Forthcoming Books from Little Brown Publishing

 July 2026

Your body. Their Choice. The Hope Party's new laws have transformed Great Britain: the countryside rewilded, children's rights prioritised, and births on the rise. But freedom is fading. Karen has learned to navigate this new world, keeping her head down as her fertility is constantly monitored. As her husband's career thrives, while hers stalls. As her son is drawn into misogynist groups. Like everyone else, she's too frightened to speak up. Until her teenage daughter reveals a life-changing secret: she's pregnant. With abortion and contraception banned, her future has gone up in flames. But Karen won't let this happen - Charlotte is going to have the life she lost. Karen turns to her sister Isobel, a doctor who's initially reluctant to help. But when they learn Charlotte's pregnancy is ectopic and life-threatening, the stakes skyrocket. The three women go on the run, getting deeper into danger with every hour that passes. With powerful enemies on their tail, they will risk everything in a desperate fight for freedom, and for life. The Quickening is by Claire McGowan.

The Shadow Step is by Mark Billingham. One taken simultaneously by a pair of dancers facing the same direction, one of them behind and slightly shifted leftwards ('in the shadow') Typically, such a step perfectly demonstrates synchronised elegance. It showcases a couple in near telepathic harmony with one another. It does not normally end with someone stone-dead in a lake. DS Declan Miller is a magnet for strange cases, but how can he catch a killer when the man confessing to the crime is clearly innocent? Things rapidly escalate when the murder that isn't really a murder at all attracts the unwanted attention of a drugs Queenpin, a deranged ex-squaddie and a lovesick gangland enforcer. Then a student is kidnapped... Throw in a wobbly dog, a pair of ceramic leopards and the distracting smell from a local biscuit factory, and - if he wants to save a young man's life - Miller has little choice but to waltz all the way into the shadows.

Leeds 1982. As a city struggles to break free of the past, evil finds a new place to hide.DS Mick Hunniford, tired and tainted by the botched Yorkshire Ripper investigation, is yesterday's man, his career hanging by a thread.Maureen, owner of Leeds's leading brothel, struggles to recover from a horrendous attack three years before. When notorious escort Lynda Brown is killed in front of Maureen's eyes, she and Mick find themselves drawn together once more. The pair must face a new killer, with new appetites, one which dwells among the city's elites. Can they put the past behind them once and for all, even if this investigation proves to be their last? The Burning Fears by Katy Massey.

The Venetian Redemption is by Philip Gwynne Jones. The city of Venice is alive with celebrations for Redentore, the most spectacular festival of the year. The streets are lined with revellers eating and drinking, and boats travel along the canals into the bacino of San Marco in anticipation of the firework display. It's going to be a night to remember, and all the more so for Nathan Sutherland and his wife Federica, who have been invited to an exclusive party in the company of the British Ambassador. The festivities take a turn, however, when Nathan suddenly finds himself struggling for breath and is rushed to hospital. Tests show he has all the symptoms of aconite poisoning, a toxin derived from the deadly wolfsbane plant. An unfortunate accident? Or a deliberate attempt to poison him? As Nathan investigates, he discovers many guests might just have had a motive for murder . . .

The Recruit is by L.D.Sharpe. The spy game has a brand new player . . . Sarah Black is startlingly smart and super frustrated . . . while her fellow fresh graduates are signing away their souls to square mile internships, she is sabotaging civil service exams and beating any chess opponent who dares face her. Surely there has to be more to life? Enter, Michael. Enigmatic, suave, and looking for a new recruit to his band of elite spies. His offer is irresistible, and Sarah leaps into the world of international espionage without hesitation. But when Michael hears rumours of a catastrophic attack on an oil pipeline in the Caucasus, he whisks Sarah from London to Georgia with a new identity, a meagre brief and no backup. Thrown into a hostile environment where nothing is as it seems, and no one can be trusted, Sarah must learn the rules of the game quickly, just to survive. But is she really a player, or merely a pawn?

A yacht full of suspects, on a sea of red herrings... Rosalind King, Caro Hooper and Posy Starling may be famous for each playing fictional detective Dahlia Lively on screen, but their growing reputation for solving real murder cases has prompted an offer that they can't refuse . . . Property mogul and billionaire, Percy Pendleton, has invited them for a two-week trip on his mega yacht this summer to investigate a case of expected murder. Percy doesn't believe that his father's recent death was natural, despite what the police say. In fact, he thinks he's going to be murdered too - and soon. Not being one to sit around waiting for things to happen, he's gathered all the people he suspects of wanting him dead for a luxury cruise around the Mediterranean. He's giving the three Dahlias the length of the voyage to investigate his father's demise, figure out who wants him dead, and stop them. It's a challenge unlike any they've ever tackled before. But at least they get to enjoy the sun, sea and a Limoncello Spritz while they're interviewing the suspects . . . Death on a Lively Sea is by Katy Watson.

August 2026

The Millionaire Waltz is by Anthony Quinn. London in the 1920s: a young woman treads the path between danger and desire. Against a backdrop of thuggish blackmail, constricting high society and a London still fragile from the war, Edie Greenlaw is trying to decide what she wants from the world. The closer the prospect of marriage with her handsome war hero fiance becomes, the less fulfilling it seems. Defying caution she goes to the aid of a friend and entangles herself in a dangerous demi-monde of sexual extortion and violence.

South Devon is returning to its usual calm after the summer tourist season when DI Wesley Peterson and his team receive a disturbing call. A mummified body has been discovered, hidden behind a wall, during the renovation of nearby Sycamore House.The body is that of Dr Aleric Donnal, an academic with a special interest in Devon's medieval history. Donnal was last seen over a decade ago, around the time that Sycamore House belonged to a new age commune who believed that the house occupied an ancient sacred site. While Wesley is seeking potential suspects for Donnal's murder, Dr Neil Watson is investigating the ruins of an ancient chapel nearby; a building once decorated with grotesque carvings of mythical creatures.As Wesley's team work on one of their most baffling cases yet, a new murder occurs in a nearby village. Could the two crimes be linked? Wesley needs to separate truth from myth in order to solve this mystery. The Chapel of Bones is by Kate Ellis.

The Butcher Legacy is by Alaina Urquhart. Dr. Wren Muller is back! But has the Bayou Butcher returned, too? Two months after the life-changing events on the tail of a serial killer known as the 'Bayou Butcher', forensic pathologist Dr. Wren Muller is back in the place she knows best: the New Orleans morgue. She buries herself in routine, reuniting with her closest ally, Detective John Leroux, and tries to convince herself that normality can be rebuilt. But in the weeks leading up to Halloween, shadows begin to shift again as young girls vanish in both cities where Jeremy Rose, the unmasked Bayou Butcher, once ran rampant. When bodies are discovered with all the hallmarks of Bayou Butcher killings, Wren and Leroux must mobilise. Hundreds of miles away in Massachusetts, Philip Trudeau stands behind a pulpit. He is the revered pastor of a close-knit congregation, but beneath his calm composure lies something sinister - he has history with Jeremy Rose, and a hunger that did not fade when the Bayou Butcher was jailed . . . Is Jeremy pulling the most gruesome of strings from behind bars? And will Wren ever be free of the Bayou Butcher's legacy . . . or will it be her downfall?

The Killer's Mark is by M.W.Craven. A Monster. A Mother. A Murder? When Vice Admiral Boyer, RN (retd) died without leaving a will, his estranged daughter inherited his- not inconsiderable - estate. Called home to sort through his belongings, she found an AegisBox - a tamper proof safe within a safe designed to self-destruct if anyone without the code attempts to open it. Faced with the choice of walking away or opening it, she opted for knowledge over silence and uncovered something so horrifying it launched the biggest investigation in the National Crime Agency's history. Five years later, Washington Poe is unwittingly, and unwillingly, sucked into its gravity well... Finally able to escape the authority they once railed against, Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are enjoying their new jobs as private detectives or - as the sign on their door says - 'Gumshoes for Hire'. When a teenage girl walks into their office, looking for the mother she has long believed to be dead, they agree to take the case. As Poe and Tilly investigate the girl's claims, they find themselves drawn into a murky world of trafficking, pornography and prostitution. Will they be able to help the girl find her mother or will the dark forces at work, who will stop at nothing to protect themselves, get there first...

September 2026

The Big Cats Dance Party is by Alexander McCall Smith. "I am a fortunate woman to have such an eventful life," observes Mma Ramotswe of the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Perhaps, but there are times when rather too much seems to be happening, and a quieter life might seem rather attractive. This latest despatch from Botswana is certainly full of events, even if it starts with a leisurely trip to buy a pair of shoes as a birthday present for Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. As often happens in Mma Ramotswe's world, one thing leads to another, and we are soon caught up in an ill-thought-out plan hatched by Charlie, junior mechanic and enthusiastic trainee detective. Charlie has met up with two rising stars of the local musical world - jazz players known to their public as Lion and Leopard. He is keen to plan a big event with them, even though Mma Makutsi sees nothing but disaster ahead. Mma Ramotswe would like to keep an eye on the situation, but she has to go up north, to the wilds of the Okavango Delta, where her friends at an elephant sanctuary are battling with a campaign being waged against them. Mma Ramotswe's help is needed, and, of course, is given with all the generosity of spirit that illuminates the character of this most beloved of lady detectives. A happy ending? Of course.

The Occidental Book of the Dead is by T Geronimo Johnson. An  audacious, darkly funny and dazzlingly innovative literary crime masterpiece about a black police officer in Atlanta, Georgia - and the fatal shooting of a suspect. George Washington Jonson has been in the Atlanta police force for a decade, patrolling the streets he grew up on and managing to build relationships within the force - especially with Tucker, the veteran police officer and self-described 'redneck' who taught Jonson the ropes. Now it's 2005 and Jonson himself is tasked with training hot-headed rookie recruits. One night out on patrol with his trainee, Utner, a split-second confrontation with a white teenager takes a violent turn and Utner shoots the teenager dead. As the resulting furore mounts to a fever pitch, it threatens to expose the complex nest of lies that seethes beneath the entire city, and order must be restored. So far, so Hollywood. But then a dizzying somersault in the novel's structure upends the narrative and begins an even darker, more complicated and provocative story about racism, power and corruption - building to an unforgettable portrait of a nation divided.

I look along the road and notice how many people are standing outside their houses or watching from doorways and windows. Staring. Studying. 'Do you think this town will ever forgive me?' I ask. 'Not in a million years.' Small towns are quick to anger and slow to forgive, but Arlo Hackett doesn't expect mercy when he emerges from a twelve-year prison sentence and makes his way back to Yulara, a waypoint on Australia's Great Southern Road. The last time Arlo was home, his brother Luke was charged with a terrible crime and Arlo was found guilty by association. His return to the former goldrush town is like cracking open a time capsule full of hatred and violence, along with memories of the people he loved - the ones he couldn't save. Yulara wants Arlo gone, or worse, but every insult and humiliation pushes him to confront what really happened all those years ago. The truth will shock you, surprise you, and break your heart. Tell Me Something True is by Michael Robotham.

Crash and Burn is by Alison Bruce. Two bodies. Two decades apart. One deadly connection. When an arson attack reveals a fresh corpse alongside remains from nearly twenty years ago, DS Ronnie Blake and Cambridge's special investigations unit, known as the DEAD team, must investigate both to find the connection. Their only lead is Mariel Quinn, who, as a child, survived her mother's abduction and presumed murder. Mariel remembers nothing, except a single, haunting phrase she repeated over and over. Now, as long-buried secrets resurface, the team must untangle a mystery long thought lost, before the killer strikes again.

Agatha Raisin's Cotswolds village of Carsely is in uproar when word spreads that The Red Lion pub is preparing to close. The aristocratic owner of the local brewery plans to develop the land into luxury apartments. Taking it upon herself to lead the petition against the closure, Agatha sees a perfect opportunity to confront redeveloper Lord Ancombe when she is invited to his annual Civil War re-enactment at Ancombe Manor. Watching men ride around on horses with replica guns is far from Agatha's favourite pastime, so she is relieved to hear there will at least be afternoon tea. But before the scones can be served, Lord Ancombe is discovered shot dead. Suddenly Agatha has not just a pub to save, but a murder to solve. It seems her investigations are not everyone's cup of tea . . . Agatha has the distinct impression that someone is trying to silence her, for good. Agatha Raisin:Dead Before Teatime is by MC Beaton with R W Green.

Rogue Agency is by L D Sharpe. Agent Sarah Black is back, and she's done asking permission. Scarred by the events of her first official assignment, new recruit Sarah has cut all ties with the special liaison unit known as The Pelicans. Abandoning enigmatic leader Michael on the banks of the Thames and defying all orders, she vows to finish the mission he set her . . . alone. Her dogged pursuit of the mastermind who eluded her in Georgia takes her to searing heat and civil unrest in west Africa, to a lawless land rife with war profiteering. When she hears that her mark is bankrolling a ruthless rebel leader, the only surprise is that it's her one ally, Elias, who delivers the news. How did he earn his place in the inner circle? Can she trust the intelligence he shares, that the endgame is more deadly than she could ever have imagined? With doubt thrown on Elias and no backup from the Pelicans, Sarah must rely on raw instinct to neutralise the operation and burn the network to the ground. She needs to think three moves ahead to outmanoeuvre her ruthless opponent, and in a game without rules, every move counts. But when the game is being played on a global stage with catastrophically high stakes for peace, for democracy, and for everything Sarah believes in, how far will she go to win?

 Lt. Eve Dallas journeys into the darkness where murder is born... NYSPD homicide detective Eve Dallas has seen a lot in her time but even she is shocked by the savagery of a beating which leaves a wealthy biotech executive dead in his home office. The victim's corpse is so mangled and damaged it's hard to believe a lone assailant would be capable of this. The killer is clearly unnaturally strong. Or very, very angry. While the excessive violence leads Dallas to conclude that this was a deeply personal act, she can't ignore the suspicious bank account in the Cayman Islands, or the shadowy, profit-hungry company Chu worked for. The mystery only grows when it turns out Chu isn't the only victim of this furious killer. Dallas will need to tear through one layer of secrecy after another to reveal the terrible truth behind this series of rage-fuelled murders... Fury In Death is by J D Robb.

November 2026

No Good Deed is by Tom Wood. Victor's entire existence is dependent on caution and control. Every move is carefully considered. He avoids risks. He manages consequence. He is an assassin-for-hire, and yet staying alive is a full-time profession. Although not one for doing favours, he takes his debts seriously. So when the person who recently saved his life asks for help, he drops everything to pay what he owes. But delaying his current contract puts him on a blacklist with a client who tolerates no mistakes. If Victor doesn't deliver on his commitment, he's going to be next in the firing line. As the supposedly simple task spirals out of control, Victor must decide what's more important: the target on his back or repaying the favour. Worse still, his personal mission threatens to unearth a part of himself he buried long ago...

Faithful is by Roberta Kray. Kellston, East London When crime boss Terry Street is buried, his empire is buried with him. With his heir dead and his son unwilling, the borough is up for grabs. Gangs circle. Old loyalties crack. Violence is inevitable. Marianne Day knows this world well. She's lived on its edges for years, hiding in plain sight, waiting. Because the man who destroyed her life all those years ago, is now back in London. Connor Bond stole her son and vanished. Now, as Kellston teeters on the brink of war, Marianne sees her chance. She's waited eleven years. And she'll stop at nothing to get her child back...

Burning Season is by Martin Griffin. She left him to die.  Now, he's back from the ashes. Twelve years ago, firefighter Jade Bowyer watched a man burn. Curtis Hoole was a criminal - a killer - and although Jade didn't start the fire, she let it finish him. Now Jade has built a new life as a wildfire lookout in British Columbia, thousands of miles from the memories that haunt her. She has finally escaped her past. Until a plane crashes in the forest. As fire rages and a bear circles the dead, one survivor clings to life in the wreckage. Curtis Hoole. Jade's orders are simple: guard the wreck and protect the bodies. Until she knows the truth, she must keep him alive - because she can't kill the same man twice. No matter what secrets he carries . . .

Murder on the Mistletoe Express is by Katy Watson. Rosalind, Caro and Posy are planning to take a much-needed break from investigating murder cases this Christmas for a winter getaway with their partners in the Swiss Alps. They've been invited to spend three days on a glamorous new luxury sleeper train, the Mistletoe Express, which Posy's boyfriend Kit is planning to invest in. Travelling with them for the festivities are several other investors in the company. But the morning they depart, the company's administrative assistant, Olivia, is missing - just hours after warning Posy of a problem with the Mistletoe Express's accounts.  The three Dahlias' investigative minds are already whirring when, at their first destination, Olivia is discovered dead, despite never boarding the train . . . It seems that the Mistletoe Express is brimming with secrets, and murder suspects. Can the Dahlias catch a killer - and in time for Christmas?

Forthcoming Books from Little Brown (Incl Constable and Robinson, Piatkus and Abacus Books)

August 2024

The Last Visitor is by Martin Griffin. The island was abandoned for fifty years. So how did the body get there? Five-hundred kilometres from land in the middle of Atlantic Ocean lies Navigaceo. A tiny island that was hastily abandoned fifty years ago and has been uninhabited ever since. Until now. Tess Macfarlane is a documentary filmmaker tasked with capturing the wild beauty of Navigaceo. Accompanied by a small team of researchers, her job is to film everything she sees. But Tess sees too much: a body. It's clearly recent. It shouldn't be there. And the victim is wearing the same expedition uniform as her colleagues. Someone has been here already and everyone on the team is a suspect. More than one of them could be a murderer. With five days until they are returned to the mainland, Tess must be careful, or hers might be the next body found on the shore.

Una has always been more comfortable working with numbers than people. As an actuary for an insurance company, her job is to spot patterns that other people might miss. When the data for her latest project - into the predicted number of deaths in seaside resorts - shows a blip in her forecasts, Una's untarnished reputation at work is at risk. That is, unless she can work out why there's been an unusual spate of accidental deaths by the coast. Death by Hanging Basket? She's not seen that before. Where better to begin than her mother's hometown of Eastbourne, where strange fatalities are befalling her mother's bingo crowd. But as Una puts her spreadsheets aside and begins to investigate, a sinister pattern begins to emerge and she realises that there is nothing accidental about these casualties . . .Can Una stop the killer in this small seaside town, before she becomes a not-so-vital statistic? Death by Numbers is by Jo Cunningham.

The Weekend Guests is by Liza North. Five old friends. A reunion to die for… A weekend on the wild, beautiful Dorset coast. Seven adults, six kids. A nanny: the ultimate special treat. It should be perfect: old friends, a stunning house, champagne and windswept beaches. But it isn't. Past grudges won't rest. Secrets won't stay put. And by the end of the weekend, at least one of them will be dead.

Despite many years living in South Devon, DI Wesley Peterson has never visited the tiny island of St Rumon's. That is until erosion from a storm reveals three bodies buried outside the local churchyard. Two are ancient skeletons, but one is far more recent, and Wesley realises he has uncovered a case of murder. But whose remains are they? And who killed them? The island has only a small number of inhabitants. Yet one resident keeps cropping up in Wesley's investigation: the author and self-styled academic, Quentin Search. Meanwhile Wesley's friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, becomes fascinated by the remains of the island's old priory. His discovery of a journal, written by a sixteenth century cleric, reveals an eerie tale of strange rituals and disturbing deaths. As Wesley begins to wonder whether the past might be repeating itself, another murder occurs . . . There is a calculated killer on the island - one whose grip is as deadly as the rising tide. Coffin Island is by Kate Ellis.

September 2024

The Great Hippopotamus Hotel is by Alexander McCall Smooth. A chance meeting with the manager of The Great Hippopotamus Hotel leads the much-admired and traditionally built Precious Ramotswe to investigate what is going wrong with this previously successful country hotel. Guests have been unwell, clothing has disappeared from the washing line, and scorpions have found their way into the guest bedrooms. Mma Ramotswe drives out to the hotel with her irrepressible colleague, Grace Makutsi (97 per cent in the final examinations of the Botswana Secretarial College). What they find there are family conflicts that only the investigators of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency will be able to resolve. Meanwhile, at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mma Ramotswe's husband, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, gets a visit from a middle-aged client who wants to purchase a fast Italian sports car. What should the conscientious garagiste do in such circumstances? Should the client's wife be told? Mma Ramotswe is used to wrestling with such tricky questions, but it is harder for Mr J.L.B. Matekoni.

The Serial Killer Next Door is by Emma Kenny. Would you know if you lived next door to a serial killer? Based on her smash hit tour, Emma Kenny - psychologist and true crime expert - reveals the chilling true stories of killers who hide in plain sight. Taking readers on a journey into the dark side of humanity, Emma Kenny explores the ingredient list of experiences that turns regular people into murderous monsters, looking at crimes that shook the world. From Ted Bundy to Joanna Dennehy, Richard Trenton Chase to Aileen Wuornos and many more besides, Emma explores the crime scenes and criminal minds of some of the most notorious serial killers of our time. She also unveils shocking stories of lesser-known killers that even the most dedicated true crime fan will be surprised by. What unites all of these killers is the ability to slip into society. They look just like you and me. Some were married or parents, conscientious neighbours, teachers or fixtures of their community. Join Emma in this compelling exposé of their depraved world to understand what motivates them and what they look for in a victim. Then maybe you'll be able to spot the serial killer next door...

Welcome to Aberfal Boys High School. Independent jewel of academic and sporting excellence in the South-west -- until the headmaster is murdered in his study. And now the Year Seven School Mums' WhatsApp Group really do have something to talk about...

Clare Withoutani: OMG have you heard about Newhall?!!!

Becky Rupertsmum: Helen-Louise just texted. Can't believe it.

Asha: Not heard anything. What's happened?

Pam Geoffreysmum: What's he done this time? They're going co-ed, aren't they? I knew this would happen.

Clare Withoutani: Can't believe it, Becky. I'm in shock.

Pam Geoffreysmum: Are we going co-ed?

Becky Rupertsmum: No, Pam. Newhall died.

Pam Geoffreysmum: Oh GOD. Seriously??!! Can't believe it. So sad. He'll be such a loss to the school. The boys will be devastated. Will the school be offering grief counselling?

Rose Oliversmum: Anyone know what pages they're meant to do for chemistry

Ollie's homework diary says 'do questions 1-4' but no page numbers!

As the resulting police investigation reveals more and more of Aberfal's long-hidden secrets the list of suspects who wanted the headmaster dead grows by the day. And far from being a glittering jewel of exclusivity and excellence, it would appear Aberfal Boys High School is rotten to its core… One Bad Apple is by Jo Jakeman

Because She Looked Away is by Alison Bruce. After the sudden death of her sister, devastated detective DS Ronnie Blake relocates to Cambridge to help her brother Alex raise their sister's young son, Noah. She reports for her first day but instead finds herself being questioned by a special investigations unit, nicknamed the DEAD Team. With a small group of six, led by DI Fenton, the once-successful DEAD team has a single outstanding case, Operation Byron, and the failure to resolve it threatens the unit's existence. Their most promising lead is an anonymous note linking three seemingly unconnected people: a convicted fraudster, a dead academic... and Ronnie's sister Jodie. When Ronnie is denied information about Operation Byron, she follows a lead slipped to her by Malachi, the youngest member of the team, and makes a discovery which links Operation Byron to a disturbing unsolved murder. She is rapidly drawn into an intricate web of deceit, buried secrets and tragedy and the discovery that her connection to Cambridge is far darker than she could ever have guessed.

Passion in Death is by J D Robb. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer On a hot August night, Lt. Eve Dallas is called to a downtown club, where a joint bachelorette party full of love, friendship and laughter has taken a darker turn and ended in a crime scene. One of the brides has been garrotted in a private room and lies dead in a pool of blood. Shauna and Erin are celebrating their joint bachelorette party, living their best lives with a group of their girlfriends, drinking and dancing. Erin is planning a surprise honeymoon for Shauna to Maui – her dream holiday destination – but Erin will never have the chance to tell her fiancée about the surprise because on this – the best night of their lives – a killer lies in wait . . . The brutal murder scene was just seconds from the packed dance floor but despite the dozens of people present, useful witnesses prove hard to come by. Someone must know something, but no one is talking. On the surface the two brides had a supportive, tightknit group of friends but when Eve starts to dig below the surface, she discovers that everything may not be quite as it seems....

 October 2024

Summoned to an unnerving, abandoned theme park to retrieve a body, Dr Kay Scarpetta is devastated to learn that the victim is a man she once loved. While teaching in Rome during the early days of her career, Scarpetta had a love affair with acclaimed astrophysicist Sal Giordano that led to a lifelong friendship. The murder scene is bizarre, with a crop circle of petals around the body, and Giordano's skin is strangely red. Scarpetta's niece Lucy believes he was dropped from an unidentified flying craft. Scarpetta knows an autopsy can reveal the dead's secrets, but she is shocked to find her friend seems to have deliberately left her a clue. As the investigators are torn between suspicions of otherworldly forces, and of Giordano himself, Scarpetta detects an explanation closer to home that, in her mind, is far more evil . . . Identity Unknown is by Patricia Cornwell.

The Last One at the Wedding is by Jason Rekulak. The guests are arriving, and the celebrations are starting. But there's something strange about this wedding... Frank Szatowski hasn't seen his daughter Maggie in years, and it breaks his heart every day. So when she calls him out of the blue, to tell him that she's getting married and he's invited, Frank is overjoyed. Maggie is marrying into one of the richest families in the country, and Frank finds himself overwhelmed by the social circle she now moves in. He'll do anything to reconnect, though, and arrives at their New Hampshire estate ready to bond however he can with Maggie's in-laws. But as the wedding weekend gets underway, it becomes clear to Frank that although they have spared no expense, there's something strange about Maggie's fiancé. And maybe he shouldn't be celebrating just yet...

Agatha Raisin: Killing Time is by M C Beaton with R W Green Life is never, ever dull in Agatha Raisin's sleepy Cotswolds village! Agatha Raisin's private detective agency is working flat out on a series of burglaries which take a violent turn when a friend of Agatha's is murdered during a raid on his antiques shop. Although determined to nail the villains, Agatha still makes time to help Sir Charles Fraith prepare to stage a massive, hugely glamorous event in the grounds of his ancestral home, Barfield House. When Agatha begins to receive death threats and narrowly avoids being abducted by kidnappers, she takes advantage of a previously arranged trip to Majorca to lie low for a while. There she meets her partner, former police officer John Glass, who is now working as a dance instructor on a cruise liner. Their relationship founders over John's apparent closeness to his stage dance partner, Louise. Putting her love life on hold, Agatha heads home, having worked out who has been threatening her life. Can Agatha track down the would-be killer, nail her friend's murderers and rescue her romance with John? Everything comes to a climax at the Barfield Extravaganza when on top of everything else, Agatha also manages to solve a 400-year-old Cotswold murder mystery!

The man who can't feel fear is back, in a race against time to find the woman who knows a secret that could take down the world as we know it. When a shocking murder and abduction on the streets of London leads investigators to him, Ben Koenig has no idea at first why the highest echelons of the CIA would need his help. But then he realises he knows the woman who carried out the killings. Ten years earlier, without being told why, he was tasked with helping her disappear. Far from being a deranged killer, she is the gatekeeper of a secret that could take down the West, so for years she has been in hiding. Until now. And if she has resurfaced, the danger may be closer and more terrifying than anyone can imagine. So Ben Koenig has to find her before it's too late. But Ben suffers from a syndrome which means he can't feel fear. He doesn't always know when he should walk away, or when he's leading others into danger . . . Nobody’s Hero is by M W Craven

November 2024

Mercy has a cost. Time for Victor to pay. Assassin-for-hire Victor is in Bucharest, Romania, to kill two targets meeting to exchange stolen intelligence his client wants back. It should be a simple task - until he realises the second of his targets is a former ally. Even for a man of Victor's twisted morality, he's not prepared to kill someone to whom he owes his life. To atone for not completing the job, Victor agrees to take on the kind of dangerous assignment he would otherwise avoid. At a conference on international relations, he must identify and assassinate a killer just like him and remain unseen, despite a guest list of spies, dignitaries, and security experts. Even for an elite professional, the job is a tall order - which is why he looks for help from the person whose life he spared in Romania. Yet unbeknownst to Victor, the Bucharest contract stepped on the toes of powerful enemies from his past; enemies who now know exactly where to find him . . . Fire Fight is by Tom Wood.

Traitor is by Roberta Kray. She sold him out. Now he's out for revenge . . . After her murderous ex-boyfriend who she turned into the police was released from prison, Jem Byrne fled to London, desperate to hide herself in the hustle of the big city. Now she spends every day watching her back, waiting for him to catch up with her. But The Mansfield estate is far from a safe place to hide, and Jem soon learns she's only ever one wrong move away from being found out - and sold out. Private Investigator Harry Lind makes a living out of other people's secrets. When he meets Jem, he can tell she's hiding something big and he's desperate to find out what. But his talents have already been enlisted by another: an aging mother hoping to discover the truth about her daughter's disappearance fifty years earlier. There's also the two kids from The Mansfield pestering him to find their missing dad. Could Jem be the key to cracking both cases?

Against the Grain is by Peter Lovesey. When his former deputy, Julie, invites Detective Peter Diamond and his partner Paloma to spend a week at her home in the depths of rural Somerset, Diamond is horrified. What could be worse than seven days in the back end of nowhere with nothing to do? But it turns out that Julie has an ulterior motive. A local woman is doing time for manslaughter after a wild party ended in a tragic accident: a man suffocated in a silo of grain. Nobody in the village has much sympathy for Claudia, the unruly daughter of a wealthy local farmer. Nobody that is, except Julie, who is convinced there's more to this case than there appears and wants her former boss to investigate. And as Diamond tests his skills as an amateur sleuth, he soon discovers that the countryside isn't quite so dull as he'd anticipated. And then there's Philip, The Mansfield Estate's newest resident. He's lurking in the shadows, watching it all unfold. Or is he doing more than just watching?

One murder mystery movie. Three Dahlias. And a whole cast of suspects... Ex child star Posy Starling is finally filming her dream role - Dahlia Lively in The Lady Detective movie. But things take a nightmare turn when a prop weapon is replaced with the real thing - with almost fatal consequences for her fellow Dahlia, Rosalind King. There's something very wrong on the set of The Lady Detective - which means it's time to call in Caro Hooper, so the three Dahlias can investigate. In between filming scenes, signing autographs for locals, photoshoots on set and jetting off to France for an impromptu party, the three Dahlias do what they do best - surreptitiously sleuth. And very soon the evidence starts to point towards one particular co-star... But before they can prove it, a murder rocks the production. And this time, with a storm raging, the river flooded, and the bridge washed out, there are no police to rely on so it's up to the three Dahlias to stop a murderer in their tracks... before another victim is claimed. A Lively Midwinter Murder is by Katy Watson.

Dead Cold is by T F Muir. St Andrews, Scotland: When a woman's eviscerated body is found on the golf course close to the Fairmont Hotel, DCI Andy Gilchrist and his associate DS Jessie Janes are assigned the investigation. But the postmortem examination uncovers a shocking detail that must be kept from the public. Who could carry out such a brutal murder? And what is the significance of the gruesome trophy? But DNA uncovers links to a murder committed thirty years earlier and has Gilchrist fearing a killer of old has resurfaced, or worse, a debut serial killer setting out to learn his murderous trade. The hunt for the killer forces Gilchrist down a dangerous path that puts his and Jessie's life in danger, and ultimately leads them to a mind-playing madman who will kill again rather than go to prison. As Gilchrist homes in on the murderer, he finds himself relentlessly drawn into the killer's mind games, and a desperate fight for his life, in which there can only be one winner. Has Gilchrist finally met his match?

A Fatal Feast at Honeychurch Hall is by Hannah Dennison. When Eric Pugsley, who runs the unsightly scrapyard on the Honeychurch Hall estate, brings home his Turkish fiancée, everyone is delighted -- even if the marriage does seem to include her feisty mother who is never without a Terkel cigarette dangling from her lips. A Safari Supper at the Hall is held in their honour, but trouble begins when somewhere between the first course and dessert, one of the villagers goes missing and is later found drowned in the estate's ornamental lake. Rumours of foul play abound, given that competition is fierce to clinch the Honeychurch Challenge Cup at the upcoming Flower Festival, where sabotage has already come into play - earlier in the week someone released a herd of goats into the village allotments, where of the planned entries were eaten. But things take a sinister turn when Eric asks Kat to value the bride-to-be's 19th century Etruscan engagement ring only to be told that historically it is used for poison - hardly an appropriate choice for love but Eric is adamant it's what his fiancée wants. And then a second body is found... unearthing a hotbed of sabotage, blackmail, and old grudges.

 

Books to Look Forward to from Little, Brown, Constable, Robinson and Piatkus

January 2021

The Oxford Brotherhood is by Guillermo Martinez. Mathematics student G is trying to resurrect his studies, which is proving difficult as he finds himself - and not for the first time - drawn into investigating a series of mysterious crimes. When Kristen, a researcher hired by the Lewis Carroll Brotherhood, makes a startling new discovery concerning pages torn from Caroll's diary, she hesitates to reveal to her employers a hitherto unknown chapter in his life. Oxford would be rocked to its core if the truth about Lewis Carroll's relationship with Alice Liddell - the real Alice - were brought to light.  After Kristen is involved in a surreal accident and members of the Brotherhood are anonymously sent salacious photographs of Alice, G joins forces with Kristen as they begin to realise that dark powers are at work. More pictures are received, and it becomes clear that a murderer is stalking anyone who shows too much interest in Carroll's life. G must stretch his mathematical mind to its limits to solve the mystery and understand the cryptic workings of the Brotherhood. Until then, nobody, not even G, is safe.

Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on a single day when a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. The guilt that haunts him still resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal town he once called home. Kieran's parents are struggling in a community which is bound, for better or worse, to the sea that is both a lifeline and a threat. Between them all is his absent brother Finn. When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge in the murder investigation that follows. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away... The Survivors is by Jane Harper.

Under a Dark Angel's Eye: The Selected Stories of Patricia Highsmith. Patricia Highsmith was one of the great twentieth-century fiction writers, celebrated for classics. The Talented Mr Ripley, Carol, and Strangers on a Train, but she was also a masterful and prolific short-story writer. This definitive new collection, featuring two stories that have never been published before, reveals Highsmith as a genius of the genre. Peerlessly disturbing, exhilarating and savagely funny, Highsmith's stories still have the power to startle, presenting a world that is frighteningly familiar and as relevant today as when they were written.

One Night, New York by Lara Thompson is a debut novel of corruption and murder, set in the nightclubs, tenements and skyscrapers of 1930s New York. For the hundredth time since they'd made their promise, she wondered if she and Agnes were really going to go through with it, if she was brave and terrible enough. At the top of the Empire State Building, on a freezing December night, two women hold their breath. Frances and Agnes are waiting for the man who has wronged them. They plan to seek the ultimate revenge. Set over the course of a single night, One Night, New York is a detective story, a romance and a coming-of-age tale. It is also a story of old New York, of bohemian Greenwich Village between the wars, of floozies and artists and addicts, of a city that sucked in creatives and immigrants alike, lighting up the world, while all around America burned amid the heat of the Great Depression.

None of them came to book club with a plot to murder . . . So when the discussion unexpectedly turns to the appropriate revenge for a philandering husband, nobody takes it seriously. It's all hypothetical and anyway, what woman hasn't dreamed about killing the man she loves occasionally? That doesn't mean she'd actually do it. But the very next day a man is dead. And now three women have some explaining to do . .. Three Single Wives is by Gina Lamanna.

The Perfect Guests is an enthralling time-slip mystery about two women, one house and a lifetime of secrets, by Emma Rous. You are cordially invited to play a game at Raven Hall . When Beth was fourteen, she was invited into Raven Hall, a rambling, isolated manor house in the English countryside. The family who lived there were warm and welcoming, and Beth soon became firm friends with their daughter, Nina. At times, Beth even felt like she was truly part of the family . . . But then they asked her to play a very strange game - and nothing was the same again. Now, after years of abandonment, Raven Hall has been restored to its former glory and is playing host to an evening of murder mystery . . . But why does the tragic past of this imposing house seem to have such a hold on everyone? Is this really just a game, or a murder mystery for real? The guests are about to find out - with devastating consequences....

If I Disappear is by Eliza Jane Brazier. Sera loves true crime podcasts. The mysteries becomes an unlikely comfort for her, and then an obsession. So when Rachel, her favourite podcast host, goes missing from a small town in Northern California, Sera decides to act. She heads to the isolated ranch where Rachel disappeared, determined to discover what's happened to her. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won't be the last Rachel did try to warn her.

February 2021

London, Burning is by Anthony Quinn. Vicky Tress is a young policewoman on the rise who becomes involved in a corruption imbroglio with CID. Hannah Strode is an ambitious young reporter with a speciality for skewering the rich and powerful. Callum Conlan is a struggling Irish academic and writer who falls in with the wrong people. While Freddie Selves is a hugely successful theatre impresario stuck deep in a personal and political mire of his own making. These four characters, strangers at the start, happen to meet and affect the course of each other's lives profoundly.

What looked like a lover’s quarrel turned fatal has larger—and more terrifying—motives behind it…The scene in the West Village studio appears to be classic crime-of-passion: two wineglasses by the bed, music playing, and a young sculptor named Ariel Byrd with the back of her head bashed in. But when Dallas tracks down the wealthy Upper East Side woman who called 911, the details don’t add up. Gwen Huffman is wealthy, elegant, comforted by her handsome fiancé as she sheds tears over the trauma of finding the body—but why did it take an hour to report it? And why is she lying about little things?  As Eve and her team look into Gwen, her past, and the people around her, they find that the lies are about more than murder. As with sculpture, they need to chip away at the layers of deception to find the shape within—and soon they’re getting the FBI involved in a case that involves a sinister, fanatical group and a stunning criminal conspiracy Faithless in Death is by J D Robb.

Hyde is by Craig Russell. Edward Hyde has a strange gift-or a curse-he keeps secret from all but his physician. He experiences two realities, one real, the other a dreamworld state brought on by a neurological condition. When murders in Victorian Edinburgh echo the ancient Celtic threefold death ritual, Captain Edward Hyde hunts for those responsible. In the process he becomes entangled in a web of Celticist occultism and dark scheming by powerful figures. The answers are there to be found, not just in the real world but in the sinister symbolism of Edward Hyde's otherworld. He must find the killer, or lose his mind. A dark tale. One that inspires Hyde's friend . . . Robert Louis Stevenson.

The Murder List is by T F Muir. St. Andrews, Scotland: When an elderly woman's naked body is found in her home, crucified to the floor, DCI Andy Gilchrist and his associate, DS Jessie Janes, find themselves in a hunt for a brutal serial killer. As the body count rises, suspicion falls on Tap 'Dancer' McCrear, a career criminal recently released from prison after serving fifteen years for a murder he swore he never committed. As Gilchrist begins to uncover the terrifying truth behind each of the killings, his worst fears are realised when he learns that McCrear is killing everyone involved in his murder trial... for it was Gilchrist who arrested McCrear all those years ago. High-flying Detective Superintendent Rommie Frazier, who leads the multi-constabulary task force searching for McCrear, clashes with Gilchrist over the detail of the investigation, and demands his removal. But Gilchrist won't leave without a fight, for he knows it is up to him to find Tap McCrear... before his own name is struck off the murder list.

March 2021

Millie Spark can kill anyone. A special effects make-up artist, her talent is to create realistic scenes of bloody violence. Then, one day, she wakes to find her lover dead in her bed. Twenty-five years later, her sentence for murder served, Millicent is ready to give up on her broken life - until she meets troubled film student and reluctant petty thief Jerry.  Together, they begin to discover that all was not what it seemed on that fateful night . . . and someone doesn't want them to find out why. The Cut is by Chris Brookmyre.

Inspector Daniel Kohi of the Zimbabwean police force returns home one night to find his worst nightmare has been realised. His family dead, his house destroyed, and in fear for his life, he is forced to flee the country he loves. Far away in Glasgow, DSI William Lorimer has his hands full. Christmas is approaching, the city is bustling, and whilst the homicide rate has been relatively low, something much darker is brewing. Counter-Terrorism have got wind of a plot, here in Lorimer's native city, to carry out an unspeakable atrocity on Christmas Eve. They need someone with local knowledge to help them root it out and who better than the head of the Scottish Major Incidents Team. But the investigation is complicated by a spate of local murders, and by the rumours that someone is passing information to criminal organisations from inside the police force. Soon Lorimer finds himself in desperate need of assistance. Then he meets an extraordinary man - a refugee from Zimbabwe whose investigative skills are a match for Lorimer's own . . . Before The Storm is by Alex Gray.

April 2021

Poison for Teacher by Nancy Spain. A nasty attack of murder has broken out at Radcliff Hall, a Sussex girls' boarding school. Enter, in the unlikely guise of schoolteachers, two unorthodox detectives: revue-star Miriam Birdseye and the Russian ballerina, Natasha Nevkorina. (A re-issue).

Bangalore. Three high-profile women murdered, their bodies draped in identical red saris. When the killer targets the British Foreign Minister's ex-wife, Scotland Yard sends the troubled, brilliant DI Vijay Patel to lend his expertise to the Indian police investigation.  Stranger in a strange land, ex-professional cricketer Patel must battle local resentment and his own ignorance of his ancestral country, while trying to save his failing relationship back home. Soon, the killer's eyes will turn to Patel. And also to Chandra Subramanium, the fierce female detective he is working with in Bangalore. Cold Sun is by Anita Sivakumaran. 

The Venentian Legacy is by Philip Gwynne Jones. No happy ever after for Nathan and Federica? Newlyweds Nathan Sutherland and Federica Ravagnan are looking forward to weeks of sunshine and relaxation on the island of Pellestrina, in a cottage belonging to Federica's late father, Elio. The weather is idyllic, the views across the lagoon are spectacular and the seafood is the best in Venice. But when the body of an eminent Venetian lawyer is dredged up by a fishing boat, members of the close-knit island community start to take an unhealthy interest in the two honeymooners, and whispers and rumours begin to circulate about Elio's association with a recently-deceased gang boss. As Federica struggles to comes to terms with her father's troubled legacy, Nathan finds himself dragged into the search for the missing proceeds of an unsolved jewellery heist, and the unwanted centre of attention of the Mala del Brenta- the Venetian Mafia. Clearly Pellestrina is going to be no honeymoon...

May 2021

The Widower is by Christobel Kent. He promised, until death do us part. When bossy, loving, sensible Kate dies suddenly, her little sister Rose dutifully returns from a carefree life abroad to help Kate's widower and the two children Rose has never met. But she is unsettled to see no trace of her warm-hearted sister in the remote, dilapidated house, nor in Kate's cold, distant partner, Evan. After stumbling across a message that only her sister could have left for her, Rose's unease around the circumstances of Kate's death turns to open suspicion, but she knows better than to ask the grieving widower for answers. Determined to discover the truth of her sister's terrible last days, Rose has no choice but to keep looking. Eventually, she senses, the dark house will give up its secrets. But she is not prepared to admit that whoever threatened Kate's life might now be coming after her...

Their new 'smart home' is Joe's dream. A remote cottage where everything - from the lighting to the locks - is controlled through an app. It's the perfect blend of old-world charm and modern convenience. What better place for them to escape after all Lauren's trauma? Lauren desperately wants Joe to be happy after all she's put him through, so she doesn't tell him how much she hates being so dependent on technology. How vulnerable it makes them. Then 'the incidents' begin. Joe thinks Lauren is the victim of her own fevered imagination. But Lauren can't be sure. She doesn't believe in ghosts, but she also knows the past rarely stays buried. And she is haunted by one question: is their past finally catching up with them? Leave The Lights On is by Egan Hughes.

One day a man arrives in town. Unassuming. Quiet. The assassin known as Victor is hiding out in a small motel in Canada after a job across the border. A few days laying low and he'll be gone and leave no trace behind... He doesn't count on getting to know a mother and her boy who reminds him of his own troubled childhood. When both vanish, only Victor seems to notice. Once he starts looking for them, he finds himself at odds with the criminals who own the town. They want him gone. Only Victor's going nowhere until he discovers the truth and to them he's just a quiet man asking the wrong questions. But that quiet man is a dangerous man. A Quiet Man is by Tom Wood.

Summer in the Lincolnshire Wolds and Clarice is rung by her friend Louise, asking whether she can look after Susie, her son's lively Boxer, as 41-year-old Guy has gone missing from the family home. His mother thinks he has been suffering from depression but more worryingly, in his professional life, he had been working on a high-profile case, defending a known criminal. His home life was beset with problems too, which is why his mother has asked Clarice to look after the dog; Charlotte, Guy's wife, just can't cope with her as well as their three daughters.. Getting drawn into the puzzle of Guy's disappearance, Clarice wonders how Susie received a nasty cut to her back leg, and who is the mysterious Charles? Guy apparently did not trust him enough to let him into his home, and he had not been seen since he was driven away in Charles car. Guy's friends all say that he was a good, honest man, but as Clarice looks further into the murky criminal world he inhabits, she questions if Guy has been pulled in out of his depth. And - why does Susie keep returning to the private woods, where she had spent so much time with her beloved master....The Man Who Vanished and the Dog Who Waited is by Kate High.

Strictly Murder is by Julie Wassmer. It really is murder on the dance floor. A new dance school opens in Whitstable run by celebrity tango champions - Tony and Tanya Ballard..Pearl Nolan knows herself to be an ace cook and a sharp private eye but has always left the dancing to her mother, Dolly, a former member of the town's infamous Fish Slappers dance troupe. But Pearl becomes intrigued by the Ballards when they visit The Whitstable Pearl restaurant, and she realises that dance classes could provide the perfect cover for her clandestine relationship with DCI Mike McGuire... McGuire is the only man Pearl has ever considered partnering - and not just for tango - but the pair soon find themselves with more than steps to master when death joins them on the dance floor and a brutal killer stalks the school.

Also published is Solstice of Death by Laurence Anholt

June 2021

Philomena 'Phil' McCarthy is a promising young officer in the London Metropolitan police. But everything changes when she is called to the scene of a domestic assault. Unbeknownst to her, the abuser is a decorated detective and Phil's efforts to protect his girlfriend - Tempe Brown - from violence result in Phil being unjustly struck from the force. In the fallout, Phil begins to teach Tempe self-defence and they strike up a tentative friendship. Tempe is thoughtful and sweet, and within a matter of weeks the two women are inseparable - talking, socialising and confiding their deepest secrets in one another. But something isn't right. Sinister things keep happening and, when a body is discovered, Phil realises that Tempe is hiding deadly secrets of her own. Secrets she is willing to kill for . When You Are Mine is by Michael Robotham.

The Maze is by Nelson DeMille. 'Bottom line, if a man is known by his enemies, I'm one helluva guy.' Former anti-terrorist cop John Corey is NYU - New York Unemployed - and watching his back, ever more convinced his past will soon catch up with him. Then a new opportunity comes calling, and with it, plenty of trouble . . . A series of bodies has been found along a beach close to his home and he can no longer deny that a serial killer is on the loose, and no one seems able to find the culprit. Is the failure to find the perpetrator a result of the department's oversight? Is it due to the fact the victims are prostitutes? Or is it something darker? Could the killer be someone on the inside?

Dead Ground is by M W Craven. Detective Sergeant Washington Poe is in court, fighting eviction from his beloved and isolated croft, when he is summoned to a backstreet brothel in Carlisle where a man has been beaten to death with a baseball bat. Poe is confused - he hunts serial killers and this appears to be a straightforward murder-by-pimp - but his attendance was requested personally, by the kind of people who prefer to remain in the shadows. As Poe and the socially awkward programmer Tilly Bradshaw delve deeper into the case, they are faced with seemingly unanswerable questions: despite being heavily vetted for a high-profile job, why does nothing in the victim's background check out? Why was a small ornament left at the murder scene - and why did someone on the investigation team steal it? And what is the connection to a flawlessly executed bank heist three years earlier, a heist where nothing was taken . . .