Books to Look Forward to from Allison and Busby

Robin Pagham is dead - drowned in a sailing accident. The reaction of everyone in the village on hearing this tragic news is that Robin must have been drunk. After all, that was what he did best - that and drug dealing and breaking his former girlfriend's nose, with a bit of TV acting on the side. Surprisingly, newspaper reports of the inquest state that no alcohol was found in Robin's blood. It was accidental death, with no clear cause. At the funeral however Robin's latest girlfriend - to whom he has just got engaged - stands up and, lifting back her veil, announces that somebody in the congregation has murdered Robin and that she's going to have their arse. Although estranged, Elsie and Ethelred begin simultaneous investigations into Robin's death - as ever with some comical results.  Cat Among the Herrings is by L C Tyler and is due to be published in February 2016.
 

The year is 1864 and Detective Inspector Faro's idyllic life has been shattered by the escape of convicted murderer John McLaw. With countless dead end sightings of the killer and further criminal activity Faro realises that this case is far more complicated than he had first assumed. When the disappearance of a maid comes to light, Faro begins to think there could be a link between her disappearance and the murder of Annie McLaw. His determination to unearth the truth becomes personal and in a race against time to solve the anonymities of the case, he takes matters into his own hands.  Akin to Murder is by Alanna Knight and is due to be published in January 2016.

The Murder of Mary Russell is by Laurie R King and is due to be published in April 2016.  Mary Russell is well used to dark secrets-her own, and those of her famous partner and husband, Sherlock Holmes. Trust is a thing slowly given, but over the course of a decade together, the two have forged an indissoluble bond. But what of the other person Mary Russell has opened her heart to, that third member of the Holmes household: Mrs Hudson? Russell has come to love-and trust-the long-time housekeeper like the mother she lost so long ago. Mrs Hudson, once the most long-suffering landlady in all of London, followed Holmes into his Sussex retirement back in 1903. Surely she had good reasons for that? Russell has never questioned why... until a man comes to the door one morning, claiming to be Mrs Hudson's son. What Samuel Hudson tells Russell shatters her childish faith. It cannot possibly be true, yet she believes him. She also believes his threats: both the gun in his hand, and the knowledge he holds.In a devastating instant of choice, Russell declares her loyalty and love, and everything changes.Blood on the floor, a token on the mantelpiece, the smell of gunshot in the air: all point directly at Clara Hudson-or rather, at Clarissa, the woman she was before Baker Street. The key to Russell's sacrifice lies in Mrs Hudson's past, and to uncover the crime, a frantic Sherlock Holmes must put aside his anguish and push deep into his housekeeper's secrets, to a time before her disguise was assumed, before her crimes were buried away. There is death here, and murder, and trust betrayed. And nothing will ever be the same.

Striking Murder is by A J Wright and is due to be published in January 2016.  1893. Wigan is in the grip of a devastating national miners' strike and a harsh winter. Arthur Morris, a wealthy colliery owner whose intransigence on miners' pay is the main cause of the strike, is found brutally murdered in Scholes, a rough working-class district where he is universally hated and blamed for the grinding hardship the strike is causing. Detective Sergeant Brennan is tasked with finding the murderer and when a mysterious stranger is found bludgeoned to death, Brennan starts to unravel a twisted thread of interwoven clues that will lead to the murderer.

The skeleton of Edward Stevenson, an established artist, is found with a shotgun and a suicide note in the basement of a family home in Vermont. Stevenson had told his family he had a terminal illness and was going to Nepal to seek an alternative way of life. When it comes to light that Stevenson had no such illness, suspicions turn to the art gallery who represented him. Just days after the discovery of Stevenson's body, Patrick Merriam, the owner, finds Frank Compton, his partner, dead in an apparent suicide. The police are called in and as the investigation develops, it becomes a murder enquiry. Yet again Sam finds her loyalties tested - this time between her university friend, Patrick Merriam, and her current partner who is leading the investigation.  A Cast of Vultures is by Judith Flanders and is due to be published in March 2016.

The Primrose Pursuit is by Suzette Hill and is due to be published in February 2016. 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.

Steps to the Gallows is by Edward Marston and is due to be published in February 2016. A scurrilous newspaper has built up a large following by publishing details of political and sexual scandals. It is remarkably well-informed and has therefore created a whole host of enemies. When the editor is killed and the printing press smashed to bits, the Invisible Detectives are hired by the man who financed the production of the paper. He wants the killer brought to justice and the scandal sheet revived. Peter and Paul Skillen find themselves in great danger as they unearth an enormous amount of scandal and corruption before the villains are brought to book.

Guilt in the Cotswolds is by Rebecca Tope an is due to be published in March 2016.  Thea Osborne's latest house-sitting assignment is a little different to the rest. Along with her spaniel, Hepzie, Thea finds herself in the village of Chedworth. She is tasked with creating an inventory of Rita Wilshire's possessions, requested by her son, Richard Wilshire, after moving her into a care home. All goes to plan, until Thea and her fiance, Drew Slocombe, find Richard dead in a barn.When family members come knocking, Thea and Drew struggle to give them answers. The Wilshire family has its own past and, whilst Thea knows it is not really her business, she cannot help but become involved in the case. Was Richard's death suicide? Or something more sinister? When the clues lead them in circles, Thea's relationship with Drew is put to the test. But there is a crime to solve, and neither of them is willing to give up just yet...

The first in a series of mysteries set in museums in the 1950s, Murder at the Ashmolean features classicist sleuth Robert Spens and his assistant Henrietta Cave. Spens spent much of World War Two undercover in Greece, subsequently finishing his doctorate at Oxford. He is called to his alma mater by Professor Gilbert Lang, his former supervisor, who is trying to decipher Linear B writing on ancient clay tablets he recently obtained. He is worried that someone is following him. Tragedy ensues and Spens must use his university connections, his knowledge of the ancient world and his wartime experience to track down a ruthless killer.  Murder at the Ashmolean is by Max Hunter and is due to be published in March 2016.

The Hundred Years' War is over and newly-knighted Sir John Hawkswood is headed for France to make his fortune as a freebooter. Violence and extortion are rife, and the freebooters will stop at nothing to capture the Papal City of Avignon. This is only the beginning: Italy beckons, and with it, yet more battles against rival mercenaries, powerful cities and the Papal State.  Hawkhood is by Jack Ludlow and is due to be published in April 2016.

Books to Look Forward to from Allison & Busby

Black Lies, Red Blood is by Kjell Eriksson  and is due to be published in May 2014.  Inspector Ann Lindell hasn’t had much time to enjoy her new relationship with journalist Anders Brant before he disappears without a trace and a homeless man’s body is found with Anders phone number in his pocket.  Lindell must race to find Anders and clear his name as she reaches the highly charged and fraught conclusion.

You know when you have one of those days at the office?  You spill coffee on your keyboard, the finance director goes on an expenses rampage and then, before you know it, your favourite author is murdered.  Don't you just hate when that happens?  Introducing the much-anticipated debut novel by Judith Flanders, acclaimed author of the non-fiction bestsellers A Circle of Sisters and The Victorian House.  Drawing on her past experience as editor at prestigious publishing houses, this pitch-perfect crime caper offers a witty, intelligent and entertaining glimpse into the publishing world.  When Samantha Clair decides to publish journalist Kit Lovell's tell-all book on the death of fashion designer Rodrigo Aleman, she can scarcely imagine the dangers ahead.  Cue a rollercoaster ride into the dark realms of fashion, money laundering and murder, armed with nothing but her e-reader and her trusty stock of sarcasm.  Writers Block is by Judith Flanders and is due to be published in March 2014.

A Ticket to Oblivion is by Edward Marston and is due to be published in April 2014.  Young Imogen Burnhope and her maid Rhoda board a non-stop train to Oxford to visit her Aunt Cassandra, who waits on the platform at Oxford station where the train terminates, to greet them.  Only they never arrive.  The train is searched and the coachman swears he saw them board a first-class carriage, but they seem to have vanished into thin air.  When he learns his daughter is missing, Sir Marcus Burnhope contacts Scotland Yard for help and Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming are assigned to the case.  Is it a merely a case of a runaway girl?  Or is there a more sinister, larger conspiracy at work?

1666. London is recovering from the Great Plague and mourning it's dead - The city is free at

last, like a great old bear, beaten to its knees, bloody but unbowed.  But the disease slithered out of London to wreak its evil upon other towns and cities.  The worst was over, the Pestilence gone, in search of new feeding grounds, bounteous and plentiful in the villages outside of the London.  Harry Lytle, who works for Lord Arlington's intelligence service, is sent to Essex where the plague is breeding to track down a traitor and bring him back alive.  But things get tricky when Lord Arlington's latest recruit for the mission is a man Lytle left dead.  Having learnt first-hand of Lord Arlington's barbaric cruelty, Lytle knows he can't refuse the job.  Travelling into a disease-ridden village with a murderer seems like a better option.  Hearts of Darkness is by Paul Lawrence and is due to be published in January 2014.

It is 1914 and while battles rage across Europe three empires – the Ottoman, the German and the British – fight for dominance in the Middle East.  Kingdom Lock works for the British Intelligence Service known as the White Tab and has a mission  in Persia.  He must stop a German spy from inciting jihad and rebellion among the population and from seizing control in the precious oilfields.  But to complete his task, the Australian-born Lock has not only to battle resentment and enemies on his own side, but to keep one-step ahead of the war raging around him.  Kingdom Lock is by I D Roberts and is due to be published in May 2014.

Trouble in the  Cotswolds is by Rebecca Tope and is due to be published in March 2014.  Thea Osborne hopes to spend a quiet Christmas housesitting in the picturesque village of Stanton.  Walks in the local countryside with the dogs are all the excitement she wants.  Her arrival at the village coincides with the funeral of Douglas Callender and the murder of his girlfriend the following day.  Thea finds herself thrust into the middle of another Police investigation as she unwraps motives and scandals across the village.  The arrival of Drew Slocombe is the best present Thea could receive.  Amid the bleak winter of Stanton and the murderous scandal, Thea is determined that she will survive the festive season.  Thea s interest is stirred but the onset of flu looks to prevent any sleuthing.  However, when two people show up brutally murdered the following afternoon, even when battling a fever Thea finds herself thrust into the middle of yet another Police investigation.  With the Callendar, family linked to most of the village Stanton is bursting with motives for the murders including jealousy, closures of footpaths and secret animal testing.  Thea turns to local resident Dennis Ireland for safety but Dennis, as with the other villagers, may not be as safe as first appears and Thea wonders who she can trust to help her survive the festive season.

The Venetian Venture is by Suzette Hill and is due to be published in May 2014.  Rosy Gilchrist is sent to Venice to find a rare, signed translation of Horace’s Odes by the late Dr Badger.  Rosy jumps at the change to fit some sightseeing around work, but holiday plans go on hold when she learns that there is a significant bounty prize for anyone who finds this valuable text.  Finding herself in the midst of a cat and mouse chase, Rosy’s rivals will stop at nothing, not even murder to get their hands on the book.

Fifth century of the Byzantium Empire.  Flavius Belisaurius is son of the Governor of Dorostorum City, and his father has two goals: to keep out the barbarians and to expose the deep roots of secular and ecclesiastical corruption.  Seeking to prevent a raid, the Governor enlists the help of the powerful magnate, Gaius Donatus.  Donatus's corruption is widespread but his support is crucial to win the battle.  But Donatus betrays this trust and Belisaurius Jnr witnesses the death of his father and the irretrievable tarnishing of his reputation.  With Belisaurius's life changed for good he swears vengeance on the man that betrayed his father and begins a journey from which there is no virtuous way back.  The Last Roman: Vengeance is by Jack Ludlow and is due to be published in June 2014.

Books to Look Forward to From Allison and Busby

London swelters in June 1858, and trouble is brewing. Scotland Yard calls on forensic scientist Adolphus  Hatton and his trusty assistant, Albert Roumande to help stop a series of seemingly unconnected murders, linked by the same macabre calling card. The investigators, who have a morgue full of cholera victims must also unravel a bombing campaign led by agitator and priest Father O’Brian. Hatton’s skills are tested to the limit on this nail-biting race against time. The Devil’s Ribbon is by D E Meredith and is due to be published in February 2013.

Peril on the Royal Train  is by Edward Marston and is due to be published in April 2013. 1858. The driver and fireman of a goods train are speeding along near the Scottish border. As they take a sharp bend, they can see that the track ahead has been ripped up. With no time to break, there’s no way to avert disaster – the engine veers off the rails and plunges into the lake below, taking the wagons and men with it.  Summoned north by the Caledonian Railway Company, Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming learn that the sabotage might be the work of a rival company. But as they proceed, a larger conspiracy seems to be afoot. The target: the Queen and Prince Consort en route to Balmoral.

Fatal Inheritance is by Catherine Shaw and is due to be published in January 2013.   On New Year’s Day, 1900, the brilliant violinist Sebastian Cavendish is found dead, leaving his friends and relations grief stricken and perplexed as to the reasons behind his suicide. Vanessa Weatherburn is engaged to investigate the dead man’s final movements. It is a journey which will reveal to her the science of genetics, the history of Sebastian’s equally brilliant grandfather and the long-kept secrets of the Cavendish family. She must cross continents and trace every lead if she is to uncover the mystery of Sebastian’s inheritance, and why it meant his death.

When Thea Osborne agrees at the last minute to house-sit for Oliver Meadows as a favour to her mother, she expects a few days of peace with her spaniel, Hepzie. Uncomfortable with the news of her mother’s sudden involvement with an old flame, and Thea herself unsure of how to deal with her feelings for Drew Slocombe, she hopes that some time alone in the historic town of Winchcombe will help to clear her head. But, the discovery of a dead body throws her plans into disarray and Thea must work quickly to unravel the secrets which are being kept and discover exactly what lies beneath the surface of a turbulent relationship.  Shadows in the Cotswolds is by Rebecca Tope and is due to be published in March 2013.

Dead Heading is by Catherine Aird and is due to be published in April 2013.  Detectives Sloan and Crosby are at a loss as to why Jack Haines’s greenhouse has been broken into; some expensive orchids have been destroyed but nothing seems to be missing. But something sinister is at work, and their suspicions are confirmed when a woman goes missing...  What initially seems to be hardly a crime at all quickly unravels into a complex puzzle of secrets and lies in this latest edition of the lauded Sloan and Crosby series.

Marcia Beasley of St John’s Wood is found in her home naked, shot in the head and covered with a coal scuttle. Detective Sergeant Greenleaf is tasked with unravelling the layers of Marcia’s life to bring meaning to her gruesome death. While the Police investigation plods on, Marcia’s niece Rosy finds herself unwittingly drawn into a family mystery involving espionage and foreign intrigue. Will she establish the involvement of the abrasive Miss Collinger and will Miss Burkiss ever yield her keys to the broom cupboard?  A Little Murder is by Suzette Hill and is due to be published in May 2013

The crusading armies go from besieging the citadel of Antioch, to themselves being besieged. Bohemund, takes a firm grip on the city, despite the depleted crusading army, thinned by death, disease and defection. Meanwhile, Tancred seeks his fortune in Jerusalem. No longer is the Holy City in the hands of the Arabs, but held by the mighty Fatamids of Egypt. Tancred is a leader when it comes to entering the city, but it remains to be seen if he will rise to become a Prince of Legend.  Prince of Legend: Crusades Book 3 is by Jack Ludlow and is due to be published in June 2013.

The body of an unknown woman is found in an Edinburgh close and the police are quick to label it as a random act of violence, until that is Detective Constable Faro finds a playing card, the nine of diamonds, planted on the corpse.  His superiors scoff at his suspicions, but days later a man is attacked in the street, and left badly bruised and battered with the nine of diamonds in his pocket. Faro seizes on the connection and it is not the last calling card. But what is it that links the victims? Beset by hostile superiors and a police hating public, Faro feels he may never crack this confounding case.  Murders Most Foul is by Alanna Knight and is due to be published in January 2013.