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Arthur and Sherlock: Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes
by Michael Sims2018 Edgar Award NomineeShortlisted for the H. R. F. Keating Award from the International Crime Writers AssociationFrom Michael Sims, the acclaimed author of The Story of Charlotte's Web, the rich, true tale tracing the young Arthur Conan Doyle's creation of Sherlock Holmes and the modern detective story.As a young medical student, Arthur Conan Doyle studied in Edinburgh under the vigilant eye of a diagnostic genius, Dr. Joseph Bell. Doyle often observed Bell identifying a patient's occupation, hometown, and ailments from the smallest details of dress, gait, and speech. Although Doyle was training to be a surgeon, he was meanwhile cultivating essential knowledge that would feed his literary dreams and help him develop the most iconic detective in fiction. Michael Sims traces the circuitous development of Conan Doyle as the father of the modern mystery, from his early days in Edinburgh surrounded by poverty and violence, through his escape to University (where he gained terrifying firsthand knowledge of poisons), leading to his own medical practice in 1882. Five hardworking years later--after Doyle's only modest success in both medicine and literature--Sherlock Holmes emerged in A Study in Scarlet. Sims deftly shows Holmes to be a product of Doyle's varied adventures in his personal and professional life, as well as built out of the traditions of Edgar Allan Poe, Émile Gaboriau, Wilkie Collins, and Charles Dickens--not just a skillful translator of clues, but a veritable superhero of the mind in the tradition of Doyle's esteemed teacher. Filled with details that will surprise even the most knowledgeable Sherlockian, Arthur and Sherlock is a literary genesis story for detective fans everywhere.
Artie Conan Doyle and the Scarlet Phantom (The Artie Conan Doyle Mysteries #3)
by Robert J. HarrisOne day Arthur Conan Doyle will create the greatest detective of all -- Sherlock Holmes. But right now, Artie Conan Doyle is a twelve-year-old Edinburgh schoolboy with a mystery of his own to solve.Artie and his best friend Ham are investigating the strange case of the Scarlet Phantom, an invisible jewel thief who seems to walk through walls and disappear at will. But there's a rival detective on the case, a paranormal investigator who claims that only he can capture this 'ghost'.With the help of their new friend, girl scientist Peril Abernethy, Artie and Ham follow a trail of baffling clues and impossible dangers, but can they catch the Phantom before the invisible fiend pulls off the greatest robbery in history?Robert J. Harris, author of The World's Gone Loki series and Will Shakespeare and the Pirate's Fire, brings the young Conan Doyle to life in the third instalment of this ingenious detective series full of twists, turns and clever reveals.
Artists in Crime (The Ngaio Marsh Collection)
by Ngaio MarshOne of Ngaio Marsh’s most famous murder mysteries, which introduces Inspector Alleyn to his future wife, the irrepressible Agatha Troy.
As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust: A Flavia de Luce Mystery Book 7 (Flavia de Luce Mystery #7)
by Alan BradleyIt all began with that awful business about my mother...Flavia de Luce's world is turned upside down when she is banished to Miss Bodycote's Female Academy in Canada - her mother Harriet's old boarding school. With its forbidding headmistress, intimidating teachers and bizarre rules, adapting to Miss Bodycote's could be a matter of life and death.But Flavia is soon on familiar ground when she is presented with a gruesome puzzle to solve. And the mystery of a withered corpse is only the beginning. Girls have been disappearing from Miss Bodycote's, leading Flavia to wonder what exactly the academy's true purpose is, and why were her father and Aunt Felicity so keen that she enrol?Praise for the historical Flavia de Luce mysteries: 'The Flavia de Luce novels are now a cult favourite' Mail on Sunday 'A cross between Dodie Smith's I Capture The Castle and the Addams family...delightfully entertaining' Guardian Fans of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin, Frances Brody and Alexander McCall Smith will enjoy the Flavia de Luce mysteries: 1. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie 2. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag 3. A Red Herring Without Mustard 4. I Am Half Sick of Shadows 5. Speaking From Among the Bones 6. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches 7. As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust 8. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd 9. The Grave's a Fine and Private Place If you're looking for a cosy crime series to keep you hooked then look no further than the Flavia de Luce mysteries. * Each Flavia de Luce mystery can be read as a standalone or in series order *
As Darkness Fell (Hidden Passions: Full Moon Madness #1)
by Joanna WayneTHE DARKNESS IS SAFER WHEN YOU'RE WITH A COP
As Easy as Murder: Suspicion and death in a thrilling crime novel (Primavera Blackstone Series)
by Quintin JardineEvil stalks an idyllic retreat... An exciting ensemble of characters make for a gripping read in As Easy as Murder, Quintin Jardine's third unmissable crime thriller to feature Primavera Blackstone. Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin and James Oswald.'Don't plan to begin reading this one on a work night. You won't put it down until the final page' - Globe and MailA tranquil Spanish village by the sea is the perfect place for Primavera Blackstone to raise her ten-year-old Tom, son of the late lamented Oz, especially when they are joined by his nephew, tyro pro golfer Jonny Sinclair. But when her best friend Shirley introduces her new man, Patterson Cowling, he seems to be a trouble magnet. A casual thief tries to pick his pocket and is found a few days later with his face blown off. A bloody coincidence, or does Patterson Cowling have a past to protect? As the body count rises, and Primavera becomes den mother to an extended golfing family, it seems that homicide is par for the course, and that hazards lie in wait for everyone. Can she save the day, or is the game just too rough? What readers are saying about As Easy as Murder: 'Primavera Blackstone at her very best''A great read and keeps you on the edge of your seat right until the end''Five stars'
As Good As Dead (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #3)
by Holly JacksonTHE THIRD AND FINAL THRILLING BOOK IN THE BESTSELLING AND AWARD-WINNING A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER TRILOGY
As Long As We Both Shall Live: A Novel
by JoAnn ChaneyAs Long As We Both Shall Live is JoAnn Chaney’s wicked, masterful examination of a marriage gone very wrong . . .‘My wife! I think she’s dead!’ Matt frantically calls to park rangers, explaining that he and his wife, Marie, were out hiking when she stumbled on a cliff edge and fell into the raging river below. They start a search but aren’t hopeful: no one could have survived that fall.It’s a tragic accident.But when police discover Matt’s first wife also died in suspicious circumstances – a fire in their family home – they have a lot more questions for him.Is Matt a grieving husband, or has he just killed his second wife? Detectives Loren and Spengler dig into the couple’s lives to see what they can unearth. And they find that love’s got teeth, it’s got claws, and once it hitches you to a person, it’s tough to rip yourself free.So what happens when you’re done making it work?
As Serious As Death: A thrilling mystery of revenge and conspiracy (Primavera Blackstone Series)
by Quintin JardineA blast from the present... Primavera Blackstone faces problems from both her past and her present in Quintin Jardine's gripping mystery As Serious as Death. Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson.Primavera Blackstone has found a hard-earned contentment in a small Spanish village by the sea. A fiercely protective single mother, she doesn't appreciate an offer of marriage. Nor does she welcome the arrival of a blast from her murky Scottish past, retired cop Ricky Ross, now a private detective and working for Jack Weighley, millionaire owner of a budget airline. Jack is a powerful, persuasive man with deep pockets, someone you don't say 'no' to without considering the consequences. Primavera teams up with Ricky to investigate a series of mystery assaults on Jack's aircraft. Are they mere acts of vandalism, or the sinister work of Catalan extremists? When Ricky's car is fire-bombed and he narrowly escapes with his life, more questions arise... not least, why is the Spanish Special Branch involved? As Primavera and Ricky are drawn into events, and the body count rises, she begins to understand the true meaning of 'till death us do part'. What readers are saying about As Serious as Death: 'An intriguing and involving read... with characters that are immediately familiar''Easy and engaging reading with clever plot development and intriguing twists and turns''Coupled with romance and intrigue, murder and general mayhem, [this] makes for a fantastic read'
As the Crow Flies: An exciting episode in the best-selling, award-winning series - now a hit Netflix show! (A Walt Longmire Mystery #8)
by Craig JohnsonThe eighth book in the New York Times bestselling Longmire series, featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire.Sheriff Walt Longmire's daughter, Cady, is getting married. Walt and old friend Henry Standing Bear are the de facto wedding planners and fear Cady's wrath when the wedding locale arrangements go up in smoke two weeks before the big event.The pair set out to find a new site for the nuptials on the Cheyenne Reservation, but their scouting expedition ends in horror as they witness a young Crow woman plummeting from Painted Warrior's majestic cliffs. It's not Walt's turf, but the newly appointed tribal police chief and Iraqi war veteran, the beautiful Lolo Long, shanghais him into helping with the investigation . . .
As Time Goes By (Paragon Softcover Large Print Bks.)
by Ted AllbeuryIn 1942 three young women are parachuted into the Dordogne to work for a Special Operations Executive network. Their leader is Harry Bailey,a young man who loves one of them and fears for them all.Paulette, the passionately committed Frenchwoman, who never forgets her need for revenge against the Germans... down-to-earth Vi, motivated by an unselfish sense of obligation... Jenny, the least committed of the three, and the one who must find the most courage.As the months of dangerous waiting turn at last into active combat behind enemy lines as D-Day approaches, the three heroines' story moves to its unforgettable climax.'Striking... he makes the menacing atmosphere of wartime France startlingly real' - Daily Telegraph
As You Lay Sleeping
by Katlyn Duncan‘Gripping. Thrilling. On the edge of your seat exciting. I absolutely loved it.’ - Red’s Midnight Readers I did it all for you…
Ascension
by Nicholas Binge“Old-school creepy. . . a five-star horror novel.” STEPHEN KING A mind-bending speculative thriller in which the sudden appearance of a mountain in the middle of the Pacific Ocean leads a group of scientists to a series of jaw-dropping revelations that challenge the notion of what it means to be human.
Ascension
by Oliver Harris'Oliver Harris's Ascension is a stunner. What a pleasure it is to read a book with a powerful story, an unusual and fully realised setting, a convincing hero, all written in a style of luminous clarity' Philip PullmanAscension: the most remote island in the world... Elliot Kane, former spy, trying to leave the world of espionage behind. Kathryn Taylor: a stalled career in MI6, running the South Atlantic desk. Rory Bannatyne: covert technical specialist. Dead, apparently of suicide. Three friends from a mission many years ago reconnect when one of them dies on Ascension Island. Rory Bannatyne had been tasked with tapping a new transatlantic data cable, but a day before he was due to return home he is found hanged. When Kathryn Taylor begs Kane to go over and investigate, he can't say no, but it's an uneasy reintroduction to the intelligence game. Ascension is a curious legacy of England's imperial past. Only employees and their families are allowed to live there. It's home to several highly-classified government projects, a British and American military base, and forty dead volcanic cones. Entirely isolated from the world, the disappearance of a young girl at the same time as Rory's death means local tensions are high. Elliot needs to discover what happened to her as well as to Rory. But the island contains more secrets than even the government knows, and it's not going to give them up without a fight.
The Ascent
by Adam PlantingaWhen a high security prison fails, a down-on-his luck cop and the governor&’s daughter are going to have to team up if they&’re going to escape in this "jaw-dropping, authentic, and absolutely gripping" (Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author) debut USA Today bestselling thriller from Adam Plantinga, whose first nonfiction book Lee Child praised as &“truly excellent.&” Kurt Argento, an ex-Detroit street cop who can&’t let injustice go—and who has the fighting skills to back up his idealism. If he sees a young girl being dragged into an alley, he's going to rescue her and cause some damage. When he does just that in a small corrupt Missouri town, he&’s brutally beaten and thrown into a maximum-security prison. Julie Wakefield, a grad student who happens to be the governor's daughter, is about to take a tour of the prison. But when a malfunction in the security system releases a horde of prisoners, a fierce struggle for survival ensues. Argento must help a small band of staff and civilians, including Julie and her two state trooper handlers, make their way from the bottom floor to the roof to safety. All that stands in their way are six floors of the most dangerous convicts in Missouri.
Ash (David Ash #3)
by James HerbertAsh is James Herbert’s most controversial novel, and will make you wonder what is fact and what is fiction.Fear will let you in. Terror will keep you there. They were miscreants with black souls, roaming the corridors and passageways. Infamous people thought long-deceased. Hiding and nurturing their evil in a basement full of secrets so shocking they would shake the world if they were ever revealed. David Ash, ghost hunter and parapsychologist, arrives at Comraich Castle – a desolate, ancient place with a dark heart – to investigate a series of disturbing events. An incorporeal power has been ignited by a long-ago curse, fed and now unleashed by the evil of those who once inhabited this supposed sanctuary – and by some who still do. Yet their hour of retribution is at hand . . .
Ash And Bone: (Frank Elder) (Frank Elder #2)
by John HarveyThe second Detective Inspector Frank Elder novel, from the master of British crime writing. When the take-down of a violent criminal goes badly wrong, something doesn't feel right to Detective Sergeant Maddy Birch. And her uneasiness is compounded by her belief that someone is following her home.Retired Detective Inspector Frank Elder's daughter, Katherine, is running wild. Elder's fears for his daughter are underscored by guilt - it was his involvement in a case that led directly to the abduction and rape which has so unbalanced Katherine's life.Persuaded out of retirement, Elder reopens a cold case which could have devastating repercussions for the crime squad itself. Elder's investigations take place against the backdrop of his increasing concern for his daughter. He must battle his own demons before he can uncover the truth.
Ash Mountain
by Helen FitzGeraldSingle-mother Fran returns to her sleepy hometown to care for her dying father when a devastating bush fire breaks out. A heartbreaking disaster-noir thriller from the bestselling author of The Cry.________________Fran hates her hometown, and she thought she’d escaped. But her father is ill, and needs care. Her relationship is over, and she hates her dead-end job in the city, anyway.She returns home to nurse her dying father, her distant teenage daughter in tow for the weekends. There, in the sleepy town of Ash Mountain, childhood memories prick at her fragile self-esteem, she falls in love for the first time, and her demanding dad tests her patience, all in the unbearable heat of an Australian summer. As past friendships and rivalries are renewed, and new ones forged, Fran’s tumultuous home life is the least of her worries, when old crimes rear their heads and a devastating bushfire ravages the town and all of its inhabitants… Simultaneously a warm, darkly funny portrait of small-town life – and a woman and a land in crisis – and a shocking and truly distressing account of a catastrophic event that changes things forever, Ash Mountain is a heart-breaking slice of domestic noir, and a disturbing disaster thriller that you will never forget…________________Praise for Helen FitzGerald‘The plotting is intricate and beautifully handled, and the narrative pace is absolutely breakneck … a wonderful, energetic, hard-hitting and deeply funny novel’ The Big Issue‘Shocking, gripping and laugh-out-loud hilarious’ Erin Kelly‘The main character is one of the most extraordinary you’ll meet between the pages of a book’ Ian Rankin‘A dark, comic masterpiece which manages to be both excruciatingly tense and laugh out loud funny at the same time’ Mark Edwards‘Outrageous, extremely funny and ultimately devastating’ Ambrose Parry‘Fabulously transgressive and completely unique’ Mark Billingham‘The classic thriller gets a hell of a twist’ Heat‘FitzGerald writes like a more focused Irvine Welsh or a less misogynist Philip Roth’ Daily Telegraph
Ashenden: The British Agent (Jet De Plaza & Janés Ser. #209/4)
by W. Somerset MaughamWhen war broke out in 1914, Somerset Maugham was dispatched by the British Secret Service to Switzerland under the guise of completing a play. Multilingual, knowledgeable about many European countries and a celebrated writer, Maugham had the perfect cover, and the assignment appealed to his love of romance, and of the ridiculous. The stories collected in Ashenden are rooted in Maugham's own experiences as an agent, reflecting the ruthlessness and brutality of espionage, its intrigue and treachery, as well as its absurdity.
Ashes: A Colonel Halkidis Investigation
by Sergios GakasWhen Sonia Verika, a former actress who takes solace in alcohol and isolation, is pulled from the fire, her body is burned almost beyond recognition. The house she shared with a retired director and a small family of African refugees is entirely destroyed, and she is the only survivor. For her ex-lovers, Police Inspector Chronis Halkidis and Simeon Piertzovanis, a failed lawyer and the landlord of the gutted property, her fate is a heavy reckoning. Reflection gives way to guilt, and then to a fanatical desire to uncover the truth behind the blaze and hold those responsible to account - by any means necessary. But with corruption rife throughout the force, Chronis soon finds his investigation shackled from within. Fuelled by their need for revenge, and by their twin addictions to alcohol and cocaine, Simeon and Chronis must resort increasingly to violence if they are to unmask a conspiracy that unites church and state against the interests of justice. A classic noir thriller, Ashes is unflinching in its examination of the violence and extortion bred by corruption, but at the same time tender in its treatment of human weaknesses, of guilt, addiction and regret.
Ashes By Now: The hard-boiled exploits of a South London Private Eye (A Nick Sharman Thriller #9)
by Mark TimlinNick Sharman stumbles home with two exotic dancers, Sandi and Mandi (AKA Tracey and Dawn), which is fun for him until he gets a phone call from the past that ruins everything. Sailor Grant has just been released from prison, doing hard time for a crime he didn't commit. A police officer's daughter had been found raped and murdered. Someone had to be found, so Sailor Grant the local nonce was sent down. Sharman always had his doubts, but that part of his life is over. Sailor keeps phoning and wants Sharman to help get justice, Nick tells him to leave him alone. The next day Sailor is dead and has left Sharman a note. The coppers Millar and Collier invite him to read the note, and then they beat him half to death. Lying in hospital, Nick realises that he must solve it before those close to him are killed. So with a little help from his friends Charlie, Chas and Monkey (a burglar, who can break into anything), Sharman must find the truth about the events from his past.
Ashes in the Snow
by Oriana RamunnoA beautiful, moving detective story set in Auschwitz in the Christmas of 1943.
The Ashes of Berlin: The Divided City (A Gregor Reinhardt Novel #3)
by Luke McCallinShortlisted for the CWA Endeavour Historical Dagger 2017'Let's not mince words: historical thrillers don't come any better than The Ashes of Berlin' – Financial Times1947 and Gregor Reinhardt has been hired back onto Berlin's civilian police force. The city is divided among the victorious allied powers, tensions are growing, and the police are riven by internal rivalries as factions within it jockey for power and influence with Berlin's new masters.When a man is found slain in a broken-down tenement, Reinhardt embarks on a gruesome investigation. It seems a serial killer is on the loose, and matters only escalate when it’s discovered that one of the victims was the brother of a Nazi scientist.Reinhardt's search for the truth takes him across the divided city and soon embroils him in a plot involving the Western Allies and the Soviets. And as he comes under the scrutiny of a group of Germans who want to continue the war – and faces an unwanted reminder from his own past – Reinhardt realizes that this investigation could cost him everything as he pursues a killer who believes that all wrongs must be avenged...'Tough, gritty and atmospheric – a new Luke McCallin novel is a cause for celebration' – William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier'If you like Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther books, you will love The Ashes of Berlin. Luke McCallin has skilfully crafted an atmospheric and gripping tale set amid the ruins of a war ravaged city that feels wholly authentic. Historical fiction at its best' – Howard Linskey, author of Behind Dead Eyes'A compelling, addictive narrative that had me turning the pages into the small hours. Superlative' – CJ Carver'Luke McCallin's best Reinhardt novel yet. It's dark, brooding and raw. Also, impeccably researched...' – Jon Courtenay Grimwood'A gripping and atmospheric thriller... a thoroughly involving and worthwhile read' – Crime TimeLook out for other books in the Gregor Reindhart series: The Man from Berlin and The Pale HouseThe Ashes of Berlin is published in the US under the title The Divided City.
The Ashes of Loda
by Andrew GarveWhen British correspondent for Russia Lord Tim Quainton falls in love with Marya Razcinski whilst on leave in London, little does he know what a web of intrigue he is entering. Quainton's suspicions are first awakened when he discovers a secret about Marya's father and his suspicious past. But Quainton must immediately push his fears out of his mind and embark upon a lengthy assignment into the heart of the Ukraine. Soon, though, Quainton finds himself suddenly hotly pursued through perilous, icy conditions by a sinister enemy who won't rest until he is dead. What does this terrifying turn of events have to do with Quainton's furtive enquiries into Raczinski's past? And will he make it back to London in time to find out? ‘Exciting to the very end.’ Times Literary Supplement ‘One can always rely on him for either an original idea or a fresh treatment of an old one.’ Guardian ‘Of all the English writers of detection one of the most original, certainly the most versatile in subject, is Andrew Garve.’ Daily Telegraph
The Ashes of London (James Marwood & Cat Lovett #1)
by Andrew TaylorThe first book in the No. 1 Times bestselling series ‘This is terrific stuff’ Daily Telegraph ‘A breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era’ Financial Times ‘A masterclass in how to weave a well-researched history into a complex plot’ The Times