting stripped of its layers of varnish, something altogether different could be revealed.
A truth about her past even Judith might find shocking.
Mississippi Blood
Greg Iles
$19.99
Paperback • 704 pages
A father on trial for murder. A son whose world is falling apart.
The No.1 New York Times bestselling final volume of the ground-breaking Natchez Burning Trilogy by Greg Iles. He'll risk everything for the darkest secrets in historyFormer prosecutor Penn Cage sees his world collapsing around him. The woman he loves is gone and his father, Dr Tom Cage, is about to be tried for the murder of a former lover.
The Double Eagle group, a savage splinter cell of the KKK, will stop at nothing to ensure that Tom either takes the fall for their past deeds, or takes his secrets to an early grave.
Unable to trust anyone - not even his own mother - Penn battles to discover the secret history of both the Cage family and the South itself, risking the only thing he has left to gamble: his life.
The No.1 New York Times bestselling final volume of the ground-breaking Natchez Burning Trilogy by Greg Iles. He'll risk everything for the darkest secrets in historyFormer prosecutor Penn Cage sees his world collapsing around him. The woman he loves is gone and his father, Dr Tom Cage, is about to be tried for the murder of a former lover.
The Double Eagle group, a savage splinter cell of the KKK, will stop at nothing to ensure that Tom either takes the fall for their past deeds, or takes his secrets to an early grave.
Unable to trust anyone - not even his own mother - Penn battles to discover the secret history of both the Cage family and the South itself, risking the only thing he has left to gamble: his life.
The Broken Girls
Simone St. James
$29.99
Paperback • 336 pages
1950 - At the crumbling Idlewild Hall school for unwanted girls, four room-mates begin to bond over dark secrets and whispered fears - until one of them mysteriously disappears... 2014 - Journalist Fiona Sheridan can't get over the murder of her sister twenty years ago, near the ruins of Idlewild. And when another body is found during renovations of the school, she'll begin to uncover horrors that were meant to remain hidden - and a voice that won't be silenced. For fans of Lisa Jewell and S.K. Tremayne, The Broken Girls is a chilling story of murder, revenge, and secrets that refuse to stay buried...
Crime Scene
Jonathan Kellerman , Jesse Kellerman
$19.99
Paperback • 432 pages
Natural causes or foul play?
That's the question deputy coroner Clay Edison must answer each time he examines a body. Figuring out motives and chasing down suspects aren't part of his beat - until a seemingly open-and-shut case proves to be more than meets his highly trained eye.
Eccentric, reclusive Walter Rennert lies cold at the bottom of his stairs. At first glance the scene looks straightforward: a once-respected psychology professor done in by booze and a bad heart. But his daughter Tatiana insists that he has been murdered, and she persuades Clay to take a closer look at the grim facts of Rennert's life.
When Clay learns that Rennert's colleague died in a nearly identical manner, he becomes even more determined to discover the truth behind the man's death. The twisting trail Clay follows will lead him into the darkest corners of the human soul.
It's his job to listen to the tales told by the dead. But this time, he's part of a story that makes his blood run cold.
That's the question deputy coroner Clay Edison must answer each time he examines a body. Figuring out motives and chasing down suspects aren't part of his beat - until a seemingly open-and-shut case proves to be more than meets his highly trained eye.
Eccentric, reclusive Walter Rennert lies cold at the bottom of his stairs. At first glance the scene looks straightforward: a once-respected psychology professor done in by booze and a bad heart. But his daughter Tatiana insists that he has been murdered, and she persuades Clay to take a closer look at the grim facts of Rennert's life.
When Clay learns that Rennert's colleague died in a nearly identical manner, he becomes even more determined to discover the truth behind the man's death. The twisting trail Clay follows will lead him into the darkest corners of the human soul.
It's his job to listen to the tales told by the dead. But this time, he's part of a story that makes his blood run cold.
Killer Intent (#1 Joe Dempsey)
Tony Kent
$29.99
Paperback • 448 pages
Britain’s elite security forces seem powerless when an audacious attempt is made to assassinate a former US president in London. This becomes the spark which ignites a chain reaction of explosive events that will see old political sympathies rekindled and personal loyalties betrayed.
Joe Dempsey, a deadly military intelligence officer who witnesses this botched assassination, soon realises that this is just one small part of a complex and dark conspiracy, and only he can stop it. The fallout draws both Dempsey and CNN reporter Sarah Truman into parallel investigations, each compelled to discover the sinister truth behind these violent events. All too quickly they are running out of time as the future of the British government is crumbling. Thrown into these events is Michael Devlin, a Belfast-born criminal barrister with a secret past.
It’s a life or death race against the clock. Dempsey, Devlin and Truman are forced to work in the shadows and call on forgotten loyalties before a lethal showdown presents a devastating finale.
Killer Intent is the first novel to feature deadly military intelligence officer Joe Dempsey, Irish barrister Michael Devlin and American TV reporter Sarah Truman, in a compelling new series from high-profile barrister Tony Kent.
Joe Dempsey, a deadly military intelligence officer who witnesses this botched assassination, soon realises that this is just one small part of a complex and dark conspiracy, and only he can stop it. The fallout draws both Dempsey and CNN reporter Sarah Truman into parallel investigations, each compelled to discover the sinister truth behind these violent events. All too quickly they are running out of time as the future of the British government is crumbling. Thrown into these events is Michael Devlin, a Belfast-born criminal barrister with a secret past.
It’s a life or death race against the clock. Dempsey, Devlin and Truman are forced to work in the shadows and call on forgotten loyalties before a lethal showdown presents a devastating finale.
Killer Intent is the first novel to feature deadly military intelligence officer Joe Dempsey, Irish barrister Michael Devlin and American TV reporter Sarah Truman, in a compelling new series from high-profile barrister Tony Kent.
The Hanged Man
Simon Kernick
$19.99
Paperback • 400 pages
From the Sunday Times bestselling author, Simon Kernick, comes the thrilling second instalment in The Bone Field series. Featuring DI Ray Mason and PI Tina Boyd.
A house deep in the countryside where the remains of seven unidentified women have just been discovered.
A cop ready to risk everything in the hunt for their killers.
A man who has seen the murders and is now on the run in fear of his life.
So begins the race to track down this witness before the killers do.
For Ray Mason and PI Tina Boyd, the road ahead is a dangerous one, with bodies and betrayal at every turna
A house deep in the countryside where the remains of seven unidentified women have just been discovered.
A cop ready to risk everything in the hunt for their killers.
A man who has seen the murders and is now on the run in fear of his life.
So begins the race to track down this witness before the killers do.
For Ray Mason and PI Tina Boyd, the road ahead is a dangerous one, with bodies and betrayal at every turna
Too Close to Breathe (#1 Eleanor Costello)
Olivia Kiernan
$29.99
Paperback • 336 pages
Polished. Professional. Perfect. Dead. Respected scientist Dr Eleanor Costello is found hanging in her immaculate home: the scene the very picture of a suicide.
DCS Frankie Sheehan is handed the case, and almost immediately spots foul play. Sheehan, a trained profiler, is seeking a murderer with a talent for death.
As Frankie strives to paint a picture of the killer, and their victim, she starts to sense they are part of a larger, darker canvas, on which the lines between the two blur.
Olivia Kiernan's debut is a bold, brilliant thriller that will keep you guessing and leave you breathless.
DCS Frankie Sheehan is handed the case, and almost immediately spots foul play. Sheehan, a trained profiler, is seeking a murderer with a talent for death.
As Frankie strives to paint a picture of the killer, and their victim, she starts to sense they are part of a larger, darker canvas, on which the lines between the two blur.
Olivia Kiernan's debut is a bold, brilliant thriller that will keep you guessing and leave you breathless.
Every Last Lie
Mary Kubica
$14.99
Paperback
New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl and Pretty Baby, Mary Kubica is back with another exhilarating thriller as a widow's pursuit of the truth leads her to the darkest corners of the psyche.
Clara Solberg's world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are involved in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident...until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon.
Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick's death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more importantly, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out - and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit.
Told in the alternating perspectives of Clara's investigation and Nick's last months leading up to the crash, master of suspense Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date - one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried.
Clara Solberg's world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are involved in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident...until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon.
Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick's death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more importantly, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out - and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit.
Told in the alternating perspectives of Clara's investigation and Nick's last months leading up to the crash, master of suspense Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date - one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried.
Jackrabbit Smile (#11 Hap and Leonard)
Joe R. Lansdale
$32.99
Paperback • 256 pages
Meet Hap and Leonard, the unlikely detective duo now on screen in the highly praised series starring James Purefoy, Michael K. Williams and Christina Hendricks.
'Reading Joe R. Lansdale is like listening to a favorite uncle who just happens to be a fabulous storyteller' Dean Koontz
Hap and Leonard are an unlikely pair - Hap, a self-proclaimed white trash rebel, and Leonard, a tough-as-nails black gay Vietnam vet and Republican - but they're the closest friend either of them has in the world. Hap is celebrating his wedding to his longtime girlfriend, when their backyard barbecue is interrupted by a couple of Pentecostal white supremacists. They're not too happy to see Leonard, and no one is happy to see them, but they have a problem and they want Hap and Leonard to solve it.
Judith Mulhaney's daughter, Jackrabbit, has been missing for five years. That is, she's been missing from her family for five years, but she's been missing from everybody, including the local no-goods they knew ran with her, for a few months. Despite their misgivings, Hap and Leonard take the case. It isn't long until they find themselves mixed up in a revivalist cult believing that Jesus will return flanked by an army of lizard-men, and solving a murder to boot.
With Lansdale's trademark humour, sharp dialogue, and plenty of righteous beatdowns, you won't want to miss Hap and Leonard's latest.
'Reading Joe R. Lansdale is like listening to a favorite uncle who just happens to be a fabulous storyteller' Dean Koontz
Hap and Leonard are an unlikely pair - Hap, a self-proclaimed white trash rebel, and Leonard, a tough-as-nails black gay Vietnam vet and Republican - but they're the closest friend either of them has in the world. Hap is celebrating his wedding to his longtime girlfriend, when their backyard barbecue is interrupted by a couple of Pentecostal white supremacists. They're not too happy to see Leonard, and no one is happy to see them, but they have a problem and they want Hap and Leonard to solve it.
Judith Mulhaney's daughter, Jackrabbit, has been missing for five years. That is, she's been missing from her family for five years, but she's been missing from everybody, including the local no-goods they knew ran with her, for a few months. Despite their misgivings, Hap and Leonard take the case. It isn't long until they find themselves mixed up in a revivalist cult believing that Jesus will return flanked by an army of lizard-men, and solving a murder to boot.
With Lansdale's trademark humour, sharp dialogue, and plenty of righteous beatdowns, you won't want to miss Hap and Leonard's latest.
The Honey Farm
Harriet Alida Lye
$32.99
Paperback
The bees are restless.
After a long drought, Cynthia's isolated honey farm has suffered in the heat. Soil dries into sand; honeycomb stiffens into wax. But she has a plan- offer the farm as an artists' colony with free board and 'life experience' in exchange for a summer of hard labour. For Silvia, a recent graduate and would-be poet, the chance to test her independence proves irresistible - as does Ibrahim, a passionate painter she meets there.
But the honey farm isn't all it seems. The idyllic summer is soon plagued by ominous events- taps run red, scalps itch with lice, frogs swarm the pond. The constant drone of bees begins to build like thunder in the air.
One by one the other residents leave, until only Silvia and Ibrahim remain - perilously in love under Cynthia's watchful eye. And as summer shifts into autumn, Silvia becomes increasingly paranoid that they are in danger. What are the shadowy secrets that Cynthia is hiding? And if Silvia and Ibrahim have overstayed their welcome, what happens when they want to leave?
After a long drought, Cynthia's isolated honey farm has suffered in the heat. Soil dries into sand; honeycomb stiffens into wax. But she has a plan- offer the farm as an artists' colony with free board and 'life experience' in exchange for a summer of hard labour. For Silvia, a recent graduate and would-be poet, the chance to test her independence proves irresistible - as does Ibrahim, a passionate painter she meets there.
But the honey farm isn't all it seems. The idyllic summer is soon plagued by ominous events- taps run red, scalps itch with lice, frogs swarm the pond. The constant drone of bees begins to build like thunder in the air.
One by one the other residents leave, until only Silvia and Ibrahim remain - perilously in love under Cynthia's watchful eye. And as summer shifts into autumn, Silvia becomes increasingly paranoid that they are in danger. What are the shadowy secrets that Cynthia is hiding? And if Silvia and Ibrahim have overstayed their welcome, what happens when they want to leave?
Take Out (#9 Sigrid Harald)
Margaret Maron
$14.95
Paperback
Sigrid is still reeling from the untimely death of her lover, acclaimed painter Oscar Nauman, when she is called to investigate the deaths of two homeless men in the West Village. The police at first assume an overdose, until they realize that one of the men shows no signs of drug use. Then when containers of poisoned takeout food are found nearby, Sigrid's case is suddenly much more complicated. As Sigrid investigates, she uncovers an intriguing neighborhood history: a haughty mafia widow and her disgraced godson, a retired opera star with dark secrets, an unsolved hit-and-run, and the possible discovery of a long-missing painting that will rock the art world. Soon the case is fraught with myriad suspects and motives. Who killed the two homeless men, and why? And which one was the intended victim? Or was the poisoned food meant for someone else entirely?
Throwing herself into the murder investigation to distract herself from her personal grief, Sigrid still can't stop wondering what led Nauman across the country to the winding mountain road that took his life. Until she meets a man who may hold the answers she seeks.
In her newest gripping mystery, Margaret Maron's beautifully drawn characters and unpredictable plot twists prove once again why she's one of today's most beloved writers.
Throwing herself into the murder investigation to distract herself from her personal grief, Sigrid still can't stop wondering what led Nauman across the country to the winding mountain road that took his life. Until she meets a man who may hold the answers she seeks.
In her newest gripping mystery, Margaret Maron's beautifully drawn characters and unpredictable plot twists prove once again why she's one of today's most beloved writers.
King Solomon's Curse (#13 Wilde & Chase)
Andy McDermott
$19.99
Paperback • 560 pages
Nina Wilde is back on the hunt. Now a presenter of her own TV documentary series, Nina is in Jerusalem. Clues found at the Ark of the Covenant recovery site have led her to the ruins of the First Temple, buried beneath Temple Mount.
Within them, Nina spots an opening to a previously hidden chamber - a map room which contains a model of a mysterious city thought to contain a great yet dangerous power hidden by King Solomon himself. Analysing the clues, Nina believes that the city is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the most dangerous locations on Earth.
Eddie is in England with their daughter Macy but Nina's phone call is about to change everything. He has had his own problems in the DRC in the past and he isn't about to let Nina go there alone.
Joining forces, Nina and Eddie are about to start a chain of events from which there might be no return...
Within them, Nina spots an opening to a previously hidden chamber - a map room which contains a model of a mysterious city thought to contain a great yet dangerous power hidden by King Solomon himself. Analysing the clues, Nina believes that the city is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the most dangerous locations on Earth.
Eddie is in England with their daughter Macy but Nina's phone call is about to change everything. He has had his own problems in the DRC in the past and he isn't about to let Nina go there alone.
Joining forces, Nina and Eddie are about to start a chain of events from which there might be no return...
Two Little Girls (#3 Jessie Flynn)
Kate Medina
$29.99
Paperback • 400 pages
Two little girls walked to their deaths and nobody noticed...
A gripping new thriller featuring the brilliantly complex psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn, who struggles with a dark past. Two bodies on the beach. One killer out for revenge.
Two years ago, a young girl was murdered while playing on the beach, a doll left by her side. DI Bobby `Marilyn' Simmons failed to catch her killer and he's been tormented with guilt ever since.
So when another dead girl is found in the dunes, another doll, he knows this could be his only chance to silence his demons.
Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn is called in to help with the investigation. But she's being led into a web of lies and deceit by a new patient called Laura - a deeply disturbed woman who wants Jessie as her friend.
When links emerge between Laura and the two dead girls, Jessie's worst nightmare becomes reality. For in the dark world of a twisted killer, she begins to realize just how treacherous friends can be...
A gripping new thriller featuring the brilliantly complex psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn, who struggles with a dark past. Two bodies on the beach. One killer out for revenge.
Two years ago, a young girl was murdered while playing on the beach, a doll left by her side. DI Bobby `Marilyn' Simmons failed to catch her killer and he's been tormented with guilt ever since.
So when another dead girl is found in the dunes, another doll, he knows this could be his only chance to silence his demons.
Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn is called in to help with the investigation. But she's being led into a web of lies and deceit by a new patient called Laura - a deeply disturbed woman who wants Jessie as her friend.
When links emerge between Laura and the two dead girls, Jessie's worst nightmare becomes reality. For in the dark world of a twisted killer, she begins to realize just how treacherous friends can be...
Skin Deep
Liz Nugent
$32.99
Paperback • 384 pages
Cordelia Waldron has been living on the Côte d'Azur for ten years, posing as an English heiress. Now her money is gone and her luck is running out.
Desperate to escape her grotty flat and grim reality, Cordelia spends a decadent night at the Negresco. But surrounded by the young, beautiful and privileged she feels her age and her poverty.
As dawn breaks she stumbles home through the back streets. Even before she opens her door she can hear the flies buzzing. It hasn't taken long for the corpse in her bedroom to commence decomposing...
Liz Nugent's novel is the dark, twisted and shocking story of what takes Cordelia from an island childhood in Ireland to ruin in Nice.
Desperate to escape her grotty flat and grim reality, Cordelia spends a decadent night at the Negresco. But surrounded by the young, beautiful and privileged she feels her age and her poverty.
As dawn breaks she stumbles home through the back streets. Even before she opens her door she can hear the flies buzzing. It hasn't taken long for the corpse in her bedroom to commence decomposing...
Liz Nugent's novel is the dark, twisted and shocking story of what takes Cordelia from an island childhood in Ireland to ruin in Nice.
Captive
Tony Park
$29.99
Paperback • 352 pages
A woman's quest to save wildlife turns lethal A very eager - and rather naive - Australian lawyer, Kerry Maxwell, flies into South Africa to volunteer at a wildlife orphanage run by notorious vet, Graham Baird.
Graham is as jaded and reckless as Kerry is law-abiding and optimistic. When Kerry arrives at the animal sanctuary it's to the news that Graham is imprisoned in Mozambique following a shootout with elephant poachers. In the gunfight he killed the brother of corrupt politician and poaching kingpin Fidel Costa.
Kerry's earnest sense of justice takes her to Massingir to help Graham with his case, and into a world of danger. Kidnapped, chased, attacked and betrayed, Kerry learns the bitter truth about the complexities and deadly nature of the war on poaching.
Even the motivations of well-meaning charities, wealthy donors and private zoos are not all they appear.
Kerry's perilous entanglement may be what Graham needs to shake off his drunken cynicism and rejoin the fight for Africa's animals, but is it enough, and in time, to stop Costa's quest for revenge...
Graham is as jaded and reckless as Kerry is law-abiding and optimistic. When Kerry arrives at the animal sanctuary it's to the news that Graham is imprisoned in Mozambique following a shootout with elephant poachers. In the gunfight he killed the brother of corrupt politician and poaching kingpin Fidel Costa.
Kerry's earnest sense of justice takes her to Massingir to help Graham with his case, and into a world of danger. Kidnapped, chased, attacked and betrayed, Kerry learns the bitter truth about the complexities and deadly nature of the war on poaching.
Even the motivations of well-meaning charities, wealthy donors and private zoos are not all they appear.
Kerry's perilous entanglement may be what Graham needs to shake off his drunken cynicism and rejoin the fight for Africa's animals, but is it enough, and in time, to stop Costa's quest for revenge...
Say Nothing
Brad Parks
$19.99
Paperback • 560 pages
On a normal Wednesday afternoon, Judge Scott Sampson is preparing to pick up his six-year-old twins for their weekly swim. His wife Alison texts him with a change of plan: she has to take them to the doctor instead. So Scott heads home early. But when Alison arrives back later, she is alone - no Sam, no Emma - and denies any knowledge of the text...
The phone then rings: an anonymous voice tells them that the Judge must do exactly what he is told in an upcoming drug case and, most importantly, they must 'say nothing'.
So begins this powerful, tense breakout thriller about a close-knit young family plunged into unimaginable horror. As a twisting game of cat and mouse ensues, they know that one false move could lose them their children for ever.
Hugely suspenseful - with its fascinating insight into the US judicial system and its politics of influence and nepotism - Say Nothing is, above all, the poignant story of the terror these parents face, and their stop-at-nothing compulsion to get their children back.
The phone then rings: an anonymous voice tells them that the Judge must do exactly what he is told in an upcoming drug case and, most importantly, they must 'say nothing'.
So begins this powerful, tense breakout thriller about a close-knit young family plunged into unimaginable horror. As a twisting game of cat and mouse ensues, they know that one false move could lose them their children for ever.
Hugely suspenseful - with its fascinating insight into the US judicial system and its politics of influence and nepotism - Say Nothing is, above all, the poignant story of the terror these parents face, and their stop-at-nothing compulsion to get their children back.
NYPD Red 5
James Patterson
$32.99
Paperback • 400 pages
The one who knows the secrets is the one who holds the power.
The richest of New York's rich gather at The Pierre's Cotillion Room to raise money for those less fortunate. The mayor is present, along with Detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald of the elite NYPD Red task force providing security.
The night is shattered as a fatal blast rocks the room, stirring up horrifying memories of 9/11. Is the explosion an act of terrorism - or a homicide?
A big-name female filmmaker is the next to die, in a desolate corner of New York City. The crimes keep escalating, and the perpetrators may be among the A-list New Yorkers NYPD Red was formed to protect.
Zach and Kylie track a shadowy killer as he masterfully plays out his vendetta - and threatens to take down NYPD Red in the bargain.
The richest of New York's rich gather at The Pierre's Cotillion Room to raise money for those less fortunate. The mayor is present, along with Detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald of the elite NYPD Red task force providing security.
The night is shattered as a fatal blast rocks the room, stirring up horrifying memories of 9/11. Is the explosion an act of terrorism - or a homicide?
A big-name female filmmaker is the next to die, in a desolate corner of New York City. The crimes keep escalating, and the perpetrators may be among the A-list New Yorkers NYPD Red was formed to protect.
Zach and Kylie track a shadowy killer as he masterfully plays out his vendetta - and threatens to take down NYPD Red in the bargain.
The Insider
Matthew Richardson
$32.99
Paperback
Oscar Quinn is the best and the brightest of his generation. The youngest fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, he's destined for a glittering academic career. But then a mysterious letter arrives inviting him for an interview with Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee. The role hasn't been advertised. He appears to be the only candidate. And the salary on offer seems almost too good to be true.
Soon Quinn finds himself plunged into the heart of power. He gets his own office in the Palace of Westminster, a cut-price deal on a luxurious apartment in Chelsea and a chance to work on some of the nation's most highly-classified secrets.
But when he learns that the security services are asking questions, Quinn begins to discover a dark truth buried at the centre of his new life. The last person to do his job died suddenly, and now his apartment is under surveillance and his movements are being watched. Was the previous researcher's death really just an accident? Or something much worse?
Trapped in the middle of a terrifying conspiracy, Quinn is forced to consider stepping outside the law to save those he loves. But who can be trusted? And can he survive long enough to find out...
Soon Quinn finds himself plunged into the heart of power. He gets his own office in the Palace of Westminster, a cut-price deal on a luxurious apartment in Chelsea and a chance to work on some of the nation's most highly-classified secrets.
But when he learns that the security services are asking questions, Quinn begins to discover a dark truth buried at the centre of his new life. The last person to do his job died suddenly, and now his apartment is under surveillance and his movements are being watched. Was the previous researcher's death really just an accident? Or something much worse?
Trapped in the middle of a terrifying conspiracy, Quinn is forced to consider stepping outside the law to save those he loves. But who can be trusted? And can he survive long enough to find out...
Amnesia
Michael Ridpath
$19.99
Paperback • 368 pages
Alastair Cunningham wakes up in hospital with almost total amnesia. But he knows that something terrible happened in his past, something that haunts him still. A young family friend, Clemence, is called in to help rekindle his memory. Retreating with Alastair to his remote cottage by a Scottish loch, Clemence finds a peculiar manuscript hidden away from prying eyes. Reading the prologue, she discovers a murder by someone very much like a young Alastair. The victim? Clemence's grandmother, Sophie. Could this kindly old man truly be a killer?
Clemence becomes determined to find out what happened all those years ago, even if she must risk everything to do so...
Clemence becomes determined to find out what happened all those years ago, even if she must risk everything to do so...
Find You In The Dark
Nathan Ripley
$29.99
Paperback
ABBEY’S BOOKSELLER PICK —— Crime fiction comes in many flavours and ‘serial killer’ is one I tend to steer clear of for the simple reason that I don’t want to occupy the same brain space. I don’t need that in my head. A police lieutenant in this story characterises interest in serial killers as a spectrum, from the killers themselves, down to those "who order paintings from Gacy and Charles Manson CDs, then below that are the ones who write porno-detailed true crime books, then the ones who hack out less f**ked-up books, write for less f**ked-up websites, all the way down to your mom and dad, watching CSI reruns five nights a week." I’ll cop to the occasional CSI but draw the line well before CSI SVU.
But Nathan Ripley takes a clever way in to his story, using a tech-millionaire with time on his hands, whose hobby is scouring serial killer interview transcripts for clues to the whereabouts of the bodies of their victims. His anonymous tip-offs concern police as much as they find them helpful. The zest in this story is in what we discover about our ‘good samaritan’, his relationship with his wife and daughter, and the friends-with-benefits relationship between the two main detectives. Detective Sandra Whittal is inspirational in her single-minded focus and toughness. Plus, Ripley’s dialogue shines. So although I squirmed a little midway through, this is a fresh approach to the sub-genre, with plenty of twists. I think I’ve escaped unscathed. In fact, I'll go one better and say it was very entertaining. Craig Kirchner [more bookseller picks]
———
p.s. Tip of the hat to the tag-line writer too: ‘There’s a villain in every hero. You just need to dig a little.’
A chilling debut thriller in the vein of Dexter and The Talented Mr Ripley.
Martin Reese has a hobby: he digs up murder victims. He buys stolen police files on serial killers, and uses them to find and dig up missing bodies. Calls in the results anonymously, taunting the police for their failure to do their job.
Detective Sandra Whittal takes that a little personally. She's suspicious of the mysterious caller, who she names the Finder. Maybe he's the one leaving the bodies behind. If not, who's to say he won't start soon?
As Whittal begins to zero in on the Finder, Martin makes a shocking discovery. It seems someone-someone lethal-is very unhappy about the bodies he's been digging up.
Hunted by a cop, hunted by a killer. To escape and keep his family safe, Martin may have to go deeper into the world of murder than he ever imagined.
Evidence of Death (#2 Grace Macallan)
Peter Ritchie
$15.99
Paperback • 288 pages
Book 2 in the Grace Macallan detective series.
Scarred by the Troubles in Belfast, Billy Nelson returns to his Loyalist roots following his discharge from army service. But Belfast and the people he knew have changed, and after his gang are responsible for a series of violent attacks on innocent victims, he is forced out of the city and moves in on the drugs business in Edinburgh.
Taking on the family who have been the main players in the city for years, a battle for control amongst the criminal underworld of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast ensues, and the balance of power is upset...
Scarred by the Troubles in Belfast, Billy Nelson returns to his Loyalist roots following his discharge from army service. But Belfast and the people he knew have changed, and after his gang are responsible for a series of violent attacks on innocent victims, he is forced out of the city and moves in on the drugs business in Edinburgh.
Taking on the family who have been the main players in the city for years, a battle for control amongst the criminal underworld of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast ensues, and the balance of power is upset...
The Suspect (#1 Joe O'Loughlin)
Michael Robotham
$14.99
Paperback • 432 pages
Joseph O'Loughlin appears to have the perfect life - a beautiful wife, a loving daughter and a successful career as a clinical psychologist. But nothing can be taken for granted. Even the most flawless existence is only a loose thread away from unravelling. All it takes is a murdered girl, a troubled young patient and the biggest lie of his life.
Caught in a complex web of deceit and haunted by images of the slain girl, he embarks upon a search that will take him from London to Liverpool and into the darkest recesses of the human mind...
A nerve-shredding psychological thriller from one of the most brilliant crime authors of today, Michael Robotham.
Caught in a complex web of deceit and haunted by images of the slain girl, he embarks upon a search that will take him from London to Liverpool and into the darkest recesses of the human mind...
A nerve-shredding psychological thriller from one of the most brilliant crime authors of today, Michael Robotham.
Lost (#2 Joe O'Loughlin)
Michael Robotham
$14.99
Paperback • 416 pages
Everyone knows that Mickey Carlyle is dead and a man is in prison for her murder. Everyone, that is, except DI Vincent Ruiz, who cannot stop searching and hoping. He is discovered one night clinging to a buoy in the River Thames, with a bullet in his leg and a bigger hole in his memory.
Under investigation by his colleagues and accused of faking amnesia, Ruiz's only hope of unravelling the puzzle is to retrace his steps and relive that night. But there are further dangers lying in wait and other ways for a man to drown...
A pulse-pounding psychological thriller from multi-million-copy bestselling author Michael Robotham.
Under investigation by his colleagues and accused of faking amnesia, Ruiz's only hope of unravelling the puzzle is to retrace his steps and relive that night. But there are further dangers lying in wait and other ways for a man to drown...
A pulse-pounding psychological thriller from multi-million-copy bestselling author Michael Robotham.
Shatter (#3 Joe O'Loughlin)
Michael Robotham
$14.99
Paperback • 496 pages
A naked woman in red high-heeled shoes is perched on the edge of Clifton Suspension Bridge with her back pressed to the safety fence, weeping into a mobile phone. Clinical psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin is only feet away, desperately trying to talk her down. She whispers, 'you don't understand,' and jumps.
Later, Joe has a visitor - the woman's teenage daughter, a runaway from boarding school. She refuses to believe that her mother would have jumped off the bridge - not only would she not commit suicide, she is terrified of heights.
Joe wants to believe her, but what would drive a woman to such a desperate act? Whose voice? What evil?
This pulse-stopping psychological thriller is a truly gripping and chilling read from one of the greatest crime writers of today, Michael Robotham.
WINNER of the NED KELLY AWARD for BEST CRIME NOVEL
Later, Joe has a visitor - the woman's teenage daughter, a runaway from boarding school. She refuses to believe that her mother would have jumped off the bridge - not only would she not commit suicide, she is terrified of heights.
Joe wants to believe her, but what would drive a woman to such a desperate act? Whose voice? What evil?
This pulse-stopping psychological thriller is a truly gripping and chilling read from one of the greatest crime writers of today, Michael Robotham.
WINNER of the NED KELLY AWARD for BEST CRIME NOVEL
Bleed For Me (#4 Joe O'Loughlin)
Michael Robotham
$14.99
Paperback • 496 pages
Ray Hegarty, a highly respected former detective, lies dead in his daughter Sienna's bedroom. She is found covered in his blood. Everything points to her guilt, but psychologist Joe O'Loughlin isn't convinced.
Fourteen-year-old Sienna is Joe's daughter's best friend - Joe has watched her grow up and seen the troubled look in her eyes. Against the advice of the police, he launches his own investigation, embarking upon a hunt that will lead him to a predatory schoolteacher; a conspiracy of silence and a race-hate trial that is captivating the nation.
With dark psychological twists and heart-stopping tension, BLEED FOR ME is a page-turning thriller from one of the most brilliant crime writers of today, Michael Robotham.
Fourteen-year-old Sienna is Joe's daughter's best friend - Joe has watched her grow up and seen the troubled look in her eyes. Against the advice of the police, he launches his own investigation, embarking upon a hunt that will lead him to a predatory schoolteacher; a conspiracy of silence and a race-hate trial that is captivating the nation.
With dark psychological twists and heart-stopping tension, BLEED FOR ME is a page-turning thriller from one of the most brilliant crime writers of today, Michael Robotham.
Class Murder
Leigh Russell
$16.99
Paperback • 352 pages
With so many potential victims to choose from, there would be many deaths. He was spoiled for choice, really, but he was determined to take his time and select his targets carefully. Only by controlling his feelings could he maintain his success. He smiled to himself. If he was clever, he would never have to stop. And he was clever. He was very clever. Far too clever to be caught.
Geraldine Steel is back for her tenth case. Reunited in York with her former sergeant, Ian Peterson, she discovers that her tendency to bend the rules has consequences. The tables have turned, and now he's the boss.
When two people are murdered, their only connection lies buried in the past. As police search for the elusive killer, another body is discovered. Pursuing her first investigation back in York, Geraldine struggles to solve the confusing case. How can she expose the killer, and rescue her shattered reputation, when all the witnesses are being murdered?
Geraldine Steel is back for her tenth case. Reunited in York with her former sergeant, Ian Peterson, she discovers that her tendency to bend the rules has consequences. The tables have turned, and now he's the boss.
When two people are murdered, their only connection lies buried in the past. As police search for the elusive killer, another body is discovered. Pursuing her first investigation back in York, Geraldine struggles to solve the confusing case. How can she expose the killer, and rescue her shattered reputation, when all the witnesses are being murdered?
Maigret's Doubts (#52 Inspector Maigret)
Georges Simenon , Shaun Whiteside
$16.99
Paperback • 160 pages
When a salesman from a Paris department store confides his secret fears to Maigret, the Inspector soon becomes caught up in a treacherous feud between husband and wife that is not as clear cut as it seems.
While at this time the previous day he had never heard of the Martons, the train set specialist was beginning to haunt his thoughts, and so was the elegant young woman who, he admitted, had boldly stood up to him when he had done everything he could to unsettle her.
Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret Has Scruples.
'A unique teller of tales' Observer 'One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories' Guardian
While at this time the previous day he had never heard of the Martons, the train set specialist was beginning to haunt his thoughts, and so was the elegant young woman who, he admitted, had boldly stood up to him when he had done everything he could to unsettle her.
Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret Has Scruples.
'A unique teller of tales' Observer 'One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories' Guardian
Maigret Travels (#51 Inspector Maigret)
Georges Simenon , Howard Curtis
$16.99
Paperback • 176 pages
Eyes half-closed, head tilted against the back of his seat, he seemed not to be thinking, as the plane flew over a thick carpet of bright clouds. In reality, he was making an effort to bring names and shadowy figures to life, names and figures that even this morning had been as unknown to him as the inhabitants of another planet.
The attempted suicide of a countess and the death of a billionaire in the same luxury Paris hotel send Maigret to the Riviera and then to Switzerland, as he searches for the truth amid the glittering world of the super-rich.
The attempted suicide of a countess and the death of a billionaire in the same luxury Paris hotel send Maigret to the Riviera and then to Switzerland, as he searches for the truth amid the glittering world of the super-rich.
The Good Daughter
Karin Slaughter
$19.99
Paperback
The stunning new standalone, with a chilling edge of psychological suspense, from the bestselling author of Pretty Girls. Two girls are forced into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. One is left behind ...
Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn's happy smalltown family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father - Pikeville's notorious defence attorney - devastated. And it left the family fractured beyond repair, consumed by secrets from that terrible night.
Twenty-eight years later, and Charlie has followed in her father's footsteps to become a lawyer herself - the archetypal good daughter. But when violence comes to Pikeville again - and a shocking tragedy leaves the whole town traumatised - Charlie is plunged into a nightmare. Not only is she the first witness on the scene, but it's a case which can't help triggering the terrible memories she's spent so long trying to suppress. Because the shocking truth about the crime which destroyed her family nearly thirty years ago won't stay buried forever...
Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn's happy smalltown family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father - Pikeville's notorious defence attorney - devastated. And it left the family fractured beyond repair, consumed by secrets from that terrible night.
Twenty-eight years later, and Charlie has followed in her father's footsteps to become a lawyer herself - the archetypal good daughter. But when violence comes to Pikeville again - and a shocking tragedy leaves the whole town traumatised - Charlie is plunged into a nightmare. Not only is she the first witness on the scene, but it's a case which can't help triggering the terrible memories she's spent so long trying to suppress. Because the shocking truth about the crime which destroyed her family nearly thirty years ago won't stay buried forever...
The Girl in the Green Dress
Cath Staincliffe
$19.99
Paperback • 336 pages
How far would you go to protect your child?
Can you really keep them safe? What if who they are puts them at risk?
And what if they have blood on their hands?
Teenager Allie Kennaway heads off for prom night, cheered on by her dad Steve and little sister Teagan. But Allie never comes home, beaten to death in an apparent hate crime because of her transgender identity. As police investigate the brutal murder, a crime that has appalled the country, one parent is at her wit's end with her son's behaviour. Are his outbursts and silences hiding something much darker than adolescent mood swings? And if her suspicions are correct, then what does she do?
Another parent will fight tooth and nail to save his boy from the full force of the law. After all, blood is thicker than water and everyone should look after their own. But if he succeeds then Allie and her family will never get the justice they deserve.
A groundbreaking story of love and hate, loyalty and betrayal, in a world of change.
Can you really keep them safe? What if who they are puts them at risk?
And what if they have blood on their hands?
Teenager Allie Kennaway heads off for prom night, cheered on by her dad Steve and little sister Teagan. But Allie never comes home, beaten to death in an apparent hate crime because of her transgender identity. As police investigate the brutal murder, a crime that has appalled the country, one parent is at her wit's end with her son's behaviour. Are his outbursts and silences hiding something much darker than adolescent mood swings? And if her suspicions are correct, then what does she do?
Another parent will fight tooth and nail to save his boy from the full force of the law. After all, blood is thicker than water and everyone should look after their own. But if he succeeds then Allie and her family will never get the justice they deserve.
A groundbreaking story of love and hate, loyalty and betrayal, in a world of change.
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore
Matthew Sullivan
$19.99
Paperback • 336 pages
What do you do when the life you've carefully built for yourself comes apart?
Lydia Smith lives a quiet life, spent in the company of her colleagues and customers at the bookstore where she works. But when Joey Molina, a young and mysterious regular, hangs himself in the bookstore and leaves Lydia secret messages hidden in the pages of his books, her world starts to unravel.
Why did Joey do it?
What did he know?
And what does it have to do with Lydia?
Lydia Smith lives a quiet life, spent in the company of her colleagues and customers at the bookstore where she works. But when Joey Molina, a young and mysterious regular, hangs himself in the bookstore and leaves Lydia secret messages hidden in the pages of his books, her world starts to unravel.
Why did Joey do it?
What did he know?
And what does it have to do with Lydia?
All the Beautiful Lies
Peter Swanson
$29.99
Paperback • 304 pages
On the eve of his college graduation, Harry is called home by his step-mother Alice, to their house on the Maine coast, following the unexpected death of his father.
But who really is Alice, his father's much younger second wife? In a brilliant split narrative, Peter Swanson teases out the stories and damage that lie in her past. And as her story entwines with Harry's in the present, things grow increasingly dark and threatening - will Harry be able to see any of it clearly through his own confused feelings?
But who really is Alice, his father's much younger second wife? In a brilliant split narrative, Peter Swanson teases out the stories and damage that lie in her past. And as her story entwines with Harry's in the present, things grow increasingly dark and threatening - will Harry be able to see any of it clearly through his own confused feelings?
The Fear
C. L. Taylor
$29.99
Paperback • 416 pages
Sometimes your first love won't let you go...
When Lou Wandsworth was fourteen, she believed she was in love. But Mike Hughes wasn't what he seemed. Over twice her age, his lies and tricks have left her life in pieces.
Eighteen years later, Lou is desperate to put the past behind her. But when she discovers that Mike is involved with thirteen-year-old Chloe, she's pulled back into his dangerous game.
Determined to save Chloe, Lou decides to take matters into her own hands. But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as Lou tries to bring him to justice, it's clear that she could once again become his prey...
The million copy Sunday Times bestseller returns with a gripping psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.
When Lou Wandsworth was fourteen, she believed she was in love. But Mike Hughes wasn't what he seemed. Over twice her age, his lies and tricks have left her life in pieces.
Eighteen years later, Lou is desperate to put the past behind her. But when she discovers that Mike is involved with thirteen-year-old Chloe, she's pulled back into his dangerous game.
Determined to save Chloe, Lou decides to take matters into her own hands. But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as Lou tries to bring him to justice, it's clear that she could once again become his prey...
The million copy Sunday Times bestseller returns with a gripping psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.
The Death Chamber (#6 Detective's Daughter)
Lesley Thomson
$29.99
Paperback • 448 pages
A new case for sees Stella, the detective's daughter, and Jack moving to the country in order to solve a cold case.
Queen's Jubilee, 1977: Cassie Baker sees her boyfriend kissing another girl at the village disco. Upset, she heads home alone and is never seen again. Millennium Eve, 1999: DCI Paul Mercer finds Cassie's remains in a field. Now he must prove the man who led him there is guilty. When Mercer's daughter asks Stella Darnell for help solving the murder, Stella see echoes of herself. Another detective's daughter. With her sidekick sleuth, Jack, Stella moves to Winchcombe, where DCI Mercer and his prime suspect have been playing cat and mouse for the past eighteen years...
Queen's Jubilee, 1977: Cassie Baker sees her boyfriend kissing another girl at the village disco. Upset, she heads home alone and is never seen again. Millennium Eve, 1999: DCI Paul Mercer finds Cassie's remains in a field. Now he must prove the man who led him there is guilty. When Mercer's daughter asks Stella Darnell for help solving the murder, Stella see echoes of herself. Another detective's daughter. With her sidekick sleuth, Jack, Stella moves to Winchcombe, where DCI Mercer and his prime suspect have been playing cat and mouse for the past eighteen years...
Peril in the Cotswolds (#15 Thea Osborne)
Rebecca Tope
$19.99
Paperback • 352 pages
Thea Slocombe is trying to settle into normal family domestic life with Drew and his two children in Broad Campden. But any sense of cosy domesticity is shattered when Thea finds the body of a neighbour. No longer a house-sitter, Thea has no choice but to stay in the village and deal with whatever happens next, even when this risks damage to her marriage. Unconvinced that the swift conclusion made about the death by the police is the right one, Thea is compelled to follow her nature and investigate herself. But what repercussions might there be for her, Drew and those with whom they share this corner of the Cotswolds?
Testimony
Scott Turow
$17.99
Paperback • 496 pages
Bill ten Boom has walked out on everything he thought was important to him: his career, his wife, even his country. Invited to become a prosecutor at The Hague’s International Criminal Court, it was a chance to start afresh.
But when his first case is to examine the disappearance of four hundred Roma refugees – an apparent war crime left unsolved for ten years – it’s clear this new life won’t be an easy one...
Whispered rumours have the perpetrators ranging from Serb paramilitaries to the U.S. Army, but there’s no hard evidence to hold either accountable, and only a single witness to say it happened at all.
To get to the truth, Boom must question the integrity of every person linked to the case – from Layton Merriwell, a disgraced US Major General, to flirtatious barrister, Esma Czarni – as it soon becomes apparent that every party has a vested interest and no qualms in steering the investigation their way...
But when his first case is to examine the disappearance of four hundred Roma refugees – an apparent war crime left unsolved for ten years – it’s clear this new life won’t be an easy one...
Whispered rumours have the perpetrators ranging from Serb paramilitaries to the U.S. Army, but there’s no hard evidence to hold either accountable, and only a single witness to say it happened at all.
To get to the truth, Boom must question the integrity of every person linked to the case – from Layton Merriwell, a disgraced US Major General, to flirtatious barrister, Esma Czarni – as it soon becomes apparent that every party has a vested interest and no qualms in steering the investigation their way...
The Big Rort (#2 Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency)
Barry Weston
$26.95
Paperback
Frank Cousins is a knock-about sort of a bloke.
He's also the owner and sole employee of the Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency and, as his dear old mother said, 'occasionally his own worst enemy'. That was until Frank meets Joe Shadii, aka 'The Pharaoh'.
Frank is hired by a London based solicitor to find the twin sister of his client in Hobart. It starts out as an easy-peasy, money for jam case that turns nasty.
Then an ex-girlfriend, the lost love of his life, calls upon him to assist her brother who looks like going down for the brutal murder of his pregnant partner. And of course, Frank takes on the case.
But, as with most of Frank's life, all is not what it first appears. Smuggled heroin, a handful of murders and coming face to face with The Pharaoh was not what Frank had anticipated in trying to win back his lost love.
It's all just as his dear old mother used to tell him, 'sometimes, life's just like that.'
He's also the owner and sole employee of the Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency and, as his dear old mother said, 'occasionally his own worst enemy'. That was until Frank meets Joe Shadii, aka 'The Pharaoh'.
Frank is hired by a London based solicitor to find the twin sister of his client in Hobart. It starts out as an easy-peasy, money for jam case that turns nasty.
Then an ex-girlfriend, the lost love of his life, calls upon him to assist her brother who looks like going down for the brutal murder of his pregnant partner. And of course, Frank takes on the case.
But, as with most of Frank's life, all is not what it first appears. Smuggled heroin, a handful of murders and coming face to face with The Pharaoh was not what Frank had anticipated in trying to win back his lost love.
It's all just as his dear old mother used to tell him, 'sometimes, life's just like that.'
A Talent for Murder (#1 Agatha Christie)
Andrew Wilson
$19.99
Paperback • 416 pages
‘I wouldn't scream if I were you. Unless you want the whole world to learn about your husband and his mistress.’
Agatha Christie, in London to visit her literary agent, boards a train, preoccupied and flustered in the knowledge that her husband Archie is having an affair. She feels a light touch on her back, causing her to lose her balance, then a sense of someone pulling her to safety from the rush of the incoming train. So begins a terrifying sequence of events. Her rescuer is no guardian angel; rather, he is a blackmailer of the most insidious, manipulative kind. Agatha must use every ounce of her cleverness and resourcefulness to thwart an adversary determined to exploit her genius for murder to kill on his behalf.
Agatha Christie, in London to visit her literary agent, boards a train, preoccupied and flustered in the knowledge that her husband Archie is having an affair. She feels a light touch on her back, causing her to lose her balance, then a sense of someone pulling her to safety from the rush of the incoming train. So begins a terrifying sequence of events. Her rescuer is no guardian angel; rather, he is a blackmailer of the most insidious, manipulative kind. Agatha must use every ounce of her cleverness and resourcefulness to thwart an adversary determined to exploit her genius for murder to kill on his behalf.
The Final Hour (#7 Victor)
Tom Wood
$19.99
Paperback • 480 pages
Former CIA agent Antonio Alvarez has been tracking a vicious murderer for years, a nameless hitman responsible for numerous homicides.
Once, the Agency deflected him away from his search, but now promotion has given him a second chance to right the past.
Only problem is, the killer has vanished.
Thousands of miles away, the professional known as Victor has stopped working - recently he began to care; he made mistakes. But there's another assassin, Raven, who needs his help - and she is hard to refuse...
Enter a world of betrayal, tension and twists perfect for fans of Gregg Hurwitz (Orphan X, The Nowhere Man), James Swallow (Nomad, Exile) and Terry Hayes (I Am Pilgrim, Day of the Locust).
Once, the Agency deflected him away from his search, but now promotion has given him a second chance to right the past.
Only problem is, the killer has vanished.
Thousands of miles away, the professional known as Victor has stopped working - recently he began to care; he made mistakes. But there's another assassin, Raven, who needs his help - and she is hard to refuse...
Enter a world of betrayal, tension and twists perfect for fans of Gregg Hurwitz (Orphan X, The Nowhere Man), James Swallow (Nomad, Exile) and Terry Hayes (I Am Pilgrim, Day of the Locust).
The Spy
Andrew Gross
$17.99
Paperback • 448 pages
It is 1943, and the Nazis’ stranglehold over Europe is starting to loosen. In a corner of Norway, work is underway at a remote mountain factory to alter that course . . .
Kurt Nordstrum is a courageous fighter who has lost everything. His fiancée. His unit. His cause. When Kurt learns of the Nazis’ atomic research in his homeland, he teams up with a group of patriotic fighters, driven by one goal: to disrupt activity at the heavily guarded factory.
Nordstrum must pull off the impossible if his team is to succeed. But in doing so, he must put the safety of one person at risk – the one he sees a life with. How far is he prepared to go, and how much is he willing to sacrifice?
Kurt Nordstrum is a courageous fighter who has lost everything. His fiancée. His unit. His cause. When Kurt learns of the Nazis’ atomic research in his homeland, he teams up with a group of patriotic fighters, driven by one goal: to disrupt activity at the heavily guarded factory.
Nordstrum must pull off the impossible if his team is to succeed. But in doing so, he must put the safety of one person at risk – the one he sees a life with. How far is he prepared to go, and how much is he willing to sacrifice?
Crime Chronicle - Cosy Crime
abbeys.com.au
Date with Mystery (#14 Maisie Dobbs)
Julia Chapman
$17.99
Paperback • 448 pages
Date with Mystery is the third novel in Julia Chapman's Dales Detective series.
The Dales Detective Agency’s latest assignment appears to be an open and shut case. Hired by a local solicitor to find a death certificate for a young woman who died over twenty years ago, Samson O’Brien is about to find out that things in Bruncliffe are rarely that straightforward. Particularly when the solicitor insists that Delilah Metcalfe, with her wealth of local knowledge, works alongside Samson on this sensitive investigation.
Delilah is eager to help. At the very least, the case will take her mind off the looming custody battle for her precious dog, Tolpuddle, and the threat of the bank foreclosing on her struggling Dales Dating Agency.
As Samson and Delilah investigate they soon become embroiled in a mystery that has lain at the heart of the town for decades. But in uncovering the truth have they exposed secrets that some would prefer would remain buried?
The Dales Detective Agency’s latest assignment appears to be an open and shut case. Hired by a local solicitor to find a death certificate for a young woman who died over twenty years ago, Samson O’Brien is about to find out that things in Bruncliffe are rarely that straightforward. Particularly when the solicitor insists that Delilah Metcalfe, with her wealth of local knowledge, works alongside Samson on this sensitive investigation.
Delilah is eager to help. At the very least, the case will take her mind off the looming custody battle for her precious dog, Tolpuddle, and the threat of the bank foreclosing on her struggling Dales Dating Agency.
As Samson and Delilah investigate they soon become embroiled in a mystery that has lain at the heart of the town for decades. But in uncovering the truth have they exposed secrets that some would prefer would remain buried?
Antiques Frame (#12 Trash 'n' Treasures)
Barbara Allan
$14.95
Paperback • 256 pages
With their reality TV series, Antiques Sleuths, Brandy Borne and her quaintly kooky mother, Vivian, have a real hit on their hands. But when the bidding turns deadly, Brandy finds herself ornately framed for murder. Aided only by Sushi, their loyal shih tzu, and police dog Rocky, the wacky mother-and-daughter sleuthing team races to determine how an empty antique frame can hold a deadly portrait, before they become the subjects of another masterpiece of murder.
A Magical Match (#9 Witchcraft)
Juliet Blackwell
$14.95
Paperback
Witch and vintage store owner Lily Ivory faces her most difficult mystery to date with a case of mistaken identity that hits close to home...
Lily Ivory and her friends are planning a 1950s-themed brunch to benefit the local women's shelter. When a figure from her past shows up unannounced, threatening her unless she returns something that belonged to him, Lily's fiancé, Sailor, steps in to defend her. After the same man is found dead later that day, Sailor is the primary suspect. He swears he's innocent, but multiple witnesses ID him as the perpetrator of the assault. Lily vows to clear his name...only she's not sure where to start with the mounting evidence against him.
When she sees Sailor in the neighborhood despite knowing he's in jail, Lily starts to wonder if there could be a doppelganger in San Francisco. When she's not busy helping customers find matching outfits for the upcoming event, searching for a vintage wedding dress for her own nuptials, and dealing with an ill-timed magical cold, Lily begins to suspect one of her magical foes is targeting her loved ones in an attempt to weaken her.
Lily Ivory and her friends are planning a 1950s-themed brunch to benefit the local women's shelter. When a figure from her past shows up unannounced, threatening her unless she returns something that belonged to him, Lily's fiancé, Sailor, steps in to defend her. After the same man is found dead later that day, Sailor is the primary suspect. He swears he's innocent, but multiple witnesses ID him as the perpetrator of the assault. Lily vows to clear his name...only she's not sure where to start with the mounting evidence against him.
When she sees Sailor in the neighborhood despite knowing he's in jail, Lily starts to wonder if there could be a doppelganger in San Francisco. When she's not busy helping customers find matching outfits for the upcoming event, searching for a vintage wedding dress for her own nuptials, and dealing with an ill-timed magical cold, Lily begins to suspect one of her magical foes is targeting her loved ones in an attempt to weaken her.
Blotto, Twinks and the Stars of the Silver Screen (#7 Blotto, Twinks)
Simon Brett
$22.99
Paperback • 208 pages
Another hair-raising adventure featuring the aristocratic brother and sister sleuthing duo!
The end of the cricket season spells gloom for Blotto, until he is invited to bat against the Hollywood cricket team out in sunny LA, where rain never stops play. And so begins the latest adventure for Blotto and his supremely gifted sister Twinks. Although their mother, the Dowager Duchess of Tawcester, keeps a strict rein on her two children, she knows America is full of wealthy young men, all of whom will fall in love with her daughter - and marriage to a Texan millionaire would solve the Tawcester financial problems once and for all.
So, accompanied by trusty chauffeur Corky Froggett, the intrepid siblings head out to California. On arrival in Hollywood they are invited to a glitzy party where they are introduced to a firmament of Hollywood stars, directors and gossip columnists, but the mood of the party suddenly curdles with the breaking news that beautiful starlet Mimsy La Pim - the (former) love of Blotto's life - has been kidnapped. And Blotto is determined to make it his personal mission to rescue her.
But in the world of old-fashioned cricket matches, gigantic Hollywood egos, film-making disasters and merciless crooks, it soon falls to Twinks to rescue her brother from the various messes he creates when attempting to rescue his damsel in distress. Will the siblings ever get back to Tawcester Towers - or will it be a case of death before wicket?
The end of the cricket season spells gloom for Blotto, until he is invited to bat against the Hollywood cricket team out in sunny LA, where rain never stops play. And so begins the latest adventure for Blotto and his supremely gifted sister Twinks. Although their mother, the Dowager Duchess of Tawcester, keeps a strict rein on her two children, she knows America is full of wealthy young men, all of whom will fall in love with her daughter - and marriage to a Texan millionaire would solve the Tawcester financial problems once and for all.
So, accompanied by trusty chauffeur Corky Froggett, the intrepid siblings head out to California. On arrival in Hollywood they are invited to a glitzy party where they are introduced to a firmament of Hollywood stars, directors and gossip columnists, but the mood of the party suddenly curdles with the breaking news that beautiful starlet Mimsy La Pim - the (former) love of Blotto's life - has been kidnapped. And Blotto is determined to make it his personal mission to rescue her.
But in the world of old-fashioned cricket matches, gigantic Hollywood egos, film-making disasters and merciless crooks, it soon falls to Twinks to rescue her brother from the various messes he creates when attempting to rescue his damsel in distress. Will the siblings ever get back to Tawcester Towers - or will it be a case of death before wicket?
Death by Dumpling (#1 Noodle Shop)
Vivien Chien
$14.95
Paperback • 352 pages
Lana Lee never thought she'd be stuck working at the family restaurant in her late twenties, but here she is, wiping down tables sticky with the remnants of General Tso's chicken. But after a messy breakup and a dead-end job, she figured working at the Ho-Lee Noodle House wouldn't be too bad, right? The charming shopping plaza, Asia Village, is where Lana spent most of her childhood and although she'd rather avoid it for that specific reason; she agrees to work full-time at the restaurant until a better prospect of employment comes along.
Things seem to be going smoothly enough until one of the property managers of the shopping plaza, Thomas Feng, is found dead in his office. Unfortunately, for Lana and the restaurant's head chef, the death looks like murder, and the murder weapon looks like dumplings from none other than the Ho-Lee Noodle House. While the dumplings look innocent enough, it's what's on the inside that counts, which is pork and shrimp, a deadly combination for Thomas, who everyone knows suffers from a severe shellfish allergy. The police immediately suspect Lana's family, and now, with her parents' restaurant at stake, she sees no other option but to figure out what really happened to Thomas, and why.
Things seem to be going smoothly enough until one of the property managers of the shopping plaza, Thomas Feng, is found dead in his office. Unfortunately, for Lana and the restaurant's head chef, the death looks like murder, and the murder weapon looks like dumplings from none other than the Ho-Lee Noodle House. While the dumplings look innocent enough, it's what's on the inside that counts, which is pork and shrimp, a deadly combination for Thomas, who everyone knows suffers from a severe shellfish allergy. The police immediately suspect Lana's family, and now, with her parents' restaurant at stake, she sees no other option but to figure out what really happened to Thomas, and why.
Fiction Can Be Murder (#1 Mystery Writer's Mystery)
Becky Clark
$29.95
Paperback • 312 pages
Mystery author Charlemagne "Charlee" Russo thought the twisty plots and peculiar murders in her books were only the products of her imagination. That is, until her agent is found dead exactly as described in her new, unpublished manuscript. Suspicion swirls around her and her critique group, making her confidence drop as severely and unexpectedly as her royalty payments.
The police care more about Charlee's feeble alibi and financial problems than they do her panicky claims of innocence. To clear her name and revive her career, she must figure out which of her friends is a murderer. Easier said than done, even for an author who's skilled at creating tidy endings for her mysteries. And as her sleuthing grows dangerous, her imagination starts working overtime. Is she being targeted, too?
The police care more about Charlee's feeble alibi and financial problems than they do her panicky claims of innocence. To clear her name and revive her career, she must figure out which of her friends is a murderer. Easier said than done, even for an author who's skilled at creating tidy endings for her mysteries. And as her sleuthing grows dangerous, her imagination starts working overtime. Is she being targeted, too?
Natural Thorn Killer (#1 Rose City)
Kate Dyer-Seeley
$14.95
Paperback • 304 pages
Cut down among the flowers...
Britta Johnston might be a late bloomer, but after leaving her deadbeat husband and dead-end job, she’s finally pursuing her artistic passion at her aunt Elin’s floral boutique, Blooma, in Portland, Oregon. It’s on the banks of the Willamette, in a quaint district of cobblestone paths and cherry trees. The wine bar featuring Pacific Northwest vintages is a tasty bonus, offering another kind of bouquet to enjoy. But things aren’t as peaceful as they look.
For one thing, someone’s been leaving dead roses around - and a sleazy real estate developer who wants the waterfront property has put a big-money offer on the table. Then, after a contentious meeting of local business owners, he’s found on the floor of the shop, with Elin’s garden shears planted in his chest. And before the police decide to pin the crime on her beloved aunt, Britta will have to find out who arranged this murder...
Britta Johnston might be a late bloomer, but after leaving her deadbeat husband and dead-end job, she’s finally pursuing her artistic passion at her aunt Elin’s floral boutique, Blooma, in Portland, Oregon. It’s on the banks of the Willamette, in a quaint district of cobblestone paths and cherry trees. The wine bar featuring Pacific Northwest vintages is a tasty bonus, offering another kind of bouquet to enjoy. But things aren’t as peaceful as they look.
For one thing, someone’s been leaving dead roses around - and a sleazy real estate developer who wants the waterfront property has put a big-money offer on the table. Then, after a contentious meeting of local business owners, he’s found on the floor of the shop, with Elin’s garden shears planted in his chest. And before the police decide to pin the crime on her beloved aunt, Britta will have to find out who arranged this murder...
Murder, She Knit (#1 Knit and Nibble)
Peggy Ehrhart
$14.95
Paperback
Since her only daughter left for college, widow Pamela Paterson has kept busy as associate editor of a craft magazine and founder of the Knit and Nibble knitting club in quaint Arborville, New Jersey. Now, she’s trying out a new hobby - solving murders!
Pamela is hosting the next Knit and Nibble meeting and can’t wait to liven up her otherwise empty home with colorful yarn, baking, and a little harmless gossip. She even recruits Amy Morgan, an old friend who recently moved to town, as the group’s newest member. But on the night of the gathering, Amy doesn’t show. Not until Pamela finds the woman dead outside - a knitting needle stabbed through the front of her handmade sweater...
Someone committed murder before taking off with Amy’s knitting bag, and Pamela realizes that only she can spot the deadly details hidden in mysterious skeins. But when another murder occurs, naming the culprit - and living to spin the tale - will be more difficult than Pamela ever imagined...
Knitting tips and delicious recipe included!
Pamela is hosting the next Knit and Nibble meeting and can’t wait to liven up her otherwise empty home with colorful yarn, baking, and a little harmless gossip. She even recruits Amy Morgan, an old friend who recently moved to town, as the group’s newest member. But on the night of the gathering, Amy doesn’t show. Not until Pamela finds the woman dead outside - a knitting needle stabbed through the front of her handmade sweater...
Someone committed murder before taking off with Amy’s knitting bag, and Pamela realizes that only she can spot the deadly details hidden in mysterious skeins. But when another murder occurs, naming the culprit - and living to spin the tale - will be more difficult than Pamela ever imagined...
Knitting tips and delicious recipe included!
Til Death Do Us Party (#4 Live and Di in Mystery)
Vickie Fee
$14.95
Paperback • 352 pages
Las Vegas knows how to party, and for once, event planner Liv McKay won’t be entirely behind the scenes. The Dixie gang is in Sin City to celebrate Mama and Earl’s rockin’ Elvis-themed wedding. And between juggling the botched bachelorette party and a problem-plagued soirée back home, Liv’s ready to double down on some fun.
Mama & Earl’s happily-ever-after seems like a sure thing, but all bets (and nuptials) are off when they get to the Burning Love Wedding Chapel. Their Elvis-impersonating minister has left the building... permanently. And even worse, Liv’s cousin, Little Junior, is suspected of his murder.
With Mama’s happy ending on the table and Little Junior about to lose it all, the stakes are higher than ever. Liv and her best friend, Di, must hit the Strip to find the real killer before he finally plays his ace...
Mama & Earl’s happily-ever-after seems like a sure thing, but all bets (and nuptials) are off when they get to the Burning Love Wedding Chapel. Their Elvis-impersonating minister has left the building... permanently. And even worse, Liv’s cousin, Little Junior, is suspected of his murder.
With Mama’s happy ending on the table and Little Junior about to lose it all, the stakes are higher than ever. Liv and her best friend, Di, must hit the Strip to find the real killer before he finally plays his ace...
The Secrets Of The Bastide Blanch (#7 Verlaque and Bonnet)
M. L. Longworth
$29.99
Paperback • 336 pages
One hot summer night, Aix-en-Provence is aflutter with news that controversial author Valere Barbier, who once shared dinners with French presidents and all-night drinking bouts with rock stars, has moved into La Bastide Blanche, a grand house left empty for decades. But Valere's ideas of a peaceful retirement are quickly dashed. Rambunctious neighbourhood children, a fast-talking gossip of a housekeeper, and a rival novelist filter through the home at all hours of the day - and by night there are unseen visitors with more sinister intentions.
In Prior's Wood (#7 Max Tudor)
G. M. Malliet
$19.99
Paperback • 304 pages
Newly returned from investigating a murder in Monkslip-super-Mare, handsome Max Tudor wants nothing more than to settle back into his predictable routine as vicar of St. Edwold's Church in the village of Nether Monkslip. But the flow of his sermon on Bathsheba is interrupted when the lady of the local manor house is found in a suicide pact with her young lover.
Lady Duxter's husband rallies quickly from the double tragedy - too quickly, it is murmured in the village. Lord Duxter has already offered his manor house to a motley crew of writers, including Max's wife Awena, for his writers' retreat, and he insists the show must go on.
But when a young girl goes missing and a crime writer becomes a target, DCI Cotton asks Max to lend his MI5 expertise to the investigation.
Many suspects emerge as the scope of the investigation widens beyond the writers to villagers who had crossed swords with the insufferably smug crime author. But Max begins to wonder: was the attack on the writer only part of a broader conspiracy of silence?
Lady Duxter's husband rallies quickly from the double tragedy - too quickly, it is murmured in the village. Lord Duxter has already offered his manor house to a motley crew of writers, including Max's wife Awena, for his writers' retreat, and he insists the show must go on.
But when a young girl goes missing and a crime writer becomes a target, DCI Cotton asks Max to lend his MI5 expertise to the investigation.
Many suspects emerge as the scope of the investigation widens beyond the writers to villagers who had crossed swords with the insufferably smug crime author. But Max begins to wonder: was the attack on the writer only part of a broader conspiracy of silence?
Wedding Cake Crumble (#10 Cupcake Bakery)
Jenn McKinlay
$14.95
Paperback
With Angie and Tate's wedding just around the corner, it's a happy time for Melanie Cooper and the bakery crew. Not only are they finessing the last-minute details of the big day, but their bakery, Fairy Tale Cupcakes, has just been hired to bake cupcakes for the blockbuster book signing of a controversial author who wrote a steamy bestseller filled with juicy local gossip. But one by one, the people Angie has hired to work the wedding begin turning up dead. As the body count rises, the bestselling author is the next to bite the dust. Mel quickly realizes she needs to figure out how the murders are connected and why-before the killer brings the entire cupcake crew crumbling down. After all, Angie and Tate deserve their sweet happily ever after.
Scot Free (#1 Last Ditch)
Catriona McPherson
$29.95
Paperback • 288 pages
Lexy Campbell fell in love and left her native Scotland for a golden life in California - hitched to a hunk, building her marriage counseling practice, living the dream. Six months later she's divorced, broke, and headed home. There's just one last thing. Lexy's only client - sweet little old Mrs. Bombarro - is in jail for murdering her husband with a fireworks rocket. Lexy knows the cops have got it wrong; all she needs is a few days to prove it and somewhere cheap to sleep at night. But checking into the Last Ditch Motel leads Lexy to a whole new cast of characters with troubles of their own.
The Uninvited Corpse (#1 Food Blogger)
Debra Sennefelder
$14.95
Paperback
Leaving behind a failed career as a magazine editor and an embarrassing stint on a reality baking show, newly divorced lifestyle entrepreneur Hope Early thought things were finally on the upswing — until she comes face-to-face with a murderer...
Hope’s schedule is already jam packed with recipe testing and shameless plugs for her food blog as she rushes off to attend a spring garden tour in the charming town of Jefferson, Connecticut. Unfortunately, it isn’t the perfectly arranged potted plants that grab her attention — it’s the bloody body of reviled real estate agent Peaches McCoy...
One of the tour guests committed murder, and all eyes are on Hope’s older sister, Claire Dixon — who, at best, saw Peaches as a professional rival. And suspicions really heat up when another murder occurs the following night. Now, with two messy murders shaking Jefferson and all evidence pointing to Claire, Hope must set aside her burgeoning brand to prove her sister’s innocence. But the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer intent on making sure her life goes permanently out of style...
Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!
Hope’s schedule is already jam packed with recipe testing and shameless plugs for her food blog as she rushes off to attend a spring garden tour in the charming town of Jefferson, Connecticut. Unfortunately, it isn’t the perfectly arranged potted plants that grab her attention — it’s the bloody body of reviled real estate agent Peaches McCoy...
One of the tour guests committed murder, and all eyes are on Hope’s older sister, Claire Dixon — who, at best, saw Peaches as a professional rival. And suspicions really heat up when another murder occurs the following night. Now, with two messy murders shaking Jefferson and all evidence pointing to Claire, Hope must set aside her burgeoning brand to prove her sister’s innocence. But the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer intent on making sure her life goes permanently out of style...
Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!
Tart of Darkness (#1 Chef To Go)
Swanson
$14.95
Paperback • 352 pages
Right when Dani thinks she's hit a dead-end in her career, she unexpectedly inherits an enormous old house in a quaint college town. This gives her the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion-cooking! So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, preparing delicious, ready-made meals for hungry students attending the nearby university, as well as providing personal chef services and catering events for the local community. To help support her new business, she opens her home to a few students, renting them rooms and becoming almost like a big sister figure in their lives.
But just as Dani is relishing her sweet new life, the friend of one of her boarders is murdered, and Dani becomes one of the primary suspects! She'll have to scramble to clear her name and save her business before the killer reappears-perhaps to silence the new chef forever.
But just as Dani is relishing her sweet new life, the friend of one of her boarders is murdered, and Dani becomes one of the primary suspects! She'll have to scramble to clear her name and save her business before the killer reappears-perhaps to silence the new chef forever.
The Bengal Identity (#2 Cat Groomer)
Eileen Watkins
$29.95
Paperback • 304 pages
Everyone knows a leopard can't change its spots. But can a thief hide the spots on a catnapped Bengal? Groomer Cassie McGlone is about to find out...
With no ID for his pet, an agitated young man shows up at Cassie's Comfy Cats claiming his house has burned down and he needs to board his big, brown cat, Ayesha. But after a bath washes dye out of the cat's coat and reveals beautiful spots, Cassie suspects the exotic-looking feline may in fact be a valuable Bengal show cat, possibly stolen. At the same time, there are rumored sightings of a "wild cat" in the hills of Chadwick, New Jersey. Could there be a connection?
When Ayesha's alleged owner turns up dead, it looks like whoever wants the beautiful Bengal is not pussyfooting around. Working with the police, Cassie and her staff need to be careful not to reveal the purloined purebred's whereabouts while they discreetly make inquiries to cat breeders to find her real owners. But after a break-in attempt rattles Cassie's cage, it's clear someone let the cat out of the bag. And when a second body is found, it's up to Cassie to spot the killer, who may be grooming her to be the next victim...
With no ID for his pet, an agitated young man shows up at Cassie's Comfy Cats claiming his house has burned down and he needs to board his big, brown cat, Ayesha. But after a bath washes dye out of the cat's coat and reveals beautiful spots, Cassie suspects the exotic-looking feline may in fact be a valuable Bengal show cat, possibly stolen. At the same time, there are rumored sightings of a "wild cat" in the hills of Chadwick, New Jersey. Could there be a connection?
When Ayesha's alleged owner turns up dead, it looks like whoever wants the beautiful Bengal is not pussyfooting around. Working with the police, Cassie and her staff need to be careful not to reveal the purloined purebred's whereabouts while they discreetly make inquiries to cat breeders to find her real owners. But after a break-in attempt rattles Cassie's cage, it's clear someone let the cat out of the bag. And when a second body is found, it's up to Cassie to spot the killer, who may be grooming her to be the next victim...
Cinco de Murder (#3 Taste of Texas)
Rebecca Adler
$14.95
Paperback
Tex-Mex waitress and part-time reporter Josie Callahan serves up more Lone Star justice in this spicy mystery from the author of The Good, the Bad, and the Guacamole.
It's fiesta time in Broken Boot, Texas! And tourists are pouring into town faster than free beer at a bull roping to partake of the mouthwatering Cinco de Mayo festivities. Tex-Mex waitress Josie Callahan, her feisty abuela, Senora Mari, and even her spunky Chihuahua Lenny are polishing their folklorico dances for Saturday's big parade while Uncle Eddie is adding his own spicy event to the fiesta menu: Broken Boot's First Annual Charity Chili Cook-off.
But Uncle Eddie's hopes of impressing the town council go up in smoke when cantankerous chili cook Lucky Straw is found dead in his tent. And when her beloved uncle is accused of fatal negligence, Josie, Lenny, and the steadfast Detective Lightfoot must uncover who ended the ambitious chilihead's life before another cook kicks the bucket.
It's fiesta time in Broken Boot, Texas! And tourists are pouring into town faster than free beer at a bull roping to partake of the mouthwatering Cinco de Mayo festivities. Tex-Mex waitress Josie Callahan, her feisty abuela, Senora Mari, and even her spunky Chihuahua Lenny are polishing their folklorico dances for Saturday's big parade while Uncle Eddie is adding his own spicy event to the fiesta menu: Broken Boot's First Annual Charity Chili Cook-off.
But Uncle Eddie's hopes of impressing the town council go up in smoke when cantankerous chili cook Lucky Straw is found dead in his tent. And when her beloved uncle is accused of fatal negligence, Josie, Lenny, and the steadfast Detective Lightfoot must uncover who ended the ambitious chilihead's life before another cook kicks the bucket.
Death Of A Village
David Monteath , M.C. Beaton
$39.95
CD-Audio
On a routine visit, Hamish Macbeth finds the pub empty, the church unexpectedly full, and the very air permeated with fear. Then an explosion levels a holiday cottage which the locals call 'an act of God'.
Hamish has another theory, one that will make the national news. With the help of sharp-eyed journalist Elspeth Grant and Lugs (his dog) he begins to winkle out the truth.
But Hamish's best laid plans soon go awry when an old friend dies, a scandalous rumour erupts, and someone close to his heart may be lost forever ...
Hamish has another theory, one that will make the national news. With the help of sharp-eyed journalist Elspeth Grant and Lugs (his dog) he begins to winkle out the truth.
But Hamish's best laid plans soon go awry when an old friend dies, a scandalous rumour erupts, and someone close to his heart may be lost forever ...
Crime Chronicle - Historical Crime
abbeys.com.au
Pandora's Boy (#6 Flavia Alba)
Lindsey Davis
$32.99
Paperback • 400 pages
Flavia Albia is a private investigator, always drawn to an intriguing puzzle - even if it is put to her by her new husband's hostile ex-wife. On the Quirinal Hill, Clodia Volumnia, a very young girl with stars in her eyes, has died, amid suggestions that she was poisoned by a love-potion. It will have been supplied by a local witch, who goes by the name of Pandora, though Albia learns that Pandora carries on a trade in herbal beauty products while hiding much more dangerous connections. Pandora's beloved grandson, a trainee hack lawyer, is one of the dead girl's empty-headed friends; can this be relevant?
As she homes in on the truth, Albia has to contend with the occult, organised crime, an unusual fertility symbol, and celebrity dining. She discovers the young girl was a handful; her father mediates in disputes, yet has divorced his grief-stricken wife and is now suing his own mother-in-law; Clodia's so-called friends were none too friendly. The supposedly sweet air of the Quirinal hides the smells of loose morality, casual betrayal and even gangland conflict. When a friend of her own is murdered, Albia determines to expose as much of this local sickness as she can - beginning with the truth about the death of little Clodia.
As she homes in on the truth, Albia has to contend with the occult, organised crime, an unusual fertility symbol, and celebrity dining. She discovers the young girl was a handful; her father mediates in disputes, yet has divorced his grief-stricken wife and is now suing his own mother-in-law; Clodia's so-called friends were none too friendly. The supposedly sweet air of the Quirinal hides the smells of loose morality, casual betrayal and even gangland conflict. When a friend of her own is murdered, Albia determines to expose as much of this local sickness as she can - beginning with the truth about the death of little Clodia.
The Fire Court (#2 Marwood)
Andrew Taylor
$32.99
Paperback • 448 pages
Somewhere in the soot-stained ruins of Restoration London, a killer has gone to ground...
The Great Fire has ravaged London, wreaking destruction and devastation wherever its flames spread. Now, guided by the incorruptible Fire Court, the city is slowly rebuilding, but times are volatile and danger is only ever a heartbeat away.
James Marwood, son of a traitor, is thrust into this treacherous environment when his ailing father claims to have stumbled upon a murdered woman in the very place where the Fire Court sits. Then his father is run down and killed. Accident? Or another murder...?
Determined to uncover the truth, Marwood turns to the one person he can trust – Cat Lovett, the daughter of a despised regicide. Marwood has helped her in the past. Now it's her turn to help him. But then comes a third death… and Marwood and Cat are forced to confront a vicious and increasingly desperate killer whose actions threaten the future of the city itself.
The Great Fire has ravaged London, wreaking destruction and devastation wherever its flames spread. Now, guided by the incorruptible Fire Court, the city is slowly rebuilding, but times are volatile and danger is only ever a heartbeat away.
James Marwood, son of a traitor, is thrust into this treacherous environment when his ailing father claims to have stumbled upon a murdered woman in the very place where the Fire Court sits. Then his father is run down and killed. Accident? Or another murder...?
Determined to uncover the truth, Marwood turns to the one person he can trust – Cat Lovett, the daughter of a despised regicide. Marwood has helped her in the past. Now it's her turn to help him. But then comes a third death… and Marwood and Cat are forced to confront a vicious and increasingly desperate killer whose actions threaten the future of the city itself.
Date with the Executioner (Bow Street Rivals #3)
Edward Marston
$19.99
Paperback • 384 pages
1817. Dawn breaks on a summer's day in Chalk Farm, London, and the scene is set for a duel between a lady's two ardent admirers. Paul Skillen has been teaching Mark Bowerman how to shoot properly and, although he is not sanguine of his chances, stands as his second. Although the duel is broken up, the passions behind the duel seem to spill out into the full light of day when Bowerman is stabbed to death in a stranger's garden. Paul and his twin Peter are determined to see justice done and are soon enmeshed in threads of inheritance, treachery and fraud.
Marked to Die (#3 Bradecote & Catchpoll)
Sarah Hawkswood
$19.99
Paperback • 288 pages
October 1143. His task dispatched, a mysterious archer melts back into the forest leaving a pile of corpses in his wake. The lord Sheriff of Worcester cannot ignore such a brazen attack on the salt road from Wich, nor the death of a nobleman in the wrong place at the wrong time. And so Hugh Bradecote and Serjeant Catchpoll are dispatched to hunt an elusive killer and his gang and put a stop to the mounting attacks. But it is not easy to get the culprits in their sights with a reeve keen to keep his position at all costs, a lord with his own ends to serve and a distrusting and vengeful widow to whom Bradecote is increasingly attracted.
Disappearance at Oare (#5 Whitstable)
Julie Wassmer
$19.99
Paperback • 304 pages
The Whitstable Pearl restaurant has been busy all summer while Pearl's detective agency has brought few interesting cases - until a prospective client calls...
Christina Scott confides that seven years ago she had the perfect life with a seaside home, a confirmed pregnancy and Steven, a loving husband - until one morning she woke to find herself alone. Christina's husband had vanished, taking nothing with him but his car - which was later found abandoned at the beautifully mysterious Oare Marshes.
Now, with the legal presumption of Steven's death about to be made, Christina shows a photograph to Pearl. It's not of him, but of her young son, Martin, who has grown up without his father but Christina is adamant he now deserves to know the truth. And will Pearl help her solve the riddle of Steven's disappearance?
DCI Mike McGuire warns Pearl she's on a fool's errand but the case resonates with Pearl as she begins to uncover secrets and lies that take her on a dangerous journey back into her own past, as well as Christina's...
'A tried-and-tested crime recipe with Whitstable flavours that makes for a Michelin-starred read' Daily Mail
Christina Scott confides that seven years ago she had the perfect life with a seaside home, a confirmed pregnancy and Steven, a loving husband - until one morning she woke to find herself alone. Christina's husband had vanished, taking nothing with him but his car - which was later found abandoned at the beautifully mysterious Oare Marshes.
Now, with the legal presumption of Steven's death about to be made, Christina shows a photograph to Pearl. It's not of him, but of her young son, Martin, who has grown up without his father but Christina is adamant he now deserves to know the truth. And will Pearl help her solve the riddle of Steven's disappearance?
DCI Mike McGuire warns Pearl she's on a fool's errand but the case resonates with Pearl as she begins to uncover secrets and lies that take her on a dangerous journey back into her own past, as well as Christina's...
'A tried-and-tested crime recipe with Whitstable flavours that makes for a Michelin-starred read' Daily Mail
The Reluctant Assassin (#16 Ursula Blanchard)
Fiona Buckley
$44.95
Hardback • 224 pages
When Ursula's young son is kidnapped, she is lured into an impossible dilemma.
March, 1581. Queen Elizabeth is once again being urged to consider marriage to the Duke of Alençon, a French Catholic twenty years her junior. The prospect of the match is causing unrest throughout the kingdom.
Ursula Blanchard however has more immediate matters to worry about when her 9-year-old son is snatched away while out riding. If she is ever to see him again, Ursula must undertake an impossibly difficult and dangerous mission - and commit an act of high treason. Can she rely on her half-sister, Queen Elizabeth, for help?
March, 1581. Queen Elizabeth is once again being urged to consider marriage to the Duke of Alençon, a French Catholic twenty years her junior. The prospect of the match is causing unrest throughout the kingdom.
Ursula Blanchard however has more immediate matters to worry about when her 9-year-old son is snatched away while out riding. If she is ever to see him again, Ursula must undertake an impossibly difficult and dangerous mission - and commit an act of high treason. Can she rely on her half-sister, Queen Elizabeth, for help?
The Blood (3# Jem Flockhart)
E. S. Thomson
$29.99
Paperback • 384 pages
I knew the smell of death well enough. But here the sweetness of decay was tainted with something else, something new and different. It was a curious, moist smell; a smell that spoke of the ooze and slap of water, of gurgling wet spaces and the sticky, yielding mud of low-tide...
Summoned to the riverside by the desperate, scribbled note of an old friend, Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain find themselves on board the seamen's floating hospital, an old hulk known only as The Blood, where prejudice, ambition and murder seethe beneath a veneer of medical respectability.
On shore, a young woman, a known prostitute, is found drowned in a derelict boatyard. A man leaps to his death into the Thames, driven mad by poison and fear. The events are linked - but how? Courting danger in the opium dens and brothels of the waterfront, certain that the Blood lies at the heart of the puzzle, Jem and Will embark on a quest to uncover the truth. In a hunt that takes them from the dissecting tables of a private anatomy school to the squalor of the dock-side mortuary, they find themselves involved in a dark and terrible mystery.
Summoned to the riverside by the desperate, scribbled note of an old friend, Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain find themselves on board the seamen's floating hospital, an old hulk known only as The Blood, where prejudice, ambition and murder seethe beneath a veneer of medical respectability.
On shore, a young woman, a known prostitute, is found drowned in a derelict boatyard. A man leaps to his death into the Thames, driven mad by poison and fear. The events are linked - but how? Courting danger in the opium dens and brothels of the waterfront, certain that the Blood lies at the heart of the puzzle, Jem and Will embark on a quest to uncover the truth. In a hunt that takes them from the dissecting tables of a private anatomy school to the squalor of the dock-side mortuary, they find themselves involved in a dark and terrible mystery.
The Coven (#2 Beatrice Scarlet)
Graham Masterton
$19.99
Paperback • 416 pages
Beatrice Scarlet, the apothecary's daughter, returns to 18th-century London to solve a murder case steeped in witchcraft. They say the girls were witches. But Beatrice Scarlet, the apothecary's daughter, is sure they were innocent victims...
London, 1758: Beatrice Scarlet, the apothecary's daughter, has found a position at St Mary Magdalene's Refuge for fallen women. The charity is supported by a wealthy merchant who offers the most promising girls steady work in his factor. But when seven girls go missing, Beatrice is uneasy. Their would-be benefactor claims they were a coven of witches, beholden only to Satan and his demonic misdeeds. But Beatrice is convinced something much darker than witchcraft is at play...
London, 1758: Beatrice Scarlet, the apothecary's daughter, has found a position at St Mary Magdalene's Refuge for fallen women. The charity is supported by a wealthy merchant who offers the most promising girls steady work in his factor. But when seven girls go missing, Beatrice is uneasy. Their would-be benefactor claims they were a coven of witches, beholden only to Satan and his demonic misdeeds. But Beatrice is convinced something much darker than witchcraft is at play...
Unquiet Spirits: Whisky, Ghosts, Murder (#2 Sherlock Holmes Adventure)
Bonnie MacBird
$19.99
Paperback • 400 pages
The new novel from the author of Art in the Blood. December 1889. Fresh from debunking a ghostly hound in Dartmoor, Sherlock Holmes has returned to London, only to find himself the target of a deadly vendetta.
A beautiful client arrives with a tale of ghosts, kidnapping and dynamite on a whisky estate in Scotland, but brother Mycroft trumps all with an urgent assignment in the South of France.
On the fabled Riviera, Holmes and Watson encounter treachery, explosions, rival French Detective Jean Vidocq... and a terrible discovery. This propels the duo northward to the snowy highlands. There, in a haunted castle and among the copper dinosaurs of a great whisky distillery, they and their young client face mortal danger, and Holmes realizes all three cases have blended into a single, deadly conundrum.
In order to solve the mystery, the ultimate rational thinker must confront a ghost from his own past. But Sherlock Holmes does not believe in ghosts... or does he?
A beautiful client arrives with a tale of ghosts, kidnapping and dynamite on a whisky estate in Scotland, but brother Mycroft trumps all with an urgent assignment in the South of France.
On the fabled Riviera, Holmes and Watson encounter treachery, explosions, rival French Detective Jean Vidocq... and a terrible discovery. This propels the duo northward to the snowy highlands. There, in a haunted castle and among the copper dinosaurs of a great whisky distillery, they and their young client face mortal danger, and Holmes realizes all three cases have blended into a single, deadly conundrum.
In order to solve the mystery, the ultimate rational thinker must confront a ghost from his own past. But Sherlock Holmes does not believe in ghosts... or does he?
Hound of the Baskervilles (Signature Classics)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
$24.99
Hardback • 350 pages
This stylish new series of the best-loved classics by Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are sure to appeal to all book lovers. From students to adults, to those of us who enjoy rereading our favourite classics and to the newest enthusiasts who have been introduced to these classics through film and TV, there is always something more to discover in these books and the new designs will make them even more irresistible. With their fine attention to detail - including cloth covers, gold foil detail, coloured edges and illustrated endpapers - these volumes will make a highly collectable addition to everyone's bookshelves.
Wobble to Death (#1 Cribb)
Peter Lovesey
$19.99
Paperback • 256 pages
In Victorian London, race-walking, or 'wobbles', are all the rage. So on a Monday morning in November 1879 the crowds gather for Islington's bizarre six-day endurance walking race.
By Tuesday, one of the contestants is dead. Tetanus from a blister is assumed, but then there is a second death, and this time it's definitely murder. A bemused Sergeant Cribb from Scotland Yard is called in, along with Constable Thackeray, and they soon discover that something foul is at play.
By Tuesday, one of the contestants is dead. Tetanus from a blister is assumed, but then there is a second death, and this time it's definitely murder. A bemused Sergeant Cribb from Scotland Yard is called in, along with Constable Thackeray, and they soon discover that something foul is at play.
The Detective Wore Silk Drawers (#2 Cribb)
Peter Lovesey
$19.99
Paperback • 240 pages
Forbidden in Victorian England, the grim and violent world of bare-knuckle fighting has gone underground. So when a headless body is found floating in the Thames, his hands 'pickled' for fighting, Sergeant Cribb knows he is facing a challenge.
Desperate for information, they select the young constable Henry Jago to infiltrate the gang, subjecting him to a rigorous programme of purging, pickling and training. Cribb is certain that the losing fighters are being killed, or worse, so getting Jago out just in time is crucial . . .
Desperate for information, they select the young constable Henry Jago to infiltrate the gang, subjecting him to a rigorous programme of purging, pickling and training. Cribb is certain that the losing fighters are being killed, or worse, so getting Jago out just in time is crucial . . .
Abracadaver (#3 Cribb)
Peter Lovesey
$19.99
Paperback • 256 pages
A practical joker is haunting the popular music halls of Victorian London - but far from being funny, his intentions are deeply sinister. A trapeze artist misses her timing when the ropes are shortened; a comedian who invites the audience to sing along with him finds the words of his song 'shamefully' altered; mustard has been applied to a sword swallower's blade; a singer's costume has been rigged; the girl in a magician's box is trapped.
And then the mischief escalates to murder. Or was murder intended all along? The indomitable detective team of Sergeant Cribb and Constable Thackeray dive into the back rooms and dark alleyways of London as they pursue the elusive criminal.
And then the mischief escalates to murder. Or was murder intended all along? The indomitable detective team of Sergeant Cribb and Constable Thackeray dive into the back rooms and dark alleyways of London as they pursue the elusive criminal.
Venus In Copper
Gordon Griffin , Lindsey Davis
$39.95
CD-Audio
`Rats are always bigger than you expect...' Falco, ancient Rome's hangdog investigator, hates sharing a cell with a rodent - though being bailed by his old mother is almost as embarrassing. His high-born girlfriend can't decide if she wants him, and Titus Caesar's reward for past services is a wet fish. Hoping for a better life, or at least a better apartment, he takes on new clients.
On the elegant slopes of the Pincian Hill, three nouveau riche freedmen with two flashy wives are under siege by a clever redhead. Severina Zotica has a foul-mouthed parrot, an odd connection with a snake dancer - and a very suspicious past. As he pursues this flame-haired fortune-hunter, Falco finds himself beset by violent rent-racketeers, poisoners and women without consciences who have dangerous designs on him ...
On the elegant slopes of the Pincian Hill, three nouveau riche freedmen with two flashy wives are under siege by a clever redhead. Severina Zotica has a foul-mouthed parrot, an odd connection with a snake dancer - and a very suspicious past. As he pursues this flame-haired fortune-hunter, Falco finds himself beset by violent rent-racketeers, poisoners and women without consciences who have dangerous designs on him ...
Crime Chronicle - True Crime
abbeys.com.au
A Scandal in Bohemia: The Life and Death of Mollie Dean
Gideon Haigh
$32.99
Paperback • 320 pages
As enigmatic in life as in death, Mollie Dean was a woman determined to transcend. Creatively ambitious and sexually precocious, at twenty-five she was a poet, aspiring novelist and muse on the peripheries of Melbourne’s bohemian salons – until one night in 1930 she was brutally slain by an unknown killer in a laneway while walking home.
Her family was implicated. Those in her circle, including her acclaimed artist lover Colin Colahan, were shamed. Her memory was anxiously suppressed. Yet the mystery of her death rendered more mysterious her life and Mollie’s story lingered, incorporated into memoir, literature, television, theatre and song, most notably in George Johnston’s classic My Brother Jack.
In A Scandal in Bohemia, Gideon Haigh explodes the true crime genre with a murder story about life as well as death. Armed with only a single photograph and echoes of Mollie’s voice, he has reassembled the precarious life of a talented woman without a room of her own – a true outsider, excluded by the very world that celebrated her in its art. In this work of restorative justice, Mollie Dean emerges as a tenacious, charismatic, independent woman for whom society had no place, and whom everybody tried to forget – but nobody could.
Her family was implicated. Those in her circle, including her acclaimed artist lover Colin Colahan, were shamed. Her memory was anxiously suppressed. Yet the mystery of her death rendered more mysterious her life and Mollie’s story lingered, incorporated into memoir, literature, television, theatre and song, most notably in George Johnston’s classic My Brother Jack.
In A Scandal in Bohemia, Gideon Haigh explodes the true crime genre with a murder story about life as well as death. Armed with only a single photograph and echoes of Mollie’s voice, he has reassembled the precarious life of a talented woman without a room of her own – a true outsider, excluded by the very world that celebrated her in its art. In this work of restorative justice, Mollie Dean emerges as a tenacious, charismatic, independent woman for whom society had no place, and whom everybody tried to forget – but nobody could.
Lillian Armfield: How Australia's first female detective took on Tilly Devine and the Razor Gangs and changed the face of the force
Leigh Straw
$32.99
Paperback • 336 pages
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'Special Constable' Lillian Armfield was policing Sydney's mean streets during some of the most dramatic years of crime in the city. By the late 1920s, eastern Sydney was the heartland of organised crime and the notorious turf battles known as the Razor Wars, where bloodied bodies were strewn across streets after late-night clashes between rival gangs.
At first disapproved of by her male colleagues, and often working solo and undercover, Lillian investigated it all - from runaway girls, opium dens and back-street sly grog shops to drug trafficking, rape and murder. She dealt with the infamous crime figures of the day - Tilly Devine, Kate Leigh, 'Botany May' Smith and their associates - who eventually accorded Lillian a grudging respect.
Lillian Armfield's life and achievements were extraordinary. She paved the way for the women of today's police force and her amazing story is also a compelling chapter in Australian true crime history.
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My Mother, a Serial Killer
Hazel Baron , Janet Fife-Yeomans
$32.99
Paperback
A gripping and shocking story of a serial killer mother, and the brave daughter who brought her to justice.
Dulcie Bodsworth was the unlikeliest serial killer. Loved everywhere she went, the townsfolk of Wilcannia which she called home in the late 1950s, thought of her as kind and caring. The officers at the local police station looked forward to the scones and cakes the generous Dulcie baked for them and delivered for their morning tea along with her wit and charm. That was one side of her. Only her daughter Hazel saw the real Dulcie. And what she saw terrified her.
Dulcie was in fact a cold calculating killer, who by 1958 had put three men in their graves, one of them the father of her four children, Ted Baron, in one of the most infamous periods of the state's history. She would have got away with it all, had it not been for Hazel.
My Mother, A Serial Killer is a chilling story of a murderous mother and the courageous daughter who put testified against her and put her in jail, and the harshness of life on the fringes of Australian society in the 1950s.
Dulcie Bodsworth was the unlikeliest serial killer. Loved everywhere she went, the townsfolk of Wilcannia which she called home in the late 1950s, thought of her as kind and caring. The officers at the local police station looked forward to the scones and cakes the generous Dulcie baked for them and delivered for their morning tea along with her wit and charm. That was one side of her. Only her daughter Hazel saw the real Dulcie. And what she saw terrified her.
Dulcie was in fact a cold calculating killer, who by 1958 had put three men in their graves, one of them the father of her four children, Ted Baron, in one of the most infamous periods of the state's history. She would have got away with it all, had it not been for Hazel.
My Mother, A Serial Killer is a chilling story of a murderous mother and the courageous daughter who put testified against her and put her in jail, and the harshness of life on the fringes of Australian society in the 1950s.
15:17 to Paris (Film Tie-In)
Anthony Sadler
$22.99
Paperback
On 21 August 2015, Ayoub al-Khazzani boarded a train in Brussels bound for Paris. Khazzani's mission was clear- he had an AK-47, a pistol, a box cutter, and enough ammunition to obliterate the 554 passengers on the crowded train. But as he began to execute his plan, he encountered an unstoppable line of defence- three American friends.
The 15-17 to Paris is a gripping account of the foiled attack by the three men who lived it - Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone. It is also the story of what compelled three lifelong friends to run towards danger instead of from it - towards humanity, not away from terror.
The 15-17 to Paris is a gripping account of the foiled attack by the three men who lived it - Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone. It is also the story of what compelled three lifelong friends to run towards danger instead of from it - towards humanity, not away from terror.
