Forced out of retirement, a reluctant assassin must face his most dangerous enemy. Nicolai Hel is a westerner brought up in Japan and is the protégé of a Japanese Go master. Hel survived the destruction of Hiroshima to emerge as the world's most artful lover and its most accomplished assassin. Hel is a genius, a mystic, and a master of language and culture, and his secret is his determination to attain a rare kind of personal excellence, a state of effortless perfection known only as shibumi. Now living in an isolated mountain fortress, Hel is unwillingly drawn back into the life he'd tried to leave behind when a beautiful young stranger arrives at his door, seeking help and refuge. It soon becomes clear that Hel is being tracked by a deadly force -- a sinister organisation known only as the Mother Company. The battle lines are drawn: ruthless power and corruption on one side, and on the other . . .shibumi.
***BEST CRIME BOOKS OF 2021 - THE TIMES/SUNDAY TIMES***
***CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH - THE TIMES***
'Savage, beautiful, mesmeric...a very special book.' CHRIS WHITAKER, AUTHOR OF WE BEGIN AT THE END
'Extraordinary...a career-defining performance.' THE TIMES/SUNDAY TIMES
'This is crime writing of the highest quality' DAILY MAIL
SOHO, 1935.
SERGEANT LEON GEATS' PATCH.
A snarling, skull-cracking misanthrope, Geats marshals the grimy rabble according to his own elastic moral code.
The narrow alleys are brimming with jazz bars, bookies, blackshirts, ponces and tarts so when a body is found above the Windmill Club, detectives are content to dismiss the case as just another young woman who topped herself early.
But Geats - a good man prepared to be a bad one if it keeps the worst of them at bay - knows the dark seams of the city.
Working with his former partner, mercenary Flying Squad sergeant Mark Cassar, Geats obsessively dedicates himself to finding a warped killer - a decision that will reverberate for a lifetime and transform both men in ways they could never expect.
'A stirringly ambitious novel that pairs the scope of James Ellroy's LA CONFIDENTIAL with the psychological depth of Graham Greene's BRIGHTON ROCK. Extraordinary.' A. J. FINN
'A tour de force. A brilliant marriage of tension and rich detail.' HARRIET TYCE
'An epic, brutal, blockbuster of a crime novel. It's the best film noir you've never seen complete with a love story that might just rip your heart out.' TREVOR WOOD
'An enthralling tale that takes you into the seamy heart of Soho's past. Written in Nolan's visceral, muscular prose, it is a joy to read.' LESLEY KARA
'A rich, ambitious, masterpiece of a crime novel' OLIVIA KIERNAN
'Poetic and tragic...but also vibrant, with a great depth of world and character' JAMES DELARGY
Praise for Dominic Nolan:
'Nolan is set to become Britain's Michael Connelly' DAILY MAIL
'This powerhouse novel is not for the fragile-hearted...one hell of a debut' HEAT
'A smart, distinctive debut' SUNDAY MIRROR
Alex Delaware is drawn into a vortex of violence...
In Heartbreak Hotel by New York Times No.1 bestseller Jonathan Kellerman, criminal psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware investigates the death of his most mysterious patient to date. Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and Harlan Coben.
'Easy to dive into for mystery fans unfamiliar with the series, and a welcome treat for readers who have been with Officer Sturgis and Dr. Delaware since the beginning' - Booklist
At nearly one hundred years old, Thalia Mars is a far cry from the patients child psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware normally treats. But the charming, witty woman convinces Alex to meet with her in a suite at The Aventura - a luxury hotel with a checkered history.
What Thalia wants from Alex are answers to unsettling questions - about guilt, patterns of criminal behaviour, victim selection. When Alex asks the reason for her morbid fascination, Thalia promises to tell all during their next session. But when he returns the following morning, his question goes unanswered, and new ones arise...
In their most puzzling investigation to date, Alex and homicide detective Milo Sturgis must peel back the layers of a fascinating but elusive woman's life. For Thalia Mars is a victim like no other, an enigma who harboured nearly a century of secrets and whose life and death draw those around her into a vortex of violence...
What readers are saying about Heartbreak Hotel:
'A roller coaster of a read'
'Don't miss this book'
'Five stars
The Fourth Enemy is the sixth gripping instalment in an exciting new generation of Pitt novels from the pen of highly acclaimed crime writer and New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.
A sensational fraud case provides Daniel Pitt with his greatest challenge yet . . .
When a heart attack forces Marcus fford Croft to retire from his chambers, his daughter Miriam and son-in-law Daniel are relieved that he is stepping down and handing over to Toby Kitteridge. But Daniel and Toby are concerned that their new recruit, Gideon Hunter KC, who is a brilliant barrister with a penchant for taking risks, could jeopardise their chambers' hard-won reputation . . .
Daniel's old friend Inspector Ian Frobisher then alerts him to the fact that one of England's most influential newspaper tycoons, Malcolm Vayne, is about to be arrested for fraud. Hunter jumps at the chance to prosecute in such a high-profile and controversial case, and Daniel soon finds himself assisting with a chilling criminal exploration into a murky world of power, greed and pure evil that endangers Miriam's life . . .
A case reeking of scandal before the body is even cold...
Half Moon Street is the twentieth crime novel in the bestselling Thomas Pitt mystery series, by the master storyteller of Victorian society, Anne Perry. Perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Sarah Perry.
'A splendidly plotted yarn' - Publishers Weekly
For Superintendent Thomas Pitt, the sight of the dead man riding the morning tide of the Thames is unforgettable. He lies in a battered punt drifting through the morning mist, his arms and legs chained to the boat's sides. He is clad in a torn green gown and flowers bestrew his battered body.
Pitt's determined search for answers to the victim's identity leads him deep into London's bohemia - to the theatre where beautiful Cecily Antrim is outraging society with her bold portrayal of a modern woman - and into studios where masters of light and shadow are experimenting with the fascinating new art of photography. But only Pitt's most relentless pursuit enables him to identify the wildfire passions raging through this tragedy of good and evil, to hunt down the guilty and protect the
innocent.
What readers are saying about Half Moon Street:
'I found the plot suspenseful and fascinating'
'Half Moon Street is cleverly plotted and comes to a satisfying and surprising conclusion'
'Five stars
New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry brings us an exciting new thriller of espionage and murder set across Europe in the 1930s. The world is on the brink of war and no one is to be trusted as young photographer Elena Standish becomes embroiled in a terrifying game of cat and mouse...
It is 1933 and Europe is a place of increasing fear and violence. Young British photographer Elena Standish is on assignment in Amalfi when she meets Ian Newton, a charming Englishman with whom she falls in love. But what does she really know about him?
Accompanying him on a train across Italy to Paris, she finds him critically stabbed and dying. He tells her he is a member of Britain's Secret Service, on his way to Berlin to warn MI6 so that they can foil a plot to assassinate one of Hitler's vilest henchmen and blame Britain for it, thus causing a devastating diplomatic crisis. Elena promises to deliver the message. But she is too late, and finds herself fleeing for her life.
Meanwhile Lucas Standish, secret head of MI6 during the war, learns that his beloved granddaughter is being hunted in Berlin for murder. With Elena on the run, and at least one traitor in the British Embassy, it is impossible to know who to trust...
Praise for Anne Perry's previous novels:
'A brilliant Victorian police procedural in which well-realized characters and settings are fascinating in themselves' Booklist
'Engrossing... Perry has always excelled in courtroom scenes and arguments between barristers, and she outdoes herself in two dramatic trials'Washington Times Daily
'Perry balances plot and character neatly before providing a resolution that few will anticipate'Publishers Weekly
Treachery and ambition collide with devastating consequences...
With a traitor among his ranks, Pitt has a difficult case on his hands in Dorchester Terrace, the twenty-seventh novel in Anne Perry's Thomas Pitt mystery series. Perfect for fans of C. J. Samson and Ann Granger.
'The always clever Anne Perry infuses Dorchester Terrace with the right amount of intrigue and complex relationships that have made this prolific series one of the finest in modern mystery fiction' - Bookreporter
1896. Newly promoted to Head of Special Branch, Thomas Pitt is forced to face the danger his new position brings when he uncovers the work of a traitor in his department. Not knowing who to trust, he must unmask the conspirator, whist simultaneously protecting a suspected target, Austrian state visitor Duke Alois.
Meanwhile, Victor Narraway is investigating the mysterious death of Serafina Monserrat. Once the holder of many sensitive, political secrets, Serafina had suffered from dementia in her later years and Narraway is unsure whether what he has uncovered is the confused ramblings of an old woman, or a catastrophic plot which could trigger a major international war.
As the two investigations come ever closer it is clear that bluff and double-bluff are at play. When Pitt finally comes face to face with the suspected traitor will he, knowing the fate of the world is at stake, find the strength to stop the man by any means necessary?
What readers are saying about Dorchester Terrace:
'Ms. Perry's attention to period detail is astonishing'
'Good tension and suspense with a very good twist which catches both the reader, and the protagonist, unawares'
'As always, the setting is perfect, the plot is interesting and the story is conducted with a sure hand
Archaeologist Jack Howard is a brave but cautious man. When he embarked on a new search for buried treasure in the Mediterranean, he knew it was a long shot. But when Jack Howard and his intrepid crew finally got close to uncovering the secrets the sea had held for thousands of years, nothing could have prepared them for what they would find ...
A dead body shatters the tranquillity of a Cotswold village...
Inspector Jess Campbell and Superintendent Ian Carter are put to work after the discovery of a dead body in a cosy Cotswold village. Ann Granger's second Campbell and Carter mystery, Rack, Ruin and Murder, will enthral fans of Rebecca Tope, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.
'She is on to another winner' - Birmingham Post
When old Monty Bickerstaffe finds a dead body in his drawing room it comes as a nasty surprise - the first of many. Monty lives alone in a crumbling Cotswold manor house and the last thing he wants is the police sniffing around his property. Not that he has anything to hide...
The identity of the corpse and how and why it was left in Monty's home remain a mystery. The locals swear they've seen nothing unusual and Monty's relatives claim they've never set eyes on the stiff before. But Inspector Jess Campbell is convinced that someone's lying and, with the help of Superintendent Ian Carter, she must dig deep into Monty's family history to reveal the shocking truth...
What readers are saying about Rack, Ruin and Murder:
'The book contains humour, intrigue, poignancy and the entire story is one which is easily followed'
'Ann Granger's best ever murder mystery with a brilliant ending of unguessable twists and turns - unputdownable'
'A great follow up to the first book in this series. The descriptions made you feel like you were there
A suspicious death leads Pitt to the doorstep of one of London's most respectable households...
Bedford Square is the nineteenth novel in bestselling author Anne Perry's highly acclaimed mystery series featuring Thomas Pitt, and sees the detective investigating a murder steeped in class prejudice. Perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Sherlock Holmes.
'Ms Perry fashions a Victorian story with the sophisticated characterisation and psychological suspense that are everyday tools of the contemporary writer... the result is first rate' - New York Times Book Review
When a man is found murdered on the doorstep of a respectable house in Bedford Square, Victorian England's finest and most controversial policeman, Thomas Pitt, is called immediately to the scene. The only clue to the victim's identity is a silver snuff box found on the body, curiously at odds with the man's dishevelled appearance. Pitt soon discovers that the box, and the house where the body was found, belong to General Balantyne, a man Pitt knows to be a pillar of the community. He is dismayed to learn that Balantyne can barely recall the evening, let alone account for his movements...
What readers are saying about Bedford Square:
'I thoroughly enjoyed Perry's ability to show me around the streets of Victorian London, a very realistic journey that added a lot of spice to the adventure'
'[Anne Perry's] books are always gripping and beautifully written'
'Five stars
An enemy more deadly than any Pitt has faced before...
Murder, spiritualism and corruption are all at play in Anne Perry's gripping novel, Southampton Row, the twenty-second mystery in the Thomas Pitt mystery series. Perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Sherlock Holmes.
'Exciting and explosive climax to this finely crafted period piece' - Coventry Evening Telegraph
Despite Thomas Pitt's success in the Whitechapel case, the secretive Inner Circle prevents his returning to the Bow Street police as Superintendent. Pitt's next task for Special Branch is to investigate Charles Voisy - the corrupt Inner Circle man Pitt defeated in court - who is standing for election as a Tory MP. Pitt must obtain information to stop Voisy's climb to political power. Then Pitt is ordered to Southampton Row, scene of the hideous murder of a spiritual medium. As the link between the spiritualist and political figures is revealed, the whispers of scandal grow louder. And with Charlotte in hiding for safety, Pitt must turn to his sister-in-law, Emily, to help him solve one of his most high-profile cases yet...
What readers are saying about Anne Perry:
'The atmosphere of turn of the century London is so absorbing and tangible that you can almost feel yourself shrouded in a cold blanket of East End fog and hear the Hansom carriages clatter along the streets'
'[Anne Perry's] books are always gripping and beautifully written'
'Five stars
Somebody is intent on murdering Hollywood's A-list. A well-known actress has been shot outside her Beverly Hills home. Shortly afterwards, the Los Angeles Times receives an email describing the murder in vivid detail. It is signed Mary Smith. More killings and emails follow - the victims are all major Hollywood players. Is it the work of an obsessed fan or a spurned actor, or is it part of something far more terrifying?
As the case grows to blockbuster proportions, Washington, DC, FBI agent Alex Cross and the LAPD scramble to find a pattern before Mary can send another chilling update.
Freedom - in eleventh-century France, it is a luxury enjoyed by only the King and nobility. For the serf, it is surely worth fighting for. But is it worth dying for?
Arriving home disillusioned from the Crusades, Hugh DeLuc discovers that his village has been ransacked and his wife abducted. The dark riders came in the dead of night, like devils, wearing no colours but black crosses on their chests, leaving no clue as to who they are. Knights they may be, but honour and chivalry are not part of their code. They search for a relic, one worth more than any throne in Europe, and no man can stand in their way. Until Hugh, taking on the role of a jester, is able to infiltrate the enemy's castle where he believes his wife is being held captive.
And when a man is fighting for freedom - for his wife, and for everything he holds dear - he will prove a formidable opponent.
Dense fog masks foul play in the streets of London, as Ann Granger brings us her seventh Victorian mystery featuring Scotland Yard's Inspector Ben Ross and his wife Lizzie.
It is March 1870. London is in the grip of fog and ice. But Scotland Yard's Inspector Ben Ross has more than the weather to worry about when the body of a young woman is found in a dustbin at the back of a Piccadilly restaurant.
Ben must establish who the victim is before he can find out how and why she came to be there. His enquiries lead him first to a bootmaker in Salisbury and then to a landowner in Yorkshire. Meanwhile, Ben's wife, Lizzie, aided by their eagle-eyed maid, Bessie, is investigating the mystery of a girl who is apparently being kept a prisoner in her own home.
As Ben pursues an increasingly complex case, Lizzie reveals a vital piece of evidence that brings him one step closer to solving the crime...
Praise for Ann Granger's crime novels:
'Characterisation, as ever with Granger, is sharp and astringent' The Times
'Her usual impeccable plotting is fully in place' Good Book Guide
'A clever and lively book' Margaret Yorke
'This engrossing story looks like the start of a highly enjoyable series' Scotsman
The third gripping instalment in an exciting new generation of Pitt novels, from the New York Times bestselling author and queen of Victorian crime, Anne Perry.
It is 1910 and a warehouse fire on the banks of the Thames has left one criminal dead and another charged with his murder. Convinced of his innocence, Jessie Beale begs barrister Daniel Pitt to defend the accused. It's a hopeless case - unless Daniel can find an expert witness, whose testimony on fire damage is so utterly convincing that any jury would believe him.
Daniel's friend Miriam fford Croft was taught by formidable forensic scientist Sir Barnabas Saltram, who has built his reputation on giving evidence of this kind. But when Saltram agrees to testify, thus saving an innocent man from the gallows, Daniel unwittingly starts a chain of events that has devastating consequences for all of them...
Crime in the Cotswolds just got deadly...
Ann Granger introduces Inspector Jess Campbell and Superintendent Ian Carter in Mud, Muck and Dead Things, the first cosy Cotswolds crime novel in the Campbell and Carter mystery series. The perfect read for fans of Faith Martin, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.
'The reader can expect a treat. Lively, different and fun' - Yorkshire Post
Lucas Burton hates the countryside. To him it's nothing but mud, muck and dead things. And he's right. When he turns up at a deserted farm in the middle of nowhere hoping to conduct a business deal, he stumbles across the body of a girl. And that's just the start of his bad luck: Penny Gower from the local stables has spotted his silver Mercedes leaving the scene of the crime. Suddenly, for Lucas, things are looking very bleak indeed.
Inspector Jess Campbell is on the case, but with few leads and a new superintendent, Ian Carter, breathing down her neck, she's beginning to feel the pressure. Then another dead body is found . . .
What readers are saying about Mud, Muck and Dead Things:
'A good, easy read for when one wants no demands - just to savour and enjoy'
'The characters are, as usual well-rounded, believable and interesting, and the plot is multi-faceted to keep the reader turning pages'
'This is in the classic whodunit style about a small group of suspects and lots of clues along the way without too much gory detail. A well-crafted story
Katie Wilkinson has found the perfect man at last - but one day he disappears from her life, leaving behind only a diary for her to read. The diary was written by a new mother, as a keepsake for her baby son. In it she touchingly recounts the initial romance between herself and the child's father, and the unparalleled joy that motherhood has brought her. As Katie reads this moving account, it becomes clear that the lover who has left her is the same man as the husband and father in the diary. She reads on, filled with terror and hope as she struggles to understand what has happened - and whether her new love has a prayer of surviving.
Stephanie's digging up a whole heap of bad news...
New secrets, old flames and hidden agendas send bounty hunter Stephanie Plum on her most outrageous adventure yet in Lean Mean Thirteen. Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series is not to be missed by fans of Sue Grafton and Lee Child.
Raves for Evanovich's bestselling novels: 'Highly enjoyable... who can resist? (Chicago Tribune); 'Romantic and gripping' (Good Housekeeping); 'Plum is not just a smart private eye but a heroine with a sense of humour' (Daily Mail).
Stephanie Plum is used to dealing with crimes in the neighbourhood, but she's not used to being accused of committing the crimes. Her no-good ex-husband, Dickie, has gone missing the day after Stephanie was seen having an argument with him, threatening bodily harm. Now Stephanie is suspect number one.
Stephanie is going to have to find Dickie, and fast, to clear her name. Hot cop Joe Morelli can't tell her anything, and mentor Ranger is offering to help...for a price that doesn't involve money.
What readers are saying about Lean Mean Thirteen:
'Fast paced and funny and the characters are getting better and better as we get to know them'
'Laughs a plenty and another great storyline'
'A fabulous book that has not only served to make me eager for the next, but given me hours of enjoyment in the meantime
On All Hallows' Eve, ex-convict Peter Boutrup is visiting his best friend's grave when her estranged mother appears. Her son, Magnus, has disappeared, and she begs Peter to look for him.
The next day a young nun is pulled out of the moat at the convent in Djursland. She has been garrotted and Peter, who works there as a carpenter, was the last person to see her alive. Meanwhile, diver Kir Røjel finds an old box resting on the seabed. Inside are human bones. They are sixty years old, but the victim had also been garrotted.
While Peter is looking for Magnus, Detective Mark Bille Hansen is assigned to the case. He is determined to link the bones in the box with the girl in the moat - but the hunt for the truth leads both he and Peter down a path so dark, they fear they may never return.
Danger is always... closer than you think.
CLOSER THAN YOU THINK is the tense, tantalising and thrilling first novel in the Cincinnati series, by Sunday Times bestseller Karen Rose.
'Intense, complex and unforgettable' JAMES PATTERSON
'Fast and furious' SUN
_________
Can she stop him before she becomes his target?
Deacon Novak has returned home. The experienced FBI Agent knows that his move to Cincinnati's Major Crime Enforcement Squad will be challenging, but the greater challenge will be saving his younger brother before he becomes the kind of criminal Deacon is chasing.
Faith Corcoran has escaped her identity. Being a therapist to victims of sex crimes was rewarding, but her work with their offenders has jeopardized her life. Her move represents a chance to build a new life in the empty old house her grandmother has left her.
What Faith doesn't know is that a killer has made the house his playground, taking girls into the basement and murdering them. And now Faith is about disturb his fun.
With a murderer focused on her, Faith is going to have to put her trust in Deacon if she's going to survive. Because this killer is always closer than she thinks...
_________
Praise for Karen Rose:
***** 'Another brilliant read by Karen Rose. A real page-turner, keeps you wanting more. I have read all Karen Roses books and cannot say there is a bad one amongst them'
***** 'Yet again Karen Rose has risen to the challenge and written a great book. Brilliant characters, and the story grips you until the last page'
***** 'The story line, while complex, was easy to follow and necessitated a good read... beautifully written with equal measures of sensitivity and tension'
***** '...kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish!! Would highly recommend to anyone who likes a good thriller with a little bit of love thrown in for good measure!
Troubleshooters: They Never Let You Down. The fourteenth addictive romantic suspense novel in New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series, filled with thrilling adventure, excitement and passion. In DARK OF NIGHT, the Troubleshooters take on their most deadly foes...
Badly shaken after the loss of one of their own, the men and women of Troubleshooters Inc. go up against their most deadly opponents yet - the clandestine organisation, The Agency. Blackmail, extortion, murder: The Agency's black-ops sector will stop at nothing to achieve their objective. But this time they've gone too far and hit too close to home and the Troubleshooters are out for revenge. Led by former Navy SEAL Lawrence Decker, a team of investigators - from FBI agent Jules Cassidy and former CIA operative Dave Malkoff, to Troubleshooters Sophia Ghaffari, Tess Bailey and receptionist Tracy Shapiro - band together to uncover the truth, and bring the killers to justice. But the stakes are raised even higher when Decker barely escapes an attempt on his life. It soon becomes clear that the hunters have become the hunted - and the Troubleshooters are no longer just solving a crime - they're fighting for survival.
Barbara Nadel's gripping Ikmen mysteries are the inspiration behind The Turkish Detective, BBC Two's sensational eight-part TV crime drama series, out now.
Games of sex and death have terrifying consequences...
Silver Dagger Award-winning author Barbara Nadel explores a series of shocking and dark deaths across Istanbul in Deadly Web, the seventh instalment of the thrilling Inspector Ikmen crime series. Perfect for fans of Donna Leon and Abir Mukherjee.
'Perfect blend of foreign exoticism and impeccable mystery plotting... Superior police procedural sleuthing in which the locale is etched with precision and the city of Istanbul becomes an indispensable character' - Crime Time
A naked teenage girl is found dead near the beautiful Byzantine Yoros Castle in Turkey. She has stabbed herself through the heart but there is evidence of bizarre sexual practice. In another part of Istanbul, a young boy seems to have committed suicide in similar circumstances. What dark rituals could have compelled them to fatal self-abuse? Inspectors Cetin Ikmen and Mehmet Suleyman follow an internet trail that leads them to an underworld of Goth nightclubs and Satanic worship. But even those murky shadows hide more than they reveal and the answers to an ever increasing number of suspicious deaths is more shocking and terrible than they could ever have imagined.
What readers are saying about Deadly Web:
'As usual complex, diverse and enjoyable'
'I could not put it down'
'I have read all of the Inspector Ikmen books [...] each one I read I always think is better than the last!
A killer with means but no motive, and the body count is rising...
Love and greed make a deadly combination in the riveting ninth crime novel in Barbara Nadel's Inspector Ikmen series. A Passion for Killing is the perfect read for fans of Adrian Magson and Donna Leon.
'Nadel's novels take in all of Istanbul - the mysterious, the beautiful, the hidden, the banal... Fascinating' - Scotland on Sunday
A serial killer is stalking the streets of Istanbul, seemingly targeting gay men. A man is found dead in a hotel room, a single stab wound in his heart. Could he be a victim of the 'Peeper'?
Inspector Mehmet Suleyman is assigned to the case, and is shocked to discover that the victim's body has been delivered to forensics entirely 'clean'. Has someone tampered with vital evidence? Meanwhile a young carpet dealer, on the brink of a huge sale, is discovered in the mangled remains of his Jeep, a bullet between his shoulder blades. The deal would have made him - the carpet he wanted to sell used to belong to Lawrence of Arabia. Did the young salesman know too much? Inspectors Cetin Ikmen and Suleyman uncover an incredible story and quickly realise that behind even the most respectable facade lurk passion, savagery and madness...
What readers are saying about A Passion for Killing:
'A well-plotted thriller with a large cast of regular characters with whom you can empathise with'
'Great page turner'
'This doesn't fail to keep up the pace and intrigue found in the others [from the Inspector Ikmen series]
BRICKS AND MORTALITY is the third Cotswold village mystery by Ann Granger, featuring Inspector Jess Campbell and Superintendent Ian Carter. It is sure to appeal to fans of Midsomer Murders.
In the cold light of dawn, a dead body is found entombed in the smouldering remains of a burnt-out Cotswold manor. Key House has stood empty for years, but its owner, Gervase Crown, is rumoured to have been seen in Weston St Ambrose prior to the blaze. Could he be responsible for the fire and the tragic death that followed, or was he in fact the intended target? As Inspector Jess Campbell and Superintendent Ian Carter begin their investigation it becomes clear that Gervase wasn't the most popular and his return reawakens old memories, not all of which are good.
