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Chameleon: the March madness murders, a novel
By Matthew O'Brien. 1997
Twilight in a Knotted World
By Mr Sidhhartha Sarma. 2020
The soil of central India hides more than the bones of long-dead giants. The East India Company is master of…
almost the entire subcontinent, but real power is now with the Crown. Far from the great games of the empire, Captain William Henry Sleeman is content to administer Jabalpur district and dig for remnants of petrified bones with his charming and knowledgeable wife. Until he is tasked with investigating the activities of an obscure group of criminals who are said to strangle their victims. As Sleeman uncovers the many layers of the Phansigar problem, he finds a language unlike any other, and a set of beliefs, lore and superstitions seemingly drawn from the soul of the countryside. He finds orchards of corpses, and a hierarchy of stranglers, but also ordinary men driven to murder. He hears subtle murmurs of discontentment at the changes which have come to a land believed by some to be unchanging. He finds auguries of a conflict to come. And behind it all, the legend of a mysterious, beautiful man, whose capture might be the key to understanding the Phansigars. Sleeman&’s inquiries will make him confront the nature of his beloved adopted homeland and of the mighty people in Calcutta who he serves. Through the prism of caste, the consequent web of intricate social and cultural relationships, and the nature of travel in the hinterland, he will see the real face of India and come across its uncomfortable, bleak truths. But to unravel such truths is not easy…In his preface, the anonymous author of Courtesans and Opium describes his book as an act of penance for thirty…
years spent patronizing the brothels of Yangzhou. Written in the 1840s, his story is filled with vice and dark consequence, portraying the hazards of the city's seedy underbelly and warning others against the example of the Fool.Chinese literature's first true "city novel," Courtesans and Opium recounts the illustrious career of a debauched soul enveloped by enthralling pursuits and romantic illusions. While socially acceptable marriages were arranged and often loveless, brothels offered men accomplished courtesans who served as both enchanting companions and sensual lovers. These professional sirens dressed in the latest styles and dripped with gold, silver, and jewels. From an early age, they were taught to excel at various arts and graces, which transformed the brothel into a kind of club for men to meet, exchange gossip, and smoke opium at their leisure.The Fool's fable follows five sworn brothers and their respective relationships with Yangzhou courtesans, revealing in acute detail the lurid materialism of this dangerous world—its violence and corruption as well as its seductive but illusory promise. Never before translated into English, Courtesans and Opium offers a brilliant window into the decadence of nineteenth-century China.The Ghost Marriage: A China Novella (China Thrillers #7)
By Peter May. 2017
LI YAN AND MARGARET CAMPBELL RETURN IN A NEW SHORT STORY, YEARS AFTER THE DRAMATIC CONCLUSION OF CHINESE WHISPERS. 'I…
saw your missing girl at a ghost wedding last week. She was the bride.'It has been a whirlwind few years for Li Yan and Margaret Campbell. Nowadays, both are busy juggling their huge professional workloads - Li as the newly promoted chief of Beijing's serious crime squad, and Campbell as lecturer at the University of Public Security - with the day-to-day raising of their young son, Li Jon.When a desperate mother appeals to Campbell's own maternal instincts, Li agrees to look into the disappearance of a 17-year-old Beijing girl, Jiang Meilin.Yet Li's investigation soon turns from a favour into a full-scale murder enquiry. And when he receives an anonymous note he learns Jiang Meilin's death is tied to a dangerous underground trade, and a dark marital rite from China's past.The Burial Hour: Lincoln Rhyme Book 13 (Lincoln Rhyme Thrillers #13)
By Jeffery Deaver. 2017
From the author of The Goodbye Man, discover Jeffery Deaver's chilling series that inspired the film starring Angelina Jolie and…
Denzel Washington, and is now a major NBC TV series Number one bestselling author and master of suspense Jeffery Deaver returns with the thirteenth Lincoln Rhyme thriller, which sees a crime go global . . .When a man is snatched from a New York street in broad daylight, the only clue is a miniature noose left on the pavement. By the time criminal forensic scientist Lincoln Rhyme is involved, a video of the missing man is already online, his dying breaths set to a grisly music by someone calling himself The Composer. Rhyme and fellow investigator Amelia Sachs must follow The Composer across the globe as he continues his horrifying creation, kidnapping further victims to add their last breaths to his piece. But with Rhyme and Sachs in a whole new world with its own rules, how can they possibly guess what danger they're in when the music finally stops?'If you want thrills, Deaver is your man' Guardian'One of the most consistent writers of clever, entertaining and often thought-provoking thrillers in the world' Simon Kernick'Deaver is a master of plot twists, and they are abundant in this story...essential for fans of the franchise' Daily MailChoral Mayhem
By Andrea Frazer. 2012
Who would believe that choral singing could prove such a deadly pastime? Virginia and Richard Grainger, new members of the…
Standchester Choral Society, are looking forward, nervously, to their first public performance with the choir, in a production of Berlioz's 'Romeo and Juliet'.As the performance opens, though, tragedy strikes in the form of a very public death. While coping with the repercussions of this, Virginia also has to tussle with the personal problems of her next-door neighbour, Caroline.As plans to re-schedule the concert are being made, another death occurs, and Virginia begins to realise that her own life may be in danger, as she feels the tangled web of deceit and malice tighten around her …THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR'A TENSE AND ATMOSPHERIC THRILLER WITH A HEART-STOPPING ENDING' TANGLED WEB'POWERFUL AND AUTHENTIC' GLASGOW HERALDThe…
Beijing Ripper makes a personal vendetta against Detective Li Yan in the sixth and final episode in the China seriesGRUESOME MURDERSHis victims are young, beautiful and coldly mutilated. He calls himself the Beijing Ripper. Li Yan, head of Beijing's serious crime squad, must stop him.FEARSOME LETTERSJust as pathologist Margaret Campbell finds an insight into the killer's sick signature, Li receives a letter from the killer, betraying his cruel intentions.CHINESE WHISPERSThere's no way Li can misinterpret the Ripper's motives: he wants to tear Li and Campbell's lives apart, and write the darkest chapter in Beijing's history.LOVED THE CHINA THRILLERS? Try book 1 of the Enzo novels, EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE.LOVE PETER MAY? Buy his new thriller, A SILENT DEATHThe second in the series of the Dabble and Harris thrillers! Set in the mid-twentieth century, this adventure series is…
perfect for fans of action-packed, historical fiction.'A rollicking good read' IAN RANKINIndia, 1937. Intrepid reporter Sir Percival Harris is hunting tigers with his friend, Professor Ernest Drabble. Harris soon bags a man-eater - but later finds himself caught up in a hunt of a different kind...Harris is due to interview the Maharaja of Bikaner, a friend to the Raj, for his London newspaper - and he and Drabble soon find themselves accompanied by a local journalist, Miss Heinz. But is the lady all she seems? And the Maharaja himself is proving elusive...Meanwhile, the movement for Indian independence is becoming stronger, and Drabble and Harris witness some of the conflict first-hand. But even more drama comes on arrival at Bikaner when the friends find themselves confined to their quarters... and embroiled in an assassination plot!Just who is the enemy in the Maharaja's palace? What is the connection to a mysterious man Drabble meets in Delhi? And what secret plans do the British colonial officers have up their sleeves?Praise for Alec Marsh's Drabble and Harris thrillers...'An immensely readable treat!' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH'Told with humour and flair, Enemy of the Raj is a highly enjoyable, riveting read'ABIR MUKHERJEE'A thoroughly engaging and enjoyable diversion'NEW STATESMAN on Enemy of the Raj 'Tremendous stuff! With the arrival of Alec Marsh's first Drabble and Harris thriller, John Buchan must be stirring uneasily in his grave'STANLEY JOHNSONThe second in the series of the Dabble and Harris thrillers! Set in the mid-twentieth century, this adventure series is…
perfect for fans of action-packed, historical fiction.'A rollicking good read' IAN RANKINIndia, 1937. Intrepid reporter Sir Percival Harris is hunting tigers with his friend, Professor Ernest Drabble. Harris soon bags a man-eater - but later finds himself caught up in a hunt of a different kind...Harris is due to interview the Maharaja of Bikaner, a friend to the Raj, for his London newspaper - and he and Drabble soon find themselves accompanied by a local journalist, Miss Heinz. But is the lady all she seems? And the Maharaja himself is proving elusive...Meanwhile, the movement for Indian independence is becoming stronger, and Drabble and Harris witness some of the conflict first-hand. But even more drama comes on arrival at Bikaner when the friends find themselves confined to their quarters... and embroiled in an assassination plot!Just who is the enemy in the Maharaja's palace? What is the connection to a mysterious man Drabble meets in Delhi? And what secret plans do the British colonial officers have up their sleeves?Praise for Alec Marsh's Drabble and Harris thrillers...'An immensely readable treat!' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH'Told with humour and flair, Enemy of the Raj is a highly enjoyable, riveting read'ABIR MUKHERJEE'A thoroughly engaging and enjoyable diversion'NEW STATESMAN on Enemy of the Raj 'Tremendous stuff! With the arrival of Alec Marsh's first Drabble and Harris thriller, John Buchan must be stirring uneasily in his grave'STANLEY JOHNSONChoral Mayhem
By Andrea Frazer. 2012
Who would believe that choral singing could prove such a deadly pastime? Virginia and Richard Grainger, new members of the…
Standchester Choral Society, are looking forward, nervously, to their first public performance with the choir, in a production of Berlioz's 'Romeo and Juliet'.As the performance opens, though, tragedy strikes in the form of a very public death. While coping with the repercussions of this, Virginia also has to tussle with the personal problems of her next-door neighbour, Caroline.As plans to re-schedule the concert are being made, another death occurs, and Virginia begins to realise that her own life may be in danger, as she feels the tangled web of deceit and malice tighten around her …'Reading this book for the second time' ***** Reader Review1965 - the heyday of Rock & Roll. Northern Lights are…
tipped to become as big as The Beatles. But after a gig in Newcastle, lead singer and creative genius, Gerry Crowther, vanishes into the foggy night. Later, his body is recovered from the River Tyne. Now, almost twenty years on, teen singing sensation Trudi Bell dominates the charts. As she prepares to release a new album, her manager Lew Pattison receives a demo tape from an unknown songwriter. Realising the music is unmistakeably the work of Gerry Crowther, Lew enlists the help of Adam and Eve to uncover the truth. But some people will stop at nothing to keep it buried . . .Vanishing Act is the third instalment in Bill Kitson's chilling and suspenseful Eden House mystery series. Perfect for fans of Peter James's Cold Hill series, Val McDermid and J M Dalgliesh.Readers are hooked on The Eden House Mysteries:'I couldn't sleep until I had finished this book' ***** Reader Review'The best book I have read in a while' ***** Reader Review'Captivating from start to finish. Brilliant page turner. I couldn't put it down' ***** Reader Review'Read the whole thing in a day' ***** Reader Review'One of the best authors I have come across' ***** Reader Review'More twists than a corkscrew' ***** Reader Review'The characters are brilliant and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Would highly recommend this book!' ***** Reader Review'Reading this book for the second time' ***** Reader Review1965 - the heyday of Rock & Roll. Northern Lights are…
tipped to become as big as The Beatles. But after a gig in Newcastle, lead singer and creative genius, Gerry Crowther, vanishes into the foggy night. Later, his body is recovered from the River Tyne. Now, almost twenty years on, teen singing sensation Trudi Bell dominates the charts. As she prepares to release a new album, her manager Lew Pattison receives a demo tape from an unknown songwriter. Realising the music is unmistakeably the work of Gerry Crowther, Lew enlists the help of Adam and Eve to uncover the truth. But some people will stop at nothing to keep it buried . . .Vanishing Act is the third instalment in Bill Kitson's chilling and suspenseful Eden House mystery series. Perfect for fans of Peter James's Cold Hill series, Val McDermid and J M Dalgliesh.Readers are hooked on The Eden House Mysteries:'I couldn't sleep until I had finished this book' ***** Reader Review'The best book I have read in a while' ***** Reader Review'Captivating from start to finish. Brilliant page turner. I couldn't put it down' ***** Reader Review'Read the whole thing in a day' ***** Reader Review'One of the best authors I have come across' ***** Reader Review'More twists than a corkscrew' ***** Reader Review'The characters are brilliant and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Would highly recommend this book!' ***** Reader ReviewCall to Kill: The first in a brand new high-octane SAS series
By Conor Woodman, Billy Billingham. 2021
THE FIRST IN A BRAND NEW SERIES FROM SAS: WHO DARES WINS STAR.A country in turmoil. A rescue mission gone…
wrong. A hero unlike any other fighting to save a broken world. Matt 'Mace' Mason is deployed on a deniable SAS mission in war-torn Yemen, becoming embroiled in a hostage rescue that goes terribly wrong. Pulling at the strings of the local political scene is not only the local warlord who is destined to become Mace's nemesis, General Ruak Shahlai, but hardbitten American arms dealer Erica Atkins, who controls a whole international network to her advantage.As well as his own team, Mace has to work, initially unwillingly, with female CIA Agent (and Islamic scholar) Redford. Together they will need to prevent an attack that would spark a regional war and create the largest environmental disaster the world has ever seen.DON'T MISS THE FIRST IN THE NEW MATT MASON SERIES FROM AN AUTHOR WHO HAS BEEN THERE AND DONE IT ALL, BILLY BILLINGHAM. About the AuthorBilly Billingham spent 17 years in the SAS. He was responsible for planning and executing strategic operations and training at the highest level in locations including Iraq, Afghanistan, South America and Africa, and has led countless hostage rescues. He later became a bodyguard to A list celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Sir Michael Caine, and Tom Cruise. Since 2015, Billy has been one of the lead presenters on the popular Channel Four series SAS: Who Dares Wins.The Burial Hour: Lincoln Rhyme Book 13 (Lincoln Rhyme Thrillers #1)
By Jeffery Deaver. 2017
From the author of The Goodbye Man, discover Jeffery Deaver's chilling series that inspired the film starring Angelina Jolie and…
Denzel Washington, and is now a major NBC TV series Number one bestselling author and master of suspense Jeffery Deaver returns with the thirteenth Lincoln Rhyme thriller, which sees a crime go global . . .When a man is snatched from a New York street in broad daylight, the only clue is a miniature noose left on the pavement. By the time criminal forensic scientist Lincoln Rhyme is involved, a video of the missing man is already online, his dying breaths set to a grisly music by someone calling himself The Composer. Rhyme and fellow investigator Amelia Sachs must follow The Composer across the globe as he continues his horrifying creation, kidnapping further victims to add their last breaths to his piece. But with Rhyme and Sachs in a whole new world with its own rules, how can they possibly guess what danger they're in when the music finally stops?'If you want thrills, Deaver is your man' Guardian'One of the most consistent writers of clever, entertaining and often thought-provoking thrillers in the world' Simon Kernick'Deaver is a master of plot twists, and they are abundant in this story...essential for fans of the franchise' Daily MailThe Bangalore Detectives Club (The Bangalore Detectives Club Series)
By Harini Nagendra. 2022
'A gorgeous debut mystery with a charming and fearless sleuth . . . spellbinding' SUJATA MASSEY'Told with real warmth and…
wit. . . A perfect read for fans of Alexander McCall Smith and Vaseem Khan' - ABIR MUKHERJEE'A cosy mystery that warmly illuminates a time and place not often examined in fiction' VASEEM KHAN'A beautifully painted picture of a woman's life in 1920s India' M W CRAVEN'A delight' CATRIONA MCPHERSON'The classic whodunnit with the added appeal of a female sleuth in Colonial India. . . fascinating' RHYS BOWENMurder and mayhem . . . monsoon season is coming._____________________________Solving crimes isn't easy.Add a jealous mother-in-law and having to wear a flowing sari into the mix, and you've got a problem.When clever, headstrong Kaveri moves to Bangalore to marry doctor Ramu, she's resigned herself to a quiet life.But that all changes the night of the party at the Century Club, where she escapes to the garden for some peace - and instead spots an uninvited guest in the shadows. Half an hour later, the party turns into a murder scene. When a vulnerable woman is connected to the crime, Kaveri becomes determined to save her and launches a private investigation to find the killer, tracing his steps from an illustrious brothel to an Englishman's mansion. She soon finds that sleuthing in a sari isn't as hard as it seems when you have a talent for maths, a head for logic and a doctor for a husband.And she's going to need them all as the case leads her deeper into a hotbed of danger, sedition and intrigue in Bangalore's darkest alleyways . . .BOOK ONE IN THE BANGALORE DETECTIVES CLUB SERIES*INCLUDES A BONUS CHAPTER OF DELICIOUS INDIAN RECIPES* ___________If you love murder mystery series like Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Vaseem Khan's Baby Ganesh Agency and Ovidia Yu's Crown Colony series, you won't want to miss THE BANGALORE DETECTIVES CLUB, Book One in a brand new series from Harini Nagendra'Told with real warmth and wit. . . Harini Nagendra has created an intricate and fiendish mystery with a wonderful duo of amateur sleuths Kaveri and Ramu at its heart, and capturing the atmosphere and intensity of Bangalore in the roaring twenties. I can't wait for the next instalment. A perfect read for fans of Alexander McCall Smith and Vaseem Khan' - ABIR MUKHERJEE'Riveting. [Nagendra's] use of colonial history is thoroughly fascinating, with devastating depictions of the airy condescension of the British. A fine start to a promising series' BOOKLIST Starred Review'Harini Nagendra takes us to a wonderfully unfamiliar world in this delightful debut mystery. . .I couldn't put it down' VICTORIA THOMPSON, USA Today bestselling author of Murder on Madison Square'Absolutely charming . . . this one is a winner!' CONNIE BERRY, USA Today best-selling and Agatha-nominated author of The Kate Hamilton Mysteries.'This lush mystery will transport you to heady 1920s Bangalore, where new bride Kaveri stumbles into sleuthing-while dragging her doctor-husband into the fray. Mouth-watering fashion and food set against simmering colonial intrigue in this delicious whodunit can be devoured in one sitting.' SUMI HAHN author of The Mermaid from Jeju'I loved The Bangalore Detectives Club . . . Kaveri especially is charming' Ovidia Yu, author of The Cannonball Tree MysteryThe Burial Hour: Lincoln Rhyme Book 13 (Lincoln Rhyme Thrillers #13)
By Jeffery Deaver. 2017
Number one bestselling author and master of suspense Jeffery Deaver returns with the thirteenth Lincoln Rhyme thriller, which sees a…
crime go global...The only leads in a broad-daylight kidnapping are the account of an eight-year-old girl, some nearly invisible trace evidence and the calling card: a miniature noose left lying on the street. A crime scene this puzzling demands forensic expertise of the highest order. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are called in to investigate. Then the case takes a stranger turn: a recording surfaces of the victim being slowly hanged, his desperate gasps the backdrop to an eerie piece of music. The video is marked as the work of The Composer...Despite their best efforts, the suspect gets away. So when a similar kidnapping occurs on a dusty road outside Naples, Rhyme and Sachs don't hesitate to rejoin the hunt. But the search is now a complex case of international cooperation - and not all those involved may be who they seem. All they can do is follow the evidence, before their time runs out.(P)2017 Hodder & Stoughton Limited'Reading this book for the second time' ***** Reader Review1965 - the heyday of Rock & Roll. Northern Lights are…
tipped to become as big as The Beatles. But after a gig in Newcastle, lead singer and creative genius, Gerry Crowther, vanishes into the foggy night. Later, his body is recovered from the River Tyne. Now, almost twenty years on, teen singing sensation Trudi Bell dominates the charts. As she prepares to release a new album, her manager Lew Pattison receives a demo tape from an unknown songwriter. Realising the music is unmistakeably the work of Gerry Crowther, Lew enlists the help of Adam and Eve to uncover the truth. But some people will stop at nothing to keep it buried . . .Vanishing Act is the third instalment in Bill Kitson's chilling and suspenseful Eden House mystery series. Perfect for fans of Peter James's Cold Hill series, Val McDermid and J M Dalgliesh.Readers are hooked on The Eden House Mysteries:'I couldn't sleep until I had finished this book' ***** Reader Review'The best book I have read in a while' ***** Reader Review'Captivating from start to finish. Brilliant page turner. I couldn't put it down' ***** Reader Review'Read the whole thing in a day' ***** Reader Review'One of the best authors I have come across' ***** Reader Review'More twists than a corkscrew' ***** Reader Review'The characters are brilliant and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Would highly recommendthis book!' ***** Reader Review(P) 2021 Headline Publishing Group LtdPETER MAY: OVER 3 MILLION COPIES SOLD'A TERRIFIC WRITER' MARK BILLINGHAM'WONDERFULLY COMPELLING' KATE MOSSEIn the second novel in the China…
series, Li Yan and Margaret Campbell are reluctantly reunited, on the trail of a killer reenacting a series of gruesome ritualsTHE SECOND OPINIONThe Chinese police have once more been forced to enlist the services of American forensic pathologist Margaret Campbell: this time to investigate a series of four horrific ritual executions that have taken place in Beijing.THE THIRD DEGREEDetective Li Yan is determined to discover just how one of the victims in particular, an American diplomat, became caught up in the slaying. And he is arguably even more determined to have nothing to do with Campbell.THE FOURTH SACRIFICEThe polarity that once attracted Yan and Campbell eventually pulls them back into partnership. Yet the closer they are drawn to the truth, the nearer they come to a killer prepared to use extreme force to conceal it.LOVED THE FOURTH SACRIFICE? Read the third book in the series, THE KILLING ROOM.LOVE PETER MAY? Buy his new thriller, A SILENT DEATH.(P)2015 WF Howes LtdLI YAN AND MARGARET CAMPBELL RETURN IN A NEW STORY, YEARS AFTER THE DRAMATIC CONCLUSION OF CHINESE WHISPERS. 'I saw…
your missing girl at a ghost wedding last week. She was the bride.'It has been a whirlwind few years for Li Yan and Margaret Campbell. Nowadays, both are busy juggling their huge professional workloads - Li as the newly promoted chief of Beijing's serious crime squad, and Campbell as lecturer at the University of Public Security - with the day-to-day raising of their young son, Li Jon.When a desperate mother appeals to Campbell's own maternal instincts, Li agrees to look into the disappearance of a 17-year-old Beijing girl, Jiang Meilin.Yet Li's investigation soon turns from a favour into a full-scale murder enquiry. And when he receives an anonymous note he learns Jiang Meilin's death is tied to a dangerous underground trade, and a dark marital rite from China's past.(P)2017 Quercus Editions LimitedFROM THE AUTHOR OF THE LEWIS TRILOGY AND THE ENZO THRILLERS'FAST, EXCITING' IRISH TIMES'AN EXCELLENT SERIES' KIRKUSPETER MAY: OVER 3…
MILLION COPIES SOLDHuman trafficking and inhuman terrorism - the fourth instalment in Peter May's critically acclaimed series.SUFFOCATEDA vehicle crammed with dozens of dead Chinese immigrants is found in southern Texas. Pathologist Margaret Campbell must put aside her horror, and find out why. SUMMONEDDetective Li Yan - an even more unwelcome memory for Campbell - has arrived stateside to investigate a link in the case to a lucrative trade in illegal labourers. SNAKEHEADLi and Campbell will soon find that the crime scene hides another secret: a biological time bomb linking traffickers, politicians and migrants in Beijing, Washington and Texas - posing multiple countries one, very singular, threat.LOVED SNAKEHEAD? Read the fifth book in the series, THE RUNNERLOVE PETER MAY? Buy his new thriller, A SILENT DEATH(P)2017 Quercus Editions Limited