Crime Fiction

THE BOOK THAT CAME BEFORE THE EXCHANGE.
Featuring an exclusive introduction from the author.
_______________________________________

He thought it was his dream job. Until it turned into his worst nightmare. . .

When Mitch McDeere qualified third in his class at Harvard, offers poured in from every law firm in America. Bendini, Lambert and Locke were a small, well-respected firm, but their offer exceeded Mitch’s wildest expectations: a fantastic salary, a new home, and the keys to a brand new BMW.

Except for the mysterious deaths of previous lawyers with the firm. And the FBI investigations. And the secret files.

Mitch soon realises that he’s working for the Mafia’s law firm, and there is no way out – because you do not want this company’s severance package. . .

To survive, he will have to play both sides against each other, and navigate a vast criminal conspiracy that goes higher than he ever imagined.
_________________________________________

‘A master at the art of deft characterisation and the skilful delivery of hair-raising crescendos’ Irish Independent

‘John Grisham is the master of legal fiction’ Jodi Picoult

‘The best thriller writer alive!’ Ken Follett

‘John Grisham has perfected the art of cooking up convincing, and fast-paced thrillers’ Telegraph

‘Grisham is a superb and instinctive storyteller’ The Times

‘Grisham’s storytelling genius reminds us that when it comes to legal drama, the master is in a league of his own. . .’ Daily Record

‘Masterful! When Grisham gets in the courtroom he lets rip, drawing scenes so real they’re not just alive, they’re pulsating’ Mirror

‘A giant of the thriller genre’ TimeOut

Read more

An award-winning beer worth killing for. Can DCI Oldroyd find the killer before last orders?

Steeped in a history of award-winning Yorkshire ale, the town of Markham boasts not one but two breweries. Richard Foster runs one; his sister, Emily, along with her partner, Janice, runs the other. And not without some resentment.

The unwelcome return of the town’s former bad boy, Brendan Scholes, threatens to ignite the sibling rivalry further. Scholes claims to have found the long-lost secret recipe to the beer that made Richard and Emily’s father famous, and he wants money.

But it isn’t long before Scholes’ body is found floating in a fermentation tank at one of the breweries, his head caved in by a hammer. DCI Oldroyd and Andy Carter are called in to investigate the murder, and there’s no shortage of suspects.

As rumours of the possible existence of a recipe for the famous beer spread against a backdrop of growing homophobia and misogyny, tempers run high. With Markham’s beer industry at stake, a killer on the loose and the town’s residents out for blood, Oldroyd needs to solve the murder before someone else is killed…

Read more

‘Wow. Addictive. And what an ending!’ – Sunday Times bestselling author Claire Douglas

‘A red-hot, non-stop rollercoaster of a book’ – Sunday Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell

What would you do if your husband framed you for murder?

Five years ago, Olivia Sutherland was convicted of plotting to murder her husband.

Now she’s finally free, Olivia has three goals. Repair her relationship with her daughter. Clear her name. And bring down her husband – the man who framed her.

Just how far is she willing to go to get what she wants? And how far will her husband go to stop her?

Because his lies run deeper than Olivia could ever have imagined – and this time it’s not her freedom that’s in jeopardy, but her life…

Your favourite authors LOVE The Guilty Couple!

‘Shot through with a propulsive sense of gritty threat and high-stakes tension, this is bold, memorable, top-tier thriller writing.’ – bestselling author B P Walter

‘The Guilty Couple is a one-breath rollercoaster ride, with twists, turns, ups and downs… then just when you think it’s over, there’s another loop ahead! A proper, classy thriller.’ – Janice Hallett, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal

‘CL Taylor has done it again. A fast paced, thrilling read that I couldn’t put down. I loved it!’ – bestselling author Heidi Perks

‘I loved The Guilty Couple so much. Twisty, compelling, tense and fast-paced and thoroughly unputdownable.’ – multimillion-copy bestselling author Angela Marsons

‘Wow, The Guilty Couple doesn’t let up for a moment – you’re in for ride!’ – bestselling author Sarah Pinborough

‘Twisty, taut, unbearably tense. Brava, C.L. Taylor, you’ve done it again!’ – bestselling author Emma Stonex

And readers love The Guilty Couple, too!

‘A hugely entertaining, tense and twisting read.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Pulse-pounding’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Thrilling and exciting…the ending was brilliant.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘My heart was in my throat throughout the entire book.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This is the best book I have read in a long time.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read more

The truth can get you killed… A stunning thriller from the SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of SIX YEARS.

Investigator and sports agent Myron Bolitar is poised on the edge of the big-time. So is Christian Steele, a rookie quarterback and Myron’s prized client. But when Christian gets a phone call from a former girlfriend, a woman who everyone, including the police, believes is dead, the deal starts to go sour.

Suddenly Myron is plunged into a baffling mystery of sex and blackmail. Trying to unravel the truth about a family’s tragedy, a woman’s secret and a man’s lies, Myron is up against the dark side of his business – where image and talent make you rich, but the truth can get you killed.

Read more

An invitation to spend a week or two with childhood friends over New Year seemed an excellent idea to help Helena’s recovery after her cancer treatment.

Helena had grown up with the Hickmans, had spent many happy holidays with them, and the fact that they lived in a castle surrounded by forest on the edge of a lake made it an even more perfect spot to recuperate.

But when a man is found burned to death in a car on the edge of the castle estate the apparently irrelevant though horrible incident creates unexpected disturbances in the lives of all those living in the castle.

Helena and her partner John Eisenmenger, caught in the middle of it all, cannot understand why. Nor can Detective Constable Sally Felty, navigating her first few months on the job, or her attractive yet elusive superior, Inspector Sauerwine.

But the unpleasantness grows and worse is to come, for there are secrets in the castle — secrets that are of profound importance not only to the Hickmans, but also to the police service’s treatment of a previous case, and to Helena and her past…

A World Full of Weeping is a grippingly complex thriller than keeps the reader in suspense right to the very end.

Praise for A World Full of Weeping:

‘Readers who don’t get enough strong forensic medicine from the likes of Patricia Cornwell or Kathy Reichs … will welcome this first book in a new series from a British pathologist … McCarthy lays on the grisly detail with a practising doctor’s detached eye.’ -Publishers Weekly

‘Richly gothic … uses the classic whodunit format of a closed circle of suspects to good effect. There’s a giddy feeling to the story when we lurch from moments of black farce to savage coincidence … a potent mix.’ – Tangled Web

‘Pathologist McCarthy creates a dark, densely imagined world in the demanding tradition of P. D. James … he peoples it with characters who truly inspire pity and terror, and provides the most unsparing post-mortem ever.’ Kirkus Reviews

‘A whodunit in the classical mould mixes the story of a man coping with the scars of his past and the wounds of the present … McCarthy handles his material with real brio.’ – Crime Time

Keith McCarthy was born in Croydon, Surrey. Educated at Dulwich College and then at St George’s Hospital Medical School, he began practising pathology in 1985 and has done so ever since. Keith is a Consultant Histopathologist in Gloucestershire where he lives with his wife and three daughters.

Read more

The twelfth book in Dorothy L Sayers’ classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by actress Dame Harriet Mary Walter, DBE – a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Margery Allingham’s Campion Mysteries.

‘D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers’ Daily Telegraph

Harriet Vane has never dared to return to her old Oxford college. Now, despite her scandalous life, she has been summoned back . . .

At first she thinks her worst fears have been fulfilled, as she encounters obscene graffiti, poison pen letters and a disgusting effigy when she arrives at sedate Shrewsbury College for the ‘Gaudy’ celebrations.

But soon, Harriet realises that she is not the only target of this murderous malice – and asks Lord Peter Wimsey to help.

‘She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.’ P. D. James

Read more

*** THE THRILLING RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK ***
*** THE BBC TWO BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK ***
***ONE OF THE TIMES BEST THRILLER BOOKS OF 2021***
*** THE TIMES NO.4 BESTSELLER ***
*** THE #1 KINDLE BESTSELLER ***

THE TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH
OBSERVER THRILLER OF THE MONTH

‘I haven’t read anything this exciting since Gone Girl’ – STEPHEN KING
‘One of the most extraordinary thrillers of the year’ – DAILY MAIL
‘A dark, audacious highwire act of a novel’ – GUARDIAN
________________________________________

This is the story of a murderer. A stolen child. Revenge. This is the story of Ted, who lives with his young daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia in an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street.

All these things are true. And yet some of them are lies. An unspeakable secret binds the family together, and when a new neighbour moves in next door, the truth may destroy them all. Because there’s something buried in the dark forest at the end of Needless Street. But it’s not what you think…

From the multiple award-winning author of Little Eve and Rawblood, this extraordinary tale will thrill and move readers. A work of incredible imagination and heartbreaking beauty.

*** FILM RIGHTS OPTIONED BY IMAGINARIUM PRODUCTIONS ***
*** RIGHTS SOLD IN TWENTY TERRITORIES ***
________________________________________

‘Catriona Ward is the new face of literary dark fiction’ – SARAH PINBOROUGH

‘Books like this don’t come around too often’ – JOANNE HARRIS

‘Believe the hype… a masterclass’ – KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE

‘A chilling and beautiful masterpiece of suspense. I was completely enthralled’ – JOE HILL

‘A masterpiece. Beautiful, heartbreaking and quietly uplifting’ – ALEX NORTH

Read more

The author of the Molly Murphy mysteries now turns her attentions to the mischief, mishaps and musings of minor English royalty

My ridiculously long name is Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie. Thirty-fourth in line for the throne, I am, as they say, flat broke. When my brother Binky cut off my meager allowance, I bolted from Scotland – and my engagement to Fish-Face (I mean, Prince Siegfried) – for London, where I have:

a) built a fire in the hearth – entirely on my own, thank you very much
b) fallen for an absolutely unsuitable Irish peer
c) made a few quid housekeeping incognito, and
d) been summoned by the Queen Herself to spy on her playboy son.

Less than thrilled with this last bit, I’m wondering what to do, when an arrogant Frenchman – who was trying to swipe our family estate! – winds up dead in my bathtub. Now, my new job is to clear that very long family name . . .

Read more

Home is where the horror is…

Jilted thriller writer Lady Violet Thorn has withdrawn to the Suffolk market town of Montford with two servants and her leading character, the adventuress Ruby Gibson, for company.

Violet’s peace is disturbed when a stranger asks her for help, claiming that a friend is being kept prisoner in her own home. Her visitor seems so afraid that Violet, despite her scepticism, is persuaded to investigate.

A woman is killed outside Violet’s house, then another murdered in the town and, as the deaths mount up, she becomes convinced that they all lead to one place: the increasingly forbidding Haglin House, and whoever lives there…

M.R.C. Kasasian returns with a fresh, witty and totally enthralling take on the classic crime genre, perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz, M. C. Beaton and Oscar De Muriel.

Read more

– THE RECORD-BREAKING, MULTIMILLION COPY GLOBAL BESTSELLER AND TIKTOK SENSATION –
Discover the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling thriller with a jaw-dropping twist that everyone is talking about – as seen on TikTok. Soon to be a major film.

Alicia Berenson lived a seemingly perfect life until one day six years ago.

When she shot her husband in the head five times.

Since then she hasn’t spoken a single word.

It’s time to find out why.

READERS LOVE THE SILENT PATIENT

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Everything you need from a psychological thriller with a killer twist that is impossible to see coming!’

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fiendishly clever … believe the hype.’

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Grabs your afternoon from the start and never lets go’

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A fantastic thriller with an incredible plot twist that I really didn’t see coming. I highly recommend.’

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘OMG, my heart is still pounding from the final chapters of this amazing thriller.’

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I’m honestly speechless, best book I have read for a very long time’

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The twists when they come, wow oh wow!’

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED

‘The perfect thriller’ AJ FINN
‘Terrific’ – THE TIMES Crime Book of the Month
‘Smart, sophisticated suspense’ – LEE CHILD
‘Compelling’ – OBSERVER
‘Absolutely brilliant’ – STEPHEN FRY
‘A totally original psychological mystery’ – DAVID BALDACCI
‘One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year’ – CARA HUNTER
‘The pace and finesse of a master’ – BBC CULTURE

Read more

WINNER of the McIlvanney Prize 2020
Shortlisted for Bloody Scotland’s Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2020
Longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2020

‘Hugely atmospheric, exquisitely written and utterly gripping’ LUCY FOLEY, author of The Hunting Party
‘It’s both eerie and thrilling at once, and had me under its spell until the end’ SOPHIE MACKINTOSH, author of Blue Ticket and The Water Cure
________________

They are driving home from the search party when they see her. The trees are coarse and tall in the winter light, standing like men.

Lauren and her father Niall live alone in the Highlands, in a small village surrounded by pine forest. When a woman stumbles out onto the road one Halloween night, Niall drives her back to their house in his pickup. In the morning, she’s gone.

In a community where daughters rebel, men quietly rage, and drinking is a means of forgetting, mysteries like these are not out of the ordinary. The trapper found hanging with the dead animals for two weeks. Locked doors and stone circles. The disappearance of Lauren’s mother a decade ago.

Lauren looks for answers in her tarot cards, hoping she might one day be able to read her father’s turbulent mind. Neighbours know more than they let on, but when local teenager Ann-Marie goes missing it’s no longer clear who she can trust.

In the shadow of the Highland forest, Francine Toon captures the wildness of rural childhood and the intensity of small-town claustrophobia. In a place that can feel like the edge of the word, she unites the chill of the modern gothic with the pulse of a thriller. It is the perfect novel for our haunted times.
________________

Readers love PINE:

***** ‘A beautifully written and incredibly atmospheric debut.’
***** ‘Francine Toon is an author to watch out for.’
***** ‘Would recommend to anyone who loves folk horror.’
***** ‘A perfect spooky Halloween read!’

Read more

‘Cleverly plotted . . . Walsh’s pitch-perfect re-creation of the charismatic leads is a delight’ – Publishers Weekly
‘Delicious’ – Booklist

Lord Peter Wimsey is delighted to discover that along with a dukedom he has inherited the duties of ‘visitor’ at an Oxford college. When the fellows ask him to resolve a college dispute, he and Harriet are all too keen to spend some time in Oxford.

But the dispute quickly turns sour. The voting is evenly balanced between two passionate parties, and the Warden – who has the casting vote – has mysteriously disappeared. Even worse, several of the fellows begin dying unexpectedly.

And the deaths of the deceased fellows bear an uncanny resemblance to the murders in Peter’s past cases – murders that Harriet has used in her published novels . . .

Read more

All her life, she has been overlooked by difficult patients, disinterested colleagues and even her own family.

So when she discovers a way to commit the perfect crime, Jane seizes the opportunity and begins deliberating who of her many patients is most deserving of her murderous attention.

And when elderly James Walsh tries one to many times to proposition her, Jane seizes her chance.

Although Walsh’s mother seems unconvinced by Jane’s explanation of his death, no one else, least of all Jane’s fellow doctors, seems the least bit surprised.

As the days past, she can’t help thinking that she may indeed have escaped suspicion.

Driven by this knowledge and with a new-found taste for murder, she soon turns her mind to her next victim.

However, when a formal complaint is made against her by bad-tempered Clara Blatter, it seems that she may have picked the wrong woman.

Soon, Jane finds herself under investigation and when she carries out her second murder, the net begins to close in tighter.

When her normally unassuming boss starts to become suspicious, Jane resorts to drastic measures to avoid detection, as her perfect crime quickly turns into a nightmare that could cost her everything.

The Certificate is a heart racing medical thriller that will leave you begging for more.

Praise for Priscilla Masters

‘A natural story-teller’ – Robert Foster, bestselling author of The Lunar Code

‘It is always a joy to discover a crime writer with a sure touch and the capacity to shock’ – Peter Lovesey

‘More than a match for Rendell and Christie’ – Hampstead and Highgate Express

Priscilla Masters lives in Shropshire with her husband, a GP in the Potteries. Night Visit was the first of her medical mystery novels, followed by A Fatal Cut and Coming Home. She is also the author of the Joanna Piercy police series.

Read more

Ann Cleeves Classic Crime – engaging mysteries to savour, beloved characters to meet again

Come Death and High Water is the second mystery novel featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series.

The picturesque privately-owned island of Gillibry off the North Devon coast turns out to be the perfect site for a murder . . .

A routine weekend visit by the Gillibry Bird Observatory Trust is made memorable by the owner’s announcement that he is going to sell the island. A sale would mean the end of the Observatory, which for some of the birders made life worth living. A fire in Charlie Todd’s cottage added to their distress. And when, next morning, after a fierce storm, they found Charlie dead in a bird hide, their pleasant September weekend assumed a dangerous new face.

Charlie Todd’s murder could have been the deed of any member of the Trust. And it falls to one of their own, George Palmer-Jones, to unravel the identity of killer within their midst . . .

Read more

‘No one can plot or tell a story like she can’ Daily Express

A collection of atmospheric short stories from the international bestseller Val McDermid. The perfect festive gift for any book lover, featuring classic tales alongside exclusive, never-before-seen material

Buy Val McDermid’s most fiendishly clever thriller yet, PAST LYING, a Karen Pirie novel. The perfect Christmas gift for the crime lover in your life . . .
__________

Val McDermid is a master of the dark and sinister story, and these powers are in full force in Christmas is Murder, a festive collection of chilling tales.

From an irresponsible baron whose body is discovered beneath a silver birch tree, to a classic detective duo solving a historic case as the lights go out across Europe, and an exclusive Tony Hill and Carol Jordan story, the characters McDermid conjures are enigmatic and dangerous.

These evocative, atmospheric tales will shock and delight. This is the perfect book to curl up with as the frosty winter draws in and each night gets darker than the last, written by one of our greatest living crime writers.
__________

Praise for the Queen of Crime Val McDermid:

‘Brilliant . . . Sensational . . . Unforgettable’ Guardian

‘Compulsively readable’ Irish Times

‘One of today’s most accomplished crime writers’ Literary Review

‘As good a psychological thriller as it is possible to get’ Sunday Express

‘It grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go’ Daily Mail

Read more

Meet Prunella ‘Pru’ Parke, an American gardener who digs up murder and mystery wherever she goes.

Rosemary, lavender — and a dash of revenge! The perfect murder is brewing in Pru’s sleepy little village.

Herbalist Acantha Morris has big plans for the local hospital. Its grounds will make the most peaceful, healing herb garden. Pru jumps at the chance to lend a hand. But things soon take a sinister turn . . .

Flamboyant entrepreneur Claudia Temple is found dead. Dangling from the end of her own beautiful red scarf.

She’d only just promised Acantha a princely sum to make her dream come true. Now everyone is saying she took her own life. But Pru’s not so sure.

Something about this death leaves a bad taste in her mouth.

When Claudia’s estranged son comes calling, Pru can’t help but be pulled into the mystery. But she’s up against a devious adversary.

What if the killer’s leading her up the garden path and into danger?

If you love Rosie Sandler, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, Agatha Christie, The Thursday Murder Club, Kate Carlisle, Simon Brett or Tonya Kappes, prepare to be hooked by this enchanting character-driven mystery!

What readers are saying about Marty Wingate:

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The perfect book for cozy mystery lovers.’ Roberta

‘I read it in a day . . . Couldn’t put it down! A very cozy cozy mystery.’ Mystereity Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘It was a delight to be reunited with Pru.’ Susan

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Pru is a loveable character, as are her friends . . . Every time I thought I was sure of the killer, the author planted another tiny seed of doubt or had me looking in another direction.’ Anastasia

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I love a good cozy mystery and this was definitely a cut above!’ Grace

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Pru is very likable, a main character who is easy to be invested in . . . I would highly recommend.’ Jeanie, Open Book Society

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘You get sucked into the story and find yourself rooting (pardon the pun) for Pru. Her character is so down to earth and normal that it is easy to identify with her. Most enjoyable.’ Moll, Amazon review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘By far my favorite cozy mystery series . . . I cannot recommend any of them more highly, especially to readers who are Anglophiles, lean toward cozy mysteries or like gardening and/or flowers.’ Kindle reader

MEET YOUR NEW FAVORITE SLEUTH
Fifty-something gardener Pru is charming, witty — and in a definite slump. Still reeling from her mother’s death, she finds herself unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend. Determined to follow in the footsteps of her English mother, Pru uproots her life from Dallas to London, where she’s about to get more than she bargained for. Can she help it if her green fingers keep on getting her into trouble?

ALSO BY MARTY WINGATE
THE POTTING SHED MYSTERIES
Book 1: THE GARDEN PLOT
Book 2: THE RED BOOK OF PRIMROSE HOUSE
Book 3: BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Book 4: THE SKELETON GARDEN
Book 5: THE BLUEBONNET BETRAYAL
Book 6: BEST-LAID PLANTS
Book 7: MIDSUMMER MAYHEM
Book 7.5: CHRISTMAS AT GREENOAK
Book 8: BITTERSWEET HERBS

Read more

Fans of Val McDermid, JD Kirk, TG Reid, Ian Rankin, Caro Ramsey, William Paul, Andrew Raymond and Stuart MacBride will be hooked.

READERS LOVE THE GRIPPING KEITH CALDER MYSTERIES:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Hammond continues to amaze me.’ JTM

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Cracking good read.’ Phil L.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fascinating characters.’ Charles V.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Deliciously sharp-witted murder mystery.’ Virginia T.

‘Gerald Hammond’s series about gunsmith Keith Calder is rewarding indeed.’ Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

‘A gruesome, lightheartedly complex caper in the Scottish lowlands . . . the whole tangled romp has a what-ho!, outdoorsy energy that’s undeniably appealing.’ Kirkus Reviews

‘Ingenious plots, characters with whom you want to spend time and a world to which you eagerly anticipate returning.’ Paul Bishop, author of Deep Water and A Bucketful of Bullets.

IN THIS EIGHT-BOOK BOX SET:

BOOK 1: DEAD GAME
Gunsmith Keith Calder is at a shooting party in the Scottish borders when a fellow guest is shot. His professional expertise means Keith becomes embroiled in this baffling murder. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more danger he’s in himself.

BOOK 2: THE REWARD GAME
Keith’s wife Molly returns to her parked car to find a body inside. Then Keith himself is attacked as he retrieves the car. The Calders are clearly targets, but why? The answers take them far from their rural home to the heart of bustling Glasgow.

BOOK 3: THE REVENGE GAME
In Newton Lauder the canal overflows, exposing a skeleton. The police ask Keith for help, but as he assists them he receives a deadly threat. Can Keith’s hunting instinct lead him to the murderer before he or his wife are killed?

BOOK 4: FAIR GAME
Eccentric millionaire Ray Grass dies in an apparent accident, carrying a loaded gun. Keith knows this is no accident. With a long list of suspects who would benefit from Ray’s death, Keith must find the murderer before he himself becomes a target.

BOOK 5: THE GAME
In a high-class brothel, an incident occurs bearing all the hallmarks of a bloody murder. But with no body and no clues about the apparent deceased, the case looks hopeless. Keith attempts to uncover the truth as a group of powerful politicians attempt to silence him for good.

BOOK 6: COUSIN ONCE REMOVED
On holiday in France, Keith finds a pair of antique duelling pistols. On his return, a politician tries to buy them for a hefty sum. Then an attempt is made on Keith’s life. Is it connected to the pistols? Keith is determined to find out before it’s too late.

BOOK 7: SAUCE FOR THE PIGEON
A burnt-out Land Rover is found with a body in the driver’s seat. Inspector Munro enlists Keith’s help. All evidence points to Keith’s friend Jake Paterson as the culprit. Keith must work quickly to save his friend and bring the true killer to justice.

BOOK 8: PURSUIT OF ARMS
A lorry with a cargo of guns is attacked outside Keith’s workshop, leaving two men dead. Keith starts to investigate, but the case takes a personal turn when a family member is kidnapped. Keith must find the hijackers before it ends in brutal murder.

MEET YOUR NEW FAVOURITE AMATEUR SLEUTH:
Keith Calder is a down-to-earth Scotsman with a total disregard for the law. An itinerant gunsmith, he’s more at home in the Lowlands than the world of police officers that he is unexpectedly thrust into.

THE SETTING
The Scottish Lowlands are a place of wild and rugged beauty, but the sparsely populated moors and valleys make a fertile ground for murder.

GET ALL *EIGHT* OF THESE GRIPPING MYSTERIES IN THIS SUPERB-VALUE PACKAGE.

Read more

PRAISE FOR ROGER ORMEROD:

‘Ormerod can be relied upon to come up with the startling goods.’ The Sunday Times

‘I am glad to announce that the detective novel is still alive and well in Mr Ormerod’s skillful hands.’ The Spectator

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Well written, interesting and a good solid mystery.’ Infinityoz.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Utterly brilliant . . . A must-read for lovers of period crime thrillers.’ Claudia C.

Fans of Roderic Jeffries, Ruth Rendell, J.M. Dalgliesh, Roger Silverwood and Brian Battison will love this box set of murder mysteries.

IN THIS SIX-BOOK BOX SET:

BOOK 1: FACE VALUE
A man is missing, his burned-out car is found on the moors. A convicted rapist is freed from prison, whereabouts unknown. When a mutilated corpse is found in an abandoned building, the victim’s identity seems clear. Days from retirement, can Detective Inspector Patton tease out the truth?

BOOK 2: STILL LIFE WITH PISTOL
Talented art forger Bruno Fillingley runs a painting school from his crumbling manor house. One of his aspiring students is found dead, seated in front of his canvas. Local detectives are convinced Bruno had a hand in it, but Patton ferrets out the facts to prove the killer has been hiding in plain sight.

BOOK 3: AN ALIBI TOO SOON
Patton’s old friend and colleague is murdered in a house fire. He’d discovered something dodgy in an old case. As Patton reopens the inquiry, buried grievances are disturbed. Two men stand in his way — a convicted murderer and a disdainful officer — and they’ll stop at nothing to halt his investigations.

BOOK 4: AN OPEN WINDOW
Patton’s wife Amelia is hospitalised when a caravan explodes, killing the owner. As she recovers, Amelia learns of an unexpected inheritance from her Uncle Walter. Patton is skeptical that Walter’s death really is suicide. He is sure that Amelia was the intended victim of the caravan blast. Can he crack the case before the murderer gets their way?

BOOK 5: GUILT ON THE LILY
A woman from Patton’s old patch writes to him asking for help. Then she’s brutally murdered. His former colleagues warn him off investigating. As Patton pursues the murderer he inadvertently puts his wife Amelia in danger. With one chance to save his wife and solve the case, Patton must untangle the web of deceit fast.

BOOK 6: DEATH OF AN INNOCENT
Patton agrees to investigate a burglary for Amelia’s friend. He finds links to a young woman’s drowning. A family feud is uncovered, but does it prove murder? Then another person dies, their death made to look like suicide. Patton’s loyalty is tested as he rushes to identify the killer.

MEET THE SLEUTHS
RICHARD PATTON is on the cusp of retirement and many of his police colleagues will be glad to see him go. With a lack of respect for authority and a scant regard for the rules, his razor-sharp eye can piece together seemingly unconnected evidence to get to the bottom of a mystery.

The prime suspect in Patton’s final case, AMELIA TROWBRIDGE intrigues Patton on their first meeting. As they become lovers then husband and wife, Amelia acts as the perfect foil to Richard’s curmudgeonly demeanour.

GET THESE *SIX* UNPUTDOWNABLE BRITISH MURDER MYSTERIES IN ONE BOX SET.

Read more

Mystery writers scheme like crazy on how to murder somebody. That’s what they do.

Now, one writer turns thinking into doing. With gusto.

Eight of the top mystery writers meet in a remote resort. Their mission: write a perfect mystery novel. They’d done it before with the #1 global smash-hit bestseller Dead Men Don’t Age. To kick it off, they invite Charlie North, retired columnist and now famous blogger, to be the opening night speaker.

The writers are cocksure about the financial return. Heck, the movie rights are already in the bag for big bucks. They just have to sit down and do what they do best: write about murder. But, then, one writer gets murdered. Then another. Charlie North and his buddy Ben Tucker jump in to investigate.

The mystery writers keep writing. And another body falls. Charlie and Ben think they have it all figured out, but these writers are a strange and crafty bunch. They specialize in thinking up how to kill somebody, covering tracks, and not getting caught.

It all comes clear, in a single room, and justice seems to be served. Ah, not so fast. There’s more.

If you’re in the mood for a quirky mystery novel that plunks humor and suspense into the same blender, put this book in your hands today.

For sure, this book reads fast. Old guys like things fast.

By the way, this book doesn’t have cursing, not even amusing cursing. If this bothers you, feel free to let fly where you wish while reading the book. The author won’t be offended.

Get it now.

WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT OTHER ‘WHO’S KILLING’ BOOKS…

“Looking for something to make you laugh? This is it. It captures the joy of aging and the camaraderie of men. The mystery was okay, the fun was in getting there.”

“This was one of the most enjoyable books I have read in ages. It is funny throughout but has really touched on real life. It has a great cast of characters that one would love to have as friends.”

“First of all, the main character is older and isn’t portrayed as A Superman. The anecdotes at the beginning of each chapter had me sharing most of them with my husband. And I must admit out of the literally thousands of mysteries I have read, none have ended this way.”

“If you’re a senior who often reminisces about your younger days, you’ll love this book. It’s not politically correct but an honest take on what life was like before the internet.”

“Must reading for us old guys. A fast paced, imaginative, and laugh-out-loud funny mystery. Lovable characters, especially Beach, the stray dog.”

“This book had me laughing several times while keeping me into the mystery going on. The old guys really won me over here. Enjoy!”

“I loved this book. Funny, irreverent and surprising twists make for a great read. As an officially old person, I can relate!”

“Honesty chapter 12, that was a gut buster for me. I laugh whenever I think about it.
You will love this book; it is a mystery but sometimes funny.”

“What a great book to put first the older generation’s life history and challenges along with solving a mystery I am close to the main character’s age. I have not laughed so hard in a long time.”

“I was thinking of another book series to compare this to. The 1st that came to mind was the Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Both series feature old people as protagonists. Both are fun to read. Both are mostly cozy mysteries. The one element I like better in Spoelstra’s series is that the main characters are American with American humor. This is not to swat at the British, not at all: the Old Guys Murder series is just more fun for me, as an American, to read. So there it is plain and simple: I’m reading not to make myself smarter, but for the fun of it all.”

Read more

But out of the mess, emerges a self imposed saviour, and, one, from the most unlikely of sources.

The only question being, what is their real motivation, and what is the city going to be left looking like by the time they’re done.

flame-throwing lunatic: volume 1 – the ching is dead

A Scottish crime story that follows the fortunes and, at times, misfortunes of four characters in a wild crime filled ride that spans two volumes.

Volume 2 already done and planned for 2024

Read more

Or rather, stay alive long enough to protect the dead. That’s the plan, at least. But then what do they say about best laid plans?

There’s been a death at HM Prison Stainmouth. The corpse in question is one Impetus Stokes, criminal mastermind, found dead in his cell from an overdose. For no obvious reason, Agatha Pleasant’s team of squabbling misfits are assigned the task of collecting his coffin, sitting on it for a few days before handing it over to the necessary authorities. It makes no sense whatsoever, but then why break the habit of a lifetime?
Besides, how hard can it be to watch over a coffin?
Very hard, as it happens. Practically impossible. Especially when the dead refuse to stay dead.

Something that the Nearly Dearly Departed Club are only too aware of themselves.

Lost Souls Forever is the second book in the darkly humourous, tightly plotted Nearly Dearly Departed Club series. Perfect for fans of Mick Herron, Caimh McDonnell and JD Kirk.

Read more