Search Results for: val mcdermid

***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray’s bestselling Scottish detective series***

***Don’t miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.***

Whether you’ve read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, FIVE WAYS TO KILL A MAN is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves


WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES:

‘Warm-hearted, atmospheric’ ANN CLEEVES
‘Relentless and intriguing’ PETER MAY
‘Move over Rebus’ DAILY MAIL
‘Exciting, pacey, authentic’ ANGELA MARSONS
‘Superior writing’ THE TIMES
‘Immensely exciting and atmospheric’ ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
_______________

The perfect murder takes practice.

An unpredictable killer is loose on the streets of Glasgow, experimenting with death. Beginning with brute force, the murderer moves on to poison and drowning, greedy for new and better ways to kill.

Faced with a string of unconnected victims, DCI Lorimer turns to psychologist and friend Solomon Brightman for his insights. Lorimer is also assigned to review the case of a fatal house fire. His suspicions are raised by shocking omissions in the original investigation. Some uncomfortable questions have been buried but Lorimer is the man to ask them.

As the serial killer gets closer to Lorimer’s family, can the DCI unmask the volatile murderer before the next victim is found too close to home?

***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray’s bestselling Scottish detective series***

***Don’t miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.***

Whether you’ve read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, GLASGOW KISS is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves

Don’t miss the latest thrilling series instalment – BEFORE THE STORM IS OUT NOW

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES:

‘Warm-hearted, atmospheric’ ANN CLEEVES
‘Relentless and intriguing’ PETER MAY
‘Move over Rebus’ DAILY MAIL
‘Exciting, pacey, authentic’ ANGELA MARSONS
‘Superior writing’ THE TIMES
‘Immensely exciting and atmospheric’ ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
_______________

Eric Chalmers is one of the most popular teachers at Muirpark Secondary School in Glasgow. So when precocious teenager Julie Donaldson accuses Chalmers of rape, the school goes into shock.

With some students and teachers supporting Julie, and others standing by Chalmers, life at Muirpark is far from harmonious. And then Julie Donaldson goes missing, and the police are called in.

For DCI William Lorimer, this is the second missing persons case in a week. He’s been having sleepless nights about a toddler who has been missing for several days. With hope fading, it becomes a breakneck race against time to find both missing girls.

***The 7th novel in the Strike series, THE RUNNING GRAVE, is coming in September 2023. Pre-order now and be the first to read it***

‘The Cuckoo’s Calling reminds me why I fell in love with crime fiction in the first place’ VAL MCDERMID

—–

Now a major BBC drama: The Strike series

When a troubled model falls to her death from a snow-covered Mayfair balcony, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts, and calls in private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case.

Strike is a war veteran – wounded both physically and psychologically – and his life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline, but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model’s complex world, the darker things get – and the closer he gets to terrible danger . . .

A gripping, elegant mystery steeped in the atmosphere of London – from the hushed streets of Mayfair to the backstreet pubs of the East End to the bustle of Soho – The Cuckoo’s Calling is a remarkable book. Introducing Cormoran Strike, this is the acclaimed first crime novel by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

*** The latest book in the thrilling Strike series, TROUBLED BLOOD, is out now! ***

—–

PRAISE FOR THE STRIKE SERIES:

‘One of the most unique and compelling detectives I’ve come across in years‘ MARK BILLINGHAM

‘The work of a master storyteller’ DAILY TELEGRAPH

‘Unputdownable. . . Irresistible’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘Will keep you up all night’ OBSERVER

‘A thoroughly enjoyable classic’ PETER JAMES, SUNDAY EXPRESS

‘I devoured The Poison Garden . . . Gripping and utterly convincing, it’s Alex Marwood at the top of her (already impressive) game’ JOJO MOYES
_________

Where Romy grew up, if someone died you never spoke of them again.

Now twenty-two, she has recently escaped the toxic confines of the cult she was raised in. But Romy is young, pregnant and completely alone – and if she is to keep herself safe in this new world, she has some important lessons to learn.

Like how there are some people you can trust, and some you must fear. And about who her family really is, and why her mother ran away from them all those years ago.

And that you can’t walk away from a dark past without expecting it to catch up with you…

Shocking, tense and sharply written, The Poison Garden is the gripping new novel from the international bestseller and Edgar award-winning Alex Marwood.

__________

Praise for international bestseller ALEX MARWOOD:

‘So good I wish I’d written it myself’
VAL McDERMID

‘Without a doubt, she is one of crime fiction’s brightest stars. Not to be missed’
MEGAN ABBOTT

‘Alex Marwood has become one of my must-read crime writers’
SOPHIE HANNAH

‘Scary as hell’
STEPHEN KING

‘I cancel all engagements for a new novel from Alex Marwood’
ERIN KELLY

‘Crime writing at its best’
LISA JEWELL

Don’t miss the series that inspired the major ITV drama starring Aidan Turner – Shatter is the third Joe O’Loughlin thriller.

Can you hear it?

The sound of a mind breaking?

A naked woman in red high-heeled shoes is perched on the edge of Clifton Suspension Bridge with her back pressed to the safety fence, weeping into a mobile phone. Clinical psychologist Joseph O’Loughlin is only feet away, desperately trying to talk her down. She whispers, ‘you don’t understand,’ and jumps.

Later, Joe has a visitor – the woman’s teenage daughter, a runaway from boarding school. She refuses to believe that her mother would have jumped off the bridge – not only would she not commit suicide, she is terrified of heights.

Joe wants to believe her, but what would drive a woman to such a desperate act? Whose voice? What evil?

Although the Joe O’Loughlin books can be read in any order, Shatter is the third in the series after The Drowning Man. The next in the series is Bleed for Me.

Praise for Michael Robotham’s thrillers:

‘I love this guy’s books’ Lee Child

‘Will have you turning the pages compulsively’ The Times

‘An absolute master’ Stephen King

‘He writes in a voice with a haunting sense of soul’ Peter James

‘Heart-stopping and heart-breaking’ Val McDermid

‘The real deal’ David Baldacci

‘Superbly exciting . . . a terrific read’ Guardian

This superb annual anthology of the year’s most outstanding short crime fiction published in the UK is now well into its second decade. Jakubowski has succeeded, once again, in unearthing the best short crime stories of English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish authors (along with a handful of US writers living in the UK, and some expatriate Brits). With this collection he showcases the impressive breadth of British crime writing, from cosy tales of detection to noir mayhem and psychological suspense and terror. There are puzzles to solve, nagging questions about the nature of British society, but, above all, there are over 40 wonderful, gripping stories to shock, delight and make you think twice, if not three times.

Full list of contributors: Lee Child; Kevin Wignall; Will Carver; Paul Charles; Val McDermid; Paul Johnston; Alison Bruce; Tim Willocks; Maxim Jakubowski; Rhys Hughes; Edward Marston; N. J. Cooper; Michael Z. Lewin; Peter Guttridge; Mary Hoffman; Peter Tremayne; Kate Rhodes; Paul D. Brazill; Ros Asquith; Amy Myers; Alexander McCall Smith; Nina Allan; Peter Turnbull; Jay Stringer; Martin Edwards; Zoë Sharp; Col Bury; David Stuart Davies; Howard Linskey; Susan Everett; Christopher Fowler; Dreda Say Mitchell; Roger Busby; Simon Kernick; Peter Lovesey; David Hewson; Gerard Brennan; Jane Casey; Christopher J. Simmons; Stephen Gallagher; John Lawton.

The first book in the Jasmine Sharp series, from author Christopher Brookmyre.

A ‘tense, moving, and gloriously twisted’ (Mark Billingham) top ten Sunday Times bestseller from the award-winning author of Quite Ugly One Morning

Detective Catherine McLeod was always taught that in Glasgow, they don’t do whodunit. They do score-settling, vendettas and petty revenge. And however she looks at it, the discovery of a dead drug-dealer in a back alley means she’s going to be busy.

Meanwhile, aspiring actress Jasmine Sharp is reluctantly – and incompetently – working for her uncle Jim’s private investigation business. When Jim goes missing, Jasmine has to take on the investigator mantle for real, and her only lead points to a professional assassin who has been dead for twenty years. Soon Jasmine stumbles into a web of corruption and secrets that leaves her running for her life.

‘[A] smartly written mainstream detective story . . . Brookymre deftly twists one case around the other’ Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review

‘A brainy, barbed noir, this book takes its time setting the scene and establishing its characters. Most of its violence occurs off the page. But with its contrasting characters . . . and skillfully orchestrated sense of bad things to come, the novel maintains a solid grip on the reader. Brookmyre isn’t as well-known in the States as fellow Scottish mystery writers Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Denise Mina, but this first-rate effort may change that’ Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray’s bestselling Scottish detective series***

***Don’t miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.***

Whether you’ve read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, THE RIVERMAN is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES:

‘Warm-hearted, atmospheric’ ANN CLEEVES
‘Relentless and intriguing’ PETER MAY
‘Move over Rebus’ DAILY MAIL
‘Exciting, pacey, authentic’ ANGELA MARSONS
‘Superior writing’ THE TIMES
‘Immensely exciting and atmospheric’ ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
_______________

When the dead body of a man is fished out of Glasgow’s River Clyde the morning after an office celebration, it looks like a case of accidental death. An anonymous telephone call and a forensic toxicology test, however, give DCI Lorimer reason to think otherwise.

Probing deeper into the life and business of the deceased accountant, Duncan Forbes, a seemingly upright member of the community, Lorimer find only yet more unanswered questions.

And when the firm’s human resources manager is found dead in her riverside flat these questions become only more complex — not to mention more disturbing. And Lorimer is having to cope not only with deceptions devised to hide the facts, but also with suspicions from those far closer to home . . .

***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray’s Sunday Times bestselling Scottish detective series***

***Don’t miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.***

Whether you’ve read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, When Shadows Fall is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves


WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES:

‘Warm-hearted, atmospheric’ ANN CLEEVES
‘Relentless and intriguing’ PETER MAY
‘Move over Rebus’ DAILY MAIL
‘Exciting, pacey, authentic’ ANGELA MARSONS
‘Superior writing’ THE TIMES
‘Immensely exciting and atmospheric’ ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
_______________

DSI Lorimer is back with a brand new case. And the stakes have never been so high . . .

When his old friend and former colleague is shot dead at his home, Detective Superintendent William Lorimer is devastated. And his problems are only just beginning. It’s not long before two further deaths are reported: both victims ex-policemen.

It’s clear this is a targeted campaign against their own, yet with no other link between the victims to identify the killer, Lorimer’s police team are starting to panic. Who will be next?

Lorimer knows he must keep his cool if he is to solve the case. But with time running out before the next attack, he’s struggling to ignore the sickening question at the back of his mind:

Will he get to the killer, before the killer gets to him?

***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray’s bestselling Scottish detective series***

***Don’t miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.***

Whether you’ve read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, THE BIRD THAT DID NOT SING is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES:

‘Warm-hearted, atmospheric’ ANN CLEEVES
‘Relentless and intriguing’ PETER MAY
‘Move over Rebus’ DAILY MAIL
‘Exciting, pacey, authentic’ ANGELA MARSONS
‘Superior writing’ THE TIMES
‘Immensely exciting and atmospheric’ ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
_______________

They stole her voice. Now they want her dead . . .

2014: The Commonwealth Games are coming to Glasgow and security is extra tight, particularly after a mysterious bomb explodes in nearby rural Stirlingshire. As the opening ceremony for the Games draws ever closer, the police desperately seek the culprits. But Detective Superintendent Lorimer has other concerns on his mind. One is a beautiful red-haired woman from his past whose husband dies suddenly on his watch. Then there is the body of a young woman found dumped in countryside just south of the city who is proving impossible to identify.

Elsewhere in Glasgow people prepare for the events in their own way, whether for financial gain or to welcome home visitors from overseas. And, hiding behind false identities, are those who pose a terrible threat not just to the Games but to the very fabric of society.

‘This is a wonderful novel, powerful, humane and moving. It’s also one of the best police procedurals I’ve read this year’ Ann Cleeves

—–

Can you really keep your child safe?
What if who they are puts them at risk?

And what if they have blood on their hands?

Teenager Allie Kennaway heads off for prom night, cheered on by her dad Steve and little sister Teagan. But Allie never comes home, beaten to death in an apparent hate crime because of her transgender identity.

As police investigate the brutal murder, a crime that has appalled the country, one parent is at her wit’s end with her son’s behaviour. Are his outbursts and silences hiding something much darker than adolescent mood swings? And if her suspicions are correct, then what does she do?

Another parent fights tooth and nail to save his boy from the full force of the law. But if he succeeds then Allie and her family will never get the justice they deserve.

A groundbreaking story of love and hate, loyalty and betrayal, in a world of change.

——

Praise for Cath Staincliffe

‘Staincliffe deserves to be better known. Her books make her readers question how they would respond in a challenging situation’ Ann Cleeves (Best Books of The Week)

‘Harrowing and humane. A real knockout‘ Ian Rankin

‘It’s always exciting to see a writer get better and better and Cath Staincliffe is doing just that‘ Val McDermid

‘Remarkable depth … The most grown-up writer in British crime fiction‘ Telegraph

‘Complex and satisfying’ Sunday Times

‘Her finest novel yet, emotionally unsparing, powerful, humane and moving . . . This is a timely, brave and brilliant book‘ Crime Review

The electrifying, addictive thriller from the author of the Edgar-Award winning sensation The Wicked Girls

‘Scary as hell’ Stephen King

No. 23 has a secret. In this bedsit-riddled south London wreck, lorded over by a lecherous landlord, something waits to be discovered. Yet all six residents have something to hide.

Collette and Cher are on the run; Thomas is a reluctant loner; while a gorgeous Iranian asylum seeker and a ‘quiet man’ nobody sees try to stay hidden. And watching over them all is Vesta – or so she thinks.

In the dead of night, a terrible accident pushes the neighbours into an uneasy alliance. But one of them is a killer, expertly hiding their pastime, all the while closing in on their next victim…

As a cloying heatwave suffocates the city, events build to an electrifying climax in this dark, original and irresistibly compelling thriller, perfect for fans of The Suspect by Fiona Barton and The Rumour by Lesley Kara

Praise for Alex Marwood

‘So good I wish I’d written it myself’
VAL McDERMID

‘Without a doubt, she is one of crime fiction’s brightest stars. Not to be missed’
MEGAN ABBOTT

‘Alex Marwood has become one of my must-read crime writers’
SOPHIE HANNAH

‘I cancel all engagements for a new novel from Alex Marwood’
ERIN KELLY

‘Crime writing at its best’
LISA JEWELL

‘I can’t wait to see what Alex Marwood comes up with next’
JOJO MOYES

___________________

Don’t miss the shocking new novel from Alex Marwood – THE POISON GARDEN is out now

The seventh book in the Joe O’Loughlin series, the inspiration for the major ITV series The Suspect.

I am the most important figure in Marnie’s life, but she doesn’t know it yet . . .

I am the one who watches.

Marnie Logan often feels like she’s being watched. Nothing she can quite put her finger on – a whisper of breath on the back of her neck, or a shadow in the corner of her eye – and now her life is frozen. Her husband Daniel has been missing for more than a year. Depressed and increasingly desperate, she seeks the help of clinical psychologist Joe O’Loughlin.

Joe is concerned by Marnie’s reluctance to talk about the past, but then she discovers a book packed with pictures, interviews with friends, former teachers, old flames and workmates Daniel was preparing for Marnie’s birthday. It was supposed to be a celebration of her life. But it’s not the story anyone was expecting . . .

Although the Joe O’Loughlin books can be read in any order, Watching You is the seventh in the series after Say You’re Sorry. The next in the series is Close Your Eyes.

Praise for Michael Robotham’s thrillers:

‘I love this guy’s books’ Lee Child

‘Will have you turning the pages compulsively’ The Times

‘An absolute master’ Stephen King

‘He writes in a voice with a haunting sense of soul’ Peter James

‘Heart-stopping and heart-breaking’ Val McDermid

‘The real deal’ David Baldacci

‘Superbly exciting . . . a terrific read’ Guardian

The eighth thriller in the Joe O’Loughlin series, the inspiration for the major ITV series The Suspect.

I close my eyes and feel my heart begin racing
Someone is coming
They’re going to find me

A mother and her teenage daughter are found murdered in a remote farmhouse, one defiled by multiple stab wounds and the other left lying like Sleeping Beauty waiting for her Prince. Reluctantly, clinical psychologist Joe O’Loughlin is drawn into the investigation when a former student, calling himself ‘the Mindhunter’, jeopardises the police inquiry by leaking details to the media and stirring up public anger.

With no shortage of suspects and tempers beginning to fray, Joe discover links between these murders and a series of brutal attacks where his victims have been choked unconscious and had the letter ‘A’ carved into their foreheads.

As the case becomes ever more complex, nothing is quite what it seems and soon Joe’s fate, and that of those closest to him, become intertwined with a merciless, unpredictable killer . . .

Although the Joe O’Loughlin books can be read in any order, Close Your Eyes is the eighth in the series after Watching You. The next in the series is The Other Wife.

Praise for Michael Robotham’s thrillers:

‘I love this guy’s books’ Lee Child

‘Will have you turning the pages compulsively’ The Times

‘An absolute master’ Stephen King

‘He writes in a voice with a haunting sense of soul’ Peter James

‘Heart-stopping and heart-breaking’ Val McDermid

‘The real deal’ David Baldacci

‘Superbly exciting . . . a terrific read’ Guardian

THE BRAND-NEW THRILLER FROM THE RICHARD & JUDY PICK AUTHOR AND SIX-MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER, THE MIND THAT CREATED ITV’S THE SUSPECT

‘One of his best, suspenseful and hard to put down’ STEPHEN KING
‘Compulsively readable . . . A nail-biter’ LINWOOD BARCLAY
‘I’ve never read a Michael Robotham novel I didn’t love’ VAL MCDERMID

Twenty years ago, Cyrus Haven’s brother killed their parents and twin sisters.

Since then Cyrus has devoted his life as a forensic psychologist to understanding why people commit terrible crimes.

Now Elias is being released from his psychiatric hospital, and Cyrus must decide if he’s ready to trust the man who destroyed his childhood.

His friend Evie Cormac, who has a gift for knowing when people are lying, isn’t so sure.

And as they seek the truth behind a double abduction case, past and present collide – with devastating consequences . . .

If you love Lying Beside You, don’t miss Cyrus and Evie in Good Girl, Bad Girl, When She Was Good, or Michael’s brand-new book Storm Child.

Readers gave Lying Beside You five stars:

‘Exceptional, fast paced and totally enthralling‘

‘Nail-biting, unexpected’

‘Evie Cormac and Cyrus Haven are such an intriguing duo‘

‘A great read for fans of intelligent crime with strong character development‘

‘The relationship between Cyrus and Evie is mesmerising‘

‘A cracking story that had me on the edge of my seat‘

‘A very entertaining read with a clever and complex plot‘

The ninth thriller in the Joe O’Loughlin series, the inspiration for the major ITV series The Suspect starring Aidan Turner.

‘Superbly constructed . . . a breathtaking twist’ Daily Mail

Childhood sweethearts William and Mary have been married for sixty years. William is a celebrated surgeon, Mary a devoted wife. Both have a strong sense of right and wrong.

This is what their son, Joe O’Loughlin, has always believed. But when Joe is summoned to the hospital with news that his father has been brutally attacked, his world is turned upside down. Who is the strange woman crying at William’s bedside, covered in his blood – a friend, a mistress, a fantasist or a killer?

Against the advice of the police, Joe launches his own investigation. As he learns more, he discovers sides to his father he never knew – and is forcibly reminded that the truth comes at a price.

Although the Joe O’Loughlin books can be read in any order, The Other Wife is the ninth in the series after Close Your Eyes.

And don’t miss Michael Robotham’s new #1 bestselling Cyrus Haven & Evie Cormac series, beginning with Good Girl, Bad Girl.

Praise for Michael Robotham’s thrillers:

‘I love this guy’s books’ Lee Child

‘Will have you turning the pages compulsively’ The Times

‘An absolute master’ Stephen King

‘He writes in a voice with a haunting sense of soul’ Peter James

‘Heart-stopping and heart-breaking’ Val McDermid

‘The real deal’ David Baldacci

‘Superbly exciting . . . a terrific read’ Guardian

***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray’s bestselling Scottish detective series***

***Don’t miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.***

Whether you’ve read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, ONLY THE DEAD CAN TELL is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES:

‘Warm-hearted, atmospheric’ ANN CLEEVES
‘Relentless and intriguing’ PETER MAY
‘Move over Rebus’ DAILY MAIL
‘Exciting, pacey, authentic’ ANGELA MARSONS
‘Superior writing’ THE TIMES
‘Immensely exciting and atmospheric’ ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
_______________

When there are no witnesses . . .

When Dorothy Guildford is found stabbed to death in her home, all signs point to her husband, Peter. The forensic psychologist is convinced there’s more to the case that meets the eye but Police Scotland are certain they have their man.

While DC Kirsty Wilson searches for evidence that will put Peter away for good, she is shocked to discover a link with a vast human-trafficking operation that Detective Superintendent William Lorimer has been investigating for months. But before they can interrogate him, Peter is brutally attacked.

With one person dead and another barely hanging on, the clock is ticking for DC Wilson and DSI Lorimer.

And the stakes grow higher still when one of their own is kidnapped . . .

‘If there has been a better mystery suspense story written in this decade, I can’t think of it’ STEPHEN KING

________________________

Apologies for the general email, but I desperately need your help.

My goddaughter, Coco Jackson, disappeared from her family’s holiday home in Bournemouth on the night of Sunday/Monday August 29/30th, the bank holiday weekend just gone. Coco is three years old.

When identical twin Coco goes missing during a family celebration, there is a media frenzy. Her parents are rich and influential, as are the friends they were with at their holiday home by the sea.

But what really happened to Coco?

Over two intense weekends – the first when Coco goes missing and the second twelve years later at the funeral of her father – the darkest of secrets will gradually be revealed…

Taut, emotive and utterly compelling, THE DARKEST SECRET is an unputdownable ‘ripped from the headlines’ novel that you will want to talk about with everyone you know.

__________________________

Don’t miss the shocking new novel from Alex Marwood – THE POISON GARDEN is out now


Praise for Alex Marwood

‘So good I wish I’d written it myself’
VAL McDERMID

‘Without a doubt, she is one of crime fiction’s brightest stars. Not to be missed’
MEGAN ABBOTT

‘Alex Marwood has become one of my must-read crime writers’
SOPHIE HANNAH

‘I cancel all engagements for a new novel from Alex Marwood’
ERIN KELLY

‘Crime writing at its best’
LISA JEWELL

‘I can’t wait to see what Alex Marwood comes up with next’
JOJO MOYES

***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray’s bestselling Scottish detective series***

***Don’t miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.***

Whether you’ve read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, A POUND OF FLESH is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES:

‘Warm-hearted, atmospheric’ ANN CLEEVES
‘Relentless and intriguing’ PETER MAY
‘Move over Rebus’ DAILY MAIL
‘Exciting, pacey, authentic’ ANGELA MARSONS
‘Superior writing’ THE TIMES
‘Immensely exciting and atmospheric’ ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
_______________

In the depths of a freezing winter, Glasgow finds itself at the mercy of not one, but two serial killers.

This is Detective Inspector Lorimer’s worst nightmare and beyond anything he’s faced in his years on the force. Can he find a link between the brutal slaying of prostitutes in the back streets of the city and the methodical killing of several unconnected businessmen?

When the latest victim turns out to be a prominent Scottish politician, the media’s spotlight is shone on Lorimer’s investigation. Psychologist and criminal profiler Solly Brightman is called in to help solve the cases, but his help may be futile as they realise that someone on the inside is leaking confidential police information.

Meanwhile two killers haunt the snowy streets and Lorimer must act fast, before they strike again . . .

‘A truly fine police procedural’ IRISH INDEPENDENT
‘Utterly compelling’ JANE CASEY
‘A superbly paced, engaging read’ WOMAN’S WAY

BRILLIANCE CAN BE DEADLY . . .

When Detective Cormac Reilly‘s girlfriend Emma stumbles across the victim of a hit and run early one morning, he is first on the scene of a murder that would never have been assigned to him.

The investigation promises to be high profile and high pressure: the dead girl is carrying an ID, that of Carline Darcy, heir apparent to Ireland’s most successful pharmaceutical company. Darcy Therapeutics has a finger in every pie, including the laboratory where Emma works.

As Cormac investigates, evidence mounts that the death is linked to the lab and, increasingly, to Emma herself. Cormac is sure she couldn’t be involved, but how well does he really know her? After all, this isn’t the first time Emma’s been accused of murder . . .

******

Praise for Dervla McTiernan:

‘Excellently written and, at times, heartcatchingly sad’ MARIAN KEYES

‘Dervla McTiernan is a future star of the genre’ CHRIS BROOKMYRE

‘Brilliantly crafted’ SUNDAY MIRROR

‘An exciting new voice in Irish noir’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘As moving as it is fast-paced’ VAL McDERMID

‘Absolutely brilliant. Wonderful characters, authentic setting, and a sublime, twisty plot’ IRISH EXAMINER

‘Fans of Tana French will love McTiernan’s expertly plotted, complex web of secrets’ KAREN DIONNE

‘Excellent . . . this one was a winner for me!’ ALEX GRAY

‘Loved every page . . . Cormac Reilly is a brilliant new character’ SAM BLAKE

‘Intelligent, compassionate and believable’ SINEAD CROWLEY

‘An unputdownable thriller’ Gregory Dowling

‘It is no surprise to find that Philip Gwynne Jones lives in Venice… art and architecture interweave into a story that builds to an almost surreal climax’ Daily Mail

*****

Murder is the deadliest art . . .

An invitation to an exclusive event during the Venetian Biennale gives Honorary Consul Nathan Sutherland the perfect chance to drink prosecco in the sunshine and meet some of the greats of the art world.

And then a world-famous critic is decapitated by one of the installations in the British Pavilion. A terrible accident, it seems, until a postcard is discovered in the victim’s pocket: an image of Judith beheading Holofernes.

But this is not just a one-off. Before long, three more postcards have been sent out with deadly results. As the bodies pile up, Nathan finds himself getting closer and closer to the truth, but when he himself receives an image of Death bearing a scythe, it becomes a race against time to save his own life . . .

*****

Praise for Philip Gwynne Jones

‘I devoured all Philip’s novels and felt transported to Venice with a new intimacy’ Val McDermid

‘Superb – always gripping, beautifully constructed and vivid’ Stephen Glover

‘Clever and great fun‘ The Times

‘Sinister and shimmering, The Venetian Game is as haunting and darkly elegant as Venice itself’ L.S. Hilton, bestselling author of Maestra

‘The Venetian setting is vividly described… good, fluid writing makes for easy reading’ Literary Review

‘Un-put-downable . . . If you love Venice, you’ll love this because you’ll be transported there in an instant. If you’ve not been to Venice, read this book and then go. If you like intrigue, and a clever plot, you’ll love this book’ Amazon reviewer, 5*****

‘Spellbinding’ Ian Rankin

‘A riveting murder mystery and a beautifully wrought picture of a rural community under extreme pressure’ Mail on Sunday Thriller of the Week

‘Packed with sneaky moves and teasing possibilities that keep the reader guessing…The Dry is a breathless page-turner’ Janet Maslin, New York Times

WHO REALLY KILLED THE HADLER FAMILY?

I just can’t understand how someone like him could do something like that.

Amid the worst drought to ravage Australia in a century, it hasn’t rained in small country town Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are brutally murdered. Everyone thinks Luke Hadler, who committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son, is guilty.

Policeman Aaron Falk returns to the town of his youth for the funeral of his childhood best friend, and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. As questions mount and suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him twenty years earlier. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke’s death threatens to unearth. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, secrets from his past and why he left home bubble to the surface as he questions the truth of his friend’s crime.

Praise for The Dry

‘Riveting’ Mail on Sunday

‘Stunningly atmospheric’ Val McDermid

A WINNER OF THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CRIME THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR
A CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD WINNER
An Amazon.com’s #1 Pick for Best Mystery & Thriller

***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray’s bestselling Scottish detective series***

***Don’t miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.***

Whether you’ve read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, SLEEP LIKE THE DEAD is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES:

‘Warm-hearted, atmospheric’ ANN CLEEVES
‘Relentless and intriguing’ PETER MAY
‘Move over Rebus’ DAILY MAIL
‘Exciting, pacey, authentic’ ANGELA MARSONS
‘Superior writing’ THE TIMES
‘Immensely exciting and atmospheric’ ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
_______________

No one rests in peace.

There’s a hitman in Glasgow: unpaid and angry, he’s decided to settle his own debts…

Elsewhere in the city, Marianne Brogan can’t sleep. She’s plagued by a nightmare: someone in the shadows, whispering threats, stalking her every move. To make matters worse, Marianne can’t get hold of her brother, Billy. Despite knowing some shady characters from Glasgow’s underworld, Billy’s always been there for her – until now.

DCI Lorimer and his team are faced with a string of seemingly unconnected but professional killings. Without witnesses or much conclusive evidence to build a case, the officers are drawing a blank. Criminal psychologist Solly Brightman is off the case due to budget cuts. But Solly is more closely connected to the murders than he could possibly know . . .

And as the hitman plans a bloody ransom to get his fee, the race is on to find out just who hired him – and who’s next on the hit list.

‘An unputdownable thriller’ Gregory Dowling

‘It is no surprise to find that Philip Gwynne Jones lives in Venice… art and architecture interweave into a story that builds to an almost surreal climax’ Daily Mail

*****

A game of cross and double-cross in Venice, one of the most beautiful cities on earth.

From his office on the Street of the Assassins, Nathan Sutherland enjoys a steady but unexciting life translating Italian DIY manuals. All this changes dramatically when he is offered a large sum of money to look after a small package containing an extremely valuable antique prayer book illustrated by a Venetian master. But is it a stolen masterpiece – or a brilliant fake?

Unknown to Nathan, from a vast mansion on the Grand Canal twin brothers Domenico and Arcangelo Moro, motivated by nothing more than mutual hatred, have been playing out a complex game of art theft for twenty years. And now Nathan finds himself unwittingly drawn into their deadly business . . .

*****

Praise for Philip Gwynne Jones

‘I devoured all Philip’s novels and felt transported to Venice with a new intimacy’ Val McDermid

‘Superb – always gripping, beautifully constructed and vivid’ Stephen Glover

‘Sinister and shimmering, The Venetian Game is as haunting and darkly elegant as Venice itself’ L.S. Hilton, bestselling author of Maestra

‘Clever and great fun‘ The Times

‘The Venetian setting is vividly described… good, fluid writing makes for easy reading’ Literary Review

‘Un-put-downable . . . If you love Venice, you’ll love this because you’ll be transported there in an instant. If you’ve not been to Venice, read this book and then go. If you like intrigue, and a clever plot, you’ll love this book’ Amazon reviewer, 5*****

*****

Vengeance in Venice, the second book in Philip Gwynne Jones’ sensational Venice series, is available now