Forthcoming books from HarperCollins (Including Hemlock Press)

July 2026

Icarus 17 is by Charles Cumming. A new thriller set in the ingenious world of Box 88, the covert intelligence service operating without government oversight. A young couple on the run. Max Radinsky thought he was living the perfect life in Athens. But when his girlfriend, Yasmine, is forced to flee the city, Max joins her on a desperate journey across Greece. What begins as an escape becomes a fight for survival as the young couple become the targets of an international manhunt. Untrained and living off their wits, they know their luck won’t last forever… The spy hunting them down. Lachlan Kite, head of covert intelligence service BOX 88, hasn’t seen his former lover, Martha Raine, for more than twenty years. But when Martha begs his help in finding her missing son, Kite has no choice but to act. What they uncover is worse than either could have imagined. Yasmine is carrying a secret which could destabilise the Middle East for a generation – and a team of merciless Israeli intelligence agents have been given orders to kill her on sight. To save Max – and stop a global crisis – Kite and Martha must reach the young couple before their pursuers close in.

Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon searches for the missing wife of a British

billionaire in the electrifying new tale of greed, corruption, and betrayal. Alice Winter, one of Britain’s most dazzling socialites, seemingly has the perfect life – a lavish home in posh Knightsbridge, a grand estate in Devon, millions of followers on social media who eagerly await her next post. But when she disappears without a trace while on holiday with three old friends from Cambridge, her desperate husband, the real estate baron Edward Knight, turns to none other than Gabriel Allon to find her. He soon discovers that Alice Winter is not the woman she appears to be, that she has a reckless side, that she has secrets. But Edward Knight has a secret too, a secret so dangerous that Gabriel will have no choice but to return to the life he thought he had left behind. An old enemy lurks there, waiting for him to make one misstep, waiting for the perfect moment to exact vengeance. From its irresistible opening chapters to its heart-pounding climax and shocking final twist, Ransom is by Daniel Silva and is a riveting, page-turning tour de force that proves yet again why Daniel Silva is the reigning master of international intrigue and suspense.

A scorching summer. Down in the seaside town of Teignmouth, ex-Met detective Eden Driscoll grows restless after a long summer caring for his nine-year-old nephew. A desperate plea. When a man knocks at Eden’s door desperate for help, claiming someone is trying to kill him, Eden jumps at the chance to solve a mystery. But before he can ask more questions, the stranger disappears. A deadly fire. The cry for help came too late – that same night a house along the coast is burnt to the ground, and a man’s remains are discovered among the rubble. In the days after, Eden’s curiosity only grows. He soon finds himself investigating, and begins to uncover a web of deception, jealousy and corruption. The Burning Tide is by William Shaw.

The Saffron Thief is by T L Mogford. In 1666, England's saffron

industry is booming, with the spice fetching a staggering £4 per pound—rivalling gold. Fabian Smith, the sensible second son of a Holborn poulterer, has sacrificed his dreams of adventure for family duty. But when the Great Fire claims his father and his reckless brother plunges them into debt with a ruthless conman, their home—and freedom—hang in the balance. Desperate to save his family, Fabian hatches a daring plan: steal the fortune they need. His target? The wealthiest saffron grower in Saffron Walden. Disguised and determined, he arrives just in time for the harvest, only to discover that the townsfolk are far more cunning than he expected. As danger closes in, Fabian must navigate treachery and his own heart, racing against time to save everything he holds dear.

Beware of the Trains is a collection of 16 short stories from Edmund Crispin featuring his beloved amateur detective, Gervase Fen. Crime fiction at its quirkiest and best. Who burglarised the train heading for Victoria Station, and whatever became of its conductor? Did the village idiot or Mrs Foley murder the mean-spirited Edgar Foley, or could the constable be responsible for the devious deed? Who on Earth will be able to untangle the affair of the disappearing car, the black necktie, and the abortive theft? Enter Gervase Fen, Oxford professor and sometime super-sleuth, an expert at solving cases that baffle even the most astute policemen. These sixteen short classics by a master of the modern detective story will test your crime solving abilities as well; Edmund Crispin has provided all the clues you need to detect the solution, using logic and common sense.

Fen Country is by Edmund Crispin. Dandelions and hearing aids, a bloodstained cat, a Leonardo drawing, a corpse with an alibi, a truly poisonous letter … These are just some of the unusual clues that Oxford don/detective Gervase Fen and his friend Inspector Humbleby are confronted with in this sparkling collection of short mystery stories by one of the great masters of detective fiction.

August 2026

A witty and sly thriller, as social-climber Diana Leyland aims to pick off another husband unless his daughter can thwart her scheme. “You know Diana Leyland… she climbed the ladder by marrying a man on each rung! I think she gets rid of them when she’s got what she needs. I think she poisons them… I wonder who’s next.” To lose one husband is unlucky. To lose two is careless. But three? Three must be murder… Diana Leyland has her sights set on a new target, David Farrand. His daughter Cat has other ideas… Claws Out is by Bella Mackie

September 2026

Gravity Let Me Go is by Trent Dalton. It's the story of a murder. It's the story of a marriage. It's

the story of a lifetime. It's the story of a murder. It's the story of a marriage. It's the story of a lifetime. Noah and Rita. Rita and Noah. They’ve survived a lot: marriage, money troubles, two children and a hurricane that should have killed them. But can their relationship survive Noah’s obsession with a cold case murder? Noah, a true crime journalist, has just published his first book – the subject for which landed in his lap when the as-yet-unidentified killer of a local woman left a clue addressed to him in his home mailbox. Everything should be coming up roses for him and his family – but the local police hate him, he’s having creepy hallucinations, someone just tried to run him over, his beloved wife Rita has been writing him cryptic messages in the steam on the bathroom mirror – and another apocalyptic storm is heading to Brisbane… As Noah hurtles headfirst into his own swirling storm of secrets, can he cling for dear life to the only story that really matters – his love story with Rita?

Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel is by Lucy Foley. High in the Swiss Alps, with glorious

mountain views and exclusive access to powdery slopes, the Grand Alpine Hotel draws guests from far and wide. The notorious actress. The high-flying politician. The reserved political wife. The reckless friend. The shrewd doctor. But when a guest enters a gondola alive, only to be found dead at the top of the mountain, it’s clear there’s a killer in their midst. As dark histories simmer, and old grudges emerge like cracks in the ice, someone watches on from the shadows. An unassuming woman with an extraordinary mind: Miss Marple. She suspects everyone in the hotel, and she’s right to. For it isn’t just a question of who has a motive, but who’s next…

October 2026

Roger Ackroyd, Betty Barnard, Amyas Crale, Linnet Doyle… Agatha Christie's most famous victims are celebrated in this illustrated alphabet, parodying some of her most fiendish murders in this perfect gift book for Christie fans. ‘In the midst of tragedy we start the comedy.’ Agatha Christie, The ABC Murders. Agatha Christie was crowned ‘Queen of Crime’ by book reviewers when her sensational The Murder of Roger Ackroyd exploded onto bookshelves exactly 100 years ago. She published new books every year for half a century and became the world’s bestselling novelist, creating more than 2,000 characters – and killing more than 250 of them. Poisoned, stabbed, electrocuted, shot, strangled, bludgeoned, injected, pushed off heights, drowned, smothered, incinerated, trampled to death … a litany of carnage lurks beneath the surface of Agatha’s books, and yet many of her fans still insist on calling them ‘cozy’. Tom Racine’s The A B C of Murder wholesome existence as an illustrator, video producer and voice artist took a dark twist when he was commissioned to design and write two ABC books in the style of Edward Gorey about death in Tolkien and Shakespeare. But, as he soon discovered, those two paled in comparison to the Queen of Crime in the gentle art of infamy…

Exhumation is by Nicholas Binge. Arlo's having troubl e sleeping. Private Investigator Arlo Abbas wakes up to discover £10,000 suspiciously deposited into his account. Except he’s not been approached with a case and he doesn’t know the sender. Then, he finds a scrap of paper stuffed through his mailbox. Find Sophie Banik. His investigation leads him to a mysterious cult and the grave of a murdered girl. But there is no body buried there. Instead, Arlo unearths a coffin full of journals belonging to Liz, a girl who claims to have been underground for sixty-three days and to no longer sleep. Each answer seems to bring new questions: Who is Liz? Can she be telling the truth? What happened to Sophie? And who hired him? Arlo begins to wonder if he even wants to solve this case, but he doesn't have a choice – it’s been keeping him up at night.

You Are Mine is by Alex Lake. Mary Jordan is walking along the street when she spots a sign. If you are reading this, I am watching you. You are now part of my collection. You will be mine, and your life will never be the same again. Mary is horrified. Her skin crawls at the idea of being watched. She searches the buildings, looking for a face at a window. But only for a moment. There’s nothing to fear. It’s obviously just a harmless prank. She could not be more wrong…

November 2026

The Collateral Heart is by Jeffery Deaver. A terrible arson in Manhattan burns an old building to the ground. Amelia Sachs—criminalist Lincoln Rhyme’s wife and crime scene investigator extraordinaire–manages to save a victim from a fiery death. And in doing so she makes an eerie discovery. The arsonist has left a package of clues that might hint as to their motive and where they will strike next. As the perp prepares for another attack, and Rhyme and Sachs work feverishly to unravel the mystery, they cross paths with a detective from Long Island. Desdemona Vale is a sharp and unstoppable officer—balancing her fervent search for the killer of a young woman from her neighbourhood, with the arduous task of caring for her two young granddaughters. The searches for their respective villains lead Rhyme, Sachs and Vale improbably to another member of the cast: James Harper, a famed historian and the host of one of the most popular history podcasts in the country, a man who may, or may not, be able to shed light on the perp’s motive and identity. As always in a Jeffery Deaver novel, the multiple, interweaving plots race along nonstop adhering to the template of a one-sitting read; nothing is quite what it seems to be; and the novel features three surprise endings! More shockingly yet, as the layers of the plots are pulled back, Lincoln Rhyme learns to his dismay that he has a new nemesis—a worthy and terrifying successor to the Watchmaker. Can he stop the carnage in time? 

The Midwinter Martyr is by S J Parris. Venice, 1576. Giordano Bruno, heretic, philosopher and spy, is on the run from the Inquisition. He flees to Venice, but the beautiful city proves no safe haven. The killing of an aristocrat and the arrest of his wife and secretary for murder are causing unrest. When an anonymous letter, written in code, proclaims the woman’s innocence, the city’s chief of intelligence employs Bruno to find the writer.But the death is mired in a tangle of dangerous secrets, and Bruno soon learns there are some very powerful people who will stop at nothing to suppress the truth…

Books to Look Forward to From HarperCollins

 July 2021

The Mother Fault is by Kate Mildenhall. To keep her children safe, she must put their lives at risk … In suburban Australia, Mim and her two children live as quietly as they can. Around them, a near-future world is descending into chaos: government officials have taken absolute control, but not everybody wants to obey the rules. When Mim's husband Ben mysteriously disappears, Mim realises that she and her children are in great danger. Together, they must set off on the journey of a lifetime to find Ben. The government are trying to track them down, but Mim will do anything to keep her family safe - even if it means risking all their lives. Can the world ever return to normality, and their family to what it was?

Two women are found dead. Both had a secret. Both had a choice.. Artemis leaves the remote Greek island she grew up on to start a shiny new life in 1990s London with her British husband, a successful entrepreneur. Finally, she has escaped the ghosts of her past. Until she is found hanging from the stairs of her beautiful family home. Two decades later, the apparent suicide of an heiress uncannily mirrors Artemis' mysterious death. And when the ensuing investigation uncovers links to a criminal cartel, National Crime Agency officer Madeleine Farrow begins to pull apart the web of deceit surrounding the two women. The Second Woman is by Charlotte Philby and is a deeply unsettling, brilliantly gripping story of a family legacy built upon lies. Secrets can be suffocating... especially in the wrong hands.

The Cellist is by Daniel Silva. Viktor Orlov had a longstanding appointment with death. Once Russia's richest man, he now resides in splendid exile in London, where he has waged a tireless crusade against the authoritarian kleptocrats who have seized control of the Kremlin. His mansion in Chelsea's exclusive Cheyne Walk is one of the most heavily protected private dwellings in London. Yet somehow, on a rainy summer evening, in the midst of a global pandemic, Russia's vengeful president finally manages to cross Orlov's name off his kill list. Before him was the receiver from his landline telephone, a half-drunk glass of red wine, and a stack of documents.... The documents are contaminated with a deadly nerve agent. The Metropolitan Police determine that they were delivered to Orlov's home by one of his employees, a prominent investigative reporter from the anti-Kremlin Moskovskaya Gazeta. And when the reporter slips from London hours after the killing, MI6 concludes she is a Moscow Center assassin who has cunningly penetrated Orlov's formidable defenses. But Gabriel Allon, who owes his very life to Viktor Orlov, believes his friends in British intelligence are dangerously mistaken. His desperate search for the truth will take him from London to Amsterdam and eventually to Geneva, where a private intelligence service controlled by a childhood friend of the Russian president is using KGB-style "active measures" to undermine the West from within. Known as the Haydn Group, the unit is plotting an unspeakable act of violence that will plunge an already divided America into chaos and leave Russia unchallenged. Only Gabriel Allon, with the help of a brilliant young woman employed by the world's dirtiest bank, can stop it.

She is safe... Faye Adelheim deserves the life she has. After fleeing from a violent marriage, she has built her business into a global brand and is living in a beautiful villa in Italy with her daughter. Or so she thought... But Faye's life is turned upside down when her murderous ex-husband escapes from prison. Faye has no choice but to return home to confront him. This will be the fight of her life... Faye will do anything to keep her family safe. But when the dark secrets of her childhood come back to haunt her, she will have to battle like never before to stop her deepest fears from coming true...Silver Tears is by Camilla Lackberg.

What if your mother had been writing to a serial killer? A convicted murderer with a story to tell. Serial killer Michael Reave - known as The Red Wolf - has been locked in Belmarsh Prison for over 20 years for the brutal and ritualistic murders of countless women. A grieving daughter with a secret to unearth. Ex-journalist Heather Evans returns to her childhood home after her mother's inexplicable suicide and discovers something chilling - hundreds of letters between her mother and Reave, dating back decades. A hunt for a killer ready to strike againWhen the body of a woman is found decorated with flowers, just like his victims, Reave is the only person alive who could help. After years of silence, he will speak to Heather, and only Heather. If she wants to unearth the truth and stop further bloodshed, she'll have to confront a monster.  Dog Rose Dirt is by Jen Williams.

Agatha Christie's Midsummer Mysteries. An all-new collection of summer-themed mysteries from the master of the genre, just in time for the holiday season. Summertime - as the temperature rises, so does the potential for evil. From Cornwall to the French Riviera, whether against a background of Delphic temples or English country houses, Agatha Christie's most famous characters solve even the most devilish of conundrums as the summer sun beats down. Pull up a deckchair and enjoy plot twists and red herrings galore from the bestselling fiction writer of all time. INCLUDES THE STORIES: -The Blood-Stained Pavement, The Double Clue, A Death on the Nile, Harlequin's Lane, The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman, Jane in Search of a Job, The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim, The Idol House of Astarte, The Rajah's Emerald, The Oracle at Delphi, The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger, The Incredible Theft. 

I have killed several people (some brutally, others calmly) and yet I currently languish in jail for a murder I did not commit. When I think about what I actually did, I feel somewhat sad that nobody will ever know about the complex operation that I undertook. Getting away with it is highly preferable, of course, but perhaps when I'm long gone, someone will open an old safe and find this confession. The public would reel. After all, almost nobody else in the world can possibly understand how someone, by the tender age of 28, can have calmly killed six members of her family. And then happily got on with the rest of her life, never to regret a thing. A wickedly dark romp about class, family, love... and murder. How to Kill Your Family is by Bella Mackie. 

August 2021

Nick Miller is Central Division’s maverick Detective Sergeant. Disliked and distrusted by friends and foes, he works alone. He crosses the line. And he gets results. The Graveyard Shift… Nick Miller is new to the graveyard shift – the midnight hours when the driven and the desperate come out to play. Tonight Ben Garvald is out of prison. After nine years inside, he’s back in the old neighbourhood. Back to his remarried ex-wife. Back for revenge. Brought in Dead… Then after a fatal night out, a girl’s body is pulled from an isolated stretch of river. The last person to see her alive had enemies on both sides of the fence. Miller wants justice. But so does her father – with or without the law on his side. Hell Is Always Today… And the Rainlover. Whose victims are always women. Always at night when the streets are wet. He could be any one of a thousand men. Hounded by the public and the press, Miller needs to find him before he strikes again. It’s time to throw out the rule book in the line of duty. GRAVEYARD TO HELL. Jack Higgins’ gritty police saga set in the 1960s, first released as three short volumes and long out of print, is now reimagined as one gripping novel, packing a punch as only ‘The Legend’ of thriller fiction knows how.

September 2021

Meet Kenny Bond. A murderer. A gangster. A good family man. Kenny Bond is finally out of prison after doing a long stretch for killing a copper, and is determined to get back to life on the straight and narrow. He's got a lot of time to make up for, he's missed his beloved wife, Sharon, and his family is growing up fast. His son Donny might lack his father's edge but his twin grandsons, Beau and Brett - well, they are Bonds through and through. Like him, they won't let anyone stand in their way. Family comes before everything else for Kenny. There's nothing he won't do for them. But there are enemies from his past he can't shake off, and a family feud is brewing. Kenny's determined that nothing, and no one, will threaten his family. But can the Bond family stick together when someone's out to take them down? The Family Man is by Kimberley Chambers.

High-flying lawyer Jessica Wells has it all. A successful career, loving husband Tom and a family she adores. But one case - and one client - will put all that at risk. Edward Blake. An ordinary life turned upside down - or a man who quietly watched television while his wife was murdered upstairs? With more questions than answers and a case too knotted to unravel, Jay suspects he's protecting someone... Then she comes home one day and her husband utters the words no-one ever wants to hear. Sit down... because I've got something to tell you.... Now Jay must fight not only for the man she defends, but for the man she thought she trusted with her life - her husband. I Have something to Tell You is by Susan Lewis.

This annual anthology of rare stories of crime and suspense brings together tales from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction for the first time in book form, including a short novel by Christianna Brand. Mystery stories have been around for centuries-there are whodunits, whydunits and howdunits, including locked-room puzzles, detective stories without detectives, and crimes with a limited choice of suspects. Countless volumes of such stories have been published, but some are still impossible to find: stories that appeared in a newspaper, magazine or an anthology that has long been out of print; ephemeral works such as plays not aired, staged or screened for decades; and unpublished stories that were absorbed into an author's archive when they died . . .Here for the first time are three never-before-published mysteries by Edmund Crispin, Ngaio Marsh and Leo Bruce, and two pieces written for radio by Gladys Mitchell and H. C. Bailey-the latter featuring Reggie Fortune. Together with a newly unearthed short story by Ethel Lina White that inspired Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes, and a complete short novel by Christianna Brand, this diverse mix of tales by some of the world's most popular classic crime writers contains something for everyone. Complete with indispensable biographies by Tony Medawar of all the featured authors, the fourth volume in the series Bodies from the Library once again brings into the daylight the forgotten, the lost and the unknown. Bodies From the Library 4.

October 2021

Judas 62 is the second book in Charles Cumming's gripping new thriller series surrounding BOX 88 - a covert intelligence organization that operates beneath the radar. A young spy in one of the most dangerous places on Earth... 1993: Student Lachlan Kite is sent to post-Soviet Russia in the guise of a language teacher. In reality, he is there as a spy. Top secret intelligence agency BOX 88 has ordered Kite to extract a chemical weapons scientist before his groundbreaking research falls into the wrong hands. But Kite's mission soon goes wrong and he is left stranded in a hostile city with a former KGB officer on his trail. An old enemy looking for revenge... 2020: Now the director of BOX 88 operations in the UK, Kite discovers he has been placed on the 'JUDAS' list - a record of enemies of Russia who have been targeted for assassination. Kite's fight for survival takes him to Dubai, where he must confront the Russian secret state head on... Who will come out on top in this deadly game of cat and mouse?

Over My Dead Body is by Jeffrey Archer. In London, the Metropolitan Police have set up a new Unsolved Murders Unit – a cold case squad – to catch the criminals nobody else can. Four victims. Four cases. All killers poised to strike again. In Geneva, millionaire art collector Miles Faulkner – convicted of forgery and theft – was pronounced dead two months ago. So why is his unscrupulous lawyer still representing a dead client? And who is the mysterious man his widow is planning to marry? On board luxury cruise liner the Alden, a wealthy clientele have signed up for the opulence and glamour of a trans-Atlantic voyage. But the battle for power at the heart of a wealthy dynasty is about to turn to murder. And at the heart of all three investigations lies Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick, rising star of the Met. Only Warwick's genius for deductive reasoning, his fierce intelligence and his occasionally rash bravery – combined with that of ex-undercover operative Ross Hogan, reluctantly brought in from the cold – can bring the criminals to justice, and put his nemesis behind bars. But can they catch the killers before it's too late?

The Cult is by Abby Davies. Thirty years ago, in the English countryside, a commune was set up. Led by Uncle Saviour, it was supposed to be a place of love, peace and harmony. But what started out as paradise turned into hell. A shocking abduction... Now, two young children have vanished from their home in the middle of the night. Their parents are frantic, the police are at a loss. A twisting case...DI Ottoline is leading the search - her only clue a mask found in the woods. Could the key lie in events that took place decades ago, when a dream of a new way of life became something far more sinister?

November 2021

A woman living alone in Manhattan wakes up to find that items in her apartment have moved during the night. Someone has broken into her flat and, worse than that, there are signs they have stayed to watch her sleep... Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are asked by City Hall to lead the investigation into this new and dangerous criminal: He calls himself the 'Locksmith', and can break through any lock or security system ever devised. But their hunt is interrupted when a police investigation uncovers a crucial mistake in one of Rhyme's old cases. Fired as a consultant for the NYPD, he risks jail if the police discover he's still investigating the Locksmith. Rhyme and his team must work in secret to untangle the web of forensic evidence that stands between the criminal and justice. The Midnight Lock is by Jeffrey Deaver,

Forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta has returned to Virginia as the chief medical examiner. She and her husband Benton are headquartered five miles from the Pentagon, in a post-pandemic world that's been torn apart by civil and political unrest. Just weeks into the job, Scarpetta is called to investigate a woman's body which has been shockingly displayed on railroad tracks. As Scarpetta follows the trail, it leads unnervingly close to her own neighbourhood... At the same time, two scientists are found dead in a top-secret laboratory in outer space. Scarpetta is summoned to the White House Situation Room and tasked with finding out what happened. But even as she's working the first crime scene in space from the ground, an apparent serial killer strikes again. And this time, Scarpetta could be in greater danger than ever before... Autospy is by Patricia Cornwell.

Newsy Stuff!

CWA Gold Dagger winning author Robert Wilson is set to publish his next novel Capital Punishment with Orion Publishers according to his agents Aitken Alexander

In a locked room, a kidnapped girl shivers: meet London’s dark side. Alyshia D’Cruz, daughter of Indian tycoon Francisco ‘Frank’ D’Cruz, has grown up in London and Mumbai wanting for nothing. But one night, after a boozy evening out, she gets in the wrong cab home…
Charles Boxer, ex-army, ex-police, has found his niche in private security. His speciality: kidnap and recovery. But it’s a rootless life that doesn’t impress his teenage daughter, Amy, or her mother, DS Mercy Danqah.

When D’Cruz hires Boxer to find Alyshia, Boxer knows Frank’s crooked business empire has made him plenty of enemies. Despite the vast D’Cruz fortune, the kidnappers don’t want cash – instead favouring a cruel and lethal game. But the UK government don’t want their big new investor to lose his daughter in the heart of the capital. MI6 officers in India follow Boxer’s leads and soon it seems more lives than Alyshia’s are at stake, as the trail crosses paths with a terrorist plot on British soil.

To save Alyshia, Boxer must dodge religious fanatics, Indian mobsters and London’s homegrown crime lords. Capital Punishment is a thrilling journey to the dark side of people and places that lie just out of view, waiting for the moment to tear a life apart. Capital Punishment is due to be published in January 2013.

Robert Wilson won the Gold Dagger with his novel A Small Death in Lisbon.

A number of crime novels are among the 147 titles that have been nominated by libraries worldwide for the €100,000 international IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.
The books are – Bandit Love by Massimo Carlotto, The Reversal by Michael Connelly, Faithful Place by Tana French, Harbour by John Ajvide Lindqvist, The Snowman by Jo Nesbo, Heartstone by C J Sansom, and The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva.


Spy thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy has been nominated for seven awards at the British Independent Film Awards. Gary Oldman has been nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of George Smiley. More information can be found here. The awards will be handed out at a ceremony in London on 4 December.


According to the Bookseller, crime writer Neil White has moved from Avon to Sphere. The author is set to write a new series, which will make use of his expertise as a criminal prosecutor. The first book in the series will be published in the summer of 2013. The bookseller also report that William Heinemann have acquired a debut crime novel, the first in a series to feature civilian investigator Catherine Berlin, written by Annie Hauxwell. The debut novel entitled In Her Blood will be published in trade paperback and eBook in May 2012.

Hot on the announcement of the title of the new James Bond film there is an excellent article in the Daily Telegraph about the longevity of James Bond and why the brand remains popular by Allan Massie.

Author Lynda La Plante is known for being forthright and she again does not mince her words when she talks in the Daily Telegraph about the BBC and them declaring not to want anymore crime drama’s.

P D James is interviewed in the Guardian by Sarah Crown where she talks about revisiting the characters in Pride and Prejudice and creating a credible crime novel at the same time.

Not one to play against type, actor Jason Statham has landed the lead role in the gangland thriller Hummingbird. According to the Guardian, Hummingbird, will mark the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated British screenwriter Steven Knight.

And if you haven’t heard already, firstly Patricia Cornwell has been confirmed for a one-off special event at next year’s Harrogate Crime Festival. Tickets can be obtained on 01423 562303 and secondly there has been confirmation that Åsa Larsson will be attending Crimefest Bristol that is due to take place between 24 to 27 May 2012.

Forthcoming books to look forward to from Penguin and Michael Joseph

Isaac Bell is back in another nerve-shredding historical thriller from the international bestselling author Clive Cussler and Justin Scott. Intrepid detective Isaac Bell engages in his most dangerous case yet. It is the early years of the twentieth century, air travel is in its infancy, and newspaper publisher Preston Whiteway is offering $50,000 for the first flier to cross America in less than fifty days. He is even sponsoring one of the candidates a barnstorming woman flier named Josephine Frost and that's where Isaac Bell comes in. Frost's violent tempered business magnate husband, Harry, has just killed her lover and tried to kill her and now he's on the run but Whiteway is sure he'll try again. Not that that's news to Bell. He tangled with Harry Frost ten years before, and lost badly. He knows that Frost has access to thieves, murderers and thugs in every city in the country. He knows Frost won't just be coming after his wife, but after Whiteway. And Bell knows that if he takes the case, Frost will be after him, too. Yes, Bell knows all that . . . but he still has no idea what he has just gotten himself into. Things are not quite what they seem to him and that will prove to be a very fatal mistake indeed. The Race is due to be published in October 2011.


Gamble is the latest novel by Dick and Felix Francis. It is due to be published in September 2011. As one of the youngest ever winners of the Grand National, Nick 'Foxy' Foxton's career as a world-class jockey is on perfect track until a near fatal accident cuts his dream brutally short. But when he returns to Aintree as a spectator years later, nothing can prepare him for what unfolds. Minutes before the biggest event on the racing calendar, Nick's affable American colleague Herb Kovak is shot at point-blank range, the gunman disappearing among the stunned crowd. Along with the police, Nick is left baffled as to why anyone would want to kill such an apparently gentle soul. With the press speculating about links to gangland crime and a crumpled note containing a threatening message found in the dead man's coat, Nick begins to doubt how well he really knew Herb. And on discovering Herb had named him as the benefactor of his will, Nick questions why he has been entrusted with the legacy. Is this a generous gift from a friend or is it, in fact, a poisoned chalice?

AD 262 and the Imperium is in turmoil after the struggle for the throne. Furthermore, Ephesus, Asia's metropolis, lies in ruins, shattered by a mighty earthquake. Its citizens live in fear as the mob overwhelms the city, baying for blood to avenge the gods who have punished them. Yet an even greater threat to the Empire advances from the North. The barbaric Goth tribes sail towards Ephesus, determined to pillage the city. Only Ballista, Warrior of Rome, knows the ways of the barbarians, and only he can defeat them. The Goths' appetite for brutality and destruction is limitless and before long Ballista is locked into a deadly blood feud, with an enemy that has sworn to destroy him and the Imperium at all costs. The Caspian Gates is the latest novel in the Warrior of Rome series by Harry Sidebottom and it is due to be published in July 2011.

Disgrace is the latest novel by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen and is due to be published in January 2012. It is 1987. A brother and sister are brutally killed in a summer house in the north of Denmark. The police investigation suggests that the murderer is to be found within a group of young boarding school students who are known for their addiction to gang violence. But the evidence is not strong enough to prove this theory, and the case is shelved. Twenty years later, Carl Moerck and his assistant Assad stumble over the file documenting the murders. No one really knows why it has reappeared, but someone seems to be interested in revisiting the events surrounding the case. When Moerck's bosses strictly forbid the Department Q team to reopen the file, both he and Assad know there is something terribly wrong and get hooked on the story. The first lead they uncover takes them to the very top of Danish high society the world of stockbrokers, businessmen and plastic surgeons. But it also takes them to the very bottom: to Kimmie, a young homeless woman who lives on the streets of Copenhagen and who seems to know a secret that could seriously threaten three incredibly powerful men.


The Death Relic is the new action-adventure thriller set amidst Mexico's ancient Mayan ruins by Chris Kuzneski. The New World, 1545 . . . Vanquished by the Spanish Empire, little remains of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. From the ashes of their cities, a unified legend emerges: the Christians who conquered them possessed a mysterious object, an artefact so powerful so deadly that it was known throughout the Americas as 'the death relic'. Yucatan Peninsula, present day . . . When Maria Pelati's research team disappears in Mexico, Jonathon Payne and David Jones embark on a perilous mission to find the missing archaeologists. The duo quickly finds a link between the group's work and its recent disappearance. Following the clues left behind, the pair try to solve one of the darkest mysteries of the New World, but their quest for the relic might cost them their lives. The Death Relic is due to be published in September 2011.

It’s 1640, and the pall of war hangs over France . . . The young Chevalier de Roland has scarcely set foot in the city before he crosses swords with a cruel nobleman to defend a young woman's honour. Too late he learns he has stumbled on a conspiracy within the King's own household to seize power by secret alliance with Spain. Accused of treason and forced to flee into hiding, André must fight on alone, staking both his life and his honour in the battle to save France. Blood and Steel is an epic swashbuckling page turner that sweeps from the political intrigues of Cardinal Richelieu to the great battlefields of the Thirty Years War. Blood and Steel is by A L Berridge and is due to be published in August 2011.


The Chill of Night is by James Hyman and is due to be published in October 2011. It is the second book in the series to feature Detective Michael McCabe. Lainie Goff thinks she has it all. A glamorous young Portland attorney with the brains and looks to match her ambitions, she's on the fast track to a partnership. Until one cold winter night she discovers that her belief in her ability to handle any situation was misplaced. Now she's just a frozen corpse in the boot of a car at the end of Portland Fish Pier. And a problem for homicide detective Michael McCabe. Luckily for McCabe, there's a witness. A mentally disturbed young woman named Abby Quinn saw what happened to Lainie. Unfortunately, Abby mysteriously goes missing the very same night. With a victim who'd known more than her share of bad guys, a list of suspects that seems to get longer and longer and his only witness missing, McCabe has got his work cut out. But it's only a matter of time before the killer strikes again . . .


Every Serial Killer Knows . . . The vicious burns scarring the victims' flesh reveal the agony of their last moments. Each woman was branded with a star, then stabbed through the heart. With every death, a vengeful killer finds a brief, blissful moment of calm . . . The Perfect Time . . . Ten years ago, Eva Rayburn and her sorority sisters were celebrating the end of the school year. That party turned into a nightmare Eva can't forget. Now she's trying to start over in her Virginia hometown, but a new nightmare has begun. Every victim is linked to her. And Detective Deacon Garrison isn't sure whether this mysterious woman needs investigating or protecting . . . To Make His Mark Only Eva's death will bring peace. Only her tortured screams will silence the rage that has been building for ten long years. Because what started that night at the sorority can never be stopped not until the last victim has been marked for death . . . Senseless is by Mary Burton and is due to be published in September 2011.


The Templar's Quest is by C M Palov and is due to be published in November 2011. The Montségur Medallion points the way to the most coveted relic, the Holy Grail. In the wrong hands it could destroy civilization . . . Finn McGuire finds himself framed for a string of murders moments after he uncovers the legendary Medallion in an ancient Syrian chapel. The culprits are a group of Nazi SS descendants known as The Seven who will stop at nothing to possess the pendant . . . and the Holy Grail. Their wish? To resurrect the Third Reich. Former MI5 operative Caedmon Aisquith is an expert in the Knights Templar and the Grail; he knows the Seven can only desire it for evil and when Finn approaches him, the two join forces in a quest to find the deadly relic and halt the bloodshed. Their race takes them from the Louvre to a medieval citadel in the Pyrenees. But the stakes are high, for the fate of mankind hangs in the balance if they fail . . .


The Thousand by Kevin Guilfoile is due to be published in September 2011. Long ago, a thousand men and women abandoned their lives to follow a stranger. Now their legacy threatens modern existence . . . Long ago, a thousand men and women abandoned their lives to follow a stranger. Now their legacy threatens modern existence . . . In 530 BC a mysterious ship appeared off the rainy shores of Croton in what is now Italy. After three days, a man disembarked to address the curious and frightened crowd that had gathered. He called himself Pythagoras. Exactly what he said that day is unknown, but afterwards a thousand men and women abandoned their lives and families to follow him. Over the centuries they became a secret society of powerful individuals safeguarding the teachings of one of history's most brilliant mathematicians. But now, triggered by a brutal murder in Chicago, the brotherhood erupts into civil war, and a young woman finds herself at the centre of ancient revelations that could not only become instruments of terror but could jeopardize civilization itself . . .


The Rembrandt Affair is by Daniel Silva and sees the return of Gabriel Allon. Glastonbury, an art restorer, has been brutally murdered, and the newly discovered Rembrandt he was working on has disappeared. Spy turned art restorer Gabriel Allon has only one thing in mind: recovery. But this unspeakable act of violence once again draws Allon into a world of danger he thought he had left behind forever. Allon is persuaded to use his unique skills to trace the painting and those responsible for the crimes. As he investigates, he discovers there are terrible secrets connected to the painting, and terrible men behind them. Before he is done, he will have undertaken a journey through some of the twentieth century's darkest history - and come face to face with some of the same darkness within himself. The Rembrandt Affair is due to be published in August 2011.